BOOK
1
Blow the Whistle
_____Junon
was a large city built into a steep cliff face by the sea. The original area
of Junon was a tiny fishing village in the southern area, composed of only
a few houses and shops. The rest of the city was a vast complex of naval barracks,
grand hotels and Mako valves. The city was built layer upon layer and receeded
back into the brown rock. The most outstanding feature of Junon was the magnificent
cannon, one of Shinra's most highly cherished weapons. Measuring over eighty
feet in length, it pointed out towards the vast ocean. It had been out of
action since the war, but was far too expensive and valuable to dispose of.
_____Cloud
and his companions arrived in the town. The ground was muddy and the buildings
were poorly built and shabby, or was it just that they had been damaged somehow?
Hanging from a large rack was the skeleton of a huge fish of some sort. To
their left was a rocky set of steps leading down to the beach, and there was
a tall house on their right with a long wooden staircase leading up to it.
At the back of town was a massive gate guarded by a single Shinra soldier.
The gate lead to a cargo elevator, taking goods up to the city above them.
_____"What
happened to this town?" Cloud asked, gently touching an old woman's arm.
_____"Ever
since Shinra built that city up above during the war, ugh, ugh..." the
woman choked on the thick Mako smog that hung in the air. "There's been
no fish in the water! It got so polluted..."
_____Cloud
thanked the woman for her information and they headed for the beach, hoping
to find something about the reactor or Shinra. A tall complex of girders and
columns towered out of the water and went all the way up to the city above,
electricity sparking from the top. On the beach was a girl in an orange swimming
costume. She looked about seven years old.
_____"Hey!
Mr Dolphin!" she cried. Cloud followed her gaze and saw a tranquil-blue
dolphin swimming in circles in the shallow water. "My name is... Pri-scil-la!
Now you say it!"
_____The
dolphin stuck its head out of the water and cackled at the girl, water dripping
from its shiny, smooth skin, then it submerged again.
_____"Who
are you guys?" Priscilla asked, spinning around to face the six people.
"Are you members of Shinra Inc?"
_____"No,
that's not it at all!" Cloud replied.
_____"I
don't believe you! Get out of here!" Priscilla cried, showing a strong
hatred towards the Shinra. Cloud shook his head. She seemed to be a stubborn
girl.
_____Suddenly,
there was a low growl and the waves began to increase in size, crashing heavily
on the shore.
_____"Look
at that!!" Tifa yelled. The others stared out to a sea as a dark shadow
began to form under the water. It appeared to be approaching them at a rapid
speed, and it looked like a long snake of some sort. With a loud hiss, the
monster emerged and screamed at the group. Water splashed all over them and
Priscilla ran forward.
_____"Be
careful Mr Dolphin!!" she cried, only to be clubbed down by the sea snake's
massive tail. She flew through the air and landed face-down in the shallows,
unconscious. Aeris gasped as she thought of the consequences.
_____"Come
on!" Cloud yelled and drew his sword.
_____"Hey!
This is my chance!" Aeris cried, pulling the red materia from her pocket
and slotting it into her rod.
_____"SUMMON!!!"
she yelled as bright red beams burst from the orb. With a chirp, a chocobo
appeared from the top of the steps, a tiny mog sitting on its back. The mog
had a kamikaze bandanna wrapped around its head and it squeaked as the chocobo
scuttled towards the sea snake. With a hiss from the beast, the chocobo crashed
head-first into its belly, forcing it down into the water. A large puff of
sand errupted and when it died down, the pair of lovable animals had disappeared.
_____"A
water monster..." Red said to himself. "Use electric attacks!"
_____"Now
it's my turn!" cried Yuffie. Reaching into a sack of materia, she pulled
out a green 'Lightning' orb and slotted it into her shuriken. Upon her command
of "Bolt!" a massive bolt of lightning fell from the darkened skies
and electrified the water. The monster screamed and writhed as hundreds of
volts surged repeatedly through its wet body. Smoke drifted from its mouth
and its eyes were burned right out of their sockets, and the creature fell
into the sea and died.
