It has been quite a while, but I'm still kicking. The last several weeks have not been the best, but I'm getting better now that the weather is starting to cool off. Still safe, but been dealing with a whole mess of crap from my day job that frankly has sucked the soul out of me, hence the delay between the last chapter and this one. Before I get into stuff, something you may have seen if you are a mobile user or did a search for this fic on FFNet in the last month or so, this fanfic now has a cover image, courtesy of the absolutely amazing Alex Barr, at www-dot-dulceskull-dot-com! If you're reading this on AO3, I have edited the title image into the top of Chapter 1. Thank you once again for the art, Alex!

What do we have for comments today, Johnny?
doraemax, 121698, and KuraraII: I swear, y'all need to stop reading ahead in my rough draft file. :D Some of these points are being addressed in the following pages. Others... well, we'll see.
Crazed Horse: It is worth mentioning that the SOLDIER program is not just a rank above the Shinra regulars. We're talking the dark science equivalent of the Erskine formula, the process which turned Steve Rogers into Captain America. Genetic therapy, alien DNA splicing, enhanced strength and durability, heightened reflexes and senses, and more, all acting as progressive force multipliers. To top that off, unless by sheer dint of perseverance on the mission boards since then, anyone who is in First Class was probably at least in SOLDIER (if not already Firsts) during the Wutai War, making them combat veterans. Even if they were only equally as capable as Ranma, they already have a finely honed killing intent, something Ranma is still struggling with. Ranma's struggles with this will be addressed in coming chapters.
Golden Nova: I'm genuinely sorry that you see it this way. As a writer, I feel that part of the draw of any dramatic telling is that you do not always know, for certain, that the hero will succeed at everything they set out to do. With shonen heroes in general, and Ranma in particular, there is something of a tradition of going in unprepared during the first battle, getting one's butt handed to them by varying degrees, and then coming back for round two with a plan to nullify the advantage. This story is not going to follow that pattern precisely, but keep in mind that each SOLDIER he's gone up against, he's only gone up against once so far, and despite their similarities they operate differently enough to each other that nullifying one advantage wouldn't do much in a fight against any of the others. Have some patience. Ranma will have his moments, believe me, I've got them all planned out.

I do not anticipate chapter 30 to be ready any time soon, there is a great deal of work that is needed to get it to where I want it. Sometime in September, maybe. Until then, I hope this... ahem, tides you over.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Earth and Water

[ ν ] - εγλ 0007, December 16

After regrouping with Tifa and the others, the party marched further into the woods for almost an hour. They kept to the dark, stayed on rocky ground as much as possible through the old growth, and eventually discovered a small hollow in the side of a cliff. The hollow was maybe ten meters wide, but it was difficult to approach, and gave enough cover from any range. They rebuilt camp and put up a small fire for warmth. A mountain creek formed from meltwater off the snow-capped mountainside managed to supply just enough water to warm up for cleaning minor scratches sustained during their late-night run through the forest, and for Ranma's demonstration.

Yuffie's gaze solidified as she watched the girl's transformation- the boy's transformation- her thought processes jerked to a halt suddenly. Ranma, now male, stood before her. Stood taller than her. Yuffie rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then stepped into Ranma's personal space and poked at his chest. "How…" she whispered, then trailed off, continuing to poke at Ranma with an extended finger, heedless of the young man's growing discomfort.

After several seconds of being uncomfortably prodded by Yuffie, Ranma grabbed the girl's wrists. "That's enough, runt," he declared, meeting . "I ain't a store display. Ya got questions, ask 'em."

Yuffie grinned sheepishly at Ranma. "I think 'how' covers most of 'em, really," she said simply, before pulling her arms free.

"It's a curse," he answered. "I was born a boy. Cold water turns me into a girl. Warm water turns me back." Yuffie gave an odd look, but said nothing else, instead sitting down in front of her tent in silence. Ranma visibly paused. "...what, that's it?"

Yuffie shrugged. "People got problems," she countered, hopping up onto a ledge in the rock face, looking out over the forest. "Ain't my business to care about 'em."

Ranma felt a familiar sting at those words, remembering his own attitude towards almost everyone in his past. "...whatever, if that's how ya feel, fine." He started walking away, one hand rubbing at his eyes in exhaustion. "It's late, I'm goin' ta bed. Gotta show the others somethin' in the morning anyway."

Yuffie watched the dark-haired boy pace towards his bedroll in the dim light. She stared after him for several minutes, then turned her eyes out over the forest. "Wasn't expecting a Wutaian to be in SOLDIER, of all places," she muttered to nobody in particular. "This is just icing on the weirdness cake."

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The next morning, well before daybreak, the party roused and rebuilt the fire to help them warm their bodies and prepare for the last leg of the journey to Junon. A simple breakfast of toast, eggs, and jerky was shared around the camp, and Ranma called his students over as the others prepared their gear. "All right, time for your first lesson for chi usage in combat."

Yuffie took up a seat nearby, but out of the way, atop a large rock that formed the edge of the hollow they had camped in. Tifa and Aerith both smiled and scooted closer to the fire. "This is that… grabbing stuff out of the fire thing you were talking about, right?" Tifa asked.

Ranma nodded, and pulled out a small leather bag of ordinary looking stones... quartz, granite, and a few even more base, polished smooth by the passage of time. "I snagged these from the river we passed by when the driver stopped for lunch yesterday," he explained. "They're not perfect, but they'll do for giving you the basic idea. Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken is the name of the training, there's not really much of a name for the result. Basically, if you can pull this off, you can move your limbs fast enough to grab these stones out of the fire without being burned." With that, he upturned the bag, spilling the river-smooth stones directly into the fire. "It's gonna take some work, cuz neither of you are used to using chi like this yet… but I think you both can learn it if you apply yourselves. Watch carefully."

