CHAPTER IV
DESCENT INTO LIFE
"...So it was the Jenova Cells, Sephiroth's strong will and my weakness that made me who I am now."
"You are a puppet. You have no feelings. You have no heart and you cannot feel any pain."
Echoes of the past. Distant memories or something more? A spirit calling to him, or his own inner emotion attempting to torture its master just= a bit more. As the voices rang within Cloud's head, he struggled to a sitting position. His vision was blurred, the memories continued their assault. The young hero doubled over and coughed up thick liquid.
Savior of the Planet.
Cloud grappled to right himself in the decrepit bed, centuries old. The stone laden floor rocked and swayed as he made the dauntless attempt to stand on his own two feet. His insides felt of fire and needles, his head was light and distant. He had all the strength of a sick kitten at his command, and at present his mind was beckoning for it in full.
"Aeris..." his voice was hushed and raspy, "...stop..." He firmly grasped at the end of the bed, his massive sword caught his eye. The impressive weapon had been carefully placed on the floor, despite the marks that indicated it had been dragged to its present position.
With great effort, Cloud moved, almost in a crawl, to the enormous sword. Weakly, he outstretched an arm toward it and touched the handle. His hand slowly closed around it. Nothing. The young man let a soft grunt escape his lips, his inward efforts to move the object failed. Earlier, he had been unable to lift it into the air. Now, he was unable to even budge it from its place. =
The evil that was Jenova had once invaded his body like a hostile cancer. Yet here, without it, he was left helpless and confused. Abandoned by the alien force that had granted him the strength to fight for the Planet's welfare. Cloud attempted one further burst of strength. With a hushed cry, he collapsed on the stone floor and plunged into darkness.
"Well, this is it."
Cid Highwind narrowed his gaze at the horizon before him. He and the rest of Avalanche, with the exception of their ailing leader Cloud, had gathered at the entrance of Bone Village to change history. As the result of a strange mako explosion, the group had been propelled back into the past and given a second chance of sorts to save their friend. Aeris Gainsborough was destined to die the very next day, the victim of a madman's campaign to destroy the world. But the team was here to prevent that, regardless of the consequences.
So it was decided that they help their past counterparts in their mission. It was the feeling of most of the group that the best way to save Aeris would be to combine the efforts of both parties. And here they were, loaded with the best weapons and materia the Planet had to offer, ready to assist in the alteration of history, to cheat destiny at its own game.
Tifa Lockhart peered at the group of people approaching the forest that encircled Bone Village. But it wasn't just any group - it was them. Avalanche. As they were before they witnessed the demise of their comrade. But the fates, as it happened, had other ideas.
The thunder of gunfire echoed from out of nowhere, followed by an eruption from the forest separating the two teams. The time-displaced group watched in bewilderment as several large trees toppled over, obscuring the path to the village, followed by a stampede of monsters of various size and shape toward the approaching Avalanche.
"What the hell?!" The cigarette flew out of Cid's mouth as his eyes went wide at this unexpected intrusion. He could still barely see through the ravaged forest, the former team engaging in battle with the rampaging beasts. "What the hell just happened?!" He turned back to the rest - each of whom were equally shocked.
"Goddamit, I don't know!" Barret Wallace threw his arms up in disgust at the events unfolding before his eyes. "I heard some gunshots...!!"
"We've got to help them," Tifa stepped forward, her fists raised and ready.
"By the time we cut through that mess," Cid turned his gaze back to the gathered team, "It'll be over. They can take care `a themselves. Or at least WE can." The old pilot narrowed his eyes as he turned back to the fallen trees, "While we wait for them to get here, I say we find out who the hell is screwin' with us!"
Red XIII carefully examined the surrounding terrain, "I believe I have an idea."
"Well tell us!" Cait Sith hopped up and down on the head of his giant cave moogle. =
"Where is Vincent?" The crimson beast posed in a collected voice, "The gunfire resembled that of the Death Penalty." It was then that the other s noticed the absence of their enigmatic comrade.
"What?!" Yuffie Kisaragi hopped down from her lookout tree near the team, "Why would Vincent try to sabotage our mission?!"
