FINAL FANTASY ADVENTURES: LOST AND FOUND by Marco Dimaano



THE BATTLE FOR THE PLANET..



Since  anyone could remember, the Shinra Electric Company controlled 

everything... electricity, government, media... no one could resist them, or 

even wanted to. Life under Shinra seemed so perfect and comfortable.

But it eventually became apparent that the price of progress meant the death of 

the planet. 

Shinra's Mako reactors were siphoning off the planet's very life force. Heedless 

of their destruction, the Shinra continued their bitter harvests, brutally 

putting down any resistance to their policies with deadly force.

No one could stop them. 

Then came Avalanche.

Avalanche was a terrorist group formed to expose Shinra's dangerous practice and 

to stop them from destroying the planet. The small but skilled group, consisting 

of Barret Wallance, the man with the gun-arm; martial artist Tifa Lockhart and 

ex-Shinra soldier Cloud Strife succeeded in making Shinra pay attention .

The battle against Shinra took a wild turn with the discovery of Shinra's 

interest in Aeris Gainsborough, a simple flower girl from Midgar's slums.

Avalanche had found a new ally in Aeris, who displayed astounding magical power. 

With Aeris' help, Cloud and Tifa were able to uncover  Shinra's plans to 

eliminate Avalanche wholesale... by crushing them under an entire city plate.

Despite Avalanche's efforts, Shinra's ruthless plan pushed through. Hundreds of 

people, members of Avalanche included, died in the collapse of the Midgar 

pillar. Furthermore, Aeris, while seeing to the safety of Barret's stepdaughter 

Marlene, was captured by Shinra's agents, the Turks.

Not losing any time, Cloud, Barret and Tifa headed off to rescue their friend. 

They discovered Aeris was a Cetra, the last of the Ancients... a race that 

possessed powers that could unlock the secret of the planet and the so-called 

Promised Land.

It was at this time that Avalanche discovered Shinra's plans to find and plunder 

the Promised Land of it's Mako energy.

With a new comrade, an intelligent lion-like creature known as Red XIII, the 

heroes were able to rescue Aeris from the evil Shinra scientist Hojo.

But as they were making their way out of Shinra's headquarters, they soon 

discovered a disturbing turn of events. 

President Shinra, along with a great number of his staff, had been murdered... 

apparently by Sephiroth.

Sephiroth... formerly Shinra's strongest warrior.

Sephiroth... an old enemy of Cloud. The destroyer of his village and people.

Sephiroth...  who also appears to be seeking the Promised Land of legend.



Cloud knew at once, neither Sephiroth nor Shinra could be allowed to find the 

Promised Land. The quest had changed from a guerilla war against Shinra to a 

race against a madman to save the entire world.

As they started to escape Shinra and Midgar, the adventurers met for the first 

time Rufus, the late President Shinra's son and now new leader of Shinra Inc. 

Telling the others to go on ahead, Cloud stayed behind to try and eliminate the 

potentially dangerous Shinra leader. Despite his best efforts though, Rufus 

escaped to be able to fight them another day.

After a long and harrowing chase through Midgar's streets with Shinra troops, 

Cloud and the others are eventually able to escape Midgar and head off for their 

hunt for the elusive Sephiroth.



The hunt took the heroes all over the world, through two continents, along 

burning deserts, deep jungles and frozen mountains. 

They encountered both Shinra and Sephiroth numerous times. Eventually, they 

discovered Sephiroth's true nature and his plan.

Sephiroth was not, as it was first believed, a Cetra. He was an offspring of 

both human and Jenova , a malevolent and powerful alien entity that fell to the 

planet thousands of years ago. This creature caused great damage to the planet, 

prompting the coming of the Cetra to heal the world. Jenova befriended the 

Cetra, and then betrayed them. Despite great losses, the Cetra were eventually 

able to contain Jenova. But it was understood that the evil creature would 

someday rise again.

Centuries later, Shinra uncovered the creature from the underground cavity where 

it had lain all this time. The scientist known as Hojo had great plans for the 

creature. After pioneering the process of Mako implantation that produced the 

elite SOLDIER corps of Shinra, Hojo experimented with Jenova's cells. He 

produced Sephiroth.

Five years prior to the events of the quest, Sephiroth discovered his past while 

on a missionwith Cloud to Nibleheim. The revelation drove him mad. 

Sephiroth was consumed by a desire to wrest the world back from the human race, 

and to become a veritable god. For some reason though, he disappeared, Only  a 

young Cloud and Tifa survived the ordeal.

Now, Sephiroth was back and was planning to use the fabled Black Materia to call 

down Meteor from deep space. The resulting impact would severely wound the 

planet and kill off all life on the surface. Sephiroth would then absorb the 

energy of the lifestream from the planet and rule the Promised Land, the fabled 

Paradise that existed beyond death.



Finding the Black Materia, the party appeared to be one step ahead of Sephiroth. 

But unexpectedly, they were betrayed... by Cloud himself! For some reason, 

Sephiroth had a hold over Cloud which he could not resist.



At this point in time, Aeris left the group, setting off on her own to stop 

Sephiroth. The party went after her, eventually finding her in the Forgotten 

City of the Ancients. There, Cloud once again was influenced by Sephiroth, and 

would have killed Aeris were it not for the others.

But Sephiroth himself appeared, and before the heroes' horrified eyes, killed 

Aeris. Cloud and the others could only watch as their friend died before them.

Gloating that Cloud was nothing more than a puppet, Sephiroth left for the 

Promised Land.

Laying Aeris' body to rest within the crystal waters of the Forgotten City, the 

heroes are filled with new purpose. They would avenge their dear friend and stop 

Sephiroth's diabolical plans.



The pursuit continued, but for all their determination, nothing could stop 

Meteor from being summoned. In a terrible conflargation, Sephiroth gained the 

Black Materia from Cloud, and the resulting chaos resulted in the release of the 

Weapons... giant beasts summoned by the planet itself in times of great peril.

The heroes, except for Cloud ,who had disappeared, were rescued by Rufus, who 

needed information about this dangerous and dramatic turn of events.



Days later, Meteor hung in the sky like some terrible sword of doom. Tifa and 

Barret, prisoners of Shinra, were scheduled to be executed as scapegoats for the 

impending cataclysm. Fortunately, with the help of Caet Sith and other allies, 

Tifa and Barret were able to escape, bringing with them the great airship 

Highwind, commanded by former Shinra astronaut Cid.

The reunited party set about to try and locate the missing Cloud. They 

eventually find him in the town of Mideel, a victim of severe Mako poisoning. 

Leaving Tifa to look after him, the rest become preoccupied with a new threat... 

Shinra was scouring the world for the so-called "Huge Materia".



In order to power their super weapons, Shinra intended to use the Huge Materias 

for added effect. Knowing that to allow Shinra to win would be ultimately 

detrimental, and that they couldn't allow the Huge Materia to be destroyed in 

such a manner, the heroes fight a running battle to capture the Huge Materias. 

Eventually, they succeed, staving off the immediate threat.

Shinra launches it's rocket strike against Meteor, regardless, but the attempt 

ultimately proves to be a failure. Meteor is damaged, but still a threat.

Meanwhile, Cloud and Tifa are caught in the lifestream when the ground beneath 

Mideel collapses. There, in that surreal realm of consiousness, Tifa and Cloud 

learned secrets that allowed them to master their minds.

With this revelation, Cloud recovers and renews his fight against Sephiroth.



Shinra plays its final card against Sephiroth; using a weapon called the Sister 

Ray to penetrate Sephiroth's barrier in the North Crater. Shinra succeeds, with 

the help of Cloud and the others, who delay the coming of  one of the Weapons to 

Midgar.

Shinra's victory is marred though, as DiamondWeapon's retaliatory strike on 

Midgar claims the life of it's president, Rufus.

At this point in time, Hojo goes mad and attempts to overload the Sister Ray, 

apparently going over to his creation's side. Appealing to the calls for aid 

from Caet Sith and former Shinra executive Reeve, Cloud and the others enter 

Midgar to stop Hojo, despite open resistance by other Shinra elements.

Confronting Hojo, the heroes discover that the evil scientist is actually 

Sephiroth's true father! Having infused himself with jenova cells, Hojo 

transforms into a deadly monster but is subsequently destroyed by Cloud. 



With Shinra finally ceasing to be a threat, the heroes head for the North Crater 

to face their final enemy.

Filled with terrible monsters and evil magic, the Crater is a deadly place. But 

nevertheless, the heroes forged ahead, until they reached the core. There, they 

faced multiple incarnations of Sephiroth in battle. After a terrible struggle 

that literally shook the planet to its foundations, they triumphed.



With Sephiroth gone, the Promised Land was safe and free. Also free was Holy, 

the power Aeris had summoned before she died to stop Meteor.  With the planet 

almost at the brink of doom, Holy was unleashed to counter the doom from the 

sky.

As the force of destruction neared the planet, the force of Holy appeared, 

placing itself between Meteor and it's impact point, the city of Midgar. From 

the airship Highwind, the heroes watched with bated breath as the final 

confrontation that would decide the fate of their world played out before 

them...





PROLOGUE. THE PASSING OF THE LAST.





"Aeris?"



Cloud breathed a sigh of relief. It was Aeris, all right. She was kneeling in 

the middle of the Shell palace. It seems we've beaten Sephiroth to her, he 

thought. Silently, he began making his way to her.

"Cloud..." started Tifa.

He raised his hand slightly, signalling that he wished to go alone. Barret and 

Tifa paused, then nodded. They stood back as Cloud jumped over the raised stone 

platforms leading to the Shell structure.



There she was.

Aeris Gainsborough was on her knees, her eyes closed and her hands clasped 

together near her chin in prayer. Apparently, she was so deep in her meditation 

that she didn't hear Cloud approach.

I'll surprise her,  he thought. What a crazy girl, to go after Sephiroth 

alone...

At that moment, it began.

It came as a slight buzzing... an itch at the back of his neck.

Aeris... he thought. Why'd you leave us?

The buzzing grew stronger.

What did you think you could accomplish all by yourself? 

Slowly, Cloud reached for the hilt of his sword.

Did you think we'd let you face Sephiroth alone?

He drew the weapon, stepping over in front of the kneeling young woman. With 

definite purpose, Cloud raised the weapon over his head. His target... Aeris' 

slender neck.

Did you think I'd let you stop myMaster?



"CLOUD!!!" Came Tifa's voice, like cold water over his face.

"Cloud, STOP!! What are you doing, man?!?" Barret shouted.



Tifa and Barret were screaming, yet apparently frozen in place. Cloud turned to 

face them, as if waking from a dream. His eyes went from his friends, to Aeris 

before him, to the sword in his hand.

"W-What...." he breathed, backing away. 

"WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME DO?!?" 



Aeris opened her eyes. She looked up, seeing Cloud before her. Their eyes 

locked, and at that moment, happiness filled Aeris' heart. She smiled. She knew 

Cloud would come. Her mother had told her so.

Be strong. Your mission is almost complete, Aeris.

What? Mother, what do you mean..?



At that moment, darkness fell.



From above them, Sephiroth's black garbed figure materialized, his dark cape 

swirling about him... his terrible sword aimed downward.

Down towards Aeris.

Frozen, paralyzed by some unseen force, Cloud and the others could only watch in 

horror as Sephiroth fell upon their friend and comrade.



The blade slid into Aeris' back as easily as a hot knife through butter. 



With a clang, the blade's point struck the marble of the Shell palace's floor. 

So clean and swift was the blow that Aeris just slumped forward slightly, her 

heart instantly stilled.

Her face was strangely devoid of pain except for the slightest surprise. 

Then, her eyes slowly closed as death took her. From her body, a tiny orb of 

light... her white materia stone, fell onto the floor. The crystal bounced off 

the cold marble, to continue down the palace steps, and into the crystal clear 

waters.

Submerging into the depths, the materia's light, like it's mistress' life,  

faded into the darkness.



Sephiroth looked at Cloud, his ice-blue eyes filled with glee. With a slight 

smile, he slowly pulled out his sword.

Aeris' body, freed from the sword's hold, began to slump to the ground.

Suddenly free again to move, Cloud leaped forward, catching Aeris before she hit 

the floor. With a gentleness he'd never thought himself capable of, he cradled 

her in his arms.

"Aeris...." he breathed, his voice choked. He shook her slightly, trying  in 

vain to find any trace of life. 

"This... this can't be real. It's NOT happening!!"

"Do not worry." came a cold, emotionless voice. "The girl's spirit will become 

one with the planet. Now I will travel beyond the Great Glacier to the Promised 

Land and become a new being... as will this girl..."



"SHUT UP!!!" 



Cloud glared at his mortal enemy, feeling a hatred like never before.

"The cycle of nature and your damn plans mean nothing! You've taken Aeris 

away!!"

He looked down at Aeris' face... still so peaceful and gentle. 

"Now she'll never ever talk again... or laugh... or cry... or get angry...." 

Cloud gritted his teeth. "What about our dreams?! What about our pain!?"

Cloud hunched over down, his eyes burning hot with tears, his breath coming in 

gasps, his skin tingling with heat.

He hugged her closer to his chest.

"Don't tell me you're actually feeling emotion over her?" Sephiroth returned, 

surprise registering in his voice.

"OF COURSE! What do you think I am?!"

Sephiroth smirked, and slowly, his form began to rise above the floor. Within 

seconds, he was floating near the Shell palace's ceiling. Even from the 

distance, Cloud could see the scorn in the evil blue eyes.

"You are...." 

Then, abruptly, he was gone.

Another voice answered Cloud, an alien, female voice he recognized as the words 

of Jenova. Sephiroth's mother.

You are a puppet.



They stood around Aeris' body in mute shock. 

Barret, bowed in grief, could only turn away shaking his head. He had lost so 

many friends and comrades before... Wedge... Biggs... Jessie.... Dyne...

But never had he ever dreamed that he would lose Aeris. Not Aeris, who was so 

strong, yet so gentle. Not Aeris, who was always bursting with life...



"We're gonna go play now, Barret..."

"SO PLAY!!! &*(($%U*!!! Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!!! %*#@JK)...!!!"



Barret turned to Cloud, and started to speak.

"..."



No, he thought. Words weren't enough.

He walked away with heavy steps.



Tifa knelt at Aeris' side. With Aeris, she had lost comrade, friend, sister... 

rival.That didn't make her tears any less painful.

She reached up to stroke her friend's chestnut brown hair, her peaceful face. 

After a moment, she stood up to look down upon the silent form.

With a sob, she ran out of the Shell Palace.



Cloud stepped forward, his face blank.

"Do you like being with me, Cloud?"

He knelt down to lift her into his arms.

"Next time, let's take more time to enjoy the rides, okay?"

"Aeris." he whispered.

"I'd like to be able to ride on the Highwind at least once. Promise me you'll 

take me, someday, okay?"

Cloud squeezed his eyes hard, but the tears still came.



Red XIII howled mournfully as Cloud passed him by, a sound whose grief was 

matched only by the lion-creature's cry at his father's grave. 



Caet Sith mournfully hung from atop his Moogle-body's head, his tiny eyes 

dripping with regret. From somwhere in his cape, the cat-being fished out a 

piece of parchment paper... one of his fortunes. He stared at the words written 

on the paper and sighed abysmally. 

Caet Sith covered his face with his gloved hands.

Yuffie Kisaragi couldn't even look as Cloud passed her by. She just stood with 

her back to them all, her face red, her eyes unsuccessfully trying to hold back 

tears. Beside her, Vincent Valentine stood, watching stoically. He laid a 

comforting hand on the young ninja's shoulder, and for once, Yuffie didn't 

flinch at the man's touch.

Cid Highwind stood straight as any soldier would, his chin high. Yet his eyes 

welled with moisture. 

Barret and Tifa watched as Cloud waded into the Shell Pool, slowly making his 

way to the deeper part of the pool.

At last, Cloud reached the edge. The strange water was crystal clear, but was 

easily very, very deep.

With a last look at her serene face, Cloud laid her straight on the water, and 

let go.

She floated there before him for a second, and then slowly began to sink.

Aeris' body descended into the water, her clasped hands slowly letting go and 

falling to her sides. Little by little, she sank deeper into the pool. Cloud 

watched until she finally was too far down to see.

Then, she was gone.



"Goodbye, Aeris." he whispered.





"I have something to say." started Cloud as his companions stood or sat around 

him in silence.

"Sephiroth has a hold over me. He has been able to make me do things that I 

would normally never do. It scares me."

Barret grimaced as he felt Tifa stiffen beside him.

Cloud continued. "That's why I feel that I must abandon this quest. I just know 

something terrible will happen if I continue."

"Cloud..." started Tifa.

"But... I won't stop." he continued suddenly. Everyone stared, surprised.

"Sephiroth destroyed my village. He killed Aeris. Now he's trying to destroy the 

world. I can never forgive him. That's why I'm going on."

He looked at each of his comrades. Their faces betrayed nothing.

"I'm asking all of you to come with me. To help me get Sephiroth. To keep me 

from doing what I fear...."

All around him, heads nodded. Fists clenched. Hearts were set. 

Sephiroth had slain their friend. If he thought that such an action would 

destroy the heroes' resolve, he was grossly mistaken. Now, more than ever, all 

of the heroes were burning to continue their quest.



His supposed greatest victory would prove to be his greatest mistake.







TWO YEARS LATER...





THE TRAVELLERS





"OW!!!"



"Is everything all right, Foxy? Did you lose any body parts?" said Phineas 

Train, looking up momentarily from his writing. 

"No... at least, nothing essential..." came a dry reply.

Phineas smiled in spite of himself. A strong breeze blew, slightly blowing at 

his long white hair,  rustling his grey coat, and more importantly, turning the 

pages of his manuscript. He pressed his hands on the pages, pursing his lips in 

irritation. 

"Done it." said Foxy triumphantly, emerging from behind their vehicle, the 

aircraft Vagabond.

Phineas looked at his travelling companion. Foxy Reddington was a boyishly 

attractive twenty year-old woman, made all the more boyish by the grease-stains 

that marked her otherwise smooth and often smiling face. Her red hair, cut short 

at her chin, had long bangs which were kept at bay from her eyes by a pair of 

goggles. Her costume was little more than a tight-fitting leotard and short 

pants held at her waist by a wide belt imprinted with a metal plate. Long, high 

hard boots completed the outfit. She looked all the world like an explorer and 

adventurer. Quite Phineas' opposite.

Phineas was a scholar... a scribe of great standing despite his young age of 

twenty three. He wore a grey coat over his regular clothes, signifying his craft 

and the neutrality of his knowledge. Slung on his shoulder was a large bag, full 

of writing implements and paper. The book he held, made from cured dragon 

leather, was his treasured possession.

A more mismatched pair would be harder to find. But that didn't change the fact 

that they had been together, wandering the planet for all of three years.



"Are you sureVagabond's  fit to fly? I'd hate to go crashing again. You know how 

that messes up my inks." 

"Inks, sminks... yeah, yeah. We'll reach Midgar in no time."

Phineas sighed. 

"Think of it, Foxy. Cloud Strife. Barret Wallace. Tifa Lockhart... We'll meet 

them soon."

"Tifa Strife." corrected Foxy.

"They're not married yet, Foxy." 

"That makes it all the better! Maybe we can get invited to the wedding." 

Phineas chuckled. Foxy was a die-hard Tifa fan. Not that it was anything 

strange. Tifa Lockhart, the beautiful and powerful hero of the War, was 

reknowned for the power of her fists. It was said she could smash boulders with 

her fingers. 

But then, legend and hearsay never did justice to real heroes. 

"We can always hope, Foxy."

"Yeah! You could offer to provide the guestbook for the reception... I could.... 

I could..."

"... serve drinks."

Foxy stuck her tongue out at him and then scampered into the Vagabond's  pilot 

seat.

"Midgar express. All aboard!" she said, rather loudly.

The little flying machine, looking all the world like a winged boat on wheels, 

rumbled to life. Phineas mumbled and hurried onboard next to Foxy.

"My inks...! Wait..."

"Here we go!!!" shouted Foxy, apparently not hearing the person who sat right 

beside her.

"My inks... FOXXXXXYYYYYY!!!"







NEW MIDGAR.



"Barret! Someone to see you!"

"In a minute. Hold yer chocobos..."



Barret Wallace laid the huge metal pipe he carried with several other men with 

delicate care. They eased the part into place, fitting it right into the newly-

built underground steam causeway. 

"There!" said Barret. He extended his right arm along where the pipe met the 

connection. There was a sudden flash of light, followed by the acrid smell of 

smoke.

"Done. That'll do."

The men stood back, patting each other on the back and smiling. It was hard 

work, but well worth it. When the geothermal engines were completed, New Midgar 

would have electricity once more. Since the loss of Mako power after the War, 

the citizens of the once-ultra modern capital had to make do without the 

luxuries they knew before. That would change, eventually. 

Barret smiled along with his men but refrained from patting anyone on the back. 

His right hand... a bulky mechanical prosthesis, was more suited to smashing an 

enemy's spine than anything else.

"Ahem..."

He turned to look at his visitors.

There were two of them; a slim, red-haired girl dressed in rugged traveller's 

gear... and a tall, grey-coated man with long white hair.

"Mr. Wallace?" said the man.

"Eh? Oh, yeah. I'm Wallace... No, that's not right... Barret. Just call me 

Barret."

The man smiled. "My name is Train. Phineas Train. I'm a scholar and chronicler. 

This is my travelling companion, Miss Foxy Reddington."

Barret nodded, looking at the young woman. Impish brown eyes met his gamely.

"Foxy, eh?" 

"Yup. That's the name that came with the golden medallion."

"Eh?"

"Nothing...."

Phineas coughed discreetly. "Mr. Barret, we are really honored to meet you."

"You are? Why?"

"Ah... because you're a hero, Mr. Barret! You and your companions saved the 

world from Sephiroth and Meteor."

"Oh... that." Barret smiled. "Say... kinda nice to hear that. You're a scribe, 

y'say?"

"Yes. I chronicle events. I intend to publish a book that chronicles the entire 

Quest that you and your comrades undertook to save the world. What happened 

after it and all... and I intend to get all the facts straight from the horse's 

mouths, so to speak."