The two girls nodded, calm but attentive. Ranma crouched down and took a small breath, and there was a soft wind within the campfire as Ranma's arms stretched out from his body, fists closed. To the unaided eye, he appeared to be standing perfectly still, but the campfire told another story. The flames seemed to be pushed away from Ranma for a second or two, as if buffeted by a strong wind, and when he stood back up, a dozen smooth stones were being held in each hand. Aerith was impressed, but was used enough to Ranma's particular brand of physics-defying insanity not to gawk openly at the result, instead merely smiling.

Tifa, on the other hand, was staring at Ranma with a look of incredulity. "I swear, sensei, every time I think you couldn't get weirder…" Tifa muttered. "So, what, is this actually like the old martial arts masters on TV? Do we just punch the air until we punch fast enough?"

Ranma shook his head. "It is simple, but it's not that simple." He demonstrated a punch, and then withdrew his fist as quickly as he could, punching again, and a third time. "Unassisted, there's only so fast your limbs can move, especially if you're trying to put enough force for a punch into the motion. What you're gonna be doing is pushing a little bit of chi into your arms, and only your arms. That's gonna help them move faster." He took a short breath and focused it into his right arm, which blurred through the air, sending a slight breeze into the campfire as he did so. "There's gonna be more to it, but you're gonna start there, an' we'll see how it goes."

"Question, sensei," Aerith raised her hand. "How do we do that?"

Ranma blinked. "Do what?"

"How do we push chi into our arms?"

Ranma had a moment where he looked frozen in place. "I…" he started. "Wait, didn't I… No, I guess I didn't go over that, did I?"

"Nope," Tifa confirmed. "You gave us a little to go on for sensing others, but that was it. So how does it work?"

"Hold up, hold up," Yuffie interrupted, hopping down from her perch. "How does some twerp like you know about this kinda stuff anyway?"

Ranma turned to look at Yuffie, then shook his head. "Wait, you're saying Wutai knows about chi techniques?"

Yuffie snorted. "The hell is chi?"

Ranma groaned. "Lifestream, whatever the heck this planet calls it."

"This planet?" she asked indignantly.

Aerith and Tifa shared a giggle. "You should probably give her the whole story, Ranma," Aerith indicated the girl staring upwards at him. "Otherwise we're not going to get much done."

Ranma raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, Yuffie, give me… ten minutes, I want to get this started with them, then we can talk."

Yuffie glared at him. "Ten minutes."

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Thirteen minutes and forty seven seconds later…

"...moogle dung," Yuffie said, after listening to Ranma's somewhat abridged life story. "I've never heard a bigger load in my life, and I've sat through one of President Shinra's speeches after the war."

Ranma snickered. "If it's any consolation, that won't hafta happen again," he said. "But it's all true. I ain't from here. Even the stars look different ta me. I don't care if you believe me or not, to be honest. I'm me. And I was not born here, or anywhere else on this world, far as I can tell."

Yuffie gave him a cross look. "How come ya can talk their language?" she asked. "Huh? How come your name sounds Wutaian? Your martial arts all look like they're adapted from ours too. Didja just steal it all and jumble it together on yer own?"

"I-" Ranma got out before he was interrupted again.

"And another thing, this whole 'Japan' business, whatever con ya wanna run woulda gone a lot better if you weren't pretending to be from another planet called Japan. Stupid name for a planet anyway." Yuffie inhaled sharply. "Coulda just said you had amnesia instead of tryin' ta be some weird space-man. Whole thing makes ya look stupid." Ranma rolled his eyes, and before the girl could draw another breath, he rapped her sharply on the side of the head with his knuckles. "Ow!"

Ranma smiled with a hint of satisfaction. "Japan's a country, not a planet," he started. "I don't tell people I have amnesia because I don't have amnesia. I'm not insane, last I checked, anyway. I'm not running a con. Besides which, giving someone you don't know advice on the con you think they're runnin' is a bad way to hide the idea that you're gonna run a con yourself." He thought for a moment. "I got nothin' on the language thing, though. I thought that was weird when I got here too. Then things started blowing up and I kinda had to focus on more important stuff, like keepin' my new friends safe, an' not dying."

Yuffie scoffed. "Still moogle dung," she repeated. "Ain't buyin' it."

Ranma shrugged. "Lucky for me, 'convincing a runt that I'm real' ain't on the class schedule for the night. Gonna go see to my students," he finished, turning back towards the camp.

Yuffie watched after him as he walked away. "Can't be," she said stubbornly. After a few minutes, she walked back to the camp as well.

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The fire was doused and buried, the camp had been broken down completely, and Cloud was busy passing out the last of their rations of dried meats. "If we move fast, we oughta be able to make it to Junon before the sun comes over the mountains," he said, shouldering his pack. "After that, we play it by ear, and we stay quiet for as long as we can."

Barret nodded. "Yeah, mom, I hear ya," he drawled. "We'll all play nice, we promise."

Tifa smirked at that, but said nothing. Yuffie looked between them all. "So, what're we lookin' for in Junon anyway?"

"There's a man," Cloud answered as they started their hike. "His name is Sephiroth."

Yuffie froze. "Sephiroth?" she gasped, shuffling her feet backwards. "What… what do you want with him?"