"That's what I intend ta find out," Barret spat through clenched teeth=
Red XIII raised his head and sniffed into the air. After a few seconds, he lowered his head and began to follow some unseen trail. The rest of the group followed, Cid and Barret took up the rear, cursing these new circumstances.
Red didn't have far to walk After a few minutes of travel through the thick forest east of Bone Village, they found their former ally sitting atop a large boulder. His shotgun rested across his lap, he watched their arrival as if he had been waiting for them. At first, he offered no form of explanation.
"What the hell is going here, Turk?!" Barret was the first to - very vocally - voice his concerns. "Are you crossin' back over to the Shinra after all?! Maybe you're in cahoots with Sephiroth! Huh? You were pretty chummy with his mother, Lucrecia!"
Vincent Valentine stared in silence. He made no move to validate his action or even to plea for understanding. Without another word, he rose to his feet and gently leapt to the ground. It was then that Barret moved forward to apprehend the crimson figure. Vincent simply stared into the bloodshot eyes that glowered down at him, making no move to prevent his capture.
"Talk!!" Barret roared into the shorter man's face, "Now!! Why the hell'd you try to screw this up for us?!" Cid and Tifa approached the two men, Red and Cait kept their distance but fixed their eyes on what was unfolding. Yuffie simply perched herself on a high branch and watched with anticipation what she thought would be an interesting fight. "Are you gonna start flappin' your pale gums or am I gonna rip your other arm off?!" Barret thundered.
Vincent lowered his head and drew in a short breath, "Do you want to defeat Sephiroth?"
"What?" Cid took his cigarette out of his mouth, "What do you mean `do we want to beat Sephiroth?' We did it already!"
"Yes," Vincent turned to the gruff old pilot, "But what if you went into the battle knowing the outcome?"
Tifa looked to Cid, and then to Vincent, "Wait. I see where you're going with this." Cid and Barret turned their attention to Tifa as she collected her thoughts. "You think - that if we meet the other team and tell them that we WILL eventually beat Sephiroth, they'll get over-confident and blow it?"
"Easy enough," Cait bounded over to them, "We just won't tell `em!"
"How would we hide that delineation?" Red XIII padded up to Cait and peered at him with his yellow eye, "The very fact that we are here from the future betrays that truth."
"Precisely," Vincent agreed.
"Wait," Cid blew a current of smoke out of the corner of his mouth, "You big brains are forgetting one thing. This is us we're talking about! We'll know better than to get all cocky just before the main event!"
"Cid's right!" Barret declared, "We ain't no wet-behind-the-ears rookies! We'll march into Sephiroth's hole in the ground and kick his ass just like before!" He scowled for a moment and amended, "Wether we know for sure we're gonna win or not!"
"Really?" Vincent turned back to the towering ex-miner with a raised eyebrow, "There wouldn't be even some small fraction of your subconscious that would sit back and wait for victory to be handed to you?" The ex-Turk regarded Barret evenly awaiting a response.
"No!" Barret shouted.
"Barret," Red XIII approached his arguing comrades, "You could not be certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that your knowledge would not affect the outcome."
"Okay, okay," Cid broke in, "Say we don't want to let the other Avalanche in on the big secret. How the hell do we stop Aeris from gettin' killed?"
"We shall have to assist our counterparts in a more," Red paused in reflection, "-indirect manner."
"And HOW do we do that, hairball?" snapped Barret.
"I think I got an idea," Cid triumphantly exhaled a ring of smoke.
Her tiny feet gently touched the smooth, polished stone steps as she ascended to the altar. Below her, crystal clear water glistened like a precious gem. The water was so clean, she could see straight to the bottom of the underground lake. A light mist rolled over the surface of the fluid and caressed the structures situated around the water.
Inside the Ancient Capital, a series of pillars and platforms were littered about the body of water. Aeris instinctively picked the exact dias where she would begin her attempt to save the Planet from destruction by the dread force Meteor. She gracefully walked into the center of the circular altar and descended to her knees. She folded her hands in front of her, closed her eyes and lowered her head. Then she began to pray.
"Okay, here's the deal."