Barret looked quite beamy, smiling and scratching his head with his good hand. 

"Say... that's kinda great. Let's go to the head office and talk there."

On the way to New Midgar's town hall, Phineas took the time to read through his 

notes on who the former leader of Avalanche was...





BARRET AND THE CAT



Barret Wallace wasn't always a terrorist leader... nor even a fighter, even. 

Before the conflict with Shinra, Barret lived in the poor coalmining town of 

Corel, in the new continent. At this point in time, Shinra began building 

numerous reactors all over the continent. 

"Shinra came to Corel, and promised us a comfortable life when their reactor was 

built in the area. Come work at Shinra, get paid. Live the good life. Sounded 

pretty good at the time.

I wanted Myrna, my wife, to live a nice life. No more coal soot on her dress. No 

more waiting for us coming from the mines. I was just like everyone else then... 

I wanted to believe Shinra.

The only one who objected was Dyne, my best friend. He refused to give up the 

mines. But we all had made up our own sorry little heads. No one used coal 

anymore. Mako energy was the wave of the future."

"So, the Corel reactor was built." said Phineas.

"Yeah." Barret growled. "Damn horrible thing it was."



"It happened when me and Dyne were away. There was an explosion at the reactor. 

Shinra blamed the town. Said it was a plot by terrorists. Before you could say 

'double-cross', Shinra had brought in their troops to burn Corel to the 

ground..."



"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!!!"

Barret screamed, falling to his knees and clutching his head in his hands. The 

horizon was a billowing red curtain of smoke and flame. Nobody could survive 

that inferno. Nobody...

"Barret! Snap out of it! We can still do something!" said Dyne, pulling at his 

big friend's arm.

"Right... You're right..." 



"Barret!! Dyne!!" 

Both men looked at the bridge above them. The village elder was running above 

the train tracks, arms waving.

"Protect Corel! Protect Corel...!"

"Old man!!"

Then came a hail of gunfire, and the elder's voice was silenced forever.

"Damn!"

More gunshots cracked the air. The ground about both men exploded with the 

impact of bullets.

"Barret!! This way!" Dyne ran under the bridge.

Barret was literally dancing his way through the shower of shells.



"Idiots!" a hard, female voice whipped  at the Shinra firing squad. The lead 

soldier looked up just in time to see a blade swinging at his face.

His helmeted head, trailing blood, fell to the ground with a clunk.

"With shooting like that, you'll never get them."

The remaining Shinra soldiers silently eyed their commander, a blonde-haired 

woman whose beautiful face was marred by her cruel eyes.

Scarlet, Shinra's Head of Weapons Development, grabbed the dead soldier's gun 

and began firing at the fleeing men.

"Follow my lead." she said mechanically.



"Ah!" Dyne cried out as his leg gave way beneath him.

"Dyne!" 

Barret reached forward, grabbing his friend by the arm. 

"Not while we're this close to getting away... " Barret growled.

"Don't let go...!"

"Just hold on... We're going home, Dyne... Marlene and Eleanor's waiting..."

Suddenly, a hail of bullets began tearing up along the cliff, steadily making 

it's way to them.

"NO! Dyne!!!"

Then there was a stinging pain, and Barret could no longer feel his right hand.

And Dyne was falling... falling off into the darkness...



"He died?" asked Foxy finally.

"No. Wasn't that lucky." Barret shook his head. "Turned out, Dyne survived. We 

both had an operation to put a gun on our arms... me on my right, him on his 

left. While I went to Midgar and formed Avalanche, he stayed in Corel, and 

became the Top Dog in Corel Prison."

"Ah... the murders at Gold Saucer."

Barret nodded.

"Dyne had gone crazy. He wanted to destroy the world. Kill everyone. When me and 

the others got framed for his hits in Gold Saucer, we found him in Corel Prison. 

He didn't give me no choice. Even when I told him Marlene was alive, it didn't 

matter. He wanted to kill her too, to join her with Eleanor in the afterlife.

We had a big shootout. I didn't... I couldn't kill him. But he didn't want to 

live anymore, himself."

"What happened?" 

"He gave me his pendant... a keepsake for Marlene. Then... he threw himself off 

the cliff."

"I'm sorry." said Foxy, quietly.



"I first formed Avalanche 'cause I wanted to get back at Shinra for Corel... 

Dyne and everyone. After that, all that matters to me is Marlene. Guess it was 

just kinda cool to make it out that we were all trying to save the world."

Barret looked at his companions.

"Guess some of your illusions got shattered, right?" 

"Whatever do you mean?"

"That your 'heroes' are all just people who fought for stuff that was important 

for THEM, not for the good of the planet. At least, not really."

Foxy smiled. "Doesn't surprise me. I would've done the same."

"Really, Foxy?" said Phineas, with a sly smile.

"That's not what I meant." she retorted crossly. "I mean, people would have to 

have something personal to be able to act so passionately about something. 

Everyone has some deep longing. I'd think it'd be weirder if someone just did 

something without a dream or goal in mind."

"Heh. She got ya there, scholar..." Barret snickered.

"You surprise me, Miss Reddington." Phineas admitted.

"Damn straight."





"Hey, Cat! Come down here!"

Barret shouted as they entered the new building that served as New Midgar's Town 

Hall. 

New Midgar was a large settlement that was located right outside the Old City. 

The population consisted mostly of former Midgar residents, and some immigrants 

from other towns. After Meteor nearly destroyed Midgar, what was left was 

decided too dangerous and expensive to rebuild. Despite everything, the people 

of Midgar were a resilient, hardworking lot... it took no time at all to get 

people organized and working together to start a new life.

"What's up?" came a peculiar, squeaky voice from the stairway.

Phineas and Foxy both stared as what looked all the world like a small humanoid 

cat riding a huge stuffed Moogle mannequin clambered down the passageway. The 

cat, looking quite outlandish with a gold crown on it's head, gloved hands and a 

megaphone could only be...



"Caet Sith." said Phineas.

"Guilty. And you are?"

"Phineas Train. Chronicler and scribe. I am honored to meet you... sir?"

"Yep, sir's good." The cat smiled, almost glowing with self importance.

Barret stepped forward, nudging the Moogle body with his weapon-hand.

"These two've come to get the lowdown on what we were all doing during and after 

the War. Writing a book about it."

 Caet Sith's cat eyes widened. "Really? That's super! Where are our manners? 

Have a seat! Have a seat!" 

The whole group settled in the common area, around a stout oaken table. Phineas 

immediately brought out his pen and opened his dragonhide book. 

"New Midgar is coming along very well, isn't it?" he commented.

Barret nodded soberly. "Fair enough. Life's been hard... but the people are good 

and they know things had to happen the way they did."

"Not everyone came at once, though." said Caet Sith.

"No, they didn't." Barret shook his head. "Many of the upper city residents 

caused some ruckus. They didn't like the idea of going back to nature living."

Foxy sneered. "Guess it was a bit of a rude awakening for them."



During the years before and during the war, the world was dominated by the 

Shinra Electric Power Company. From a weapons manufacturer during the earlier 

armed conflicts with Wutai, Shinra went into Mako energy production and soon 

became the most influential power in the world.

Shinra controlled everything... electricity, transportation, entertainment, 

government... everything. They provided comforts through Mako energy that were 

unrivalled. But comfort came at a high price. It was soon revealed that Mako 

energy, essentially the life-force of the planet, was not inexhaustable. Once it 

was finally exhausted, the planet, and eventually everything on it, would die. 

Controlled by ruthless executives, Shinra tolerated no resistance to its 

policies. Anyone who opposed Shinra was relentlessly hunted down and destroyed. 

No one could stop them... at least, not until Avalanche arrived. Consisting of a 

small cadre of highly skilled individuals, including mercenary Cloud Strife, the 

band of ecological rebels were eventually able to make the mammoth corporation 

take notice.



"Well, people are different now. Thanks to the Cat here and Reeve, we were able 

to talk sense into those blockheads." said Barret evenly.

"Reeve?" Phineas looked up from his writing. "You mean, ex-Shinra exec Reeve, 

don't you?"

"Yeah. That's the one."

Foxy looked at Phineas. "I thought he was killed."

Caet Sith shook his head. "Nope. Reeve's different from the other Shinra execs. 

He loved Midgar and its people more than he did Shinra. When President Rufus was 

killed and Hojo tried to destroy the city with Sister Ray, he called us in to 

help save the place."

"So, he's around?"

"Yep. Can't run this place without him. He's a good guy, though I hate to admit 

any Shinra guy's good." said Barret.

"Hmmph." mumbled Caet Sith significantly. Barret snickered. Reeve once 

communicated through Caet Sith to the party, and it was often thought that he 

and Sith were one and the same personality. Barret wondered if he was still 

listening in...

"So... Mr. Barret and Mr. Sith both came back to Midgar... you came right after 

Meteor was beaten?"

"Yeah..." Barret scratched his bearded chin. "Had to pick up someone..."



"Marlene!" Barret practically leaped out of the Highwind's portal. 

"Daddy!" 

He ran, meeting her and scooping up his adopted daughter in arms that were 

trembling.

"Daddy!"

"You're safe now, Marlene.... safe...."

"I knew I'd be safe, Daddy... Miss Aeris told me so..."

"Aeris....?"

Barret paused ,suddenly silent.

"Daddy? Is something wrong?"

"No... nothing's wrong. You're safe. That's all that matters."

"Say, where is Miss Aeris..?"



"The first thing I did was find Marlene." said Barret.

"Your adopted daughter. I hear she was in Kalm town when Meteor descended on 

Midgar." 

"Yeah. She was staying there with Elmyra. Elmyra's the stepmother of a dear 

friend of ours."

Caet Sith sighed, looking down at his Moogle-body's huge feet. 

"You mean Miss Gainsborough, right?"

"Aeris. Yeah."

Phineas nodded. Foxy looked at him in question.

"Aeris... She was the last Ancient, right?" she asked.

"Miss Gainsborough was once just a flower girl in Midgar. When she met Cloud, 

she joined Avalanche to try and stop Shinra. Eventually, when the party moved on 

to try and track down Sephiroth, it was revealed that she was an Ancient... a 

Cetra."

Phineas coughed, then went on.

"The Cetra have special powers to communicate and commune with the planet 

itself. Miss Gainsborough, being the last, had a great responsibility upon 

her... she alone had the power to counter Sephiroth's Meteor. So she sacrificed 

her life so that the world could have a chance..."



Barret hunched forward in his chair, his face dark.

"Sounds so noble and great, doesn't it?" he said finally. "Sacrificed her life 

for the planet... gave us all a fighting chance."

He stood up, walking to the window, his back to the others.

"It almost makes it go down a lot easier... like sugar in medicine. But the fact 

is, Aeris died. Sephiroth killed her."

"You... you were there when it happened?" whispered Foxy.

Barret nodded.

"We were all there. Cloud was the closest. It happened before his very eyes. 

Sephiroth came out of nowhere, stabbed Aeris through the heart, just as she was 

praying for Holy to save the planet. She died almost instantly. At least she 

didn't suffer much."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barret. She must have been a very dear friend." answered Foxy.

"She was always so optimistic. Always smiling. I remember I almost throttled her 

once, in Gold Saucer. Looking for Sephiroth had taken us to North Corel, my old 

hometown. I was in a bad mood, seeing the place all busted up. Even when we went 

into that wonderland, I still didn't feel any better..."



"Let's have some fun!" said Aeris cheerfully, her eyes sparkling as she looked 

at the amusement park's iridescently colored facades.

Feeling the others' stares on her back, she slowly turned to face everyone, 

hands clasped behind her back, her face more serious.

"I know this isn't the best time for this..."

Barret just stood there, his back to her. Aeris stepped to his side, and leaned 

forward, trying to peek at his face.

"Barret, relax, You'll get a breakdown if you keep being so tense..."

"I'm in no relaxing mood, so jest leave me alone."

Aeris frowned.

"That's too bad." she said, rather mischievously. "Well, WE'RE going to have 

fun, aren't we, guys?"

Aeris ran over to Cloud and the others. Tifa leaned to her, whispering.

"Hey... isn't that a little harsh, Aeris?"

"At times like this, it's best to just act normal." replied Aeris.

"Really? You're sure?"

"Positive!"

Aeris hurried back to Barret.

"We're gonna go play now, Barret..."

"SO PLAY!!! &*(($%U*!!! Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!!! %*#@JK)...!!!"

Barret abruptly turned and ran, heading down one of the tunnels.



Aeris stared as he left, her face going white.

"I think he's mad..." she whimpered.

Tifa stepped over to her,  smiling. 

"No, actually, I think he's taking it rather well..."



Barret chuckled.

"Damn. I miss her. I owe her Marlene's life. I owe her my life. Never even got 

to say goodbye right and proper."

"She knows, Barret. She knows a lot more than you think." 

All turned to Caet Sith. It was a serious and insightful statement, not 

something you'd expect from a talking cat.

"How the hell do you know that, cat?" grumbled Barret.

"Aeris was a Cetra. Cetra are in tune with the planet. When Cetra die, in fact 

when anyone dies, they're supposed to go to the Promised Land. Aeris always 

talked about her wanting to return to the planet. Guess that was it."

"You saying she wanted to die?" growled Barret.

"No, I'm saying she's in a better place now."

"That's hogwash." Barret shook his head.

Caet Sith looked up, smiling ruefully. 

"I like Miss Aeris. Even when Cloud and the others didn't trust me, she gave me 

a chance to be a hero. I got the Black Materia from the temple of the Ancients. 

She told me to be strong."

"The Black Materia."  breathed Phineas in awe.

"The Black Materia was what Sephiroth needed to call Meteor. The only way to get 

it meant being crushed inside the temple which was actually the Black Materia 

itself. Since it was too dangerous to just leave the thing there where Sephiroth 

could eventually try to get it,  I sacrificed myself to do just that."



Everyone stared at the cat.

"But... you're here." observed Foxy.

"I'm Caet Sith Two. My first body was crushed inside the Black Materia."

"That explains everything." shrugged Foxy.

"Works for me." agreed Phineas.

Barret grinned. Though the cat-being looked quite lifelike, he knew his comrade 

was not a living creature... Caet Sith was, in fact, a Made Thing... one of 

Shinra's machines that had been sent to ilfintrate AVALANCHE. Though Caet Sith 

had long since proven his worth and loyalty to the party, to date the true 

identity, whereabouts and nature of the person or being behind the voice of the 

cat-being were all unknown.

Not that it really mattered.



The cat-being beamed. "Anyway, I like to think that Miss Aeris is happy where 

she is. She's in her Promised Land, with her folks."

Barret snorted, but his eyes weren't as hard. "You're beginning to sound like 

Cloud."

"The Promised Land exists, doesn't it?" asked Foxy.

"Well, that was what Sephiroth and Shinra were after, so it must be real, 

right?" replied Barret. "But to tell you the truth, I never really understood 

all that. It was more Aeris and Cloud and Tifa who knew about it."

"Hmm. Do you know where Miss Lockhart and Cloud are?" said Phineas.

"Tifa's in Kalm. Cloud..." Barret frowned. "Cloud's... elsewhere."

"What? But..!" Foxy started, but closed her mouth when Phineas looked at her 

sharply.

"Can we meet Miss Lockhart?"



An hour later, after talking a little more about Avalanche and the quest, Barret 

offered to take the pair to Kalm and find Tifa, then left for a while to attend 

to some things. Caet Sith, after expounding on his past as a Shinra manager and 

spy, eventually went off to coordinate something with Reeve. 

"You know..." said Sith as he was about to leave. 

"...it's strange... but I think Aeris' death WAS part of her destiny."

"Really? What makes you say that?" said Phineas.

"A long time ago... the first time I met Cloud and the others in Gold Saucer, I 

was posing as a fortune teller. I gave a lot of goofy liners to them that time."

Caet Sith paused, shaking his feline head.

"But then I gave this one fortune... I'm positive it was never in my bag."

"What was the fortune?" asked Foxy.

"It went... 

'What you seek will be yours... but you will lose something very dear."

The cat-creature sighed. 

"I told them that I was tagging along to see if my fortune came true... Guess 

who's in a dump 'cause it did..."

After a moment, he looked at the two travellers and smiled.

"Remember to spell my name right!" he laughed, as he and his Moogle-body hopped 

off.





"What a character." chuckled Phineas. 

"It's too bad about Aeris." said Foxy.

"Yes. She has the most knowledge and insight about the entire quest. Without 

her, the chronicle will never be really complete."

"PHINEAS!"

He froze, finding himself locked into her fierce glare.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"What? Hear what?"

Foxy crossed her arms. 

"I meant it was bad that Aeris died because she sounds like such a nice person. 

She had dreams. A future. She gave it all up to save the planet. You're treating 

her like some object. Don't be so damn cold!"

"Okay, okay..." Phineas nodded soberly. "I apologize. That was inexcusable."

"You're damn right it's inexcusable. If Barret had heard..."

"Heard what?"

"NOTHING!" Both of them stood up, straight as lampposts.

Barret scratched his head, and then shrugged. 

"Let's go."

"To Kalm?"

"Yep. To Tifa's Eighth Heaven."





3  TIFA LOCKHART.



Tifa's Eighth Heaven was fast becoming a landmark in Kalm. It continued the 

tradition Tifa had started in Tifa's Seventh Heaven, her former bar which was 

now buried beneath tons of steel and stone beneath Midgar's Sector 7 slums. 

There was good food and service, and patrons had the opportunity to meet one of 

the heroes of the War in the flesh. Still only twenty-two, Tifa Lockhart was 

admired by people of all ages. Mothers wanted to name their daughters after her. 

Young people wanted to learn her awesome martial art skills. Men just wanted to 

look at her. Tifa's raven-haired beauty was known the world over. One 

particularly inspired traveller even gifted her with a portrait, which now hung 

atop the fireplace in the ante-chamber to the main house.

But it was just 'look'. Everyone knew Tifa was engaged to Cloud Strife. The only 

thing they were waiting to hear was...



"When's the WEDDING?" 



That was the first thing Foxy blurted out when Tifa came before them.

Foxy, Phineas and Barret were seated at the inn's common room, around the best 

table in the house. Tifa had come straight out from the kitchen, still wearing a 

neat apron around her slim waist. 

She had been smiling when she saw Barret, but the smile suddenly froze when Foxy 

opened her mouth.



"Ah..." she started.

"I mean, sorry about that, Miss Tifa... Can I call you Tifa?" continued Foxy, 

oblivious to Phineas' glare.

"Ah..." 

"I mean, you don't have to really tell us. But me and my friend Phineas here 

were really wondering when you and Mr. Strife will tie the knot. We've been 

following your story you see..."

"FOXY!"

She finally turned to Phineas, who was staring at her with wide eyes. His 

fingers were curled around his neck.

Foxy slowly turned to look at Tifa again.

Tifa's face was turning red, though the smile was still frozen on her lips. Her 

eyes were wide, and slowly filling with tears.

"Oh, geez..." Barret slapped his good hand onto his forehead.

"Uh... Miss Tifa... Was it something I said...?"



"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"





"I'm really, really sorry about that..." 

Tifa laid down a tray of her famous stewed potatoes and beef in front of the 

decidely silent trio.

She sat down, sniffing slightly.

"You sure you're all right, girl?" Barret muttered, his eyes slits.

"Yes, yes. Didn't expect that to happen. I never really cry..."

Foxy swallowed hard, not able to look her idol in the eye.

"I.... I'm sorry Tifa... I didn't know it was such a sore spot for y- OW!"

Phineas quickly withdrew his booted foot from Foxy's shin.

Tifa looked at her, raising her hand quickly.

"No, no! It's not your fault. Really! Things have just been a little crazy 

lately, so... Well, I guesss I needed a good cry. Don't worry. I'm past it now."

"Are you sure?" said Foxy, rubbing her shin.

"Positive." Tifa smiled warmly. "Now, start eating. The meal's getting cold."

"Tif... Phineas here's a chronicler. He's writing a book about us and everything 

that happened."

"Oh, really!" Tifa's face brightened even more.

Foxy smiled. "We come from Lomilwa. It's a small town in the west. Nice place. 

Kinda boring. Mr. Train here has always wanted to start this project." 

Phineas brought out the dragonhide book.

"Foxy here and I have been travelling all this time, talking to all of you who 

were in your group. We've already met Miss Kisaragi, Mr. Valentine, Mr. Nanaki 

and Mr. Cid..."

"Still have your materia?" Tifa asked, laughing.

"Uh... yes. Miss Yuffie was a little busy inheriting her ninja clan and all to 

try appropriate our meager materia."

Tifa's eyes lit up. "Yuffie? Inheriting her clan?"

Phineas nodded. "Lord Godo, her father, is grooming her to take over the dojo. 

She still tries to get in a little bit of banditry, I guess... that's how we met 

her... "

"How are the others?" 

"Well, Mr. Highwind and his wife are doing fine."

Tifa's eyes grew cloudy. "Wife..."

Phineas, Foxy and Barret looked at her in concern.

They needn't have bothered. Tifa looked at them, quite in control.

"I still can't get over him marrying Shera finally. That was a surprise."

"Mr. Vincent is... fine." 

Foxy shrugged. "Weird guy. Creepy."

Tifa nodded. Vincent Valentine was a formerTurk, a Shinra operative in charge of 

its more nefarious activities... such as the creation of Sephiroth. It was 

during this project that he himself was subjected to terrible experimentation, 

giving him hideous and extremely lethal shapechanging powers. During the war, 

the heroes had discovered him in the Shinra Mansion in NIbleheim. After learning 

Sephiroth was at large, he joined the heroes, fighting by their side to get back 

at his old enemy, Hojo. Vincent seemed always so detached and cold, but none of 

the heroes doubted his courage and prowess in battle. 

"It's a wonder you got him to talk at all. And Red XIII... Nanaki?" said Tifa, 

referring to the lion-like warrior ally of theirs from Cosmo Canyon.

"He's okay, but he seemed a little sad." said Foxy.

"His grandfather, Bugenhafen, died recently." noted Tifa.  After a moment, she 

corrected herself. "No... returned to the planet."

"We were wondering if you could fill in the big holes. We know the general 

story, but a lot of facts are quite far from me."

"About..."