Cloud turned to look at Yuffie, puzzled by her reaction. Then it clicked. "...right, sorry, forgot. The Demon of Wutai, right?" Yuffie nodded, a jerky little motion. Cloud sighed. "You're… not the only one who would call him a demon these days, believe me. He… set mine and Tifa's hometown on fire. Killed our families. Did… a bunch of other things. Now he's apparently after some place he thinks is the Promised Land, from the Ancients' legends. We're gonna stop him. Once that's done, we're going to come back… and we're gonna turn Shinra inside out."

Yuffie gulped, but nodded. "He… he's dangerous, you know."

"Yeah… I know," Cloud answered softly. He turned his head to one side, his eyes downcast. "Believe me, I know.

"He might kill you," she continued.

"He might."

"And you're just gonna… go after him?"

"Not going to force you to come with us," Cloud responded, taking a step towards Yuffie. He lowered his voice some, trying for reassuring. "But you know what he did. We know what he did. And… he's after something that he thinks is going to give him even more power. If he's right, and he gets there, then he could do it again. He could do that to anyone's home… everyone's homes. He could set Gaia on fire, or worse." He paused, taking a breath and shuttering that particular memory again. Reliving that once was more than sufficient. "So… he needs to be stopped. And we have to stop him. That's all there is to it."

Yuffie stared at Cloud in confusion, watching him turn and rejoin the others, who had continued the walk out of their campsite. Ranma looked behind at the girl. Saw the terror and resolve warring in her expression. "Yuffie," he called out, waiting for the young girl to meet his eyes. "There's no shame in being afraid."

"I'm not afraid of Sephiroth!" Yuffie shouted angrily in response, clenching her hands tightly at her sides. She stared after the others for a long moment, trying to put words to her feeling. "I just… you…" she mumbled somewhat inarticulately, her feet glued to the spot as she warred with her common sense and self-preservation. After a long tense moment of consideration, she swayed briefly from side to side, and then screwed up her face in determination. "Dammit!" And with that outburst she dashed after them.

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It was shortly after daybreak that the group arrived at the outskirts of Junon. The sleepy-looking fishing harbor was already awake and moving, a fish market open and men shouting out over the open air, trying to sell the overnight catch from out at sea. Two bars on the harbor were still open, apparently serving alcohol to sailors and fishermen around the clock. A school of dolphins swam and hopped energetically along the surface, close enough to be seen from the shore, the water rippling behind them as they passed. Several children were running around, playing with a cat and dog. Ranma gave the cat a wide berth as the others passed by, struggling to keep himself in control.

As they approached the center of town, they noticed the large wall, constructed of metal, with a single guard in Shinra blues standing in front of a solid metal gate. A worn but sturdy wooden stairwell led down to the beach, while several homes stood on stilts even this high up from the shore. Despite the immediate lack of sun, and the cold weather overall, the air here was relatively warm. Ranma unzipped his jacket, enjoying it a bit. They spoke to several of the bystanders and townsfolk, but nobody had seen nor heard anything about a man in a black cloak.

"So…" Cloud started, turning in a circle to take in the surroundings. "Anyone got an idea to get past the guard?"

"Three, so far," Ranma piped up, "but only one of them has a chance of things staying quiet."

Cloud considered this for a moment. "All right, let's hear all three, maybe the others can be salvaged."

"The one I see with-" Ranma began.

"Could just knock 'im out," Yuffie suggested, interrupting Ranma. The others looked at her. "...what? He's workin' for Shinra."

Cloud rubbed his chin with one hand, glancing over at Barret. "It's simple, at least," he said finally. "Don't want to hurt people if we can avoid it though. We should look around and see if there's a way for us to sneak in without the guard being in the way, but we can hold onto that as a last resort."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm awesome, don't crowd me," Yuffie crowed.

Barret gestured up to what looked like a large scaffolding tower running up to the city above, planted firmly in the water just off the beach. "What about dat?" he asked. "Might be a way up."

Cloud nodded, and the group started down the stairs to the beach. "Take it easy, everyone," he cautioned, "there's a kid down there."

A little girl was indeed playing on the beach, a couple toys in her hands, and a whistle tied to a chain around her neck. She seemed to be interested in a dolphin swimming close to shore. "He~ey Mister Dolphin!" she called out in a singsong. "My name is Priscilla! Can you say Pris~cil~la?"

The dolphin did not speak, but it did leap up briefly out of the water and gave what looked to be a playful splash at Priscilla with its tail. Priscilla giggled in response, before she saw the seven strangers strolling down the old stairwell towards the beach, and towards her. Barret looked on at the interaction between the girl and the dolphin, and smiled. "Don't see somethin' like that every day," he commented.

"Who're you guys s'posed ta be?" Priscilla demanded, her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. Then she caught sight of Cloud's very distinctive black turtleneck tunic and fatigues, and Ranma's faded blue jacket. "Are you with Shinra?" she accused.

After a few seconds of silent glances between the party, Ranma realized the girl was talking to him specifically. "Oh, the jacket," he muttered. "Nah, it was a gift. I don't like Shinra much."

Priscilla stared at him, clearly considering this possibility, before shaking her head. "You're lying," she said. "You hurt my daddy, Shinra, so go away!"