_____The
group all ran over and stood around Priscilla. Barret scooped her up in his
arms and put her down on the soft sand of the beach, a large puddle forming
around her.
_____"You
don't think she's dead do you?" Cloud asked. A nervous silence followed,
for none of his companions were sure of the girl's fate.
_____"Cloud,
do CPR, now!" Tifa ordered.
_____"Mouth
to mouth?!" Cloud cried.
_____"Cloud,
hurry!" Aeris cried.
_____"But...
she's just a girl..." Cloud objected, then saw the evil glares that the
others were giving him. He sighed and knelt down by Priscilla. Breathing in
deeply, he held her nostrils closed and emptied his lungs into hers. She spluttered,
water pouring from her mouth, and sat up coughing.
_____"Priscilla!"
cried a voice. A middle-aged man ran down the beach and grabbed the girl in
his arms. She coughed again, and he carried her back up to the town.
_____Cloud
sighed again and collapsed in the sand. He was glad that Priscilla was all
right. Tifa took his hand and he stood up again, then she lead them all up
to town. The man was standing at the base of the tall staircase which they
assumed was Priscilla's house, and the man must have been her father.
_____"Sorry,
Priscilla needs to rest for a while." he said. Cloud nodded and headed
for the edge of town. The woman that he had spoken to before was beckoning
him closer, so he approached her.
_____"I
heard what happened." she said. "You've done so much for Priscilla.
You all must be tired. If you want some rest, stay here."
_____She
opened the door and Cloud, Aeris and Tifa stepped inside. The house had only
one room but it was cosy and had all anyone could need: kitchen, beds, table,
cupboard. There was even a fire glowing warmly on the opposite wall.
_____"Make
yourselves at home." the woman smiled and closed the door behind them.
_____"Want
to rest?" Aeris asked Cloud.
_____"Yeah..."
Cloud said, noticing that they hadn't taken a breather since they had left
Kalm. "Let's rest."
Please stop the music here.
_____"...That
reminds me."
_____"You again?"
_____"...Who are you?"
_____"...You'll find out soon....... But more
importantly, five years ago..."
_____"Five years ago... Nibelheim?"
_____"When you went to Mt. Nibel then, Tifa was
your guide, right?"
_____"Yeah.... I was surprised."
_____"But where was Tifa other than that?"
_____"...I dunno."
_____"It was a great place for you two to see
each other again."
_____"...You're right."
_____"Why couldn't you see each other alone?"
_____"...I don't know. I can't remember clearly..."
_____"Why don't you try asking Tifa?"
_____ "...Yeah."
_____"Then, get up!"
_____"Hey wake up. Wake up, Cloud!"
_____Cloud opened his eyes. He was laying on
one of the beds in the house, still fully clothed. Tifa was standing at the
foot of the bed and Aeris was nowhere to be seen.
_____"Tifa..." Cloud said softly, avoiding
eye contact for a moment, then staring up into her big, brown eyes. "When
Sephiroth and I went to Nibelheim, where were you?"
_____"We saw each other, right?" Tifa
asked.
_____"The other time." Cloud said.
_____"No..." Tifa said quietly, crossing
her arms. "It was five years ago. I don't remember. But, something seems
strange outside. Cloud, come quick!"
_____Cloud
and Tifa rushed outside where the group had gathered in the middle of town.
Loud, grand fanfare music could be heard echoing throughout the city's streets
and back-alleys.
_____"Seems like something's goin' on up
there!" Barret cried, staring up to the city above.
_____"Does this have something to do with
the Shinra?" asked Red. Cloud stood, also gazing up at Junon City, when
Aeris came up to him and leaned forward.
_____"I heard that girl regained consciousness."
she whispered in his ear. He looked back at her and she was smiling, as if
to let him know that she was proud of him. Just that moment, a door opened
and closed and Cloud saw Priscilla standing at the top of the wooden staircase
leading to the high house. She hurried down the steps.
_____"Are you all right now?" Cloud
asked.
_____"Umm... thanks for helping..."
she said. "I'm sorry, I mistook you for one of those Shinra Inc. I'll
give you something SPECIAL! It's an amulet! Take good care of it, OK?"