"Sephiroth. Cloud. You... and Aeris."



Tifa was silent for a while. Then, she nodded.

"Where should I begin?"

"You and Cloud, I think... If it's okay, I mean."

Tifa took a deep breath, and began her story.



"Both me and Cloud were born in the town of Nibleheim. As children, we knew each 

other but really didn't meet or talk that much. But Cloud was always around... 

He wasn't like other kids. He didn't like my other friends, so he kept his 

distance. 

When my mother died, Cloud was never far away from me. I never noticed him, 

because I was so wrapped up in my own grief. One day, just on a whim, I walked 

off towards the Nibel Mountains. 

My friends warned me not to go... But I didn't listen. 

They said dead people went to Nibel... Maybe my mom was there.



"There she is!!" shouted a villager. 

The men rushed down the slope towards the small, prone figure.

"Tifa.... Tifa!" the man lifted her up in his arms. "She's still breathing. It's 

a miracle... from that height..."

Suddenly, one of the men noticed another figure nearby.

Young Cloud Strife sat there, rubbing his bruised knees.

"YOU!" growled the villager.

Cloud only stared as the man stepped towards him menacingly.

"Why'd you bring her here?! What if she dies,  you little idiot!?"

"That's enough. He's just a kid. Leave him be..."

"What if she dies?!"



Tifa's face was dark as she continued.

"As I crossed a bridge in the mountains, it collapsed. Cloud tried to save me, 

but we both fell anyway. I was in a coma for seven days. They all blamed Cloud. 

I heard that the other kids started picking on him."

"Poor Cloud." muttered Foxy.

"Poor kids." smiled Tifa. "Cloud defended himself. He was quite strong, even 

then. Luckily, no one was ever seriously hurt.

Eventually, Cloud felt that if he wanted me to really notice him, he had to 

become strong... So strong that no one would ever pick on him. That's the time 

when he first heard of Sephiroth."

"Yeah. The great 'hero' of Shinra." sneered Barret.

Tifa grimaced. "Sephiroth had made a great reputation for himself as Shinra's 

strongest warrior. He was far stronger than even the entire SOLDIER corps put 

together. Cloud idolized him.

One night, me and Cloud met at the town well. There, he told me that he was 

leaving Nibleheim, to go and join SOLDIER. It was only then that I realized that 

I would miss having him around... always watching over me... protecting me...

So I made him promise me something."

Phineas and Foxy leaned forward in interest, and even Barret perked up.

"I made him promise that if he ever became famous in SOLDIER, that he'd come to 

me if I ever needed his help."

"So that's it." laughed Barret. "That's why he didn't just leave."

Tifa punched Barret playfully on the arm.

"Yes. And you didn't help things out one bit! Always picking fights with him..."

Barret raised his hand defensively. "Hey, hey..."

"Anyway, he went away and I lost track of him. The next time I heard about him 

was seven years ago."

"Ah. The infamous Nibleheim Reactor incident." said Phineas.

"Yes."



"Two members of the elite SOLDIER corps and several Shinra troopers were sent to 

Nibleheim to investigate a series of vicious monster attacks. One of the SOLDIER 

members was the great Sephiroth himself... at that time, the strongest warrior 

of Shinra's army."



"Was he that strong?" asked Foxy.

Tifa nodded. "You should have seen him... he carried this sword that was longer 

than he was tall...

The other SOLDIER member was a young, vibrant new recruit."

"Cloud." said Phineas.

"No."

Both of the travellers started in surprise.

"But the stories said..."

Tifa shook her head.

"The stories were that two members of SOLDIER, Sephiroth and Cloud, entered 

Nibleheim. This was a fabricated story. The other SOLDIER was a man named Zack."

"But... where was Cloud?" asked Foxy.

"He was there. Cloud never made it into SOLDIER. He was one of the uniformed 

troopers. He was so ashamed at his failure that he never told anyone what had 

really happened."

"So... it was all a lie?" said Phineas quietly. "The story... the Nibleheim 

incident..."

"That was all made up... but not entirely false.

As the story was supposed to go, the Shinra party needed a guide to the 

Nibleheim Reactor. I became that guide. In the years that Cloud left Nibleheim, 

I hadn't been idle. I was training as a martial artist in Kakutoh technique 

under a man named Zangan. At the time though, I wasn't a true fighter yet. But 

since I was quite fit, I became a range guide through the mountains.

I had heard beforehand that the SOLDIERs were coming... I thought that Cloud was 

one of them. I looked, but only saw Sephiroth and another person. 

I didn't know Cloud was one of the masked troopers.

We left a day later, trekking into Nibel. There, I saw just how powerful 

Sephiroth was. Beasts came at us from everywhere... twisted monsters that I had 

never seen before. He just swatted them away with hardly an effort.

The only time that we were really in danger was at a rope bridge... the old 

timbers and ropes had rotten through, and gave way just as we were passing it...



I awoke, bruised but alive. Zack was the first at my side. Shortly after, 

Sephiroth and one of the troopers appeared. The other trooper was missing. 

Sephiroth ordered the party forward, despite the loss of the man. So, we went on 

to the Reactor.

I wasn't allowed into the reactor, on Sephiroth's orders. I waited outside, 

under the watchful eyes of the remaining trooper.



"Cloud." Foxy smiled.

"Yes." answered Tifa.



"What followed began the nightmare. Sephiroth discovered Shinra's operations to 

create monsters using Mako energy... he surmised that he... and perhaps all of 

the members of SOLDIER... were created the same way. It was there as well that 

he saw the name JENOVA... the name of the project... which was also the name of 

his supposed mother.

And to put it simply, he went mad."



"The next few days, Sephiroth entered the Shinra Mansion in Nibleheim, immersing 

himself in the libraries, looking for answers to his past. He read through every 

book, without ever resting or taking a break. It is said that not once did the 

light in the library grow dim while he was there.

Then, one day... Zack entered the library to find Sephiroth laughing... ranting 

about how humans had treacherously stolen the planet from its true masters... 

the Cetra.

The Cetra or Ancients had returned to the planet, going to their Promised Land. 

The world therefore had fallen to the humans. Sephiroth spouted something about 

reclaiming the land for the Cetra, and then he stalked off to the reactor to 

claim Jenova."



"I still find this quite hard to understand... Sephiroth was an Ancient? And 

just what is Jenova, anyway?" said Foxy.

"Sephiroth was NOT an Ancient, though he thought he was at first. All I know is 

that he was created by Shinra from Jenova. Jenova was a creature that fell from 

the sky, thousands of years ago. The Cetra were driven almost to extinction by 

this being, who at first appeared benign. Eventually, they were able to stop 

Jenova, sealing it away under the earth.

But the Cetra were unable to completely destroy Jenova. It would eventually 

regenerate itself, even if it were dismembered.

Thousands of years later, the Cetra were gone as a race. Jenova was uncovered by 

none other than the Shinra.



Shinra saw Jenova as a weapon. Hojo, in particular, learned of the Cetra and 

Jenova's pasts through the notes of his predecessor, Dr. Gast. Gast had learned 

much through his wife... Ifalna."

"Ifalna... she was-" Phineas started.

"Aeris' mother. Her true mother."



"Hojo knew about Jenova... of how Jenova would someday be regenerated. For his 

own reasons, he created the SOLDIER corps from Jenova cells. Sephiroth was his 

crowning glory... he was the main tool Hojo intended to use to carry out the 

Jenova reunion."

"But why?" asked Foxy. "If he knew Jenova was so dangerous, why would he do such 

a thing?"

Tifa shrugged. "He was a fanatic of his science. Nothing else mattered. The 

Jenova reunion was perhaps the most spectacular thing he imagined. Personally, I 

just think he was a lunatic."

"So..." Phineas said, scribbling away at his pages. "Sephiroth went to the Nibel 

Reactor with the intention of stealing Jenova."

"Yes." Tifa's face hardened. "On his way there, he started his rampage. Cloud 

told me that he had burned Nibelheim to the ground. I didn't see it myself, but 

from what I had gathered, Sephiroth had massacred everyone."

"Where were you?"

"I was away on a trip to an outpost in the mountains. I was coming back when I 

saw my father entering the Nibelheim Reactor..."



"Father!!" Tifa screamed as she ran towards the prone figure.

She fell to her knees at his side, trying to shake her parent awake. 

So much blood...

"Who did this to you.?!? Sephiroth... It was Sephiroth, wasn't it?!?"

Tifa grabbed her father's weapon from his cold hand.

"SOLDIER... Shinra... Sephiroth... I HATE THEM ALL!!!"

With her shout still echoing from the walls, Tifa broke into a run into the 

darkened reactor.



In her grief and rage, she did not notice the shadowy figure following closely 

behind...



"What happened?" said Foxy, nibbling at a piece of beef.

"I found Sephiroth in a large chamber filled with all these vats and containers. 

He was standing before a large door marked "JENOVA". I screamed at him, and 

attacked him.

Of course, I didn't stand a chance. He slashed at me once, and I fell down the 

stairs."

"It's lucky that you didn't die." said Phineas.

"I should have." replied Tifa. "What happened next, I only discovered during my 

time in the Lifestream with Cloud.

Zack had arrived, and he had seen the carnage Sephiroth had caused. He ran into 

the Jenova chamber, and tried to stop Sephiroth. But, like me, he was no match. 

Now no one was left to stop Sephiroth... 

No one except Cloud.



Cloud came into the reactor, still wearing the trooper uniform. He got Zack's 

sword and charged into the Jenova room. For some reason, he was able to take 

Sephiroth by surprise... "



"AAAKKGH!!!" screamed Sephiroth as the Buster Sword's blade bit deep into his 

stomach. His eyes widened as he stared into the mask of one of the Shinra 

troopers. 

"I trusted you! I admired you!!!" came a scream from beneath the mask.

How could he, the mighty Sephiroth, fall to such a grunt?

This was still in his mind as he sank down to slump motionless against the glass 

tube that held Jenova's misshapen, twisted form.

"My village... Tifa.... My parents.... Give them back..." 

Cloud Strife dropped his mask, his face streaming with tears. He stared at his 

former idol and mentor for a moment, and then turned to leave.

Outside the Jenova vault, he picked up Tifa's unconsious body. Feeling her warm 

blood against his uniform, he found that she still breathed, Somehow, he had to 

get her out...

A sudden sound made him turn.

Sephiroth staggered out of the Jenova chamber, sword in one hand, a horrtble 

object... the Jenova creature's severed head... in the other. He stalked down 

the stairs, apparently not noticing Cloud or Tifa. 

"C-Cloud...." came a voice. It was Zack. He was still alive too!

"Cloud.... Kill Sephiroth..." said the SOLDIER member. Then, with a groan, Zack 

collapsed once more.



"Sephiroth!!!" 

The Shinra Knight stiffened, a look of utter hatred crossing his handsome 

features. 

Footsteps rang behind him, and Sephiroth turned, seeing the trooper who had 

wounded him so...

"AAAAH!" 

Sephiroth ran him through.

The extremely long sword blade entered Cloud's body into his shoulder.  The 

youth screamed in agony as Sephiroth began to lift him up like a caught fish.

"Don't... push... your... luck...." grinned Sephiroth.



"AAAAAARRRGH!!!!" Screamed Cloud, hands grasping the blade.

Sephiroth's eyes widened in amazement... Cloud was pulling the sword out of his 

body!

"What!?! It can't be..!"

Suddenly, Cloud reached for the rail of the  catwalk upon which they stood. With 

a pull, he knocked Sephiroth off balance.

Still screaming, Cloud suddenly hoisted the mad knight upwards with his own 

sword, both hands grasping the blade like a handle.

Eyes still wide with astonishment, Sephiroth could only watch in open-mouthed 

horror as he was thrown, sword, Jenova-head and all, off the catwalk and into 

the depths of the reactor below.

With his death scream echoing against the metal, Sephiroth fell and was gone.



Both Phineas and Foxy were speechless.

"Cloud... beat Sephiroth?" whispered Phineas. "I thought he just spared the two 

of you..."

"No... Cloud killed him that day in Nibleheim. Only Sephiroth's power and 

strength of will allowed him to keep from going into the Lifestream. But it took 

him five years to recover from this defeat."

"Wow." said Foxy, awe in her voice.

"Later, Shinra came to Nibelheim, wanting to cover up everything. As far as I 

could tell, I was saved by my teacher, Zangan. He took me to Midgar to heal me. 

I never was able to return to Nibelheim. Eventually I set up the Seventh Heaven 

and met Barret and AVALANCHE.

Cloud and Zack were captured by Shinra and taken into the Shinra Mansion for 

analysis. They were eventually able to escape. Zack however, was killed by 

Shinra troops. Cloud was able to make his way to Midgar."

"And you met him." said Foxy.

"At the train station, I found him. He was all beaten up and tired. But I 

recognized the hair... the uniform of a SOLDIER... and I knew it was him."

"That was the time that we started our Reactor-cleaning." said Barret, who had 

been listening over a plate of potatoes all this time.

"I wasn't so sure about Cloud then, actually... he was still confused about a 

lot of stuff. All I knew was that Avalanche needed help to fight Shinra. And I 

needed to keep an eye on him."

"Why, I wonder?" snickered Barret.

"Barret." Tifa growled, but her eyes were laughing.

"And Miss Aeris? How does she fit in?"

"Aeris was a flower girl in Midgar. She picked flowers inside a church in the 

slums. During one of our operations, Cloud fell into the church just as Aeris 

was picking flowers."

"How romantic..." began Foxy.

"I guess." muttered Tifa. "Anyway, they hit it off, and Aeris hired Cloud as a 

bodyguard. For the price of a date."

"A date?"

"Well... that's what I heard." shrugged Tifa. 

"Aeris was being chased by the Turks. With Cloud's help though, they were able 

to get away. Aeris was the last Cetra... apparently Shinra had decided that it 

was time to exploit her so they could find the Promised Land."

Barret grumbled. "At the same time, Shinra began their offensive on Sector 7. 

They planned to crush us all by blowing up the pillar over the whole sector. Me 

and the other Avalanche members tried to fight them while Cloud, Tifa and Aeris 

were away."

He paused, as if remembering something.

"Wedge... Biggs... Jessie..." he whispered.

"Excuse me?" asked Phineas.

"Avalanche members." explained Tifa. "They were all killed when the Sector 7 

pillar collapsed."

"Only me, Cloud and Tifa were able to get away." said Barret. "Aeris got 

captured by the Turks while she was seeing my daughter Marlene to safety."

"So we all knew we had to get Aeris out of Shinra's hands. We also wanted to get 

back at Shinra for what they had done... whatever it took." said Tifa.

"That's where it all started."







FROM BEYOND .



"What was she like?" asked Phineas. 

"Aeris? She was... beautiful. Different from Tifa though..." Barret rubbed his 

bearded chin. 

"I think I'd better get some drinks." said Tifa discreetly. As she left, she 

gave Barret a significant glance and a laugh.

"Ah... well... she WAS different. She was real lady-like and proper. Very gentle 

and smart. A lot like the flowers in Midgar. Pretty, but strong. Anyway... we 

have a picture of her here..."

The portrait of Aeris that hung over the mantle was a rough one, though it was 

said to be quite accurate.  There was the lush brown hair, the ethereal green 

eyes, the tranquil smile. Beneath the painting hung a long staff of pure 

adamantite... The Princess Guard...  the last weapon Aeris wielded until she 

left the party for her fate.

"She IS beautiful..." whispered Foxy, feeling quite awkward.

"Don't even think that just because she's so lady-like and feminine that she 

wasn't able to fight. She grew up in the slums so she was pretty tough. She 

could swing that pole like it was nothing."

"And her powers..." said Phineas. "Her Cetra ancestry gave her great magical 

powers."

"Just being around her in a fight raised your strength and morale. Many times we 

were all ready to fall... Aeris was there, telling us to be strong. And we 

were."

Barret shook his head, and motioned for them to return to the table.

"I can see why Cloud liked her." said Foxy.

"Where is Cloud?" asked Phineas. "We really need to talk to him."

Barret's face darkened.

"..."

"Tell him, Barret." 

"Tifa." Barret grimaced. He had not heard her coming.

She stepped to the table, putting down the tray of drinks she carried.

"He left. Several days ago, he was just gone, leaving a note. It said that he 

needed to find something. To find someone. That was all."

"Find who..?" began Foxy. 

It only took one look at Tifa's pained face to find that out.

"Tifa... You don't know that." said Barret weakly. "You should know after all 

this time that Cloud loves you more than anyone else on the planet..."

Then, he stopped, realizing just what he had said.



Anyone else on the planet. 

Phineas gasped. "My God. You think he's gone to find..." 

"Aeris."

Tifa sat down, her lips tight.

"Yes. He still loves her. He wants to be with her."







THE SEARCH BEGINS.



"THAT JERK!"

Foxy paced up and down the room, shaking her head. 

"To think that I actually thought so highly of him..!"

"Foxy, calm down." 

She turned to Phineas, who was cooly looking out the window. They were in their 

room at the inn, on the second floor. Tifa and Barret had left them for the 

moment, so they had a moment alone.

"But..!" Foxy grimaced. "She loves him more than anyone else in this world! She 

fought through hell and back to save him! And he just left her!!"

"We don't know that, Foxy." replied Phineas. "All we know is that he talked 

about Miss Aeris a lot in the days before he went on his trip."

"Well? Don't you see a connection?"

"Of course I do. But that doesn't mean Cloud's ditched Tifa for her. I mean, 

relationships between the living and the afterlife are quite impossible." 

"..."

Foxy grinned, in spite of herself. "How do you explain us then?"

"Hmm? What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

Phineas closed his book. "I believe that there's more to this than meets the 

eye. The only one who can clear this matter is Mr. Cloud himself."

"You know where to find him?"

"I have an idea."



"You're really going after him?" Barret asked as the two travellers prepared to 

leave. "You're really into that book thing, aren't you."

Phineas nodded. "It's gonna make me rich and famous."

"Hah! Sure wish I could've been able to write books. That'd made getting rich 

easier. Easier than fighting monsters, at least."

Foxy hugged Tifa as they prepared to go.

"Don't worry Tifa. We'll bring Cloud back and knock some sense into him."

Tifa smiled. "Take care."

Together they walked to the spot where theVagabond  rested.

"A Wutai Flying Boat!" whistled Barret. "Thought all these had been shot down in 

the Meaningless War."

"Yeah. This belonged to my Uncle. Cost me an arm and a leg to rebuild it and 

maintain it." said Foxy proudly.

"You two are just full of surprises, ain't ya?"

"We'll be back as soon as possible to bring word of Cloud." said Phineas.

"Where do you intend to look for him?" asked Tifa.

"If he is looking for Miss Aeris, there's only two places where he'd go..."

Tifa and Barret nodded, as if only now realizing this.

"The Forgotten City... or the North Crater."

As theVagabond  lifted off with a rush of air, Tifa and Barret waved off their 

new friends.

"Do you think they'll find him, Barret?" asked Tifa.

"Pretty young couple. But they look like they know their stuff."

"She loves him, doesn't she?" smiled Tifa. "Wonder if he loves her?"

"Prying into other people's jumbles gives you a high, don't it?" chuckled 

Barret.

"Yeah." replied Tifa. "Keeps my mind off my own."





"The North Crater..." groaned Foxy as she sat in the cramped compartment of the 

Flying Boat.

"Getting cold feet, Foxy?" said Phineas quietly, as he sat beside her in the 

passenger seat, eyes closed in rest.

"Phineas, you DO realize where we're going, don't you...?"

He sat up, looking at his companion.

"Don't worry. After Sephiroth's defeat, all the summoned and created monsters 

that the heroes fought were sent back to the dark dimensions from whence they 

came."

"Those Iron Men, and Ghost Dragons and..."

"All gone."

"All? You sure?"

"Positive." Phineas laid back down again.

"...

'Course... indigenous monsters might still be lurking around..."

Foxy sighed.

"I know you can handle a crater bat or two."

"Or three... or four... dozen..." she mumbled.

"Just think... If we can bring back Cloud to Tifa, they're surely invite us to 

the wedding."

Foxy's eyes slowly brighted. 

"YEAH!"

"Okay. Now, chew on that for a while and let me sleep, okay?"

"G'night, Mr. Train."

"Good night, Miss Reddington."





THE FORGOTTEN CITY.



Foxy landed the Vagabond outside Bone Village two days later.



The place was little more than an excavation site rather than an actual 

permanent settlement. The population consisted of diggers and workers who made 

it their job to scrounge for various artifacts and other objects hidden under 

the earth. 

Every so often, a dull explosion could be heard... the sound of dynamite used to 

blast open another orifice in which the diggers could look for treasure.

The pair made their way through the village to the outskirts of the Sleeping 

Forest.

The Sleeping Forest. Aptly named, the thick groves were enchanted with the magic 

of the Cetra. No mortal being could pass through them without falling into a 

deep slumber. Such was the defense of the Ancients for their great Capital.

"The Lunar Harp."  said Phineas. Immediately, Foxy brought out the artifact from 

it's case.

The Lunar Harp was a Cetra artifact... a musical instrument seemingly made from 

shells and silvery chords. Only by using the harp could one pass through the 

forest unharmed. Luckily, once they had found it, Cloud and the others had the 

harp stored in Bone Village for anyone's use. 

Phineas strummed his long fingers along the chords.

There was a light hum as the enchanting tune of the harp called out to the trees 

of the forest. There were sparkles of light among the foliage, and an answering 

melody seemed to answer back. Then, after a few minutes, all was silent.

"We can pass now."

Foxy blinked. "You sure?"

Phineas didn't reply, but just started walking. Foxy scampered quickly after 

him, and soon both of them were inside the forest trail.



"It's beautiful, isn't it?" said Phineas.

"Right. Swell." Foxy answered absently, pulling out her favorite weapon from 

it's holster at her side. It was essentially a cattle prod, connected to a power 

supply held at her waist by a long twisting telephone chord.

She examined the battery charge on thegiga-prod  and smiled smugly. It was used 

normally for keeping cows in line, but she had modified it so that it could do 

far, far more.

Likeincinerating  cattle, if needed.

"Expecting trouble?" asked Phineas.

"Always be ready for anything." 