Ranma was no longer paying attention to the girl. "Should the ocean be doing that?" he asked, one hand pointing out to the horizon, though he was certain an answer was not going to be needed. In the distance, the water was rippling oddly. Ranma recalled a similar pattern in the ocean's current as they saw the school of dolphins earlier, and realized that it must have been something chasing the school of dolphins. as if something large was swimming at great speed, just beneath the surface of the waves. It was coming towards shore at an incredible pace.

Priscilla turned around and saw the enormous swell of the water approaching them. "Mister Dolphin!" she called out. "It'll hurt Mister Dolphin!" And with that she ran forward into the ocean, trying to warn the dolphin.

"Wait!" Aerith shouted, reaching out to grab the girl but she had already gone well past the woman's reach.

The dolphin smartly beat a hasty retreat out to sea as the creature collided with the shallows, the sand forcing it to a stop while the dolphin made its escape. The creature shuddered and spun in the water, flicking its tail underneath the surface of the water as it sought its prey. The motion of that tail flick collided sharply with Priscilla, knocking her hard to one side with a resounding smack. Her body dipped beneath the water about ten meters from the shore, as the creature approached the party assembled on the beach.

Ranma quickly pulled his jacket off and lay it on the beach. "Distract it!" he shouted. "I'm gonna go get the girl!"

Cloud drew his sword, and the others readied their weapons as well. Ranma charged forward into the waves, transforming as soon as she struck the cold salt water. She pushed against the wake of the sea creature's passage, and got her first good look at the monstrosity. Its body was serpentine, with long sharp spines along the bottom and middle of the body, giving it an almost skeletal appearance until you reached its head. The head was elongated in the back, and had an amphibian-like crest and frill in front of its short, misshapen face. All in all, it looked as if someone had glued a moray's body to the top half of two different lizards. If it weren't for the impending attack, it would almost seem comical.

And then it screeched.

There was no other word for it. It lacked the bass of a roar, sounding far more like a hawk's hunting call passed through some kind of aquatic filter. The sound felt as if it cut straight through Ranma's skin and gripped something far more primal than simple logic or threat assessment. This was a cry that spoke to the parts of the brain that most humans rarely had the opportunity to consider first-hand, and most common men dismissed them as no longer existing as a result. But as much as humans wished to claim a place at the top of the food chain, there were creatures older and craftier than them on their own world, and many of these could send grown men running in terror at the idea of them. This sound coiled its way around that central fear factory in the brain and pressed the button marked 'you are prey'.

Ranma felt the animalistic terror grip her, stopping cold in the already hip-deep waters and clutching at her head in an effort to cover her ears from the piercing screech. It took everything she had to resist the urge to run in a straight line as far away from the monster as she could, instead remaining stock-still, scarcely daring to move or breathe as ice-cold waves washed over her lower body. After what felt like an eternity there in the shallows near the rocky outcropping, she managed to take a few deep breaths, regaining control of her facilities, and began pressing forward again. Her urgency increased as she realized how much time she had spent cowering in spineless fear, pressing on through the water. She saw out of the corner of her eye the flashes of light and sounds of battle as the others recovered their own determination and began slinging spells and ammunition at the creature, keeping its attention away from Ranma's rescue attempt. The waves pushed against her every step of the way as she approached the spot where Priscilla had dropped beneath the surface, and she saw the girl in the water, resting against the sand almost as if asleep. No bubbles came out of her mouth. Ranma took a breath and dove down, reaching out and grabbing hold of the girl before pushing off the sandy floor as hard as she could manage. As she reached the surface once more, she lifted Priscilla up in a fireman's carry, careful to keep the girl's head above water as the waves struck Ranma in the back, and began wading back to shore as fast as possible. She set her down inside the warm coat, folding the jacket over her to try to trap as much heat inside as possible, before pumping a Cure spell into the girl's body.

She glanced briefly over at the battle, noticing one of the party hovering in midair inside a bubble of water. She nearly dashed over to help, but she realized that if she left the girl, she would most likely drown there on the beach with the water in her lungs. CPR, she thought to herself, focusing her thoughts. Have to revive her. She knelt down and began performing the life saving technique, as the battle raged behind her.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing there with her?"

An elderly man stepped onto the beach, calling out to her, a clear look of concern on his face. His skin was weatherbeaten and rough, half-bald and moving with a limp, but even with all of that, Ranma could tell that this was likely the father of Priscilla. "She got knocked into the water when the monster attacked," Ranma said quickly, keeping the majority of her attention on her pulmonary thrusts. "My friends are trying to fight it off, but I didn't want to leave her."

The man looked taken aback. "You… you saved her… from that?" he muttered in astonishment. The man glanced between the group of men and women fighting valiantly against such a powerful foe, and the lone girl who had braved the creature's wrath, apparently unarmed, to save his daughter. "Bottomswell, that's what we called it," he said quietly as Ranma pinched the child's nose shut, breathing into her mouth. The man dropped to his knees in front of Priscilla, wringing his hands in worry as Ranma continued her efforts. "He's been plaguing our fishing vessels for months now. That sound it made… it's… like some kind of mental attack. It makes you… afraid, no matter how strong you are. Your friends must be something else to be fighting something like that."

"Yes sir, they're something, all right," Ranma agreed, a hint of desperation in her voice as she returned to the pulmonary thrusts. Should it be working by now? Why isn't it working? She gave two more breaths, and leaned in close to check the girl's breathing. Nothing. She can't be dead. The martial artist was about to resume pushing in on Priscilla's chest cavity, when the girl suddenly coughed, spluttering water all over. "Oh Kami thank you, she's going to be okay," Ranma whispered as the girl turned over onto her side, the seawater flowing out of her mouth and nose. The redhead raised her eyes to the older man in front of her. "Sir, can you look after her for a moment? I need to help my friends."

