Final Fantasy VII: The Battle for the Planet

_____Cloud landed softly, the last one of the group to leave Midgar. They were free, finally out of the gigantic city that they had been in for so long. They stood together on the grassy plains, a thick glass barrier preventing them from getting into the slums.
_____Red sat with his back to the others, staring out into the distance.
_____"I'm going back to my hometown." he said. "I'll go with you as far as that."
_____"I guess this is the start of our journey..." Tifa sighed. Cloud put his hand on her shoulder and she smiled.
_____"You hate travelling?" he asked.
_____"...I don't know." she replied. "But, I don't have anywhere else to go. So I guess it doesn't really matter whether I like to travel or not."
_____Barret slowly turned and looked back at Midgar and said "We told Aeris' mom to go somewhere safe, so Marlene should be safe too."
_____"Then..." Cloud started, taking a step away from the city walls and turning away from the others. He clenched his fist and closed his eyes, then spun around and swung his fist through the air. "Let's go!"
_____Barret grinned and began to box the air, displaying his strength.
_____"We need a group leader for our journey!" he cried. "Course, only me could be the leader!"
_____Aeris smiled and shook her head.
_____"It would have to be Cloud." she said softly, and Tifa nodded. Barret stopped in the middle of a punch, and stared at the two girls.
_____"^#$^%...." he cussed, standing up straight. "Awright. Go north-east to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there."
_____Barret put his large arm around Tifa and they walked off away from the city, not looking back once. It looked like he was left with Red and Aeris. They scrambled up a small dirt heap and looked off into the distance. Barret and Tifa disappeared over a hill, and on the horizon they could see Kalm. It was a very small village, and looked out of place in the smog-infested area. Cloud brushed a strand of hair aside and started to walk.

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_____They arrived in Kalm about quarter of an hour later. It was made up of a ring of houses and few shops, circled around a tiny old-looking Mako reactor. The buildings looked as though they were quite old, perhaps even from before the day Shinra came in power.
_____Red and Aeris ran into the inn, which was the first building on the left. Cloud took another look around the village and then followed them in. The landlady signalled that his friends were upstairs and he nodded, moving up the wooden staircase. Everyone else was in the large bedroom on the first floor. Cloud shrugged.
_____"Sorry to keep you waiting." he said, remembering the time he was late for the train after his first mission for AVALANCHE. That seemed like a long time ago, when in fact it was only a few days. A lot had happened in those few days, and many people had lost their lives as a result of it.
_____"So let's hear your story..." Barret insisted. "You know, the one about Sephiroth and the crisis facing the Planet. Let's hear it all."
_____Cloud looked down at his feet as Barret slumped down into a large rocking chair. He slowly raised his head and looked at the group one by one.
_____"...I used to want to be like Sephiroth." he said. "So I joined SOLDIER. After working with Sephiroth on several missions, we became friends."
_____"You call that a friend?" Barret interrupted.
_____"Yeah, well..." Cloud replied. "He's older than me, and he hardly ever talked about himself. So I guess you'd call him a war buddy... We trusted each other. Until one day..." He walked over to the window and gazed out at the passing villagers. "After the war it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against the Shinra. That was five years ago... I was sixteen..."

Please stop the music here.
Don't ask why, just do it. Silence creates a wonderful atmosphere.

_____The Shinra van bounced and bumped in every pothole along the road. The rain hammered against the windows, and even the constant sweep of the wipers couldn't prevent the water from greatly restricting the driver's vision. In the back were two Shinra guards, Cloud and another man. This man had long, silver hair which flowed freely. His clothes were black with large metal shoulder pads and various leather straps holding them in place. His shirt hung open, exposing his rippling muscles and tough chest. In a sheath in his belt was a very long sword, around twelve feet in total. The name 'Masamune' was engraved on the blade. Two leather straps crossed on his chest with a buckle holding them together. On the buckle was the soldier's name: Sephiroth.
_____"It sure is raining hard." Cloud sighed, peering out of the back window. Then he turned to face one of the guards who had his head hung low between his legs. "Hey, how are you doing?"
_____The soldier shook his head slowly and looked up at Cloud.
_____"I'm all right..." he said, although if Cloud could have seen his face under his blue helmet he would see that he was lying.
_____"I wouldn't know..." Cloud replied. "I've never had motion sickness."
_____He stretched his arms up, touching the roof of the truck and tensing his muscles.
_____"Hey." said a deep, masculine voice. Cloud turned to face Sephiroth and saw that he was sitting on a small crate and simply staring at him.
_____"Settle down." Sephiroth ordered, but Cloud ignored him and began to squat up and down, bending his knees and then straightening them, exercising the muscles in his legs.
_____"They gave me new Materia!" he said excitedly. "I can't wait to use it."
_____"...Just like a kid." said Sephiroth. Cloud instantly stopped squatting and stood up straight. He felt his cheeks becoming hot and turning red, so he turned away.
_____"You going to brief us about this mission?" he asked. Sephiroth looked down.
_____"...This isn't a typical mission." was all he said.
_____"Good!" Cloud replied.
_____"Why do you say that?" asked the superior one. Cloud moved to the back of the truck again and looked out of the steamed-up window.
_____"I joined SOLDIER so I could be like you." he explained. "But by the time I made First Class, the war was already over. My big hopes of becoming a hero like you ended with the war. That's why I always sign up whenever there's a big mission. Kind of a way to prove myself." He turned around to look Sephiroth straight in the eye. "Say, how do you feel, MISTER Sephiroth?"
_____"I thought you wanted a briefing?" Sephiroth asked, changing the subject suddenly. Cloud nodded and smoothed his hair with one hand. "Our mission is to investigate an old Mako reactor. There have been reports of it malfunctioning, and producing brutal creatures. First, we will dispose of those creatures. Then, we'll locate the problem and neutralize it."
_____"Brutal creatures..." Cloud muttered to himself. "Where?"
_____"The Mako Reactor at Nibelheim." Sephiroth replied.
_____"Nibelheim..." Cloud said as the word struck a bell in his head. "That's where I'm from."
_____"Hmm... hometown..." Sephiroth said.
_____There was a sudden crash as one of the front windows cracked and the truck shook violently and spun around slightly. The five soldiers all steadied themselves, then the driver turned round to face Sephiroth.
_____"Sir..." he said nervously. "Something strange just crashed into our truck!"
_____Sephiroth slowly stood up and smiled.
_____"That would be our monster." he said.