Once past the Sleeping Forest, the pair found themselves in the outskirts of the 

Ancients' capital. Huge shells, as large as small buildings, jutted out of the 

sides of the valley around them. 

"Shells... shells... the Ancients had a thing for them, didn't they?" mused 

Foxy.

"They were very in touch with nature. Tooled metals and stone were not their 

style. Whatever they used, they harvested, grew or raised themselves." answered 

Phineas.

"That included these shell-houses. They also used crystals and other naturally 

or magically formed objects."

"And materia." agreed Foxy.

They continued along a road paved not with flagstones, but also with shells. The 

twisting path took them down a hill towards a wide plain. From there, they could 

see, built among the caves of the mountainside, what remained of the Cetra's 

city.







AERIS' TOMB.



Once they entered the city's borders, Phineas led the way, picking the central 

path. In a short time they entered a large shell structure which contained a 

sunken passageway at the centre.

"This is it." whispered Phineas.

"This is what?" 

"Her tomb."

Phineas stepped down a flight of shell-stairs.

"Wait! Phineas! Slow down... You don't know what's down there!"

"Exactly why I'm going."

Muttering something about a deathwish, Foxy hurried to her friend's side, the 

giga-prod extended.

"You wouldn't last two minutes without me, bookie."

"Heh..."



The stairs brought them down a spiralling path, and for a moment they could only 

stare as the genius of the Cetra architecture dawned on them. The pathway they 

trodded upon was made of seemingly fragile crystal, twisting downwards 

apparently without any visible support. It was like, as Phineas would later 

note, walking on solid air.

After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the bottom of the spiral path. 

Further walking along a shell path brought them to a large structure in the 

middle of a lagoon.

"The Crystal Altar." breathed Phineas. 

"My God..." said Foxy, her voice low. "It's beautiful."

Light streamed from above, the colors being diffused and broken down as it 

struck the crystal domes, the shell walls. The Crystal Altar was a raised 

structure in the middle of the lagoon, approachable by a series of raised 

cylinder platforms.

"Let's go!" said Phineas suddenly. He began jumping across the marble steps.

"This is where Cloud and the others found Miss Aeris..." 

"Here..?! Really?"

"Positive."

Phineas reached the Altar first, stepping on the solid floor of the structure 

with a loudclack.

"..."



He paused as the sound echoed in the cavernous place. Only now did he realize 

how silent it was.

Behind him, Foxy stood, also looking about. He could hear her breathe.

"Dead." she whispered.

"What?"

"Dead. This place is so... dead." 

She walked to the center of the Altar, her eyes coming to a rest to the floor. 

In particular, her eyes rested on a small nick in the marble... a single blemish 

in the otherwise perfectly smooth surface. 

"She must have been here, right? Kneeling. Praying for Holy to save the world."

She turned to Phineas, a sad look in her eyes.

"The last thing she saw was Cloud." he replied. "He had almost killed her at 

Sephiroth's command, if not for the shouts of the others. When Aeris looked up, 

she saw Cloud, standing before her. They say she smiled..."

"Before Sephiroth killed her." finished Foxy. 

She walked to the side, looking off at the still, crystal waters.

"She's in there, isn't she?

"Her body? Perhaps. Butshe  isn't. She's not here."

Phineas looked around.

"Nobody's been here in quite a while. Cloud certainly hasn't. I guess the North 

Crater is the place to go."

"Argh. We walked all this way for nothing?"

Phineas laughed. "Nothing? Foxy, we're in the resting place of one of the heroes 

of the War. This is a historic place. Savour this experience. Treasure it.

And don't think of this as the place where Aeris died..."



"Think of it as the place where she saved the world."



After a moment, Foxy nodded, her face brightening.

"Yeah. You're right. Hey.. You ARE smart, Phineas." 

"Of course."

She looked about, trying to catch a glimpse of anything perhaps... a flash of 

green eyes. A swirl of brown hair. Anything to know that she  was listening.

"Thank you, Aeris!" she shouted, her voice echoing slightly.



But the only answer she received was silence.







NORTH CRATER.



After Sephiroth was killed the first time by Cloud in Nibleheim, his body fell 

into the Lifestream beneath the Reactor and disappeared. It became the object of 

the quest of the many Sephiroth clones created afterward by Hojo to carry out 

the Jenova reunion. Eventually, the true Sephiroth was found... by Cloud. The 

rest is history.



 The villain's resting place was theNorth Crater. 

The place was a nexus for many events... the initial Fall of Jenova from space 

onto the planet. The Jenova reunion. The navel from which the monstrous Weapons 

were born and eventually released into the planet. 

The North Crater was also the Great Wound of the planet. It was here that the 

Lifestream... later revealed to be a part of the so-called Promised Land of the 

Cetra, or perhaps the Promised Land itself, was centered.

The Promised Land.

If Aeris could be found, this was the place to look.



They arrived just before midnight.

"There it is."

Foxy swallowed hard as she piloted the Vagabond around the vast raised circle. 

Mist and fog surrounded the Crater as far as the eye could see. Beneath the line 

of mist was a forbidding, danger-filled wasteland of ice and stone.

Somewhere in there, was Cloud.

"Do you really think he's there? It'll be like looking for a needle in a 

haystack."

Phineas looked out the window, eyes searching intently.

"Not necessarily, Foxy. He'll be making his way into the crater, so more or less 

our area of search will be enclosed inside."

"Anyway, it looks like the center is the only place we can land, so there's no 

helping that."

"I..."

Phineas' tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

"Look!"

Foxy followed her companion's wide-eyed stare.



It was a light. A strange, greenish glow. 

And it was coming from the center of the crater.





CLOUD STRIFE.



Foxy was able to land the Vagabond on a relatively large patch of clear, stable 

ground at the edge of the Crater. The inside was perhaps a mile wide, but 

visibility was only for several yards. The darkness of the night didn't help 

either. The green glow they had seen was reduced to a slight relief of darkness 

that seemed just out of reach from them.

"I guess we go that way." said Phineas.

Out came thegiga prod.

Foxy flicked a switch, and there was a low hum as the weapon's energy came 

active.

Phineas looked at her quietly, fingering his own armament... a silver sceptre 

topped by an orb of obsidian on one side, and a prism of black crystal on the 

other. 

He rarely ever had to fight, and in actuality he yearned for a chance to show 

his skills. Why? He still wondered just why.

"Well, let's go." said Foxy.

They began walking.

The ground was uneven, and as they went, they descended. At several times, 

Phineas almost stumbled, slipping on the loose gravel. It was at these times 

that he wished he had boots like Foxy's. His hardy companion kept him steady 

though. Foxy was surprisingly strong.

Then suddenly, she motioned him to stop.

"Wait."



Phineas stared at her, surprised. He began looking around, trying to discern any 

threat. But as before, sight was limited to only a few yards.

"Foxy..." he started after a few seconds.

"I thought I heard something."

Her eyes turned to a large rock formation.

"Foxy...?"

She stepped gingerly to the man-high pile, the giga-prod extended. She stared at 

it, looking at the indentations and the smooth sides...

Then, the stones moved.

"SHI-!!!"

Foxy jumped back, thrusting her weapon at a muscled and clawed arm that shot 

from the stone mass. There was a blinding flash as the giga-prod connected with 

something.

"Foxy!!" yelled Phineas, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness as the 

light from the flash faded. 

The woman was at his side a second later.

"RUN!" she breathed.

They began running, Foxy in the lead, down the Crater, towards the glow. Phineas 

resisted the temptation to look behind, keeping his full concentration on not 

falling or stumbling. Either could prove fatal.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity of descending, they reached a level 

plain. Phineas stumbled to his knees as Foxy turned, weapon ready.



Gravel fell from the path they had taken, and the sounds of pelting pebbles 

seemed to echo in the fog-shrouded crater. 

But that was the only sound. Whatever had attacked them was gone.

"Haaak.... wheeze... guk..." 

Foxy stared at Phineas as he knelt on the ground, breathing heavily, supported 

by his silver rod.

"You okay?"

He nodded, getting to his feet.

"What was that? Do you know?" asked Foxy.

"Gah... Gargoyle." muttered Phineas.

"Gargoyle..." Foxy repeated. 

"Wait a minute! I thought you said all those creatures were GONE!"

"Sorry. That was speculation."

"Oh my gosh!! SPECULATION?!?"

Foxy's eyes were wide as she glared at Phineas. 

"Foxy... Sorry." whispered Phineas. "We could go back..."

"We're already here, aren't we? No point in turning tail now." 

Foxy crossed her arms, sniffing.

"Oh, my mom always told me to never fall in with driven men. They'll just drag 

you with them toHale, that's what she told me..."

Phineas had to laugh in spite of himself. It was all right.

"We're here, anyway. Thanks to you." he said.

The glow was right before them. 



What seemed to be the very center of the Crater was a pool of greenish-white 

light. It pulsed, seemingly with a life of it's own.

"Lifestream." whispered Phineas, as he looked down at the glow beneath them. Was 

it deep? How far did the pool go? To the center of the planet?

To the Promised Land itself?

"Wow." breathed Foxy. 

Phineas nodded, and he drew back to come to a sitting position.

"I wouldn't stare too long at it. It may be dangerous."

Foxy sat beside him, sighing. "Do you think she's in there?"

"Who knows? What's more important is, if Cloud's here."

At that moment, there was a noise from somewhere above them.



Both of them tensed, straining their senses to feel any threat.

Silence.

Then another sound. A muffled sizzle, and a bestial yelp.

"Someone's up there!" said Foxy. "Someone's fighting!"

"Wait..." 

Another sizzle, closer this time. Both saw a flash of light in the misted cliffs 

above them. 

At that moment, something came hurtling down at them from the foggy darkness. A 

body.

"LOOK OUT!!"

They scampered aside as the huge mass struck the ground between them, 

shattering. Fragments went skittering at their legs, and one particularly large 

one... a stony, horned and fanged gargoyle head locked in a death stare, came to 

rest at Foxy's feet.

"AAAAH!" she yelped, weapon extended.

But the thing... the gargoyle... was obviously dead.



"Hey!" came a voice from the cliffs above. 

A human voice. A male voice.

Both Phineas and Foxy looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Hey, down there! Is anyone there?"

Both Phineas and Foxy watched as a figure materialized from the fog. The man 

held a lighted lantern in one hand, a huge sword in the other. The stranger's 

head was a spikey mass of blonde hair. A smooth, youthful face set with 

strangely glowing eyes was clearly visible even from the distance.

Glowing Mako-eyes. A mark of SOLDIER.



Cloud Strife had made his entrance.







A STORY BY THE FIRESIDE.



"Sorry about that. The last thing I'd expect to find here is other people." 

apologized Cloud as they sat around the Lifestream pool.

"It's okay, really." said Phineas.

"So... Let me get this straight... you came all this way for an interview?"

"Yes."

Cloud scratched his head, smiling. "Well, you've come this far... ask away."

"Why'd ya leave her?" said Foxy suddenly.

Phineas, his mouth open to speak, stared at his companion blankly.

Cloud cocked his head at the staring woman. "Huh?"

"Tifa. You left her all alone."

"Hey, wait..."

Foxy crossed her arms. "I may be a bit butting in, Cloud Strife..."

"Foxy, you are..."  murmured Phineas.

"... but in the short time that I've known Tifa, I've come to care for her as a 

sister. She LOVES you, mister! And what did you do? Leave her behind with 

nothing but a note?"

"FOXY!" butted in Phineas. "Stop it. It's not our place."

"Maybe. Then again, maybe not."

Both Phineas and Foxy looked at Cloud, who suddenly seemed so tired. After a 

moment of silence, he looked at them, his Mako-eyes full of sadness.

"I don't expect you to understand. Damn, I don't understand either."

He turned, to face the Lifestream pool. 

"She's dead, Cloud." whispered Foxy.

"Do you think I don't know that?" snapped Cloud, rather harshly. He calmed down 

though immediately.

"I was there when it happened. I almost killed her MYSELF. At the very least, I 

was unable to prevent her from dying. Of course, Sephiroth was behind it all... 

but still..."



Cloud bowed his head as he spoke, his voice quieter.

"I know she's there. She's in the Promised Land. After I fought Sephiroth that 

last time, in the Lifestream, she reached out to me..."

Both Foxy and Phineas stepped forward, listening intently.

"You... you saw her?" whispered Phineas.

"Yes. Since she died, I've seen her several times. At the church in Midgar, for 

a split second, among the flowers. In the Lifestream, she brought me back after 

Sephiroth was gone. And at the end, when Meteor was descending on Midgar, she 

was there."

"Meteor?" echoed Phineas.

"Most people think that Holy stopped Meteor. That's not entirely true. We saw it 

all from the Highwind. Holy wasn't working against Meteor. For some reason, it 

was having an opposite effect. Meteor was sinking deeper into the planet. There 

was nothing we could do.

Then, the Lifestream came."

"The Lifestream..."

Cloud nodded.

"From everywhere it came. Out of the ground, the rocks, the trees, everywhere. 

They looked like wisps of silk. An ocean of light. It came and surrounded Holy 

and Meteor. Before you knew it, there was just a white light, and Meteor was 

gone.

Before it was over, inside the Lifestream... right there, I felther."

"Aeris?" Foxy said, her voice quiet. 

"Yeah." Cloud looked upon the greenish-white light and sighed. After a while, he 

turned to face his new friends. He was smiling, though sadly.

"I've never told anyone that before. About Aeris."

"So... she saved the world... twice." asked Foxy.

"Even from beyond..." continued Phineas, rubbing his chin.

Cloud agreed. "Yes. I think so."

They stood there in silence, mulling over the words.

"But... why did you come here? Isn't it over?" asked Phineas, finally.

Cloud shrugged.

"I don't really know... 

These past few months, I've been having dreams... visions, maybe. Of Aeris. She 

was looking at me with this sad expression on her face. I tried to reach out to 

her, but I just couldn't. I feel she's trying to tell me something. I just had 

to find out what."

"Surely you could've told the others about this..." said Foxy.

"I wasn't sure they'd understand. I certainly didn't."

Cloud walked over to the edge of the cliff. He looked down and shook his head.

"But then again... now that I'm here... I have absolutely no idea of what to do 

next."

"Oy." Foxy slapped herself on the forehead.

"Have you tried calling out to her?" said Phineas, trying to be helpful.

"Well, not verbally. If you guys weren't here, I might've by now..."

The two travellers had to snicker in spite of all this, as images of a 

hysterical Cloud shouting "Aeris! Aeris!" wasn't exactly the most inspiring of 

sights. Cloud looked at them rather crossly.

"Sorry about that..." said Phineas, coughing discreetly.

"But Cloud... what about Tifa?" said Foxy, serious this time.

"I... I know."

"You know she's crying her heart out because of this?"



"...

WHAT?" Cloud's eyes went wide.

"She cried. This is really tearing her out, Cloud! She thinks you've left her 

for..."

"No!" Cloud shook his head. "She can't think that! It's not like that!"

He bowed his head in regret. "I care for Tifa a lot... so much it hurts... I 

would never make her cry... deliberately..."

He looked up, biting his lip until it went red.

"I really blew it this time." he said finally.

"Yup." 

Foxy stepped up to Cloud and patted him on the shoulder. "But lucky you, Cloud, 

Tifa still loves you. Give her flowers or something. Treat her out to dinner. 

Set the wedding date..."

"Huh?" Cloud blinked. "Wedding..."

"You ARE going to marry her, aren't you?"

"Uhh...."

A tremor, slight but quite audible, ran through the crater.

Phineas butted in. "Ah, this is neither the time nor the place. I don't think 

this location is entirely stable."

"No..." said Cloud, nodding. "I guess we'd better go."

"Great!" said Foxy, smiling. "Let's blow this joint!"

Cloud walked a few steps with the others and then looked back. His eyes were on 

the glow of the Lifestream.

"Aeris. What were you trying to say? Why don't you answer?" he whispered.

Another tremor, even stronger this time.

And another.

And yet another.





THE ATTACK.



"What the hell..!"

"Those aren't tremors..."

Cloud grimaced. "Footsteps. Something's coming."

From within the mists, a mammoth figure steadily approached the three humans. 

With each step it took, the ground shuddered. Implacably, it came onwards 

towards them.

"Oh no..." whimpered Foxy. "Tell me that that's not a..."

"An Iron Man." said Cloud, confirming her fears. 

Iron Men were among  Sephiroth's fiercest, most dangerous creations used to 

guard his lair. Standing three times the height of a normal man, the metal giant 

was as wide as it was tall, looking all the world like some nightmarish armored 

knight, with two baleful, glowing eyes peeking from a dark, lifeless visor. In 

it's huge hand it held an enormous slicing blade as long as some houses were 

tall. Seemingly made of solid iron, they were almost unstoppable... even 

combined attacks from the heroes during the assault on the North Crater were 

shrugged off by these titanic golems.

"Run..." said Cloud. "I'll try to hold it off for as long as I can..."

"We can't leave you." said Foxy, raising her weapon.

"Running won't help, either. That thing will chase us down easily." came 

Phineas, his rod also ready.

"Okay then." returned Cloud, drawing his Sword,Ultimate. 

"Let's send it back to hell..."

With a metallic clank, the Iron Man charged forward.



Foxy let loose with her weapon, a ball of energy darting forth to strike the 

monster squarely on the chest. Electrical energy snaked across it's metal form 

like rain down a rooftop.

It came on, seemingly unharmed.

"Shit." Foxy retreated, fumbling with the dials on the battery pack at her 

waist.

Cloud raised his sword, and darted forward quick as lightning. His blade flashed 

at the Iron Man's leg like a scythe. There was a dull metallicthwang,  and a 

shower of sparks. A gash opened in the golem's leg.

It came on, seemingly unharmed.

The monster swung it's sword at Cloud, threatening to cleave him in two.

The blade struck the ground, sending huge chunks of rock flying from the impact. 

Cloud hopped backwards, landing lightly out of range for the moment.

Phineas shook his head. This was not good. Even as they fought, the tremors were 

getting even stronger. The ground where they stood was in danger of-

He cried out as the floor beneath him gave way. Jumping forward, he was able to 

catch hold of more stable ground in the nick of time.

"Phineas!" yelled Foxy, eyes wide.

"I'm... I'm okay!!"

There was another loud clang as Cloud connected yet again with his sword. Again 

he jumped back as the Iron Man retaliated.

He came next to Foxy, breathing hard.

"No good. Even I can't stop this thing by myself. We have to get out of here."

"That monster'll cut us down like bananas!"

"I'll distract it. You and Phineas make a dash for the edge."

"Wait! There's another way..." said Phineas, stepping forward, his rod raised at 

the advancing behemoth.

"Sketch."

As the Iron Man drew even closer, Phineas pointed the rod, and suddenly a flash 

of blinding light flared from the obsidian orb. For a moment, Cloud and Foxy had 

to avert their eyes. When they were able to look again...

"WHAT the-!?!" yelled Cloud."There're TWO of them now!"



Just as he had said, a pair of Iron Men now towered before them, each facing the 

other like a mirror image.

"But one of them's on our side." smiled Phineas, pleased at his display.

At that, the second Iron Man suddenly struck at the other with it's sword, and 

the other monster heaved backward in surprise.

"Run for it! The image won't last long!!" shouted Phineas.

The trio clambered up the rocks as fast as they could, as the "two" behemoth's 

battled behind them.

At that moment, the real Iron Man struck at it's doppelganger with a titanic 

blow. The strike went through Phineas' illusion, to strike the cavern wall with 

a deafening smash.

"AH!" cried Foxy as the rocks she was holding on to suddenly fell away. Try as 

she might, she could only flail helplessly as she fell onto the rocks below.

"What-! FOXY!!" screamed Phineas. He could only watch as she fell, to strike 

hard against a cliff and out of his sight.

"Damn!" Cloud hopped down, skipping among the crumbling stones back down to 

where Foxy had fallen.

The Iron Man, now left alone with the sudden disappearance of it's clone, seemed 

perplexed and undecided on what to do.

"Foxy!!" cried Phineas, his heart pounding almost as loud as the falling rocks.

Cloud jumped down yet lower, his eyes locked onto her. The young woman was lying 

on her back, unmoving.

"Wait..." he gritted his teeth as another tremor shook the crater.

The outcropping where Foxy lay began to shift and move.

"NO! Damn it, no...!"

Cloud jumped, disregarding his own safety. He extended his full body length in a 

mighty effort to grab at Foxy's hand.

But it was too far, too late.



"Cloud..." 

Phineas' voice was small as he watched Cloud Strife climb up to where he knelt. 

Cloud was alone.

The ex-SOLDIER looked up at Phineas, a blank look on his face.

"Foxy...?"

"She... she fell. Into the Lifestream."

Phineas bowed his head in grief.

Suddenly, a slight sound behind and above them made both men turn. 

The Iron Man stood there, massive sword raised for the deathblow.

There was nowhere to go. No time to act.





DEATH FROM ABOVE.



Suddenly, the Metal Monster's head just exploded.

The giant staggered backwards, it's face a mangled mass of metal as the smoke 

and flame cleared. 

Cloud and Phineas blinked in surprise. 

"That wasn't magic... that was a bomb..." breathed Cloud.

Then, from somewhere above, another projectile came out of the darkness to 

strike the Iron Man just behind the shoulderblades. Once more, a defeaning 

explosion. The golem teetered on unsteady feet, and fell over to land with a 

dull thud. A final, terrible tremor ran through the crater floor.

Then, silence.



"Hear that?" said Cloud, straining as he clambered up the rocks to a standing 

position. Beside him, Phineas got unsteadily to his feet.

"There... that humming..."

"I hear it... What..."

In the sky above the Crater, a dark shape seemed to materialize, descending 

through the misty curtain. Lights shone from several portholes, casting a bright 

glow on the two hapless adventurers. The huge shape descended further, the sound 

of whirling rotors and thrumming engines now plainly audible.

"I can't believe it!" Cloud shouted, his face glowing.

"Thats..."

"TheHighwind!  The others are here!"

The legendary airship that saved the world just two years earlier had arrived 

once more to the North Crater.

Cloud began to run up the rocks.

"Cloud... what about..."