"Absolutely, my girl, and thank you," he replied, leaning forward over Priscilla to give Ranma a brief embrace, before curling his arms beneath Priscilla and raising her head up slowly, trying to comfort his daughter.

Ranma stood up, and turned towards the creature, Bottomswell. She took two steps forward before moving into a full run. "Everybody get down!" she shouted, reaching inside her to find that bizarre technique she'd picked up from the serpent in the swamp, seemingly ready for her to use.

Yuffie looked behind her, and saw Ranma charging in fast. "...the crap is she doing?" she asked in confusion.

"Oh hell," Tifa muttered, and grabbed Yuffie sharply by the wrist, pulling her out of the way.

Cloud saw her coming, and waved her forward, holding his sword up flat over his head. Ranma nodded, and leaped forward from the edge of the beach, landing lightly on the impromptu platform. Cloud braced himself, legs square against the sand beneath the water as Ranma pushed off with one leg, the Buster Sword not moving an inch. She waited until she had the beast's full attention, and grabbed ahold of the energy inside her with her mana, pushing until it fired, the Beta spell flying out from her outstretched hands. The blast of flame erupted into Bottomswell's face, sending the creature's body recoiling from the explosion. Ranma flipped backwards as she descended, landing lightly near the shore.

As she landed, however, a lightning-quick flick of the tail from the monster collided with Ranma, sending her tumbling across the sandy beach. "Ow," she groaned. "How is it not dead yet?"

Cloud, however, was charging forward himself, his sword held down and in front of him, parting the water as he moved. He leaped up as the water rushed in around the space he left, swinging the Buster Sword around and over his head as he rose. At the climax of his superhuman vertical leap, nearly ten meters in the air and level with Bottomswell's head, he swung downwards hard, connecting with his Braver and taking off an enormous chunk of the creature's face.

Bottomswell screamed, and reared up, thrashing wildly in pain. After a moment, it tensed up, body seeming to vibrate, and there was a moment where it appeared that nothing happened. Bottomswell fell down, landing on the surface of the water, and began to dissolve into seafoam before their very eyes. "...he did it," Ranma whispered, struggling back to her feet, rubbing at her ribs tenderly where the sideswipe had connected with her. "Jeez, that's gonna leave a bruise." Then she saw the wave. Eight meters tall and rising, heading towards them at speed. "Oh, no… Everyone out of the water! Now!" she shouted, dashing over to Priscilla and her father. Without another word, she grabbed both of them and lifted them bodily, leaping up the stairwell to safety.

The wave crashed in. It struck like a wall, slamming into the group even as they struggled to avoid it. Ranma and the two civilians were safe, but she was forced to watch as the others tumbled helplessly in the water. Tifa struggled to shore first, dragging Yuffie to safety with her. Red managed to paddle to shore next, and Barret didn't so much swim as walk his way back to dry land. Cloud had managed to grab Aerith at the last second before the wave crested over them, and had taken the brunt of the impact himself as a result. However, it was now Aerith who was pulling Cloud to shore, the young man stumbling in obvious pain, coughing out seawater.

"You down there!" the older man next to Ranma shouted. "All of you! You just saved my daughter's life. Get your asses up here!"

"Kind of an aggressive thank you, old timer," Ranma muttered.

The man turned to face Ranma. "That… thing… dragged two of our boats under this month already. My best mate was on one of them… didn't make it back. Been stealin' our catches for months, chasin' schools of marlin and dolphins up and down the coast, and causing all kinds of havoc." He looked away for a moment, before his gaze passed over Priscilla. "She's… Priscilla is all I have left. You saved her, and you took out the monster to boot. There is no payment I can offer that would ever match what you've done, but at least do me the honor of granting you my hospitality. Come up when you've got your friends together, you can at least rest up and dry off in my home." He reached out a weathered arm and slapped Ranma companionably on the back. It was like receiving a very warm embrace from a teak log.

Ranma coughed violently in response, the breath having been briefly driven from her lungs. "Thanks, old man," she answered between coughs. "We'll be up in a few minutes. And thank you."

"Hah," the man barked in laughter. "And don't call me old. Name's Presley. Don't keep me waitin'." With that, he carried the girl up the stairs.

Ranma leaped back down to the shore, and helped the others up, tossing a Cure over Cloud to keep him conscious as they carted him back to safety, the blond coughing up a few mouthfuls of seawater. "Apparently, we've gone and become heroes or somethin'," Ranma explained. "C'mon, I think we all could use a rest while we think up another plan."

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"Tifa!"

Cloud woke up with a start, wincing slightly at the nearby lamp glaring into his eyes as he struggled to regain his bearings. Memory flowed back in spurts. The beach, the fight with the serpent, the wave that briefly crushed him against the shore with the weight of its passage. Being carried here by Ranma and Tifa to recover his strength. The voice... was that a dream? He looked around, and saw Tifa standing there over him. "Cloud, you need to get up."

Cloud sat up, still a bit groggy, but his body healed considerably over the space of the short nap as Tifa got their gear together. "Tifa… I was thinking… about Nibelheim."

Tifa stopped short. "What about it?" she asked lightly.

"When Sephiroth and I were there… I don't remember seeing you much. Where were you?"

Tifa looked at him. "I was with you." She knelt down and looked him in the eyes. "Remember? You said it yourself, I led you and Sephiroth to the reactor in the mountains."