Yuffie Kisaragi stared across the counter top into the eyes of the shop keeper at the Bone Village Inn. "All that stuff we gave you," she turned back to the large man standing behind her for a moment and continued, "The weapons, the materia - all of it - you sell to the next blonde, spikey-haired dude that comes in here. Don't sell it to anyone else, and don't tell him where you got the merchandise."
The shop keeper scratched his head for a few seconds before he responded, "Oh, uh I guess I can handle that." Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead as the large man standing behind Yuffie glared down at him with ire and suspicion.
"Alright then," Yuffie turned away and strolled outside. Barret watched the young ninja leave, and as soon as she was gone, he reached over with his good hand and grabbed the merchant by the collar.
"And one more thing," Barret hissed. He effortlessly lifted the man into the air to his own eye level. "You pocket so much as one piece of materia," he ground his teeth and continued, "I'll come back in here and land on you with both feet." Barret watched the man in silence for a few seconds before releasing him and following Yuffie.
Outside, Cid and the others were making ready to leave. "Awright," the old pilot barked, "We put the Area 5 Key back where it should be, the Lunar Harp is in the ground where the diggers'll find it when the others get here, and we still have our Lunar Harp from our own time." Cid puffed on his cigarette and turned to the entrance of the Sleeping Forest.
"Wait," Yuffie walked over to the forest edge and looked in, "The last time we came this way, Aeris was killed. Shouldn't we change strategies?"
"We are," Tifa stepped forward. "We'll get there almost two days earlier. Last time we had to wait for the excavators to find the Harp, and then we rested in one of the ancient huts. But this time we already have a harp, and plenty of rest."
"Then POW!" Cait Sith bounded over to the forest, "We'll whup Sephy but good!"
"Let us not waste any more time," Vincent walked toward the darkened woods, "The fate of Aeris and the Planet depends on us." With an exchange of nods, Avalanche advanced into the forest and faded from sight.
"No."
Cloud Strife lay face down on the cold stone floor. A slight whisper escaped his lips, his eyelids were barely open, just enough to let a flicker of light catch the dull blue in his eyes. There was a time when his eyes would almost glow an unholy shade of blue. The inhuman tint would garner many a second glance from anyone who crossed his path. He could still hear her voice on that first day they met.
/...Your eyes. They have a strange glow.../
"...that's the sign of those who have been infused with Mako..." Cloud whispered to the shadow inside his head, "...a mark of SOLDIER..." He remembered how she used to look at him, a slight smile on her lips, an understanding gaze. She knew him better than he knew himself.
/ ...Come on, let's go! Bodyguard! ... /
Cloud dug his fingers into the cracks in the floor, the imperfections in the stone. He pulled with all of his might, his arms were shaking under the tremendous strain. He was her bodyguard. He couldn't fail her. The young warrior gasped as he managed to drag himself an entire foot across the unforgiving surface. He felt himself about to lose consciousness, and a different voice called to him through the clouds in his mind.
/...it's 'cuz of you that Sephiroth got the Black Materia in the first place. It's your damn fault!.../
"...my fault..." Cloud closed his eyes. He could almost see the piercing glare in Barret's eyes; the knives he stared down at Cloud as he lie there, helpless. "...my fault..."
Reeve furrowed his brow as he watched the crimson winds screech across the Planet. He stood in a tower in the Kalm Town, a village he and the entire population of Midgar had sought refuge when it seemed Meteor would smite the sprawling metropolis from the face of the Planet. It was just moments ago he had watched his friends, Avalanche, get sucked into the Lifestream by a sudden Mako eruption near Midgar. The rocky goliath had disappeared from the sky in the blinding eruption of light and magic, but the atmosphere remained the dark shade of crimson. Hurricane-force winds roared over the metallic remains of Shinra's city, the blood colored sky was still filled with debris.
He could still hear those high pitched whistles that the wind made, the Cry of the Planet, as he had come to call it. Even though the dreaded Meteor had vanished from the sky, Reeve could not help but shake the gnawing feeling that the Planet was still in danger. But since the Highwind was snatched out of the sky by the emerald geyser, he had no contact with the Cait Sith model or any of his friends' PHS's. He was helpless to do anything. He wondered how well Cait's AI program was coping with whatever the group was up against now. It was only an experimental design, but Reeve tried to convince himself it would stand up to the task.