"Come on! We've got to get to the airship, now!" Cloud looked back at Phineas, 

his face resolute and determined. He looked at Phineas' anguished face and 

nodded.

"We may still have a chance to save her!"







HIGHWIND.



"Tifa?"

Barret opened the door a crack. Once, long ago, he had made the mistake of 

barging into her room without much thought. He had caught her in a very 

inopportune moment, to say the least. A firm knock on his noggin convinced him 

to proceed on future entrances with care.

"Come in."

He entered, to find Tifa fully dressed (or undressed as the case may be) in her 

adventuring gear... the tight-fitting shirt, skirt and low boots, and her 

martial arts gauntlets fully strapped onto her forearms. She stood with her back 

to him, facing a man-high room mirror.

"What... What're you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going after him." 

"Cloud?"

"Yeah."

She turned to him, her face set with a determination he had rarely seen after 

the war with Sephiroth had been won. This was the Tifa he remembered in the 

early days of Avalanche and the struggle against Shinra. 

"Phineas and Miss Reddington... they got me thinking. They're just writing a 

book and they're going off to try and find Cloud. I LOVE the man and I'm here, 

crying my eyes out while he may be in trouble somewhere."

Barret nodded, understanding. Tifa stepped over to the window, shaking her head.

"I've been so caught up in being in my own depression that I've become so afraid 

of acting on my own. It's reached a point that I've even begun to get jealous of 

Aeris.

But I can't be jealous of her. Not now, of all times. If Cloud has gone to find 

her, we have to be there as well."

"Maybe Cloud thought this was between him and her, is all."

"She's OUR friend too."

Barret nodded. 

"OKAY! When are we leaving!"

Both turned to the door, where the hopping figure of Caet Sith stood.

"Cat! Didn't anyone ever tell ya that it's not proper to eavesdrop?" muttered 

Barret, but he was smiling.

"Mister Reeve will have to hold the fort for a while." said Tifa, laughing.

"I've already called Cid. We'll be ready to leave by the time he gets here."

"Great."



"Attaboy! Couldn't have done it better myself!" yelled Cid Highwind, quite 

pleased as he patted the young bombardier beside him. 

"Uh, thanks, Captain." the uniformed crewmember said, ears ringing. The white-

haired ex-Shinra astronaut has a tendency to shout after a bombing run.

Barret shook his head. "Cid, you could easily have blown up Cloud with those 

things..."

"No way! This boy's been taught by ME personally."

"Oh, right..."

"Besides..." Cid continued, more sober this time. "... there wasn't any time to 

do anything else. Had to go for it."

"Cid! Is Cloud-"

"Don't worry Tifa. Looks like we got here just in time. One of them Iron Men 

almost got the drop on them. But we fixed it fine."

Tifa Lockhart breathed a sigh of relief. She stepped forward to the bombardier's 

post.

"Can I look?" she asked, politely.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" said the crewman, eyes agoggle at her. He had never been this 

close to her. He stepped aside, going a bit red in the face.

Tifa looked through the scope, using the knob at the attached panel to focus.

"Where... Oh there! I see Cloud... and Phineas... They're waving to us!"

Cid nodded. "We're going down closer to lower the ladder."

"Wait..." Tifa muttered as she continued to look through the scope.

"I... I don't see Foxy..."



"Where's Foxy?"





"Cloud!"

"Tifa..."

The two were the first ones to meet as Cloud climbed onto Highwind's deck. For a 

moment, they didn't speak. They just locked eyes. 

"Uff..." It was Phineas, 

Cloud jumped onto the deck and made way as the scribe followed. Tifa's eyes 

widened as she saw how bedraggled Phineas looked. She wasn't surprised though. 

She knew what was bothering him.

"Foxy...?" Tifa asked Cloud, her voice wavering.

"She fell into the Lifestream."

"Oh no."

Cloud began to rush to the Highwind's entrance portal. 

"We can't waste any more time... I think I can get her back. Look after Phineas, 

Tif!"

"Okay."

Phineas shook his head, as if from a dream. He quaked slightly as Tifa laid a 

hand on his shoulder.

"Phineas... If Cloud's this pumped up, he must really think he can do 

something."

"I... I hope so."

"Anyway, don't worry. The Lifestream isn't inescapable. Me and Cloud are living 

proof of that. We'll get Foxy back."

The scribe looked at her, seeing the determination in her eyes. He nodded, 

taking a deep breath to steady himself.

"Yes." he said, stronger now. "Thanks, Tifa."

"Now let's go see what fool thing Cloud is up to..."





"WHAT FOOL THING ARE YOU UP TO?!?" snapped Cid.

They were all inside the Highwind's Bombay Compartment; Cloud, Tifa, Barret, 

Cid, Caet Sith, Red XIII and Phineas. Cloud was standing right over the bombay 

doors, fastening on a harness to his body attached to a winch overhead. He had 

taken off his sword belt... he wouldn't need it where he was going.

"Just what it looks like." replied Cloud.

"Well, it looks like you're going to lower yourself into the Lifestream... Like 

damn fishbait."

"Yup."

"You're damn stupid, aren't ya?"

Caet Sith hopped forward. "There's no other way, is there?"

"No." Cloud finished strapping on the harness. He looked about, seeing the 

worried faces. The most grave of all though, was Phineas'. When the scribe saw 

Cloud's gaze, he nodded.

"Cloud... whatever happens, I know Foxy wouldn't blame you..."

"Nor she, you." returned Cloud. "But I want to hear that from her."

I'm tired of losing friends.

The last statement was unsaid, but everyone heard it just the same.

"Cloud." It was Red XIII. "How will we know when to pull you up?"

"The PSH." Barret handed Cloud the communicator. "Three quick rings."

"Thanks." Cloud put the device inside his copious pants pocket.

"Take care, Cloud."

The ex-SOLDIER reached up, grabbing hold of the cable. He looked at Cid, and 

nodded, signalling that he was ready.

"Open Bombays!" barked Cid.

Green light flooded the compartment, and Cloud began to lower himself down into 

it. Slowly at first, he began to pick up speed. Tifa leaned forward, seeing his 

silhouette quickly grow smaller and smaller. 

Then, he couldn't be seen at all.

"He's in." she said, more to herself than anyone else.

She laid a hand on the cable... the lifeline that kept him from getting as lost 

as Foxy.

"Come back, Cloud. Please."



She was floating in an unending, unyielding darkness.

Where was she? The last thing she remembered was losing her grip on the rocks 

and then..

"OH MY GOSH-  Am I DEAD?!?"

"...

She tried to strain her eyes. Eyes? Did she even have them anymore? She tried 

moving her body. It was like floating in some cool,  inexplicable goo. Not 

entirely unpleasant.

So... this was death.



"No, you're not dead."



Foxy spun about, trying to find where the voice had come from. It was a female 

voice...

"Try not to look. With your eyes, I mean."

"What?"

"See..."

Then, there came the lights. Gentle at first, like tiny candleflames. They began 

moving, like fireflies. Moving all about. They began to gather before her, 

becoming brighter but strangely, not any more intense... greenish white light 

that warmed her like the sun.

"W-who... are you?" stammered Foxy.

The light seemed to waver slightly, as a figure, a silhouette, began to 

materialize. Foxy squinted as she tried to discern the newcomer. The figure 

extended an arm... a delicate woman's arm.

Foxy reached out, readily.

"I'm someone who's so glad to finally meet you, Foxy Reddington."

Foxy felt herself being pulled gently forward, from the darkness, and into the 

light. Finally, her eyes could see the person whom she was speaking to.



She found herself looking into a pair of ethereal green eyes.





THE RESCUE.



"How long now?" said Cid.

"Five minutes!" answered a crewman's voice from a speaker.

"Damn. You sure he doesn't need to hold his breath in that place?"

"Yes..." Tifa said, absently.

"The Lifestream's glow..." Red XIII growled. "... I've never seen it act this 

way before. Something is happening."

"What? What do you mean?" Barret turned to face his lion-like friend. 

"It's different. Something's happening inside the Lifestream."

"Is that good or bad?" came in Caet Sith.

"I have no idea." 

"Six minutes!" 

"What do you mean, you don't know if it is good or bad?" prodded Barret.

"I can only say what I sense, Barret. I sense something within the Lifestream 

that I've never felt before... and yet..."

"Yet..." Barret was almost on his toes.

"Like I said, no idea."

"Dang!"

"Guys, guys..." Tifa rubbed her temples.

"Heh-heh..." Cid fished out a cigarette and lit it.

"Seven minutes!"

Tifa bent down again and put her eyes on the Bombardier's Scope. 



Suddenly, the PSH rang. Three quick rings.

Everyone literally hopped in their places.

"What!?!"

"See something...!?"

"Look! Lemme look!!"

Phineas Train entered the Bombay Compartment, hearing the commotion. He had been 

waiting all this time in the adjacent passageway, pacing. 

"Tifa?" he asked, apprehension dripping in his voice.

"I see them!"

Them! She said 'Them'!!

"Lemme see!" Cid shoved past the others to kneel at Tifa's side. He looked into 

the scope, clucking his tongue.

"Yep. They're there all right." He barked out the order to raise the winch.

Tifa stood up and turned to Phineas.

"I told you he'd get her." she said, with a wink.

Phineas smiled in relief. Caet Sith nudged him gently with a reassuring Moogle 

paw.

"Hey..." 

Cid kept staring into the scope. 

"What is it, Cid?"

Cid was silent.

"Darn it, Cid, what...!" Barret started.

"Uhhh....  Quartermaster!" Cid yelled. "Get down to the supply room... and bring 

some sheets down to the Bombay. On the double!"

"What?" everyone seemed to say at once.

Cid looked up from the scope, his face unusually red. He didn't say anything, 

but just kept puffing on his cigarette. They'd find out soon enough.

The winch kept pulling, and soon, Cloud and his charge could easily be seen from 

the bombay doors. 

"Oh...!" Tifa clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Wuh...!" Barret stared, then turned as he sensed Tifa's eyes on him.

"Whoa! She's nak-" Caet Sith began.

"Hey, slowpokes!!!" barked Cid. "Where are those sheets!?!"



Cloud Strife lost no time. As the bombay doors closed, everyone stood back as 

one of the Highwind's crewmen draped a thick blanket over the nubile figure he 

carried. Phineas, among the others, watched as Cloud laid the young woman down 

on the floor.

"She's not breathing...." he said.

"Cloud..."

"I know what to do..."

Back during the quest, Cloud and the others had come upon a small girl named 

Priscilla being attacked by a sea-beast in the town of Junon. While they had 

dispatched the monster, the child was in danger of drowning. Cloud had to take a 

crash-course in Artificial Respiration to save her. Getting down on his knees, 

Cloud began to work to bring breath back into the woman's body.

"What is it..." Red XIII sniffed, shaking his head as he sat among the others. 

"It... It can't be..."

"Something wrong, Red?" asked Caet Sith.

"It can't be..."

Phineas felt prickly spines all over his skin. It was he who should have saved 

Foxy... He should be the one in Cloud's place. Silently, he berated himself for 

being so weak...

A gentle pat on his shoulder brought him back.

"Go to her." said Tifa, smiling kindly.

Phineas did just that, he kept his eyes down, away from the girl. Foxy would 

KILL him if she ever found out about this vulnerable moment...

"..."

Phineas froze. There was something wrong. He blinked once, twice...

"Eh? What's eating you Red?" Barret turned to the huge cat, who was slowly 

edging his way towards Cloud and the woman.



The hair was long... far, far longer than Foxy's ever was. And the locks that 

carpetted the floor weren't fiery red. 



They were chestnut brown.



The girl coughed, and Cloud withdrew. He stood back, finally getting a good 

look, apparently for the first time, at the woman he rescued. 

At which point, his face went as pale as if he was looking at a ghost. 

In fact, maybe he was.

Everyone in the bombay could only stare in the next few seconds, unbelieving, 

and incredulous. 

It was Red XIII who next spoke, breaking the silence.

"It's... her..." he said, his voice quavering. "My senses cannot lie..."





Aeris Gainsborough lay on the floor before them, breathing, and therefore, 

living. She opened her eyes. Orbs of ethereal green, large and liquid, looked 

around at the ashen, pale faces. 

Then, tears began to stream down the smooth cheeks.

"Hello, everyone..." Aeris said finally, smiling the same tranquil smile the 

heroes thought they'd never see again.  



"It's me."







A MOMENT OF HAPPINESS.



(From the personal notes of Phineas Train)



I don't know if words can properly capture the explosion of emotion that 

happened in the Highwind. I can only attempt to relate what I saw with my own 

eyes.

The woman Cloud had rescued from the Lifestream was indeed Aeris... the same 

Aeris who had shared the quest with them all some two years before. The same 

Aeris who was the last of the Cetra... an extinct race of deeply spiritual and 

magical beings. 

The same Aeris who had died at the hands of Sephiroth so long ago.

Yet she was here. Alive. Living and breathing.



Cloud finally came out of his shock, taking her into his arms in an embrace 

which seemed to border on constriction. When he finally let go, his face was 

red, and his eyes streaming with happy tears. 

Tifa came to kneel beside him, also in tears. She laughed as she took Aeris' 

hands, in hers, and the two women embraced one another. Words passed between 

them that I couldn't... or perhaps shouldn't... hear.

Red XIII roared in what I expect was an outburst of joy. He nudged his maned 

head  to Aeris, letting her embrace him and pat his nose. From what I had heard 

from him before, he used to hate this gesture. He showed no such dislike of it 

then. 

The others  expressed their joy in their movements... Barret  stood there behind 

the others, scratching his head in disbelief, his face a mix of unused-to 

emotion. Beside him, Cid stood back, puffing on his cigarette incessantly... 

perhaps to cover the fact that his eyes were also quite moist.

Caet Sith hopped up and down repeatedly, his moogle-body bouncing the cat-being  

as a child would a little ball. 



It was a reunion as never before, I'd say. The company of heroes and friends who 

had fought to save the planet was now complete once again... reunited with a 

beloved member they had thought they would never again see or meet... at least 

not in this world.

For some reason, the laws of reality had been broken, and she was here.



Yet for all the joy and happiness that shined through in that compartment, 

I could feel only apprehension and fear.  



Where was Foxy?







"She's in the Lifestream."

Aeris looked at Phineas straight in the eye as she said this, with a calmness he 

assumed was intended to reassure him.

"How... how did this happen?" He replied, blinking.

"I can't explain it myself... this has never happened to me before either."

"You were in the Promised Land, weren't you, Aeris?" 

The Flower Girl turned to Cloud. 

"Yes. I was."

"My God. The Promised Land..." It was Tifa. "What... what was it like?"

Aeris shook her head. "It's not something words can clearly express... I can 

only say that it is everything that the stories said it was... 

everything and nothing."

"Now that's weird." said Barret.

"Yes, it is, I guess." Aeris laughed. "Well, as I said, I was there when I 

sensed someone calling me. It was faint and hard to discern because the planet 

is healing so rapidly now... The distance, as the case may be, between the 

mortal world and the Promised Land was becoming more and more pronounced. But 

even so I tried to find it.

Then there came this disturbance in the Lifestream. A physical body had been 

cast into the stream."

"Foxy." muttered Phineas.

Aeris nodded. "I sensed that her spirit was in danger... I reached up, to try 

and get her to awaken. Then suddenly, there was a terrible impact..."

"Cid. It's your fault." said Caet Sith.

"WHAT!?! Hey, since when is it MY fault?!"

"Guys, guys..." Tifa mumbled.

"... well, after the impact, there was this jolt in her body. For some reason, 

we reacted to each other and..."

Aeris paused, as if unsure of what to say next. Or at least, how to say it.

"And then, I was... alive."

She brought up her hands, looking at them as if she was seeing them for the very 

first time. 

"What's important is that you're here." said Cloud.

"No. No, I'm sorry, Cloud." 

Aeris looked at her friends soberly.

"This isn't 'me'. This is her. Her flesh made this body. Somehow, we were 

exchanged. I am now here... while she is somewhere in the Lifestream... 

floating."

"Can we get her back?" asked Phineas.

"We must. We must because the Balance must be returned to the way it was." 

Next to Aeris, Cloud suddenly started, his eyes widening as he realized the 

implication of Aeris' words. As if sensing this, Aeris turned to look him in the 

eye.

"So..." Cloud said, his voice even. "For Foxy to return..."



"I must also go back. To the Promised Land."





"But... you just got here..." mumbled Caet Sith.









WHAT WE FOUGHT FOR.





As it turned out, Aeris couldn't go back right then and there. The Lifestream 

had subsided, she explained, and thus the conditions for the exchange weren't in 

place. On her estimation, it would take perhaps a day or two before they could 

attempt to 'restore the balance'.

So, to pass the time, the Highwind made for the more secure skies over Icicle 

Inn. Foxy would be safe for the time being, Aeris had assured.





"Well? How do I look?"

Everyone turned to look at the Flower Girl as she entered the Highwind's bridge.

Aeris wore a version of the Highwind's crew uniform... consisting of a loose, 

baggy jumpsuit, jacket and boots. The conservative but attractive look reminded 

everyone of Aeris' usual dress outfit worn during their adventures. It brought 

back memories.

Quite irrelevant as the source of those memories was standing before their very 

eyes.

"Utalitarian... but stylish." said Tifa.

"Really cool." came Barret.

"Hubba-hubba." came Caet Sith.

"Uh... Nice." Cloud said, scratching his head.

"You're no fun." Aeris grumbled, playfully shoving past him. 

She spun around, hands on her sides, looking over her new look.

"Wow! I not only get to ride the Highwind finally, I even get a uniform."

Cid smiled, his eyes shining. He led her to the Highwind's control panels.

"Shucks, Aeris. You haven't seen her do nothing yet..."

"Really? Just how fast can this lovely ship go?"

"Aw, no. Aeris, don't encourage him..." Barret whined. 

"Shaddup, you. The lady wants to fly..."





"It's wonderful, having her back." 

Cloud turned slightly as Tifa leaned against the rail next to where he stood. 

They watched as Cid and Barret started waving arms as Aeris just stood silently 

laughing. 

"Yeah... if only for a little while..." he answered.

Cloud shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Tifa. Sorry if I hurt you when I..."

"Don't apologize, Cloud. This more than makes up for it."

He looked at Tifa, into her deep brown eyes.

"I know why you went to look for her. I understand."

"You do? That makes one of us." Cloud laughed.

"You wanted to tell her that we love her. That we wish she could be with us 

always. You wanted to tell her that you're sorry that you..."

"Tifa..."

"Tell her, Cloud. Tell her all that you need to tell. While she's here."

Tifa laid a comforting hand on Cloud's own, and gave him a gentle squeeze. 

Then, without another word, she walked away, to join the commotion on the 

bridge.





"So... see anybody we know over there?" asked Barret.

Barret had posed the question with humor, but it had it's serious tone. Aeris 

sat down on a chair as the former AVALANCHE leader stood next to her. 

"Yes, I saw some people."

"Ya did?"

"Yes." 

Aeris looked at Barret, a smile on her face.

"They asked me to tell you that they're fine. That you should stop blaming 

yourself for what happened."

".... "

Aeris looked ahead, at the clear blue sky before them.

"They had no regrets about following you."

Barret sighed, a tremor passing through his large frame. Aeris reached up and 

held his hand.

"And Eleanor and Dyne..? They're okay, right?"

"Do you think I'm okay, Barret?"

Barret looked down, staring at Aeris' calm, peaceful face. He gave her hand a 

responsive squeeze.

"Yeah, I do."

"Then I'm telling you, they're okay."

"Thanks."

"And Eleanor wants to remind you that Marlene's birthday is coming up next 

month."

"Oh, right..." Barret laughed, scratching his head. "Thanks."

He looked ahead, at the broad expanse of the horizon before them. His eyes were 

cloudy as he spoke.

"You know... I never really believed in the Promised Land. When I first started 

Avalanche, we had our own haven. Cosmo Canyon. I had promised everyone that we'd 

go there after we settled with Shinra. I never thought I'd lose all of them...

I never thought we'd lose you, too."

Aeris bowed her head, remembering.

"I... I'm sorry if I brought back something...."

"No, no..." Aeris looked up, smiling. Her eyes were moist with tears, but they 

weren't bitter ones.

"It's just so good to hear your words..."

Barret coughed, clearing his throat.

"Uhh... Aeris... Thanks for... for saving Marlene and all that stuff you did for 

me... "

Aeris looked up at him, her eyes alight like stars.

"And I... I'm sorry I yelled at you back in Gold Saucer."

"No, you're not." Aeris snickered.

"Heh..."

Aeris stood up and Barret draped his arm, the one with the prosthesis, around 

her shoulder supportively. She leaned against him, and they stood there, content 

to let time pass in silence. 





"Aeris?"

"Yes, Red?"

"I'd like to ask if... Grandfather is there... in the Promised Land..."

"Yes, he is."

"Is he... happy there?"

Aeris smiled as Red pattered to her side. 

"Let me ask you something, Red... 

Do you remember the time... any time, that you saw Bugenhafen happy."

"Hmm?" Red cocked his head to the side. his headdressed mane jangling slightly.

"Happy. I mean, really happy."



"Well... I remember when I was little... he had just finished building his 

machine. 

He had invited everyone in Cosmo Canyon to see his invention. Few came, 

however... they all thought he was a kook then.

Those few that came were all children. Friends of mine, actually. I remember 

telling them I'd take them all for rides if they went to see Grandfather's 

machine. I hated giving rides."

"So you must've loved your Grandfather, even then." said Aeris, eyes twinkling.

"Well, when he switched in the machine, the lights died. All was quiet. Everyone 

thought it had fizzled. 

Just then, the entire room lit up like the night sky. Stars upon stars. Planets 

and worlds. Asteroids and comets. The children were laughing as they waved their 

hands to touch the galaxy."

"And you, Red?"

"I was too down thinking of taking a dozen kids on my back the next day."

Red laughed, remembering.

"But Grandfather... he was jumping up and down, laughing as loud as the 

children. I had never seen him so happy then."

"You will, again. Someday."

Aeris knelt at his side, embracing Red's large head in her arms.

"Someday... you'll just be there... and he'll be waiting. He'll be as happy to 

see you as he was the day he first turned on his wonderful machine. Then will 

you be happy too, Red?"