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_____Cloud and Sephiroth hopped out of the truck and slammed the back door shut. The rain poured down and they were soaked within seconds. Cloud drew his sword and they made their way through the thick, muddy road. Highlighted by the truck's headlights, they could see a huge green Dragon. Its leathery wings flapped gently in the rain, although not enough to lift it off the ground.
_____With a yell, Cloud charged towards the Dragon and leaped through the air. He was poised to strike at its head, but a thick tale swung through the air and clubbed him away. He landed against a tree and it cracked under the force. Cloud fell to the ground, bleeding from the nose. Just as calm as he had been in the truck, Sephiroth cast a curative spell on Cloud and then turned to the Dragon. It snarled and a puff of smoke blew out of its nostrils. Sephiroth smiled and walked closer to it. The monster didn't even attempt to attack him. In one swift motion, Sephiroth drew Masamune from its ivory casing, severed the beast's head and sheathed his sword again.

_____"Sephiroth's strength is unreal." Cloud told the group. "He is far stronger in reality than any story you might have heard about him."
_____"So, where do you come in?" Aeris asked.
_____"Me?" Cloud said. "I was mesmerized by the way Sephiroth fought.... And then we reached Nibelheim."

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_____Nibelheim was a small village. It was similar to Kalm in its layout, and only a little bit larger. In the central area was a tall water well which posed as a meeting point for people and kids each day. It was no longer used for its water, as the Mako reactor nearby had replaced it an also dried up the water supply. At the back of town was a large mansion. There were two floors to this mansion, and it was owned by Shinra. People in the town called it the Shinra Mansion, although it had been abandonned long ago. Overlooking the town were the Nibel Mountains. Made of jagged grey rock, they towered high and housed both the Mako reactor and also a number of ferocious monsters.
_____Sephiroth wandered through the gates and instantly noticed how nobody was around. It was so quiet, it was almost like a ghost town.
_____"How does it feel?" he asked. He turned back away from the town and faced Cloud. "It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right? So how does it feel? I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown..."
_____"Umm... How 'bout your parents?" Cloud asked.
_____"My mother is Jenova. She died right after she gave birth to me." Sephiroth replied. "My father..."
_____He looked down and his shoulder shook as he laughed uncontrollably. His cackles echoed throughout the town, but Cloud failed to see the funny side.
_____"What does it matter?" Sephiroth hissed. "All right, let's go."
_____They wandered into the town square, or rather circle.
_____"The Mako smell is pretty bad here..." Sephiroth said, wrinkling up his nose.

_____"Yo! Wait a minute!" Barret cried. "Isn't that, um... The name of Sephiroth's mother..."
_____He scratched his head as the others stared at him.
_____"I remember Jenova." he said. "That's the damn headless spook livin' in the Shinra building!"
_____"That's right." Cloud nodded.
_____"Barret, would you please let us hear what Cloud has to say?" Tifa asked. "You can ask questions later."
_____"Tifa, I was only..." Barret started, then gave up.
_____"OK, Cloud, continue." Tifa said. Cloud nodded.
_____"The town was quiet." he said. "Everyone must be staying in their houses, afraid to come out because of the monsters. No, maybe they're afraid of us..."

_____Sephiroth stood prominent in the middle of Nibelheim.
_____"We leave for the reactor at dawn." he explained to Cloud. "Make sure you get to sleep early."
_____ He made his way over to the door of the inn, then stopped and turned his head to the side.
_____ "All that we need is one lookout, so you others, get some rest." he said. His strong fingers wrapped around the polished, brass door knob and he turned it. The latch clicked and the door swung open, then he remembered one more thing.
_____"Oh, that's right." he said. "You may visit your family and friends."
_____He walked through the door way and closed the door behind him. Cloud looked around at the rows of houses. Most of them had two floors, except for one in the middle. He walked over to it and went inside.