A sudden Mako eruption in the distance pulled the Shinra Exec from his thoughts in shock. He saw two more disturbances that followed, all of which seemed to encircle Midgar. After they had died down, the industrialist turned away from the window and carefully descended the crooked steps into the celebration taking place on the ground floor. Former Shinra soldiers and slum dwellers alike embraced each other in a victorious spirit. A huge festival had broken out the instant Meteor disappeared from the sky= Reeve found one of the former military captains amongst the crowd and grabbed him by the arm.
"Get the word out," he called into the man's ear above the singing and merriment, "Midgar's off limits until whatever this is passes!" The soldier nodded and made his way through the crowd to spread the news. Reeve watched the excitement all around him for a few minutes more before he felt a light tug on his sleeve. He was filled with a sudden sense of dread. He knew exactly who was tugging on his arm. This time there was no escape "Hi Marlene!" Reeve forced a smile as he crouched down to the little girl.
"Hey mister Reeve," the young lady bubbled, "Did'ya hear from my dad yet? Is he coming home soon?"
It took all of his effort to keep a smile on his face, "Oh, I'm sure he'll be along soon, Marlene!" The little girl nodded slowly, Reeve thought for sure she could see right through his act. "Say, why don't you go back to the Inn with Elmyra? She's probably wondering what you're doing out so late. C'mon, I'll walk you there." As they moved through the continuing celebration, Reeve hoped the pain in his chest would subside, at least for awhile.
"I don't remember this part of the Sleeping Forest."
Cid Highwind crunched his teeth on the filter of the cigarette hanging out of his mouth while he stared intently at the foliage ahead. "Last time we just waltzed through this place, and not so much as a blade of grass got in our way."
Red XIII walked ahead of the group, sniffing the air around him. Something was obviously not right. He couldn't pick up any kind of indication with his remarkable tracking abilities that they were headed in the right direction. He perked his ears at the surrounding sounds of the forest, trying at least to pick up some beacon that would set them on the correct path.
"Highwind," Yuffie snapped from the back of the group, "Did you mess something up on the Lunar Harp?!"
"Shut yer pie hole!" Cid barked. The pilot lifted the ancient instrument out in front of him and waited for something to happen. Nothing. Dense trees and plants enshrouded every direction.
Vincent, Barret and Tifa walked side-by-side behind Cid and RedXIII, ahead of Yuffie and Cait, in the center of the group. The ex-Turk simply watched the environment around him, lost in thought. Suddenly, Cid stopped short. Red XIII stood motionless, his eye glaring forward, his teeth clenched, poised for an attack.
"Someone is observing us." The feral creature whispered through his bared fangs.
Vincent raised his shot gun, Barret raised his gimmick arm, Tifa turned to the forest and took up a fighting stance. Cid held his spear up and slowly moved to the center of the group. Without saying a word, the group exchanged nods, and readied for battle.
Then there came the silence. It seemed as though every insect, every creature that dwelled within the forest stopped and watched them. All eyes an ears among the trees and leaves fell upon the new visitors. The Sleeping forest was awake and watching.
Without a sound, he came. Like a regal king, he strode out of the foliage behind them with a dignified grace. They were the trespassers. He - belonged there. They were interfering with his plans. But he would suffer their ignorance no longer.
"Sephiroth." Vincent whispered through clenched teeth as he eyed the approaching menace.
"We can do this," Tifa beckoned to others, "We did it before!
"Yeah," Yuffie raised her Conformer to he face as he continued to walk slowly toward them. He held his Masamune blade out in front of him, pointing it at Avalanche. "-But Cloud was with us," the young ninja amended.
"I think I just realized why we didn't run inta any trouble on our first trip through this forest," Cid spoke in a hushed tone to his allies.
"Because Sephiroth was dealing with us, here," Tifa added, "Right now."
"Then let's give `em something to remember!" Barret aimed at the silver-haired foe and fired!