Cloud shook his head. "Yeah, I know, but…" he took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I mean, what about the rest of the time? We were there for more than a week. I don't remember seeing you except for going to the reactor and… right after the incident."

"I…" she paused. "I don't remember right now. It was five years ago, there was a lot going on. That's not important right now, though, something's happening outside." She pulled him to his feet, and they stepped outside together.

The noise hit Cloud like a wall. "The hell…?" Trumpets and horns blared. Drums and marching feet beat a steady rhythm. Even though the sounds were happening somewhere above and in the distance, it could be heard clearly even from the beachfront they stood in front of.

The others were assembled outside. "Sounds like a party up there," Ranma noted as Cloud and Tifa arrived. "Do you have anything like Mardi Gras here?"

"...the hell is a 'Marty Grah'?" Yuffie looked at Ranma, confused.

Before Ranma could explain further, Presley stepped out of the clinic above them, and Priscilla followed behind him, carrying Ranma's jacket. Priscilla walked down, taking the stairs one at a time, but eventually ended up standing in front of the group. "You look different," she declared, facing Ranma.

"I do," she answered gently, crouching down to meet the little girl's eyes. "It's a long story, but I'll be okay, I promise. How about you, kiddo? Thought you were in trouble there for a minute."

"No way," Priscilla replied. "My daddy told me you saved me from the water, and all of you helped fight that monster. I thought you were with Shinra because you had one-a their coats, and the big blondie had SOLDIER clothes. But you all are good people." She smiled, and held out her hands, Ranma's coat neatly folded and dry in both arms. "Here's your coat back."

Ranma smiled softly, and took the jacket, tossing it back over her shoulders. "Thanks, kiddo."

Priscilla beamed and then walked over to Cloud. "This is for you," she said, holding up a small red orb on a chain. "It was my sister's. She said that the lady inside protects people."

Cloud took the orb and examined it carefully. "Shiva," he whispered.

Priscilla nodded. "That's the lady's name, yeah," she said. "How did you know?"

Cloud smirked faintly towards the girl. "The lady inside just told me so."

"Ohhhh," she mouthed conspiratorially. "Okay, mister, you better take good care of her, okay?"

"I will, Priscilla, thanks." He stood up. "Do either of you know what all that noise is from up there?"

Presley nodded. "My brother works in one of the stores up on the road by the military docks. Apparently they sealed off the city to throw the new President a welcoming ceremony."

Barret turned sharply at that. "Rufus is here?" he asked. "I gotta pay my respects."

Priscilla looked confused, but Presley clearly took the meaning as intended. "Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't blame you for any problem you have with the man, but you're gonna have a lot of trouble getting up there right now. It's all sealed off, see?" He pointed to the guard and the gate at the edge of the houses. "That's the only way to get to the upper city. Military personnel only, since two days ago."

Aerith looked around. "We'll have to find another way up."

Red glanced between the others. "I hope you can think of a solution that doesn't involve tying me to Ranma's back again," he remarked. "That was less than pleasant and I would rather not repeat the experience."

Priscilla giggled. "The doggy talks! That's so cool!"

"I am not a doggy, I am-" Red's protests were smothered by an enormous hug from the girl, who gleefully patted at Red's fur and ears.

"Red?" Ranma said quietly.

"Ranma?"

"Take the compliment," she commented. "Trust me on this, it'll be easier than explaining." Red glared up at Ranma, but relented and allowed the girl to embrace him warmly. Even Yuffie smiled at the exchange.

Cloud cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to the moment. "So, any ideas on how to get up there?" he asked.

"Oh, I know!" Priscilla yelled out. "Mister Dirk can help!"

Presley huffed, running one hand over his chin. "He might, though he ain't been back long." He turned to the others, a serious look on his face. "He's kinda crap as people go, but he might know how to getcha in. Just don't get in over your heads."

Ranma shrugged. "Old man, 'over our heads' is kinda where we've been livin' the last few weeks, ta be honest." She crouched down and met the little girl's eyes. "Okay, Priscilla, can you lead us to Mister Dirk?"

The girl grinned from ear to ear. "Follow me!"

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Priscilla led them a short ways off the main road into Lower Junon, past houses, a cannery, more houses, and a factory, to a deep gully in the foot of the Junon Mountain with a ladder set into one side, leading up to what looked like a shack made of part of a boat and assorted junk metal that had been built into the wall of the mountain. A single window covered with a set of metal blinds. "That's Mister Dirk's house," she said cheerfully, pointing to the shack. "Dad says he isn't always nice, but he used ta bring Jamie flowers when he came by. That was my sister's name."

Aerith gave the little girl a smile. "Then we'll try to be nice to him, how about that?"

Priscilla gave a nod, and took a few hopping steps forward, balancing with a practiced ease on the grooves in the stone. "Hey, Mister Dirk!"

A few seconds of silence followed. Then there was a sound of a gruff male voice from somewhere inside the shack. "Prissy, I thought I told you, no games before noon, ya got it?"

Priscilla screwed up her face and stuck out her tongue. "Dummy!" she shouted. "I brang you some people!"

Some more sounds from above and inside, and the metal blinds over the window twitched. Nothing beyond them was visible, but Ranma could tell they were being watched. "You sure they ain't with Shinra?" the voice sounded again.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Priscilla answered, waving one hand over her head. "They helped me this morning when the monster came up to the beach."