"Yes..."

"You WILL have to wait a while though. Of all of us, everyone on this ship... 

you will live the longest."

Red looked at her, a tinge of pain suddenly flickering in his eyes.

"You mean... everyone.... everyone will be gone..."

"Red. You will live for many centuries to come. You will see the planet become 

whole. None of those living today will ever have that great chance."



"And I will see it all... alone."



"No."

Aeris fixed Red XIII with a gaze. 

"You will find someone. I know you will."

Aeris patted him once, lightly, on his nose and laughed mischievously. 

As Red gave a mock snarl, she stood up, and hurried to the door. Before she 

exited the room, she gave Red one last sideway glance. And then, she was gone.

Leaving Red to ponder her words.



"Find someone...?" he mused.







ANOTHER CHAPTER.



"Phineas?"

"Hmm? Oh, Miss Aeris... I didn't hear you come in..."

"Just Aeris, please."

"Okay, Aeris."

She sat down on a chair beside where the scribe sat. They were in the Highwind's 

briefing room.

"You know... I was able to get a lot of Miss Reddington's thoughts and memories 

before this whole mess started."

"Yipe."

"I know you wished to ask me about a lot of things... about the quest... the 

war..."

"That's true, but..." 

Phineas felt his face redden as he glanced at the dragonhide book that lay 

before him on the table.

"I feel like a ghoul... thinking about this damn book while Foxy's..."

"Phineas, this isn't just a mere chronicle. This is what future generations will 

refer to. It may very well remind people of what went wrong in the past. It can 

keep something like this from happening ever again."

Phineas stared at Aeris, his eyes wide. 

She smiled, returning his gaze.

"I won't be around for very long. Foxy will be safe, I promise you. And if you 

let this opportunity pass, she'll probably say..."

"She'd say, 'You damn idiot. Why didn't you take that chance, after what I went 

through?" finished Phineas, laughing.

Aeris giggled. "I would've used gentler words, but... yes."

The scribe laughed a bit more, quietly. He closed his eyes, remembering the red-

haired tomboy who kept him from getting too complacent or incessantly weedling 

him to get on with the next page. 



"Betcha can't write the next paragraph if your manhood depended on it..."



"Foxy... " he whispered.



He reached for the dragonhide book.







THE FLOWER GIRL.



"So... when and where did it all begin?" asked Phineas.



"I don't know where I was born, exactly. My clearest memories were of my 

parent's faces. My father, his moustache. My mom... her caring eyes. I remember 

the lab in the Great Glacier town of Icicle Inn... there were lots of scientific 

equipment and machines.  Most of the time I spend playing alone, or with mom. My 

father was often at work either tinkering with his experiments or interviewing 

mom."

"Your parents..."

"My father was Dr. Gast, a Shinra scientist. My mother was Ifalna, who, before 

my birth, was the last Cetra. 

Father interviewed her intensively, learning of Jenova, the Cetra, the Promised 

Land and the Weapons. About the planet. The Cycle of Life. Everything.

"How did they become man and wife?"

"I don't really know. I guess my father eventually fell in love with my mom as 

he studied her. They got into each other's minds so deeply that they found their 

life's mate in the other. 

They were not able to enjoy too much time, however. One day, in the middle of 

one of father's interviews, invaders came to the lab."

"Shinra?"

"Yes. In particular, an ambitious scientist named..."





"Hojo."

Dr. Gast spat out the name in the same way he'd mention a strain of deadly 

virus. What was his hated rival doing out here? 



"Ah, Dr. Gast. Iflana... how good it is to finally find you. We've been looking 

for you for the longest time..."

The Shinra executive stepped forward, flanked by two armed troopers. Both 

soldiers had their guns ready.

"What is the meaning of this? I expressly told the President that I would handle 

this myself. This is a direct violation of..."

"Your private time? Ha-ha... come on, Doctor... Ifalna here isn't your personal 

plaything. She's an asset of our company. A very valuable asset..."

"Damn you. Damn you and all of Shinra."

"Doctor! You wound me..."

"I've had it... I'm cutting all ties with Shinra. You can tell that to your 

superiors."

"I couldn't care less what YOU do, Gast. As for Ifalna though... and her cute 

little offspring..."

"Aeris?! What are you planning to do with us?!" Ifalna spoke finally, her eyes 

wide in horror.

"Just a bit of experimentation... Nothing to worry about..."

"Monster! She's my child! You can't-"

The two troopers levelled their rifles.

"Tut-tut...  Don't force us to do anything rash, Gast. Remember, this is all for 

the good of the company. Think of it, Gast.. the Promised Land..."

"Damn you...!"



"Hahahaha.... "





"I remember hearing shouts... and then gunshots. My mom came into the room, 

blood all over her. It wasn't hers, though."

Aeris paused, grimacing at the memory. 

"Your father?" asked Phineas quietly.

"Yes. He bought my mom time to get away with his life. Thanks to him though, mom 

was able to seal the door and keep them from us. There was a secret passage from 

the lab to the outside. We ran, forever it seemed. Then, we came to a clearing 

in the woods..."



"Aeris... here."

"Mom?"

Ifalna drew forth a tiny object from the folds of her dress. It was a clear, 

pearly-white stone, perfectly spherical and beautiful.

"Your white stone... Mom!"

"It's time for you to have it, Aeris."



"There!!!" shouts came from a distance.



"NO! There's no more time... we can't let them have us..."

"Mom, I'm scared..."

"Be strong, Aeris."

Iflana hugged her child, the white materia glowing in her hand.

"One more time..." she said, her hand clenching about the stone.

"Mom?"

A nimbus of light began to surround them.



"What's going on!?" The leading Shinra trooper shouted.

"Shoot! Don't let them get away!!"

"Wait! Damn, we need them alive-!" the lead trooper cried out, but it was 

too late.

Gunshots cracked the chill air.

There was a sudden flaring of white light and the troopers were forced to avert 

their eyes. When they were finally able to look again...



"T-they're gone!"

The lead trooper stared at the spot where the fugitives had been kneeling just 

seconds before. 

"They couldn't have gone far. Spread out. Search!"

Fearful of the retribution Hojo would inflict on them if the Ancients escaped, 

the other Shinra soldiers scrambled to  follow the order.



Left behind alone, the lead trooper continued to stare at the ground before 

him...

The white snow was crisscrossed with bright red ribbons of blood.





"The next thing I knew, we were in another place. It was considerably warmer, 

louder, and the air was foul with smog."

"Midgar." said Phineas.

"Yes. We had reappeared at the train station. Mom was beside me, bleeding and in 

pain. But she still had the strength to call out..."





"My God..." breathed the young woman as she approached the pair.

The older woman was probably in her late twenties, with long brown hair. Her 

dress, easily of costly quality, was soiled with blood. 

Elmyra had thought she was used to seeing the dead and the wounded. It was war, 

after all. Still, she found herself feeling intense sorrow. Beside the dying 

lady, a child of perhaps four or five knelt, strangely calm and silent. Her 

brown hair marked her as the woman's daughter.

"Please..." the woman swhispered."... take Aeris to somewhere... safe."

She looked at her child one last time, and then laid down on the ground.



Ifalna of the Cetra finally returned to the Planet.



"Mom..." the child said, staring at the body which was already growing cold.

Elmyra reached out to the child.

"Aeris?"

The little girl wiped her eyes of tears and stood up, to walk slowly to Elmyra's 

side.

"Will you take me somewhere safe?" she said.

"...

... Yes. I will."



"Elmyra took me in right there and then. She had been coming and going to the 

train station continuously for several days, waiting for her husband. It was the 

time of the Meaningless War between the Continent and the Empire of Wutai... her 

husband was a soldier and had been sent to the front.

He never did come back, and so took me in without a thought. She was lonely, I 

guess."

Phineas finished scribbling on his pages. 

"And there you stayed?"

Aeris nodded. "I spent most of my life there, in Elmyra's house, as her 

daughter. We were happy, for the most part. I think, if things hadn't happened 

the way they did, I would still be there."

"But you were meant for greater things." replied Phineas.

"Yes, I guess I was."







THE DESTINY OF THE LAST.



"How did you first meet Cloud?"



"I  first met Cloud right after he and AVALANCHE blew up the Sector Eight 

Reactor in Midgar.  I was selling flowers at the time when confusion broke out 

because of the explosion. The stampeding crowd knocked me down... Cloud came and 

helped me up."

"A perfect gentleman." Phineas smiled. 

"Well, kind of. I sensed something about him... that he was involved in whatever 

had happened. I was always looking for information then, so I asked him directly 

about what was going on. Not wanting to involve me, he didn't say anything."

"So, that was it? Not exactly auspicious."

"Well, he bought a flower from me."

"Ah."



"The next time we met was in the church in Midgar. I understand that AVALANCHE 

had sabotaged another reactor. Shinra had set a trap, and the battle that ensued 

caused Cloud to fall down into the church. It was a terribly high fall, but I 

guess the thick smog, the wooden rafters and the flowers broke his fall..."



"Are you all right?"

"Yeah...."

Cloud looked up dazedly at the figure that stood over him. At first he could not 

place the attractive face with the greenest green eyes he had ever seen. The 

dress... 

"So... we meet again." the girl said, almost to herself. "Do you remember?"

"Yeah. You were selling flowers..."

"Right!" 

"What happened?" Cloud asked, dusting himself off.

"We're in a church in the slums. I was picking flowers here when you fell 

through the roof. You gave me quite a scare, you know."

"Sorry about that." Cloud looked at the flowers around him. "I guess I ruined 

your merchandise"

"Oh, don't worry. The flowers heal fast. They grow quite resilient here. Maybe 

because this is a Holy place. I think there's no other place in Midgar where 

flowers can grow."

The girl walked a few paces, looking around the abandoned church, at the 

rafters, at the silent pews.

"I love it here."

Cloud found himself staring. She wore a dress, but the jacket she wore with it 

and the boots marked that she was no soft dainty. His eyes moved to the metal 

staff that lay near the girl's basket. Well used, he saw...

"Say... I almost forgot. We haven't introduced ourselves to each other."

The ex-SOLDIER nodded, standing up. 



"Cloud. Cloud Strife."



"Hello, Cloud. I'm Aeris. Aeris Gainsborough.

So... what do you do?"



Cloud chose his  answer well. "Mostly anything,"

"Oh, really? I guess a well-rounded sort of person like you has some materia on 

him.:

"A few." Cloud shrugged. Anyone who wanted to have a fighting chance in today's 

dangerous world always had some of the magical stones on them. Without the 

powers the materia could impart on an individual, survival was at best, 

unlikely.

"The only materia I have is something my mom gave me long ago. It's good for 

absolutely nothing."

"You just probably don't know how to use it properly."

"No... it's just like that."

Aeris paused, as if remembering something. 

"Cloud...  have you ever been a bodyguard?"

"Once or twice."

"Will you take me home, Cloud?"

"It'll cost you, though..." 

Aeris smiled coyly, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Okay... what if I go out with you once?"

Cloud found himself somewhat at a loss for words. He shrugged, grunting an 

affirmative.

"Great! Okay, wait here for a moment. I'll just check my flowers before we go."

As she scampered off, Cloud looked after her, seeing the lush brown locks swish 

as she flitted about the church.  

"Oh, man..." he said, smiling wanly.



"So... that was how it began." commented Phineas.

Aeris nodded. "And it was just as well, too. Shortly after we made our 'deal', 

some Shinra agents came. We were able to get away though. Cloud got me safely 

home, and then said he was heading for Sector 7."

"And you offered to take HIM there." snickered Phineas. 

"Yes..." Aeris nodded, laughing. "He was quite stubborn, saying that he didn't 

need any help from a girl. I couldn't let him get away with that."

"No, of course not." 

"Well, I took him there, regardless. When we did though, we got into a run-in 

with Tifa at the Wall Market and, ah...."



Aeris stopped, as if remembering something. Her eyes however, reflected not 

sadness, but a glint of amusement.

Phineas stared at her. "Hmmm?"

"Oh, well, we found Tifa and together we made for Sector 7..."

"Hey, wait. What was Tifa doing there?"

Aeris snickered. "It's a long story. I'd say that the whole business in the Wall 

Market would take up a whole book by itself."

"I take it you're going to keep that from me." smirked Phineas.

"I'll just leave it at saying that Tifa learned about Shinra's plans to collapse 

the Sector 7 Pillar. The three of us headed there to try and help."

"You were captured there, right?"

"Yes. Tifa told me to get Marlene, Barret's daughter, from her bar. I took her 

to my house. But somehow, Shinra knew every step we took..."





"Hello, Aeris."



Tseng of the Turks sat on the chair in the living room. Aeris could only gape as 

she sensed that this time, he was not going to leave... not without her.

"Hello, Mr. Tseng." she finally said.

Thoughts raced through Aeris' mind... Should she try to escape? Fight her way 

out?

The small hand she held however made her direction quite clear.

"Miss Aeris... He's scary..." whispered Marlene, holding onto the Flower Girl's 

hand tightly.

"It's okay, Marlene. Shhhh..."

Tseng stood up, walking towards them.

"What a pretty little girl."

"Please, leave her out of this. And where is my mother?"

"Why, Aeris. We're not here to hurt anyone. Least of all that girl, or your 

lovely  STEP mother. Dear Elmyra is in the kitchen, under the watchful eye of my 

associates."

"What do you want?"

"You, my dear Ancient. You."

Aeris' senses screamed denial. Deny it again, as you had so many times before. 

Escape! 



Instead, she just nodded.

"Just leave my mom and Marlene alone. I'll go with you."

Tseng was now close enough for his breath to ruffle Aeris' brown locks. He 

stared at her, his eyes holding a peculiar tone. Aeris waited, almost holding 

her breath. For a moment, Tseng just stood there. 

Finally, he turned away, languidly motioning with his hand. From the other room, 

uniformed Shinra troopers emerged. 

"Excellent."  said Tseng, walking out of the house without another look at his 

captive.

"Aeris!"  It was Elmyra.

As she was led away, the Flower Girl looked back at her stepmother and Marlene, 

both thankfully unharmed. 



An ominous feeling though entered her heart. She was never going to see either 

of them, ever again.





"At least, not with mortal eyes..." Aeris whispered.



"I... I'm sorry." Phineas said.

"When Cloud and the others rescued me from Shinra Headquarters, we left 

immediately and started on our journey. I was never able to return to Midgar."

"You miss it?"

"Not the place, particularly... though since I did grow up there..."

"So, you joined AVALANCHE." said Phineas, changing the subject.

"Well, yes."

"I take it, you had your own reason for joining the quest."

"What?"

"Each of you had their own goals or dreams that guided them through the quest. 

Cloud had his vendetta with Shinra and Sephiroth, as did Tifa and Barret. Cid 

wanted to go into outer space. Red XIII had his heritage. And so on, and so 

forth..."

"Oh... Well... I guess MY goal... my true goal... was to find my Promised Land.

Ever since I was little, my mother, my true mother, always told me about it. The 

place where I could find eternal happiness. All of my race, the Cetra, were born 

from the Planet. In time, they would unlock the Planet. And when the time came, 

they would return to the Planet and find the Promised Land."



Phineas drummed his pen. "The Promised Land. The ultimate goal of both Shinra 

and Sephiroth."

Aeris nodded.

"Shinra thought that the Promised Land was an actual place. Another country that 

they could despoil with their Mako Reactors. This is what President Shinra and 

Rufus thought, even to their deaths. They were wrong. The Promised Land is not a 

place... it's more of an existence."

"The Afterlife."

"In a way, yes. But it would not be complete to say that's it's just that. The 

Promised Land encompasses all things. It's about the Lifestream... the Cycle of 

Life..."

She stopped, considering something. "It's kind of hard to explain."

"I guess." agreed Phineas.

"Well, Sephiroth knew the nature of the Promised Land. That made him dangerous. 

With Jenova on his side, giving him tremendous power, he was slowly making his 

plans a reality."

"Which was..."

"To cause Armageddon.

We discovered his whole diabolical scheme from what we learned at Cosmo Canyon, 

and from the wall paintings we found at the Temple of the Ancients. Sephiroth 

planned to summon Meteor, a destructive force from the other side of the 

universe, to crash into the planet. The resulting cataclysm would not totally 

destroy the planet... only wound it severely, so that it would expend all it's 

energy to try and heal itself. Of course, all life on the planet would die then. 

At the moment of impact, Sephiroth would place himself there and absorb the 

power, thus becoming the master of the Promised Land and the Lifesteam. 

He wanted to become a god.

To do this, he needed the so-called Black Materia."

"Ah, yes. Caet Sith told me about it."

"We were able to acquire the Black Materia with his help. But our victory was 

short-lived. Sephiroth was able to take the Black Materia from us... with 

Cloud's help."

"Sephiroth controlled him."

"Yes. Cloud was confused about his memories, and his identity. Since he was a 

member of SOLDIER, although an ex-member, he still had Jenova cells in his 

system, as all of them did. Sephiroth could exert his will on Cloud, making him 

do unspeakable acts...

The first of which was to surrender the Black Materia."

Phineas scribbled quickly.

Aeris watched him write, and began speaking again when he finished.

"It was at this time that I left the others."





FOLLOWING THE PATH LEAST TAKEN.



"You went alone..."

"Yes. I was told that at anytime, Sephiroth could control Cloud to try and stop 

me. I HAD to leave."

"Who told you?"

"My mother did. My real mother... Ifalna of the Cetra. She told me to go to the 

Ancient City. I was to unlock the power of the White Materia she had given me. 

It was the only thing that could thwart Sephiroth's Meteor."

"And you said that the White Materia was useless."

"Well... not entirely useless. It helped me get to Bone Village... through the 

Sleeping Forest and into the Capital. From there on, I spent the time communing 

with the Ancients, and praying for Holy."



"Did... did you know?" Phineas was a bit apprehensive.

"Know what?"

"That you were going to... die?"

"No. Well... not really..."



Aeris took a deep breath, as if to steady herself.

"I guess I knew, deep down. Maybe it was in the way that it was so final... the 

manner in which I left the others... my farewell to Cloud... 

Come to think of it... I had that same feeling then as when I left Marlene and 

mom that time in Midgar..."

She paused, closing her eyes.

"Aeris?" Phineas paused, concerned.



"It's alright."

"What was it like?"

"I really didn't know what was going to happen. One moment, I opened my eyes and 

saw Cloud before me..."



Aeris opened her eyes. She looked up, seeing Cloud before her. Their eyes 

locked, and at that moment, happiness filled Aeris' heart. She smiled. She knew 

Cloud would come. Mother had told her so.

Be strong. Your mission is almost complete, Aeris.

What? Mother, what do you mean..?



At that moment, darkness fell.



"I guess he came from above... I felt a stinging, cold feeling in my chest... 

then... I felt so sleepy. I didn't realize it then... but I guess I had died."



Sephiroth looked at Cloud, his ice-blue eyes filled with glee. With a slight 

smile, he slowly pulled out his sword.

Aeris' body, freed from the sword's hold, began to slump to the ground.

Suddenly free again to move, Cloud leaped forward, catching Aeris before she hit 

the floor. With a gentleness he'd never thought himself capable of, he cradled 

her in his arms.

"Aeris...." he breathed, his voice choked. He shook her slightly, trying  in 

vain to find any trace of life. 

"This... this can't be real. It's NOT happening!!"

"Do not worry." came a cold, emotionless voice. "The girl's spirit will become 

one with the planet. Now I will travel beyond the Great Glacier to the Promised 

Land and become a new being... as will this girl..."





"Are you all right? You look pale..."

She looked at him, blinking. She attempted to smile, but it came off as a tired 

sigh.

"You know... to his credit, Sephiroth wasn't a sadist. I didn't feel much pain."

"You're feeling gratitude?"

"I guess I shouldn't. I think I would've preferred pain... if only for the 

chance to have said something. Anything. But I think Sephiroth knew that."



The Flower Girl looked at Phineas, eyes strong with her conviction.

"My story should have ended there and then in the Forgotten City. But it didn't. 

There's more to tell."







THE OTHER SIDE.



"When I next regained consiousness, I was flying through what looked like a 

tunnel of light. I realized at once that I was in the Lifestream... 

At that moment, I knew I had died.



OA tunnel of light?O Phineas asked.



OThatOs the closest I can describe it as... Life stream energy. I travelled 

through the tunnel for a long time... until finally, all motion stopped, and I 

was in a dark place. Then, I felt someone before me...O



OAeris.O



The flower girl looked up from where she knelt. That voice... 

OMother?O

Ifalna of the Cetra stood before her daughter, her eyes full of mixed emotions.



For the first time in more than seventeen years, mother and daughter... the last 

of the Cetra to return to the Planet, finally  are reunited.

OMother...O Aeris sobbed, still feeling as yet the human experiences of touch, 

sight, hearing and speech.   

OAeris. I am so proud of you. We all are.O

OAll?O

The flower girl looked about, at the lights of the Lifestream that hovered and 

flitted around them. 

OOur people, Aeris. We who have all been watching and waiting for you all this 

time. When you have fully recovered, we can go and meet them.O

OMother... This is the Promised Land, isn't it?O

OYes.O



OBut...OWhy is it so dark?" asked Aeris. O

"I feel that there is something wrong... something dreadful. I donOt feel the 

happiness that was supposed to...O

Then, she saw it.



OWhat did you see?O Phineas prodded as Aeris paused.

"Something... something that did not belong in the Promised Land."



It was a hellish structure, floating above them and looking like a twisted, 

nightmarish cage., bringing to AerisO thoughts images of grasping claws. Within, 

as if contained by the rough-hewn ObarsO, was a glowing mass of greenish-white 

energy.

At the sight of it, Aeris grew pale with fear.

OHoly... ThatOs Holy in that thing...O breathed Aeris.

OYes. He has trapped it. He is keeping it within.O

OSephiroth...?!O

Aeris stared at HolyOs Prison. Yes, she knew. She could feel him. HE was there. 

The real Sephiroth. 

OHe does not control the Promised Land yet, but his power grows. Already, his 

influence has caused the darkness that surrounds us right now. It is only a 

matter of time before...O

OMother! I have to do something! If Holy is trapped, Meteor will-O

OWe canOt do anything, Not yet.O

OBut...!O

Ifalna stepped forward, embracing her daughter. 