Somehow, Sephiroth inexplicably avoided the barrage and appeared directly in front of them. His mighty blade moved almost faster than the eye could follow! Barret felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, falling to his knees when his eyes lowered to meet the blood pooling beneath his massive body. Cait Sith bellowed into his microphone as his moogle wrapped its massive arms around the imposing villain. Vincent pointed his gun against Sephiroth's chest and pulled the trigger. In the blink of an eye, Sephiroth turned around, placing Cait's moogle into the barrel. The blast tore a large round hole into the automaton, forcing it to release the villain as it collapsed. Cid jabbed forward with his spear, but Sephiroth moved to one side and brought his sword upward, sending the foul-mouthed pilot sprawling into the nearby bushes. Vincent guarded against the blade with his metal claw, but the dangerous fiend kicked the ex-Turk in the bread basket, causing him to double over in pain.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck Sephiroth in the chest, and he flew backwards into the merciless dirt. Yuffie stood proud in victory, as the glow of the materia orbs in her weapon faded. But her victory would be premature. He was on his feet instantly, but not only that, he had somehow moved behind her. He gently placed his palm over her chin and yanked sharply. With a loud snap, Yuffie fell to the ground like a rag doll.
Tifa landed a hard left hook to his jaw and followed through with her iron elbow pad. She continued her assault on Sephiroth, while Red XIII and Vincent approached the lifeless ninja. A wave of green light washed over her, and she was breathing again.
Cid finally picked himself out of the bushes just as Tifa's unconscious form slammed into him from the sky. Red cast his gaze upon the callous antagonist, who was calmly walking toward them for another pass.
"Hellfire!!" The crimson beast called to the heavens, and the Planet answered.
Red XIII faded from sight as the ground began to crack and tremble. The fiery demon Ifrit burst from the shattered ground and ascended to the sky on unseen wings! It cast its unearthly eyes upon the approaching threat, a trickle of flame escaped its gaping maw. Without warning, it spread its arm wide and let out an ear-splitting roar! A surge of hellfire encased the monster and it soared through Sephiroth, before he knew what hit him. The trails of flame dissipated behind the staggering villain as Red XIII reappeared at his original location. The fiery creature slowly raised his head to survey what, if any, effect his summon spell had on their adversary.
He was gone.
"Damn!" Barret rasped as Vincent tried to help the large miner to his feet. "What the hell happened?!"
"We dropped the %$#*&in' ball, is what." Cid answered in a defeated to= ne as he and Tifa emerged from the woods. =
"Don't say that, Cid," Tifa tried to console her foul-mouthed comrade,= "We gave our best weapons and materia to the others. It was just lucky R= ed had an extra Ifrit."
"It is fortunate that Sephiroth left," the beast added, "It wasn't a m= astered piece of materia. I had only one shot."
"Enough belly-achin'," Barret grumbled, "We don't got time to sit here= lickin' our wounds! We gotta get to Aeris and NOW!" =
"We could," Vincent called over to him, "But I am afraid Yuffie is in no condition to go anywhere. Not without some rest, at least." The ex-Turk knelt next to the sleeping ninja and held her tiny hand in his.
"Damn..." Cid walked over to them and looked down, "This definitely puts a crease in our plans."
/ ...I know you got problems... hell, we all do. But, you don't even understand yourself.... But you gotta understand that there ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, till get to the end of the line... /
The sound of Barret's voice echoed in Cloud's muddled head as he crawled across the cold stone walkway. "...end of the line..." he repeated in a whisper. The weakened warrior had managed to make it out of the room where Aeris had left him, dragging the Ultima Sword along the ground with him. He was almost to the capital chamber. The last place he saw her. The place where Aeris was destined to die. "... get to the end..."
"Aerith's voice...... Coming from there?"
Cloud turned his head north as he stood in the intersection at the entrance to the Forgotten City. Cid and Tifa looked in apprehension at their unofficial leader, each silently praying that this would not be a preamble to any subsequent Jenova-episodes. The blonde hero rushed toward the sound of the unheard voice, following the path through a tunnel to the spiral shaped building. His friends followed closely, their newly-acquired = weapons at the ready.
Beams of sunlight shone from above, an unsettling occurrence for the midnight sky that blanketed the surrounding area. Cloud and his comrades hastily ascended the long glass stairway to a huge, shimmering crystal city, suspended by what appears to be nothing but darkness.
"Holy!" Cid whistled.