Silence covered the gully for a few seconds. "Yeah, okay, Prissy, let's see what you found, then." A moment later, the door opened up, and a wiry-looking man stepped out onto the slim balcony. His short ginger hair ended in long sideburns down to his cheekbones, and he wore a dingy white button-up shirt and black slacks, with black leather gloves over both hands, and dark shades obscuring his eyes. A lit cigar rested in one hand, and a pistol in the other. "This who ya brought?"

"Uh-huh," Priscilla nodded her head. "They want help to get up to the city."

The man rolled his cigar between his fingers, flicking off a bit of ash into the wind, but otherwise said nothing for several seconds, apparently sizing up the group from behind his sunglasses. "Yeah, okay, c'mon up, y'all, let's talk. Prissy, get back home to yer pops, I'll be by later."

Priscilla gave another exaggerated nod of her head. "Okay, Mister Dirk, see ya later!" she called out, waving a hand in farewell. She turned to Cloud. "Hope you get where ya need to go," she said quietly.

"So do I," Cloud answered. "Thanks, Priscilla."

The girl smiled and bounced away, and the group approached the shack. Dirk looked down from above. "One at a time on the ladder, got it?"

A chorus of acknowledgement circled from the group as Cloud approached the ladder. Ranma looked down at Red. "Gonna need help getting up there?" she asked. In response, Red bounded forward, balancing on a thin outcropping in the face of the gully, propelling himself from there to the sheer wall of the cliff, and leaping off of the wall to land on the narrow balcony at the top of the ladder. "Whoa," she gasped in surprise. "Didn't know you could jump like that."

Red grinned down at them. "I grew up in a mountainous area far more treacherous than this," he answered. "I learned from a young age how to navigate this type of terrain."

Ranma nodded, and followed quickly up the ladder after Cloud reached the peak. Entering the shack, the inside was not what she'd expected. Instead of cramped quarters and thin metal walls, the outer face had apparently been built to conceal a spacious cavern, and much of the inside was furnished with comfortable, if well-worn, couches and chairs. A kitchenette occupied one wall, and a series of pipes along the vaulted roof indicated plumbing. "Huh," she muttered, stepping out of the way of the entrance as Barret came up the ladder.

"Y'all have ta forgive me, I don't entertain often," Dirk called from the next room. "Take a seat, I'll be out in a minute. Need a clean shirt."

Ranma suppressed the reflex to remove her shoes, but strode over to one of the threadbare couches and took a seat as the others began to pile in one at a time. Red plopped down on the cavern floor between Ranma and Tifa's seats. "You know how to get into the city?" Tifa asked out loud.

There was a laugh from the other room. "Gettin' in's easy," Dirk replied, "ya just go up to the front door and knock. Gettin' in, when the whole town's on lockdown, and ya don't want anyone knowin' you're there, that's somethin' else." The man reappeared from around a corner, wearing a crisp white shirt. "That's what ya want, ain't it?"

Barret eyed the man warily, but said nothing. Cloud glanced between the others, and then back to Dirk. "Is that something you can do for us?"

"I've been known to get some stuff through, on occasion," he commented. He pulled out a cheap metal chair from a dining table, and sat down in it, facing the seven travelers. "How soon, and how many of you?"

"All of us," Cloud answered, "and as soon as possible."

Dirk paused to drag on his cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke towards the door. "Everybody's always in a hurry," he muttered, his face turning slowly to take in each of the individuals in his home. "Y'all tryin' to get across to Costa? There's easier ways, yanno."

Cloud shook his head. "We're looking for someone."

"An' even though you think I can getcha into Junon," Dirk countered, "you don't think I could find this person for ya?"

"It's not that," Tifa cut in. "It's more that if you found him, he'd kill you."

Another pause. "Ah," Dirk breathed, a puff of smoke floating in front of him. "So the rumors are true." He took another long drag on the cigar, and let out a sigh. "So, if you ain't with Shinra, what the hell do you want with the General?"

Cloud's eyes flickered in recognition at the title. "You know Sephiroth?"

"Not much more than the next person," Dirk answered casually, his rough baritone almost placid, "but that doesn't answer my question. You're after him. You're clearly not complete idiots, ya look like ya came loaded for bear, but even ordinary idiots still have enough sense to stay out of the way of a man like that. Which means either you are so far beyond stupid that you're a danger to my little operation, or you got a real good reason to find him. So what's the reason?"

Barret met the man's eyes. "You ain't gonna let us in unless ya know why we want Sephiroth, is that it?"

"Not quite," Dirk said. "I might not help ya at all even when I know the reason. But I gotta assess the risks. If I don't know the reason, y'all might as well go beat your heads against the front door and see how that goes, cuz it won't be me."

Silence filled the room for an uncomfortable length of time. Cloud turned to Tifa, and caught her gaze. Tifa nodded in response, understanding the question in his eyes. "All right," Cloud conceded. "Five years ago, he destroyed our town," he gestured between himself and Tifa, "killed our families, and burned the place to the ground. That would be enough for just us, but we have reason to believe he may be a threat to the whole world now."

Dirk ran one gloved hand over his sideburns. "And y'all wanna save Gaia out of the goodness of your hearts?"

"Hold it, y'all," Barret waved a hand at Cloud, cutting him off. "Thought I recognized ya." He stood up, arms still at his sides, and took a half step forward, squaring his shoulders. The movement was apparently enough to set off Dirk, who lifted his pistol and aimed it at Cloud, still seated. Barret remained where he was, but his aggressive stance remained. "Four years ago. Corel mountains. Used ta be a reactor there."