OBut... we fought so hard...!O Aeris was on the verge of tears.

OWE canOt do anything, Aeris... But someone else can.O

O...O

Ifalna looked her daughter in the eye.

OYou must trust your friends, Aeris. Be strong for them.O

OCloud... Tifa... the others...O

Aeris nodded.

OBut what can we do in the meantime?O

Both of them looked at SephirothOs Prison, with not a little bit of dread.

OWe can only pray. For now.O





OI wasnOt used to the new world I had come to. ItOs not limited to human 

senses... there, you can see with your mind, your consiousness. ItOs very hard 

to explain. LetOs just say that I had to wait for some time before I was able to 

eventually be aware of what was happening in the mortal world.O

OThen what happened?O said Phineas.

OIt was horrible. I realized that Sephiroth had planned everything from the 

beginning. Our quest to find him... the hunt for the Black Materia... all of it 

was orchestrated by him. Cloud was, as he had said... his puppet.O

OPuppet?O

OCloud tried to join SOLDIER in his youth. All members of SOLDIER are injected 

with Jenova cells. They were all, in effect, Sephiroth clones. All had a pre-

ordained order within their minds to reunite Jenova, to find the Black Materia, 

and return it to their master... Sephiroth.O

Phineas shook his head in amazement. 

OAnd all of it was started by that madman, Hojo.O

OYes.O

Aeris continued. 

OIronically, it was Cloud, who failed to actually join SOLDIER, was the one who 

actually succeeded in finding the Black Materia. After Sephiroth... killed me,  

Cloud and the others pursued him to the North Crater. 

It was there that the real SephirothOs body rested, waiting for the Black 

Materia to be delivered into his cold hand.

Once there, Sephiroth totally confused and destroyed CloudOs confidence in 

himself. Cloud doubted his existence, his identity, everything. He fell 

completely under SephirothOs control.O

OHow can this be? I always thought Cloud was so strong-willed.O

OCloud was... and is. But after the trauma of his initial battle with Sephiroth, 

CloudOs personality was split. He took on the personality and memories of his 

friend, Zack. Other thoughts he hid away because of shame due to his failure to 

join SOLDIER. So, he was easy prey to be broken by SephirothOs illusions and 

tricks. Ultimately, Cloud's own mismatched memories revealed themselves, and he 

totally fell into despair. But that was only the beginning...O



There was a rumbling in the Materia growths above the assembled crowd of 

AVALANCHE and Shinra. From the thickets emerged a man-sized prism of solid 

materia. Locked within the greenish crystal, was a man.



Sephiroth.



ODo you see!? ItOs HIM!! ItOs Sephiroth!! The real Sephiroth!!O 

Doctor Hojo cackled, rubbing his bony hands in glee.

Beside him, Rufus and the other Shinra executives watched in silence.

Tifa glared at the laughing scientist.

OHow could you be so happy?! DonOt you know what heOs doing?!O

OHa-ha... Of course I know, my dear. The Jenova Reunion. I orchestrated it.O

ODoctor, please elaborate.O Rufus said, stepping forward.

OI started Project Jenova years ago, by creating the SOLDIER Corps. They were 

all Sephiroth clones trained to someday bring Jenova together, and to follow the 

orders of the supreme being... Sephiroth.

But something went wrong... Sephiroth disappeared seven years ago. Jenova as 

well began moving itself. I thought that all my calculations had gone haywire.

But then, I realized that Sephiroth had indeed died... but his consiousness was 

so strong that he was actually controlling the Sephiroth clones himself, by his 

thoughts. He was moving them like pawns to carry out the Jenova reunion. And 

now, here he is!!

Ha-ha-ha... Now... one of the clones is bound to show up...O

OI am here, Doctor.O came a voice.



Everyone turned to the one who had spoken out.

OCloud...O whispered Tifa, her voice filled with dread.



Cloud Strife stood before Hojo, his shoulders hunched, his head bowed. 

OI am here, Doctor.O

Hojo giggled. OAha!! YOU! I knew you were a Sephiroth-clone. What number are 

you? What batch?!?O

OI have no number, Doctor. You never gave me one.O

OWhat?!"

OI was a failure, Doctor. You rejected me.O

OA failure? You mean, of all the hundreds I created, only a failure made it this 

far?O 

Hojo turned away, his face twisting in a hateful grimace.

Cloud approached him, tentatively. ODoctor, please... give me a number...O

Everyone, both Shinra and AVALANCHE, stared at Cloud in amazement. Was this the 

same Cloud they had fought with or against?



OSilence, FAILURE!O screeched Hojo.

Cloud bowed his head in utter despair, his shoulders drooped even more.

OCloud! WhatOs wrong with you?!?O cried Tifa, starting towards him.

OTifa. IOm not the Cloud you know. I wish I was...O

"Cloud..."

"You've been so kind and understanding to me. I hope someday you'll find the 

Cloud you know..."



He began to float up, rising above the heads of the assembled throng. Tifa 

clapped her hands to her mouth as she watched him helplessly.

OIOm sorry, Tifa.O



The ex-SOLDIER flew up, towards the Materia Prism where Sephiroth waited. He 

pulled out an object from one of his pockets. Even from the ground, many dozens 

of feet below, everyone could clearly see what it was.

OThe Black Materia!O growled Barret.

OCLOUD!!! NO!!O screamed Tifa.

Cloud passed his hand through the Materia Crystal, placing the Black Orb on 

SephirothOs  open hand.

Within the crystal, SephirothOs eyes opened. 

His cold lips curled in a triumphant smile.



ODamn!O

All around, the entire North Crater began to tremble.

OMr. President! We have to evacuate!O said Scarlet, her voice quaking in fear.

Rufus nodded, but instead of running for the exit, he approached the AVALANCHE 

members.

Barret and the others warily stared at their enemy.

OWhatever I say or do now may be too little, or too late, but...O

Another tremor shook the crater.

O... This disturbing turn of events is too dangerous, and I know too little. I 

want you all to come with me. We must leave NOW.O

The heroes of AVALANCHE looked at each other briefly. They had no other choice. 

For now, it seemed that their only salvation was to go with Rufus and Shinra.



On the decks of the Highwind, Tifa and Barret stared as the North Crater began 

erupting with Mako energy. All around, chaos reigned as flashes of light and 

power threated to engulf the airship.

Suddenly, from all around the crater, monstous figures began emerging from the 

very snow, and from the rocks.

Weapons.

Monstrous creatures created by the Planet itself and unleashed in times of great 

danger, no other beings could inspire such fear.

One appeared as a massive winged giant of metal, burning with terrible power. It 

hovered right before the Highwind, dwarfing the craft in size. Just as it seemed 

as it was going to attack, it suddenly flew upward, vanishing in a storm of 

bright energy.

Other Weapons emerged... their forms indistinct but terrible, sporting 

tentacles, claws and appendages that could easily rend the puny humans in an 

instant. But fortunately, it seemed that the monsters were still revelling in 

their release.  The humans were beneath their notice... for now. 

Each one vanished into the horizon towards parts unknown, as had the first. As 

they blasted away, the Highwind trembled, buffeted by their dreadful passing.

Tifa struggled to keep her footing on the deck, her eyes on the Crater.

OCloud...O she whispered. Was he there? Was he even alive...?



A final burst of energy from the Crater exploded, the wave of force striking the 

Highwind like a solid wall. Tifa was thrown backward, her head striking 

something hard and unyielding.

Then, she felt and saw no more.



"The release of the Weapons..." murmured Phineas. In his thoughts, he dreamed of 

the sight. He wished deep within that he had been there to see the event. 

But then again...

"When the weapons were unleashed, it all fell into place. Within days, a rift 

opened in the very fabric of space. Above the sky, Meteor appeared and hovered 

like some terrible eye of doom." 

Aeris shook her head. "All seemed lost. AVALANCHE was scattered or within the 

custody of Shinra. Eventually, Barret and Tifa were scheduled to be executed as 

scapegoats for the coming cataclysm."

"Yes. I believe they were able to escape with the help of one of the Weapons." 

replied Phineas. "The distraction allowed them to get away, and eventually leave 

the Shinra base on the Highwind."

Tifa and Barret's escape from the Shinra base at Junon was one of the most well-

told tales of the quest. On the very day of their execution, the two key 

AVALANCHE members were saved when one of the Weapons attacked the base. In the 

confusion, Caet Sith and the other heroes sprung Barret from the Shinra guards. 

Tifa had a harder time, having to escape from the very gas chamber where she had 

already been placed. 

Ultimately, the entire AVALANCHE party was able to escape via the airship 

Highwind, hijacked by former Shinra astronaut Cid Highwind.



"The first thing that Tifa and the others set out to do then was to find Cloud. 

He was still the leader, after all. But I guess Tifa had other reasons..."

Aeris smiled, looking down at her hands. "She loves him so dearly."

"This part of the quest is a bit vague to me..." said Phineas.

"Well... Cloud had been swept into the Lifestream when the North Crater 

exploded. I saw him pass by and eventually return to the surface. I thought he 

would die.

Luckily, he washed up on the island of Mideel. There were excellent doctors 

there, so he got aid immediately. It was several days before the others finally 

found him..."



The heroes of AVALANCHE gathered about their leader.

"Cloud..." whispered Tifa, her face growing pale as she saw what her beloved had 

become.

Cloud, strapped to a wheelchair, slumped and unresponsive, just stared off into 

nothingness, without any trace of awareness. He  just moved aimlessly, almost 

reflexively.

"Doc! What's wrong with him??" exclaimed Cid, rubbing the back of his neck in 

frustration.

"The young man has suffered from a severe case of Mako Poisoning, perhaps due to 

a prolonged exposure to the Lifestream. It's a miracle he's still alive."

The young ninja Yuffie stared at Cloud. 

"This... this sucks." she muttered, her hands clenching.

"Is there any hope for him?" whispered Vincent Valentine, a rare trace of 

emotion in his voice.

"We... we can't promise anything. Nothing except that we will do our best."

"Damn." muttered Barret, stalking out the ward.

One by one, the AVALANCHE members filed out, worried eyes on the only one who 

stayed behind.

Tifa Lockhart stood before Cloud, her normally straight shoulders slumping in 

depression.

"Miss..." the doctor ventured.

"I... I want to stay by his side, please..."

"As you wish." 

Left alone, Tifa slowly felt all her emotions suddenly sap at her strength and 

resolve. She sagged to her knees, resting against Cloud's unfeeling legs.

"Cloud... please... come back..." she pleaded.

Burying her face in her arms, she let the tears come.

And come, they did.



"I felt her sadness. Her despair..."

Aeris breathed in deeply as she remembered. It was not pleasant to see her 

friends in pain long after she had fought to see them saved.

"Then what happened?"

"This was the most trying time in the quest, I guess. With Cloud and Tifa out of 

action, the command was given to Cid. Shinra was plotting a new strategy to try 

and stop Meteor. They were going to blast it to pieces with a weapon... a 

rocket, I believe.

To give their missile added power, they planned to used the Huge Materias hidden 

throughout the land. Immediately, the others set off to try and stop them."

Phineas stopped writing for a moment.

"I wonder... could things have ended differently if the others just let Shinra 

take the Huge Materia? Shinra was, after all, trying to save the planet."

Aeris shrugged. "Perhaps everyone thought that they couldn't allow Shinra this 

victory. After everything was said and done, after all, Shinra was still an 

enemy that had to be defeated eventually. 

Anyway, the Huge Materia were instrumental in eventually destroying Sephiroth... 

to have wasted them in Shinra's vain attempt would have been catastrophic.

Cid and the rest were able to capture the Huge Materia, but Shinra still 

launched their rocket... of course, it failed. Meteor was significantly damaged, 

but not destroyed.

If anything, at least the strike had bought the planet some more time.



The party returned to Mideel, just in time to defend the town from one of the 

Weapons. The ensuing battle caused the Lifestream to erupt right in the middle 

of the town, and Tifa and Cloud were swept into it."



Aeris sat back, her eyes on the ceiling.



"I saw them both in their struggle. I couldn't do anything but watch as they 

dealt with their inner demons.

Tifa was incredible as she led Cloud to find his true self. Finally he found out 

how he had killed Sephiroth in his youth... his true reasons for joining 

SOLDIER..."



Aeris paused. That was something that was better left for Cloud and Tifa to 

tell.

"Anyway... with Cloud back to his senses, both of them were able to leave the 

Lifestream and return to the quest at hand. With the help of Bugenhafen, Red 

XIII's grandfather, they were able to learn about Holy."

"You mean, about what you had accomplished for them." said Phineas.

"Yes.

They had discovered that I had used the White Materia to speak with and unlock 

the Planet. Holy had been summoned, but for some reason, was not yet moving. 

Thanks to Bugenhafen, they surmised that Sephiroth was responsible for this. But 

since the North Crater where Sephiroth rested was being protected by an energy 

dome, no one could get at him.

Then Shinra came into the picture.

Rufus had the Junon Cannon moved to Midgar, and planned to use all of the city's 

Mako Reactors to power a shot at the North Crater. 

Sensing the desecration to the planet that this would cause, one of the Weapons 

immediately moved to attack Midgar. 

Realizing that this was perhaps their only shot to get at Sephiroth, Cloud and 

the others decided to help Shinra by stopping Weapon. They succeeded, and Shinra 

fired it's ray..."



Rufus stood in his office, located in the tallest tower in Midgar. The room 

commanded a glorious view of the entire city, and the land surrounding it.The 

lights of the Mako reactors grew bright as the energy from them began to be 

siphoned into the mammoth cannon.

Sister Ray, as Scarlet had lovingly dubbed it...

Rufus smirked. What an odd appellation.

A voice from the intercom roused Shinra's young president from his musings.

"Hahaha! Mr. President, all is ready." It was Scarlet.

"Gwahahaha! Anytime is fine." Heidegger this time.

Rufus crossed his arms, nodding. 

"Fire."

There was an ominous rumbling as the eight Mako reactors funneled their energy 

into the massive cannon. All throughout the city, lights dimmed and died as the 

entire power supply of Midgar was collected for one, powerful shot.The Sister 

Ray clanked into firing position, huge gears the size of city blocks primed and 

ready.

Then, silence.



A miniature star exploded before the mammoth cannon's barrel, a bolt looking all 

the world like a comet sizzling  outward. The noise of the explosion was 

deafening, causing windows throughout Midgar to shatter. From the sides of 

Sister Ray, steel supports and structures fell off to clatter on the streets 

below.

Success.

In the silence of his office, oblivious to the chaos, Rufus watched the man-made 

comet disappear into the dark horizon. He brushed back the bangs from his 

forehead and smiled in satisfaction.



"Look at that!"  shouted Barret.

The entire party of AVALANCHE watched from the Highwind's decks as Weapon began 

to expand. Orifices like giant mouths began opening at various parts of the 

monster's body.

Suddenly, bolts of energy began flying from Weapon's body, to scream away into 

the distance.

"What..." Cloud started.

As if in response, a bright light suddenly flashed from the horizon, and the 

heroes watched as a bolt of energy rushed towards Weapon.

Unafraid, the creature of the Planet met Sister Ray's bolt with open arms.



The blast passed through it's body as if it was made of paper.



Weapon's body, carried by the shock wave, flew for several miles before 

eventually crashing to the ground, lifeless.

"Damn..." muttered Barret. "It went right through him..."

"That came from Midgar!" said Tifa.

"Wait a minute! Before that... the bolts Weapon fired..."

Red XIII growled. "It fired them at Midgar."

"Marlene!!" cried Barret. 

It was useless, however. They were too far away to do anything. 

Silently, Cloud gazed at Sister Ray's bolt, now rapidly vanishing northwards.

Towards Sephiroth's crater.



"To their credit, Shinra's ray was able to destroy Sephiroth's barrier. In 

effect, the war could not have been won without their help. But whether it be by 

luck or destiny, the action they had wrought on the planet came with a heavy 

price..."



"Mr. President! Weapon has been defeated!" came a voice through the intercom.

Rufus stepped towards his desk, nodding. 

Now the next step was to find Sephiroth and-



"Mr. President! Sensors indicate high-density energy heading for Midgar!!"



Rufus turned abruptly to the panoramic window before him.

Like fireflies darting through the air, numerous energy bolts appeared. As Rufus 

watched in silence, several of the missiles struck some buildings, causing 

explosions.

One bolt, especially large and bright, seemed headed straight for...



Rufus grimaced. Yet he stood straight, unafraid. He met his fate with open eyes.

"Father..."  he whispered.

The bolt struck the main tower, tearing through the glass and metal in an 

instant. An explosion, larger than any of the other blasts, engulfed the entire 

executive floor in flames. Rufus' body was vaporized instantly.

The lights of Midgar dimmed slightly  for a moment as the explosions died away, 

almost like a sign of the Shinra leader's demise.



But it lasted only for a moment.





"So... Rufus died from Weapon's retaliation." said Phineas.

"Perhaps it was a form of justice. The planet's way of defending itself from 

those who would destroy it." replied Aeris, simply.

"With Rufus dead, Shinra ceased to be a coherent threat. But the danger wasn't 

fully past. Hojo totally lost it at that point in time, and tried to overload 

Sister Ray by firing another shot immediately at the North Crater."

"Why?" Phineas asked. "Why would he do this?"

"From what he said, he was helping his son."

"Sephiroth."

Aeris nodded. "He was, after all, Sephiroth's true father."



"Sephiroth always said that his mother was Jenova. This was true, in a way. Much 

of what he was was created with Jenova cells. This explained why he was so 

powerful. But his form after all, was human. He was created from human cells as 

well.

Sephiroth's mother was a woman named Lucrecia. She was hand-picked from Shinra's 

scientists as a subject for this experiment. The father was Hojo himself."

"Lucrecia..." mused Phineas. 



"With Shinra in chaos, no one could, or would do anything to stop Hojo. It was 

at this time that the Shinra executive Reeve called upon Cloud and the others 

through Caet Sith for help. If Hojo wasn't stopped, the Sister Ray would 

explode, perhaps destroying Midgar and everyone in it.

Reeve ordered what was left of Shinra to keep out of Cloud's way... but he 

hadn't the power to enforce his order. Heidegger and Scarlet had fought with 

Cloud and the others for too long and had lost too often to let bygones be 

bygones. They were out for blood."

"Stupid." muttered Phineas.

"Yes, very. It meant that the others would have to fight their way to save the 

city. Since Midgar's gates were closed and the city under martial law, there was 

only one quick way into Midgar... by air."

"The fabled parachute raid on Midgar." Phineas smiled.

"I wish I could have been with them on that one." Aeris said. 

"It must have been fun."





"Halt!!" a commanding voice echoed throughout the underground tunnel.

Cloud, Barret and Tifa stopped in their tracks. That voice was all too familiar.

"Elena." said Cloud.



The female Turk emerged from a side alcove, still wearing her immaculately clean 

blue suit.  She approached the AVALANCHE members, her hard-soled boots clacking 

on the tunnel floor. 

"The gang's all here." came another familiar voice.

From another alcove, the scruffy form of Reno appeared. The veteran Turk 

sauntered over to flank the female Shinra agent.

On the other side, the menacing figure of Rude also appeared, stepping forward 

to Elena's side.

The Turks were out in force.



"Aw no. We haven't got time for this..." muttered Barret.

"Damn it! We're here to save your skins, idiots!" cried Tifa.



"Not our problem." said Rude, cracking his fingers.

"We've been given orders... to find you... and to eliminate you. Even if our 

president is dead, we're still on the job. That's the code of the Turks, and 

you'd better believe it."

Beside Elena, Reno was strangely silent. He just stared at the ground, his 

trademark electromagnetic rod hung from his hand in relaxation.

Or was it just exhaustion?

"I don't believe this!" Tifa clapped her hand against her forehead.

Cloud stared at the trio before them. Ever since the quest began, they had 

crossed swords with the Turks time and again. Yet oddly enough, he felt no 

rancour towards the Shinra mafia. They had bled and fought as the heroes had, 

following orders because they had to.  After all this time, respect had grown 

between AVALANCHE and their nemesis.

But how much respect, he wondered?



"Come on. Let's go." said Elena,  starting forward. Her gloved hand, decked with 

materia, began to glow.

"No. Let's not." said Cloud. He just stood there, not even drawing his weapon.

Elena stopped in mid-step, eyes blinking in surprise.

"This is senseless. I don't want any of you dead." Cloud said, simply.

She stared at Cloud, into his mako-eyes. What she found was... 

"PITY?" she snapped. "You feel pity for us?!? If you think we're gonna give up 

just because we're on the losing side you've got-"

"Elena."



It was Reno. The lead Turk shook his head as Elena stared at him in disbelief.

"It's over. Our orders don't mean a thing anymore."

"Reno..." the female Turk whispered.

Before them, the AVALANCHE members could only gape themselves.

"You've been a good Turk, Elena. I know Tseng's proud."

Elena bowed her head, feeling a lump in her throat. 

"Rude...?" Elena said half-heartedly to the tall Turk, her voice small.

The big man only shrugged. Then, he began to walk away .

Reno looked at the heroes.

"If any of us survive this..." 

He stopped. Slightly laughing, he gave his rivals a last salute and began 

walking away as well.

Elena looked at Cloud, her eyes sad but still determined. 

"Remember the code of the Turks." she said finally.

Then she too, turned and walked away.



"Whew." muttered Barret.

Cloud turned to his friends and smiled. 

"Now... let's get Hojo."



"Whatever happened to the Turks?" asked Phineas.

"I don't know. They're not dead yet, at least. With those guys, you never can 

tell." Aeris laughed. "Anyway, the path to Sister Ray wasn't completely clear 

even after that... Heidegger and Scarlet were quite persistent, and fought the 

others to the end. But fall they did. No Shinra weapon or machine could keep 

Cloud and the others from reaching their goal."



"Hojo!"

The scientist didn't turn around or even slow in his 'work'. He just kept on 

fiddling with the control panel before him, his hands moving across the numerous 

switches, dials and buttons like spiders.

"It's OVER, Hojo."

Irritably, Shinra's former Head of Chemical Development paused. He slowly looked 

at the ones who had disturbed him.