The trio finally reached the city, a huge glistening lake filled with elegant structures. On one such platform, he saw her. Aeris knelt upon a small shrine and prayed.
"Aeris?"
Cid and Tifa moved to follow their leader, but they stopped when he raised a hand to them. He turned back to the flower girl and watched her. The way the light kissed the top of her head. The grace of her hands folded in front of her, just below her chin.
Cloud hopped onto a stone pillar protruding through the pure, blue water. His eyes never left the kneeling figure on the dias as he bounded across the lake on four more such pillars. When his feet touched down on the polished stone platform, he froze. In sheer stillness, he watched her.
"Dammit, we're too late!" Cid barked in disgust as he and the rest of Avalanche raced toward the spiral dwelling in the Forgotten City. The time-displaced team had decided to camp for the night while they recovered from their injuries in battle with Sephiroth. With still a day before Aeris was supposed to be killed, they expected to arrive early and ambush the monster. But the Sleeping Forest had other ideas. It was the belief of Red XIII that they were purposely delayed by the Planet in order for Aeris to complete her prayer to Holy. So they wandered aimlessly through the densely-wooded area for nearly another day before being released here. And now it seemed they may be only in time to watch their friend die one more time.
"We have to get to the crystal city!" Red XIII called back to his comrades as he galloped ahead at top speed.
Yuffie gritted her teeth and ran as fast as her little legs would take her, even though the numbing pain threatened to strike her down on this very spot. Hers was the most severe of everyone's injuries, Sephiroth's attack had almost driven her from the very Planet. She secretly cursed herself for most likely being the one responsible for their eminent failure.
Red and the others raced into the structure and down the crystal steps. On the ledge just above the first Cid and Tifa, they witnessed history unfold one more time.
He stood over her with his Buster Sword raised above him, about to strike her down. Cloud lowered his sword and shook his head, "Ugh... what are you making me do?" He spoke slowly, in a confused manner. Aeris slowly raised her head and saw Cloud. She smiled, the light dancing within her beautiful, emerald eyes. He stepped back, the delicate flower girl still smiling at him.
Then HE came. From the bright white light above them, Sephiroth descended, like an angel of death, to take her from the world and return her to the Planet. With one sharp stroke, he would end the hopes and dreams that she and others had rested upon their future. No more dates. No more plays. No more bodyguards. There would be nothing but memories. This would be a good death.
But not good enough.
A reverberating clang erupted from where the ridiculously long Masamune would have pierced the small of her back. The extensive blade should have burst from her abdomen, ending her life, robbing her of what would be a bright future.
Cloud stood, shakily, between Sephiroth and Aeris, holding with all his might the iridescent Ultima Sword against the Masamune Blade. And Cloud also stood, in front of Aeris, holding his Buster Sword at his side.
The second Cloud leaned against the stone banister in an attempt to keep himself from collapsing. His eyes were barely open, a low grunt escaped his lips. Sephiroth looked upon the weak mercenary with wide eyes. Even he was shaken by this sudden interruption. The first Cloud was a little more than shaken by the appearance of a second Cloud. His mind was flooded with a million disjoint thoughts - another Sephiroth clone?
The first Cloud barely remembered how he had managed to reach the small shrine, how he made it into the crystal city, how he climbed the back of the dias, and how he managed to gather the strength to deflect Sephiroth's blow. But he did it. And then he collapsed.
"Cloud!" Aeris frantically knelt to her fallen bodyguard and tried to wake him. She looked back to the other Cloud, who simply watched in disbelief. If she called him Cloud, then who was he?
That was all Sephiroth needed to assert control of the standing Cloud. He pressed his will against the young man, and this uncertainty easily unhinged him. His eyes glazed over as he became stripped of his own free will. He was no more than a puppet. The same puppet that handed the Black Materia over to Sephiroth. The silver-haired villain moved to Cloud's side, the standing one, and made ready to finish what he started.
Aeris knelt next to the fallen Cloud and looked woefully into his eyes He had just saved her, but at what price? He was obviously in a great deal of pain. Cloud, on the other hand, was oblivious to all this. When he finally returned to the waking world, he parted his eyes slowly and what he saw chilled his very blood. Sephiroth, and himself, Cloud, slowly moved forward and prepared to kill them both.