Dirk's hand did not waver, the barrel of the weapon still pointed at Cloud. "Heard it melted down. What's that got ta do with me?"

"Cuz I helped ya get in there, the day it melted down."

A long, pregnant silence fell over the room. Dirk's head turned slightly to face Barret before responding. "Must be thinkin' of someone else, guy, I ain't-"

"Shut it!" Barret barked, but remained where he was. "I remember every damn minute of that day. Tattooed on the inside of my eyes. You said you was gonna make it right. And then the whole place went up. Shinra blamed us, destroyed my village, murdered my wife and everyone I knew, and took my arm," he waved the gun-arm between them in emphasis. "Any of that sound like it was made right ta you?"

Dirk stood stock still for a few seconds, then lowered his pistol to one side. "No, it doesn't," he admitted, lowering his head. "I didn't know that it'd get taken out on your town. And I don't work for Shinra anymore."

"An' you ain't gonna tell me what happened?" Barret asked.

The ginger-haired man shook his head lightly, before turning his face back to Barret, his eyes still concealed by the thick shades. "Buddy, if I had all day, I couldn't tell you all the reasons I can't give you the details," Dirk responded. He returned to his seat, setting the pistol down on a table nearby. "Trust me when I say that knowing what happened would not make you feel better. About any of it. Cuz it sure as shit doesn't do a thing for me." He took a long drag on his cigar, looking over the party once more. "I'll help you get into Junon," he said finally.

The others hesitated for a moment. "You will?" Yuffie blurted out.

Dirk gave them a nod. Barret narrowed his gaze. "Hold it," he said softly, lifting his good arm and pointing one finger accusingly at Dirk. "Why should we trust you?"

Dirk shrugged, flicking the ash from his cigar. "Cuz I'm literally all ya got, man," he answered, waving his empty hand vaguely to one side. "There's the door if it doesn't suit ya."

Barret let out a low growl, and took a step forward before Tifa sprang to her feet, restraining him. Cloud stood slowly, stepping towards Dirk. "What will your help cost us?" he asked quietly.

Dirk leaned back slightly in a stretch, and gave a wry smile. "My normal rate is three thousand gil, base rate for a job, marked up based on risk and complexity. But," he paused, holding a finger over his head. "I screwed the pooch where Mister Hand Cannon there is concerned a while back. That puts me in his debt, and that's not somewhere I like bein'." He puffed at the cigar thoughtfully. "Fifty gil a head. That'll get you in the city, on a side street, out of the way. After that, though, you're on your own. And you're gonna have your work cut out for you, cuz I doubt you're the only ones lookin' for the General right now."

Cloud nodded, reaching into his pockets and pulling out the requested payment. "Anywhere we should steer clear of?" he asked, handing the gil to Dirk.

Dirk gave a wide grin. "Yeah," he said. "Junon. Follow me." Cloud motioned for the others, and they made their way through the cavernous home to a metal plate set into the wall. Dirk slid part of the plate to the side, and the rest opened up, revealing a long rough-hewn tunnel into the mountain. "The tunnel's lit up at points, but don't follow the lights," he advised. "Walk straight, take no turns, there's lots of traps down the sidetrack tunnels. You'll come out in Junon in about ten minutes time, on a back road near an old fishery that ain't been used in a while. If you get caught, you don't know me, and you better not show them this tunnel. You want out, you find your own way, cuz I don't open it from this end."

"I understand," Cloud said, and stepped through. "Mind your feet, everyone."

The others followed, Barret bringing up the rear. He turned to Dirk once they were all through the entrance. "After what you did, I still don't trust ya," he grumbled.

"I'd be disappointed if you did," Dirk responded lightly. He leaned against the stone overhang that the panel had been set into. "For what it's worth, the Corel reactor going up wasn't my fault. But it was my responsibility. That's why I'm helpin' ya now."

Barret scowled, but gave the man a reluctant thumbs-up. "You an' I got some unfinished business later on, man," he declared. "But this'll stand in your favor when the time comes."

"I'll be waiting, big guy," Dirk responded, and pulled the panel shut, sliding the bolts home behind them.

A/N: The Demon of Wutai, indeed. I remember I read that term in at least three different fanfics, and when I went to research it, I was very surprised to learn that it had no official history, it was just a fan name. Hell if I'm not gonna run with it though. :D

Bottomswell was a difficult fight if you're coming in at a lower level... or if you're an idiot like I was when I was first playing this game at the age of somethingsomething, and kept leaving the water traps on your characters because you thought you were supposed to fight faster or harder when you were dropping HP like a rock. Hey, don't look at me like that, it was my first JRPG (unless you count Dragon Quest 1, and I was like four then). On death, he uses an attack called Big Wave, which is... well, it's a big wave. I wanted to do something a little more interesting for that than 'water comes in and washes over them for some damage.' Aside from that, I would not call Bottomswell 'interesting'. So... I decided to up his danger factor by giving him the terror attack. Honestly, something that big and weird looking, I was honestly surprised it didn't have something more original to it.

No Mister Dolphin shenaniganery this time around. It's a somewhat interesting mechanic in the game, but it doesn't make sense in the context of the fic, and it splits the party during a time when they really need to stay together. As a result, the detour to meet... Dirk. The eagle-eyed among you may recognize Dirk. And you may have guessed, Dirk isn't his real name. He's been... around, for a while before this story. He's done some things, seen some shit, and is laying low for now. But if you've been in the game as long as someone like Dirk has, you always leave yourself a way out.

Hope you like it! Feedback and comments welcome.