_____She handed Cloud a red materia orb - this
one would summon Shiva.
_____"What's that music?" Barret asked.
"It sure sounds lively."
_____"I heard they're rehearsing the reception
for the new Shinra president." Priscilla said.
_____"Rufus!?" Barret cried. "I
gotta pay my respects."
_____"Grandpa and grandma told me this beach
was beautiful when they were small." the girl explained. "But after the Shinra
built that city above, the sun stopped shining here, and the water got polluted...
I was raised on that story and hate Shinra so much, I could die!"
_____"You think Rufus is thinking about crossing
the ocean from here, too?" Aeris asked. "Does that mean Sephiroth already
crossed the ocean?"
_____"We gotta get to the town up there."
Barret said. "Mebbe we could climb the tower?"
_____"No! No!" Priscilla yelled. "There's
a high voltage current running underneath the tower. Don't wander near it,
it's dangerous! But... you might be able to if Mr. Dolphin helps you. Follow
me!"
_____She ran down to the beach where they had
first met her. Cloud looked innocently at the others and they all followed
her down to where the glistening water was licking the sand.
_____"High voltage tower..." Tifa said
softly. "I guess this means Cloud will be all right!"
_____"We're counting on you, Cloud."
Red urged him.
_____"Wait a minute." Priscilla requested
as she put a wooden whistle to her lips. She blew and a high-pitched whistle
echoed throughout the area. Almost straight away, the dolphin from before
soared through the water and jumped high up into the air before crashing back
down again.
_____"Now ain't that something?" Barret
cried with a grin. "I ain't never seen no dolphin jump like that!"
_____"Pretty cool, huh?" Priscilla
smiled with a slight giggle. "When I blow this whistle, Mr Dolphin jumps
for me. Here, this is for you, Cloud!"
_____She put the whistle into Cloud's hand.
_____"What am I supposed to do with it?"
he asked, looking confused.
_____"Just go into the water, blow this
whistle, and Mr Dolphin'll jump you to the top of the pole!" the girl
said. "See that rod sticking out at the top? If you jump just right,
you can climb to the top of the town."
_____"Good luck, Cloud." Barret said,
placing his hand reassuringly on his shoulder. "If you make it, we'll
follow you. I'll hold the PHS for you. It'll break if it gets wet."
_____Cloud looked back at Barret and saw care
in his eyes. He didn't think that Barret really cared for anyone except for
Marlene and maybe Tifa, but now it seemed as though he was wrong. Barret was
a complex man, and Cloud wanted to know how his brain worked.
_____"You wanna jump with Mr Dolphin?"
Priscilla asked.
_____"Sure." Cloud replied, snapping
out of his day-dream. He handed the Party Hensei System to Barret and the
big man released his grip on Cloud's shoulder. He looped the whistle's strap
around his wrist and stepped into the warm water. He supposed it was warm
because of the Mako pollution from the city above. The water reached his ankles,
then his knees as he moved out further. Soon he was waist-deep in dirty sea
water. He waded out and the ground suddenly fell away from him and he had
to swim. Placing himself below the rod that Priscilla had mentioned, he put
the whistle to his mouth and blew. There was a cackle as Mr Dolphin appeared
suddenly beneath him, Cloud's feet both standing on its head as it soared
up into the air. A stream of water fell from the dolphin's body as they flew
higher and higher, the girders of the tower shooting past them and the ground
rapidly falling away. They began to slow down and the rod was not far away.
Cloud raised his hands and jumped, grabbing the thick bar with his left hand
and dangling high above the sea. Mr Dolphin cackled again and fell back into
an erruption of foam and water. Back in SOLDIER Cloud had learned to
use just one arm to lift his entire body plus extra weight, and he made use
of this skill when he was hanging from the bar. He hauled himself up and sat
on the rod, his legs hanging over the edge. Down on the beach his companions
were cheering and clapping and Priscilla was jumping up and down, waving good
bye to Cloud. He smiled to himself and looked up. He had reached Junon Airport.