_____"This is my house..." Cloud said. "It has nothing to do with that incident five years ago."
_____"Yo wait, I wanna hear!" Barret requested.
_____"Me too!" Aeris chanted. "It's been a long time, right?"
_____"Tell us more!" Barret insisted. "You saw your family, right?"
_____"I don't want to talk about it..." Cloud said, turning away.

_____He closed the door to his house and wandered next door. The door was open slightly, so he pushed it further and stepped inside. It was larger than his house, and had a staircase running up the right-hand side of the building with a clean wooden banister.
_____"Cloud... Did you go into my house?" Tifa asked.
_____"Yeah..." Cloud replied. "I thought you might be home."
_____He gripped the banister and climbed the staircase. There were two doors on the upper floor. He turned to the left one and reached for the door knob.
_____"Cloud... Did you go into my room?" Tifa asked.
_____"Yeah....." Cloud replied.
_____The bedroom was beautifully decorated, with a shimmering mirror attached to a dressing table, a comfortable bed with a large number of stuffed toys, and an ancient piano. Cloud went over to the dressing table and slid the top drawer open. His hand reached in and pulled out some orthopedic underwear, and he held it up in front of him.
_____"Cloud!!!" Tifa cried. "We're talking about something really important here!"
_____Cloud dropped the underwear in the drawer and pushed it closed again. He shuffled over to the piano, which was in an amazing condition considering its age.
_____"Did you play my piano?" Tifa asked.
_____"Just a little." Cloud replied.
_____"Umm... let's see..." he said to himself, lifting up the cover and placing his fingertips on the ivory keys. "Do, Re, Mi, Ti, La, Do, Re, Mi, Ti, La, Do, Re, Do... forget it..."
_____He closed the lid and walked back over to the dressing table again. On top was a letter, wrapped neatly in a white envelope.
_____"Did you read it? My letter?" Tifa asked.
_____"Yeah..." Cloud replied. "I remember it clearly... It was a letter addressed to Tifa from the son of that guy that runs the General Store."

_____'Tifa, how are you? I just arrived in Midgar eight days ago. Yesterday, all of Nibelheim got together to welcome me. The only person that we couldn't get a hold of was Cloud. But everyone said he wasn't really that close to us. So even if we asked, he probably wouldn't have come anyway.
_____'Well, enough about him. Midgar is really something. But to tell the truth, I feel so behind on everything... so out of it. Even the rooms of people in the slums are clean. Right now I'm living in the slums, but I plan to move to a really nice room, like the ones I've seen in magazines, once I make some money. But, to do that, I guess I have to find a job fast. That's right. I still haven't found a job yet. I lied to my parents and told them I found a great job with Shinra Inc. I wonder if it's too late to go back. Sometimes I think I should've taken over my parents' store. I just made it here to Midgar but all I think about is Nibelheim. Hey, Tifa... is that stupid old water tower still working? Is that old man at the inn doing well? Are my parents still at the shop every day? Have any monsters attacked? And most of all, how are you, Tifa? It feels like I haven't seen you for years. We were all talking about you last night. Everyone likes you. But because everyone idolizes you, I couldn't very well stab them in the back. I always acted cool, but actually, I was just afraid of being jilted. Wow, if I keep writing like this, this'll become a love letter! So, I think I'll stop here. Take care, I'll write again.
_____'P.S. Write me back, okay?'

_____Cloud placed the letter back in its envelope and left Tifa's house. He knew that he shouldn't be snooping around in her room, but curiosity had got the better of him. He closed her front door and walked across the square to the inn. There was a desk in front of him with a man behind it, probably not much older than him. Next to the desk was an older man. His hair was turning grey and he had a bushy beard around his mouth and chin. On his back was a long cape which ran along the floor. The man gave Cloud a strange look, and Cloud narrowed his eyes.
_____"And who are you?" he asked.
_____"I'm Zangan." the man replied. "I travel around the world teaching children martial arts. I have 128 students all over the world! In this town, a girl named Tifa is my student. She has good sense. She'll be a powerful fighter."
_____Cloud turned away and climbed the staircase to the first floor. Sephiroth was standing at the top on the landing, gazing expressionlessly out of the small window at the Nibel Mountains.
_____"What are you looking at?" Cloud asked, disturbing the peace.
_____"...This scenery..." Sephiroth replied quietly. "I feel like I know this place."
_____His eyes remaining absolutely still, the faint tint of Mako flickering every now and then. He waited in silence as Cloud stood beside him, watching the great warrior that he admired so much.
_____"We have an early start tomorrow." he finally said. "You should get some sleep soon."
_____"Yeah, let's get some sleep." Cloud agreed. He turned and opened the door to their room. Sephiroth spun around to look at him.
_____"I've hired a guide to the Mako reactor." he said. "I've heard she's young. I hope we can rely on her."
_____Cloud nodded. He walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Soft evening light was flowing through the window. He moved over to it and closed the curtains, plunging the room into half-light. The following day would be difficult, so he pulled off his boots, placed his sword against the wall and slipped his shirt over his head and hung it on the end of the bed. He got into bed and pulled the sheets over him. Slowly, he fell asleep.