BOOK 1
Protectors of the Planet
_____The
girl was alone. No friends, no family - not by blood anyway - and no knowledge
of her origins. Her pink dress unfolded as she rose to her feet, the awe-inspiring
green glow fading from her face. She hung a wicker basket of beautiful flowers
on her arm and made her way down the alley. Drunken louts staggered out of
the Goblin's Bar on her left. She passed the back entrance for the theatre.
Currently showing was a play called Loveless but the next performance didn't
start until the evening and the doors were locked. In this city, it was like
night-time permanently. Eight huge Mako reactors sucked energy out of the
ground and converted it into electricity, spewing forth giant clouds of smog
at the same time.
_____She stopped at the curb as a chunky motorcycle
roared past. It certainly was a city of nightmares. She wished that she had
been brought up in a cleaner town such as Wutai or Mideel, but certain complications
meant she had to stay in the urban jungle, living in fear every day.
_____In the centre of the city was a massive
tower. It was higher than any other man-made construction and was made up
of about 70 floors, each one an ant farm of Shinra employees, working all
day long to maintain power in the city.
_____Nearby,
in the next sector, a large metallic steam train came to a stop in the Sector
1 station. Pistons pumped and gas hissed as it grinded to a halt. Two platform
guards in smart red uniforms stood watch.
_____All of a sudden, two figures emerged from
the train at a great speed. The male wore a red bandanna and camouflaged clothing.
The female wore green and brown garments and had light brown hair. Without
a word, the first guard ran towards the male. Silently and effortlessly, he
slung him over his shoulder and smashed his face on to the cold platform,
knocking him out cold. The second guard lunged at the female, but soon felt
a heavy boot in his stomach. He fell to the ground, winded.
_____Once the coast was clear, a third person
ran out of the vehicle. He was plump and wore a blue bandanna over the top
of his head and a creamy-coloured shirt. He chuckled as he stood watch, then
ran with the other two to the station's exit.
_____The next man to appear was a large black
warrior. Replacing one hand was a six-barrelled machine gun, grafted right
on to his arm. He signalled for the final passenger. He somersaulted from
the top of the train, landing perfectly next to the big man. His blonde hair
was spikey and he wore dark blue overalls.
_____The big man signalled with his hand again
and said "C'mon newcomer. Follow me." With that, he turned and ran in the
same direction as the other three people. The man with spikey hair watched
as the big man disappeared through the exit. How did he ever get into this
mess? He shrugged to himself and followed.
_____To his surprise, two soldiers in blue uniform
and helmets covering their faces burst through the automatic doors as he tried
to pass. He could sense them sneering underneath their masks as they thrust
machine guns into his face. As if from nowhere, the man drew a huge sword
and sliced the weapons in half. The guards staggered backwards in shock and
the blade landed heavily on the shoulder of one. He fell into a crumpled,
bloody heap on the floor. The other guard backed off, shaking his head. Seconds
later it was spinning through the air as his body hit the ground.
_____The
man made his way up a flight of steps and reached a large door. The woman
he had been on the train with was fiddling with the wires and computers which
operated the door.
_____"Wow! You used to be in SOLDIER all right!
...Not everyday ya find one in a group like AVALANCHE." one of the men said.
It was the one who had been first off the train.
_____"Aren't SOLDIER the enemy?" the woman asked,
not turning away from her work.
_____"No, Jessie." the man replied. "He's one
of us now. Say, I didn't catch your name back there..."
_____"Cloud." the man with spikey hair replied.
_____"Cloud, eh? I'm Biggs! Pleased to meetcha!"
the man grinned.
_____"I don't care." Cloud grunted. "Once this
job's done I'm outta here."
_____Biggs was about to put Cloud in his place
when the big man burst into the area. He waved his arms around in fury and
yelled at the group.
_____"The hell you all doin'!?" he bellowed.
"I thought I told you never to move in a group! Our target's the North Mako
Reactor. We'll meet on the bridge in front of it."
_____Jessie had just finished operating. The
gate slid open.
_____"See you later, Barret!" the fat man cried
as they hurried off. His name was Wedge. Again, Cloud and Barret were left
alone. The big man stared at Cloud.
_____"Ex-SOLDIER, huh? Don't trust ya!" he snarled.
They ran off in the same direction as the others, reaching a T-shaped bridge.
Far below were the slums of the city, the dirty area, home of the poorest
people on the continent. Wedge remained near the exit, making sure that no
soldiers came or left.
_____They reached another gate, and Biggs began
to enter the code.
_____"Yo! This your first time in a reactor?"
Barret asked. Cloud shook his head.
_____"No. After all, I did work for Shinra, y'know."
he replied.
_____"The planet's full of Mako energy. People
here use it every day." Barret said in disgust. Cloud could tell he was about
to go into lecture mode. "It's the life blood of the planet. But Shinra keeps
suckin' the blood out with these machines!"
_____"I'm not here for a lecture. Let's just
hurry." Cloud said. Barret became agitated, but Biggs had finished entering
the code. The door opened and Jessie set to work on the next door.
_____It was soon open, and Biggs waited in the
door way to secure the exit. Cloud, Jessie and Barret entered a cramped elevator.
The ex-SOLDIER hit the button and it began to hum as it descended.
_____"Little by little the reactors'll drain
out all the life. And that'll be that." Barret said, going into lecture mode
again, much to Cloud's irritation.
_____"It's not my problem." Cloud shrugged.
_____"The planet's dyin', Cloud!" Barret roared,
shaking his fists.
_____"The only thing I care about is finishin'
this job before security and the Roboguards come." Cloud replied.
_____The elevator came to a halt and the trio
left through the exit. They ran down a spiral staircase and reached the core
of the Mako reactor. It burrowed deep down into the ground, a giant pit of
steaming blue Mako liquid. Pipes and ladders were scattered throughout the
reactor like robotic cobwebs.
_____Jessie squatted on a steel girder and signalled
for the others to proceed. The scrambled down ladders for a few minutes until
they finally reached a long walkway which stretched from one side of the reactor
to the other. They ran across it and reached their destination.
_____"Cloud, you set the bomb." Barret ordered.
"I gotta watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'!"
Cloud nodded as stepped forward, but as he did there was a high-pitched ringing
in his ears. His vision blurred and he gasped.