Ah... the AVALANCHE stooges. The man with the gun arm. The strong, pretty girl. 

And the one he knew only as the-

"Failure. Hello there." Hojo sneered.

Cloud Strife's brow knitted as he advanced, sword drawn.

"The name is Cloud, Hojo."

"Hahaha. I will always know you as the Failure. Because of you, fool, I have 

begun to doubt my scientific skills. Why, I've even begun to hate myself."

"That doesn't matter! Stop what you are doing!" snarled Cloud.

"Why are you doing this?!" cried Tifa.

"Why? To give Sephiroth the Mako energy he needs, idiots. Don't you see?"

Hojo started his machinations again.

"... It's the least that I can do for my SON."

"WHAT?!" All three AVALANCHE members chorused.

"Hahahaha... "

Cloud stared at Hojo with disgust. 

"Your own son... The imaginary crime against Sephiroth..."

"Ah, Failure. It wasn't anything so malicious. It was all in the pursuit of 

science. My own contribution to the effort."

Hojo stopped again, throwing back his head in a howl of laughter.

"I wonder what Sephiroth would say if he found out... Hahahaha.... looking down 

at me all the time.... HAHAHAHA..."

"He'd probably kill you, you lunatic..." muttered Barret.

"Sephiroth... I concede. Your power... MAGIC... it's all beyong my science. Just 

show me now... Show me... Hahahaha...."



"HOJO!!"

Everyone,  even Hojo, looked up. Perched on a beam high above the platform where 

they stood, was a cloaked figure, like some spectre of death.

"Vincent!" said Tifa, recognizing their ally.

"You..." The Shinra scientist whispered.

In a rustling of cloth, the former Turk-turned AVALANCHE ally dropped to the 

platform, landing lightly on his feet. He stood before the other AVALANCHE 

members, his form seemingly larger and more sinister than ever before.

"Hojo. I have been wrong all these years. I have taken a sin that belonged to 

another."

Vincent raised his good arm, the sleek shape of his weapon, Death Penalty, 

catching the light.

"The one who should have gone to sleep is YOU."

"Hahahahaha..." Hojo began laughing, his body spasmodically shaking.

"Too late, old friend. You see... my weakness has gotten the better of me..."

When he looked at the heroes once again, his eyes had taken on an inhuman look, 

the pupils vanishing into the whites.

"What the-" Cloud raised his sword.

"I've injected myself with Jenova cells.. Witness, fools... My great 

contribution to science..  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"



Lightning flashed. 

Fire blazed.

And battle was joined for the fate of Midgar.



"Hojo's madness reached it's peak there. He subjected himself to the same 

atrocity he had done to countless others. It was a terrible battle, but the 

others prevailed. Hojo was destroyed, and Sister Ray was halted."

"So... it was all over then." Phineas scribbled down his page.

"For Shinra, yes. The entire Shinra leadership was gone. Cloud and the others 

left Midgar and at once headed for the North Crater. It was time for them to 

finally deal with Sephiroth.

They entered the final stronghold, battling terrible creatures and evil magic 

all the way. Sephiroth was still gathering his power, and he awaited his victory 

at the core of the planet itself. 

The party was separated as they fought their way down... Cloud, Barret and Tifa 

encountered Jenova... the true Jenova. There and then, they avenged my people. 

Jenova was finally and totally destroyed.

As the alien being died, Sephiroth lashed out at them, and all found themselves 

dropping even deeper into the planet. Sephiroth wanted to destroy them 

himself...



"Uhhh..." 

Cloud slowly awoke, shaking his head. That voice... familiar....

"Cid!" he cried out, seeing his comrade.  on a floating rock several yards away. 

Fully awake now, the ex-SOLDIER looked about, seeing the other AVALANCHE members 

also present.

"Tifa! Barret... everyone! Everyone's all here!"

"Yeah... together again..." Barret rubbed the back of his head, wincing.

"W-where are we?" said Yuffie, fingering her huge shuriken nervously.

They looked about. They were all floating in a vast, seemingly limitless expanse 

of greenish-white space, the monotony broken only by other floating islands of 

rock of varying sizes.

"More importantly... what is THAT?" said Caet Sith.

All looked upon the huge object that floated above their heads. A cage-like 

structure seemingly made out of rough stone. The shape of the bars reminded them 

of grasping claws.

Contained within the structure was a pulsing, greenish-white light...

"That light... Is it... Holy?" whispered Cloud.



Suddenly, there was a pulse of energy, and all of the heroes were suddenly swept 

off the rocks they stood upon, to hang suspended in the air.

"What the-!?" Cid roared.

"Ahhh!" 

"What's going on?!?"



There was a rippling in the air, and before their eyes, a figure began to 

materialize in front of Holy's Prison. A figure swathed in black, long white 

hair blowing in the ethereal air.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud clenched his teeth.

His mortal foe only stared at him, eyes expressionless. 



Another wave of hateful energy swept through the dangling party, the shock 

passing through their bodies like a scythe. The pain made all scream in agony.

"Is... Is this the true power of Sephiroth?!?" said Barret, his features 

contorted.

"My... my hind legs! My forelegs... They're about to tear off!!" Red XIII 

howled.

"He's way, way out of our league..." Caet Sith moaned. 

"Cloud..." Tifa turned to her beloved, eyes beginning to fill with despair.

"Arrgh..." Cloud tried to stand, his form shaking with pain.

"It's there..." 

Another wave of pain swept through them.



"AAEEEEIII!!!" Yuffie screamed,  doubling over. Cid cursed, and leaped from 

where he stood to the young ninja's side. He took her in his arms.

"Hang in there, kid..."

"I... I shouldn't have come... This isn't worth...." 

Yuffie stopped, her eyes filling with a fire.

"NO! I still want it! Materia... ALL of it!" she said, through gritted teeth.

"Aw, brother." Cid looked up at the sky in exasperation.



"It's there..."

Tifa stared at Cloud. "What...?"

"Holy... It's there! The Holy is shining. Aeris' prayer is shining..."

"Aeris..." whispered Tifa.

Cloud rose to his feet, his sword held in his hand.

Beside him, Tifa also stood, breathing heavily.

Another wave of evil swept through the air, but this time, the pain was 

bearable.

The light in the Prison glowed warmly.

Sephiroth glanced at the structure behind him, a tinge of what seemed to be fear 

passing through the icy-blue orbs.

"It's not over." Cloud said, rising to his full height.



"Holy is here. Aeris is here. Cloud is here. Everyone is here with us! We won't 

lose!" Tifa clenched her fists, a determination like never before filling her 

heart.



"Not just Aeris... the prayers of AVALANCHE... Dyne... Eleanor... all the people 

who've died are with us!!!" Barret raised his gun-hand at the would-be deity.



"Grandfather...  Father.... Mother.... Your son will make you proud...." Red 

XIII bared his fangs.



"We've got too much to do with our lives to die here in this hell-hole." Cid 

Highwind set his lance, standing up. Beside him, her eyes wild with materia-

fever, Yuffie Kisaragi readied her throwing weapon for the attack.



"Here goes nothing...." Caet Sith shrugged, his moogle-body's fists raised.



"Sephiroth... We will grant you eternal sleep...." Vincent raised his gun.



"PLANET! Hear our dreams. Our memories...  We await your anwer!"

"And Sephiroth.... To the settling of everything!!!" 

Cloud screamed, launching himself at his mortal foe, his sword Ultimate glowing 

with a holy light.

With an evil grin, Sephiroth raised all the power he could muster to destroy his 

enemies once and for all....



"The battle shook the planet to it's very foundations. We all waited in the 

Promised Land, watching. Sephiroth's power was tremendous, beyond anything that 

any mortal has ever seen. He manifested himself as horrible, monstrous demons. 

Yet he was still unused to his strength. With the great powers they had found on 

their travels, Cloud and the others were eventually able to destroy Sephiroth's 

physical forms. 

When the noise of battle finally died down, all the heroes were still standing. 

By some miracle, they had fought a veritable god... and won."



"And that was it. It was over." Phineas said.

"No. Not just yet. The real battle was yet to be fought."



"Is everyone all right?"

"We're all here...."



Cloud looked about in relief. Not one of the others had fallen. He looked about. 

They were all back where they had been before they made the final descent. 

Of Sephiroth, there was no trace.

"This is all we could do." Cloud said, simply. He shook his head. There was 

something wrong...

"Wait! What about Holy and Meteor?!" Barret said alarmedly.

"I guess it's all up to the Planet now..." Cloud looked down on the Lifestream 

below.

"You're right." said Tifa, placing her hand on Cloud's shoulder. He looked at 

her, his mako-eyes glowing warmly.

Cloud turned to his comrades, a smile that he did not truly feel on his lips.

"We've done all we can here. Let's go home... proud."



Without another word, everyone began walking back up the path towards daylight. 

Drained of all energy, exhausted and confused, none spoke.

Cloud brought up the rear, just behind Tifa. He still wondered... there was 

something still to do...

"AH!" he cried out, suddenly.

"Cloud?!" Tifa turned, seeing him clutch his head in pain.

"He... He's still here...."

"WHAT?"

"I can feel him... laughing...!"

Suddenly, Cloud felt himself spinning, flying off to parts unknown.

To Tifa's eyes, Cloud fell backward, to land on a ledge below. She screamed, 

unsure of what to do. Cloud lay there, eyes open, motionless.

"CLOUD!" she cried.

Little did she know, he was in the battle for his life.



"Sephiroth was still alive. The creatures the others had defeated were 

extensions of his being, but the true Sephiroth existed beyond physical form. 

This was the Sephiroth in the Promised Land.

He pulled Cloud's spirit from his body and dragged him through the light tunnel 

into the final duelling arena.

When Cloud arrived finally at the darkened world that was the Promised Land, he 

looked and saw Sephiroth waiting for him, daring for him to fight one to one..."



Cloud and Sephiroth stood before one another, swords drawn. They eyed each other 

coldly, with no words exchanged. None were necessary.

Sephiroth smirked, his hands tightening on the hilt of the murasame.

Cloud stared at his foe, his thoughts focused.

The people of Nibleheim. His mother. Tifa's father. Aeris. Everyone who has 

suffered under this evil man's madness.

It was a litany of lives demanding for justice.



Sephiroth charged, his terrible sword... the same with which he had killed so 

many, slicing at Cloud. Cloud watched the blade fall.

With a casual turn of his hand, Cloud parried the blow.

Sephiroth, totally unbalanced and surprised, watched in horror as Cloud 

retaliated.



Fire filled Cloud's eyes as he raised his sword, falling upon Sephiroth like 

Divine Wrath. His sword struck at his enemy with blinding, inhuman speed. Blow 

upon blow struck, striking the villain's form in showers of light and ethereal 

blood. Try as he might, Sephiroth could only take the hits, feeling his very 

being drain away with every strike.

With a final blow, Cloud leaped up and struck his enemy with a force that sent 

shockwaves through the Promised Land.



When the light died down, amazingly, Sephiroth still stood.

Yet he staggered, his arms limp, his sword hanging uselessly at his side.

Bloodied, his body broken and irreperable, Sephiroth stared at Cloud, his eyes 

registering an awe that he had never felt before. 

"How...? " he whimpered.

This was the last thing on his mind as his very being began to dissolve into 

impotent fragments.



With a final sigh, the would-be ruler of all the universe was gone forever.





Cloud Strife looked at the empty space where his opponent had stood. He finally 

saw the trackless darkness that surrounded him. Then he wondered, what was going 

to happen next?

And then, the darkness began to give way.

Smotes of light began to blossom around him, hovering and flitting about. Cloud 

watched them begin to surround him in a warm, comforting glow.

"Lifestream...?" he mused.

The light grew brighter, and Cloud soon found himself looking at a great glow 

right above and before him. 

Within the glow, he saw someone,

Someone familiar.

Cloud's eyes widened, and a joyful smile came to his lips. He reached out his 

gloved hand.

From within the glow, another hand... a delicate, female hand, reached down for 

him.



"That was you, wasn't it?" said Phineas.

"Yes." Aeris replied, smiling. 

I guided his spirit back to his body. And just in time, too. The Crater was 

beginning to tremble dangerously. Holy had been released, and was beginning to 

move to stop Meteor. Luckily, everyone was able to make it back to the Highwind 

in time to watch Holy go to work."

"Aeris..." Phineas started, looking up from his book.

"Yes?"

"Cloud told me something... back in the Crater. He told me that Holy didn't work 

against Meteor. That it was the Lifestream that saved the Planet."

Aeris only nodded, not saying a word.

"He said that it wasyou  who saved the Planet."



"It was all of us. All of us who left behind dear friends and beloved family. 

All of us who wanted the Planet to survive. Above all, it was the Planet itself. 

But as the Last Cetra, it fell to me to unlock the Planet. It was in my 

thoughts, my memories... our memories... that the Planet judged whether or not 

to move. So... I guess I helped a little."

Phineas laughed. 

"You're too modest..."

"That was my true mission, I guess. To truly unlock the Planet. Something that 

had to be done. My death... my sacrifice... was needed. There was no other 

recourse, anyway. If I didn't do it..."

She stopped. There was no need to dwell on that.

The scribe stopped writing, closing his book gently. 

"Aeris. Thank you. For what you did. For the sacrifice you gave. For saving all 

of us. Thank you."

The Flower Girl bowed her head, trying to hide the tears that were welling in 

her eyes. She smiled, the warmness of Phineas' words reaching her heart.

"You're welcome." she said, quietly.



THE GIFT.



"Oh, my!" squealed Aeris, clapping her hands over her mouth.

"My God..." Phineas whispered. "A GOLD Chocobo!"



Standing about eight feet at the shoulder, the great flightless bird stood 

before the scribe and the Flower Girl, cooing softly. It's large, liquid eyes 

looked about innocently, the brilliant feathers rustling with their metallic 

color.

Cloud, stroking the animal's nape, smiled in pride.

They were inside the Highwind's chocobo pen, a place in the large craft 

specially made for housing the birds. Cloud had just brought the chocobo in, 

after walking it outside.

"She's a beauty, isn't she? She was the ride I took to get to the North Crater."

Phineas marvelled at the bird, reaching out to touch the feathers.

"I never thought I'd see one of the Golds... I thought they were only a myth!"

"Nope. She's real. She was a gift to us."

"A gift?"

Cloud nodded. "During the quest, we came upon this stranger being attacked by 

one of the Weapons near Gold Saucer. We saved his life... in return, he gave us 

a golden egg. A few weeks later, we had Aerial here..."

"Aerial...?" Aeris repeated.

"Uhh... yes. We named her after... you." Cloud grinned sheepishly.

"Oh." 

Aeris stepped closer to the bird, who eyed her with interest.

"Hello, Aerial." she said softly.

The chocobo cooed, nudging her gently behind her neck.

"Hey!" Aeris laughed.

"She's magical, you know. Aerial here can go anywhere... over water, mountains, 

deserts, snow, in no time. As fast as magic."

"Unbelievable." breathed Phineas.

"She helped us win the war. We could never have acquired the power of the 

Knights of the Round  without her."

"The Fabled Knights Materia...!" Phineas could hardly believe his ears. That 

awesome power source was said to have the ability to summon heroes of legend to 

fight for the bearer. And Cloud possessed it...

Phineas shook his head, bringing out the dragonhide book.



Cloud turned to Aeris. 

"Well... I hope you didn't make any plans..."

"What?"

"We're taking you for a ride."

"REALLY?" Aeris' eyes fairly glowed.

Cloud smiled. That was the reaction he was hoping for.





"What the-!"

Cid stood up from where he sat on the Highwind's deck to watch the flash of gold 

that passed beneath his craft.

Barret, Red XIII and Caet Sith also gathered on the railing, watching as the 

flash steadily made it's way down the snowy ground of the Great Glacier.

"Look at that bird go..." said Barret.

A second later, there was a bright flash, and the golden bird and it's 

passengers were gone.

"Dang! Never get used to that..." Barret shook his head.

"Where'd Cloud take Aeris?" 

"To finish something." 

The men turned to look at Tifa, who had silently approached.

Barret eyed her dubiously.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yes. Really."

Tifa walked to the rail, looking at the horizon, her eyes unclouded by worry.

"For the first time in a long while, I really am fine."





LOOKING BACK.



"Okay, open your eyes." said Cloud.



Aeris blinked, and then gasped in delight.

"GOLD SAUCER!?  But how...?"

"Like I told you, Aerial here is magical."

They were upon the fringes of the Sinking Desert, which was, the last time Aeris 

checked, several thousand miles south of the Great Glacier, and over an ocean. 

Though it was hundreds of miles away, the lights of the Amusement Park of Gold 

Saucer were easily visible in the night.

"Oh... This brings back memories." mused Aeris. 

"Too bad we don't have time to go and visit."

"We don't?" said Cloud, somewhat down.

"It's alright. Let's just sit here and watch the lights."



"Aeris... Do you remember what you said to me when we... uh..."

"Had our date?" finished Aeris.

"Yeah."

"I said, 'I was searching for you."

Cloud rested his chin on his hand, his mako-eyes watching Gold Saucer's light 

show absently.

"You said something before that... It was like, you were amazed that two 

different people could act and speak so alike."

"Yes."

"You were talking about Zack and me, weren't you?"

"Yes."

Aeris drew up her knees, clasping her hands beneath her thighs. 

"When I said I wanted to 'meet' you, I meant it. I was talking about the real 

Cloud. I so much wanted to see who you really were."

The Flower Girl looked down, as Cloud began drawing circles in the sand.

"I guess you never got to meet 'me'."

"I saw the real you at least, Cloud. When you and Tifa were in the Lifestream 

together."

"You saw us?"

"Yes."

She leaned closer to Cloud, smiling.

"I must say, I wasn't disappointed by what I saw."

"Heh..."

"There really wasn't much difference. You're both so ridiculously brave. Zack is 

a tad on the reckless side. You're more quiet... more... intense."

"What does that mean?" Cloud looked at her dubiously. He had never been called 

'intense' before.

"What it means is... you think about things too deeply, Cloud. There are things 

in your mind that you... you worry too much about."

Cloud went back to drawing on the sand.



"Cloud... are you happy?"

"What? Of course I am."

"Then why are you having such dreams..."

Cloud looked at Aeris abruptly.

"You see me. Looking at you with a sad expression on my face. You try to reach 

out, but you can't..."

"Aeris!

She looked at him, her face now taking on that expression Cloud had seen in his 

mind.

"What is it you wanted to tell me..?" Cloud asked.

"I wasn't sad, Cloud. I was worried. About you."

"Me?"

"Your mind is full of doubt. Guilt. Sadness. It shouldn't be this way, Cloud."

"I... I let you DIE, Aeris. I'd do anything to turn it back. To change 

things..."

"Cloud, no."

She held his hand, tightly and sternly. Her eyes were strong and resolute as she 

looked into his.

"Things had to happen the way they did. There was nothing you could do. Nothing. 

If I didn't do what I did, all of the planet... and beyond... would have been 

lost. You know that, don't you?"

Cloud slowly nodded. 

"It doesn't mean I have to like it. If there had been another way...

You... you really can't stay, can you?"

"No. This body isn't mine, Cloud. It would be wrong to steal someone else's 

time... someone else's life."

"The same way it was wrong that you had to die. To lose YOUR future..."

"Cloud, do you know what my life was before you and the others met me? 

I was lonely and confused. Isolated. I loved mom and was never lacking at home, 

but there was always something missing. I would always feel incomplete, being 

the only Cetra in the world.

I could never leave Midgar. I spent all my life there. I might have died there, 

or perhaps been taken by Shinra eventually. Then all would have been lost, I 

guess.

My life... and my future, as would everyone else's, would have meant nothing 

then.

But then, I met you, Cloud.

I was able to leave Midgar. I was able to travel the world and see more of the 

world in the short time we had than in all the years I lived in the slums. I 

fought for the planet. I discovered my heritage. I fulfilled my destiny...



... and I was able to find my Promised Land."



Aeris' eyes were misty as Cloud turned to her. There was joy in her green orbs, 

something Cloud had rarely seen in this intensity.

"Cloud... It's wonderful. All that I have ever dreamed and more. Thanks to you 

and everyone, I was able to find it... and save it from those who would destroy 

it.

All that, I was able to accomplish... with your help. I have no regrets about 

what I did with my life, Cloud. I would do it again, if I had to."

"And I'd probably go through it with you, again, if I had to." Cloud murmured.

Aeris leaned against Cloud, and he gently placed his arm about her shoulders. In 

the horizon, a colorful explosion of fireworks began lighting up the sky above 

Gold Saucer.



"We made a great team, didn't we?"



"Yes. Who knows, Cloud. We may be again. Some other place, some other time..."



Cloud smiled. He looked at Aeris, squeezing her hand gently.

"Promise me, Cloud. Promise me that you will be happy. With Tifa."

"... 

... I promise."

"No regrets, okay?"

"Okay."

For many minutes, they sat there, watching the fireworks silently.

"I guess we should be going back now..." Aeris stood up, dusting off the sand 

from her pants.

"Wait."

She looked at him, somewhat surprised. "Hmmm?"

"We have one more place to visit."

"Where?"







MIDGAR. THE OLD CHURCH.





"Here Aunt Elmyra! Look at these!"

"Oh, those are beautiful, Marlene."

"Do you think Aeris will like them?"

"I'm sure she will."



At the sound of her name, Aeris swallowed hard. She eased slightly from where 

she stood in the shadows, to get a look at her beloved stepmother and Barret's 

adopted daughter.

They were all in the abandoned church in Midgar, deep underground. Miraculously, 

the chaos and destruction that had struck most of Shinra's former capital had 

spared the slums.... in particular, the church had sustained no damage.

Though virtually everyone had moved out of Midgar afterwards, Elmyra still 

visited the church where Aeris used to pick her wares. 

"I think that's enough, Marlene." said Elmyra, kneeling down and sifting over 

the blossoms.

"Put that one in too!" answered Marlene enthusiastically.



Aeris watched them fiddle with the flowers. She felt tears come to her eyes as 

she did. Part of her so much wanted to just step out and embrace the two before 

her. 

But...



"You could go to them..." came a voice behind Aeris.



"No, Cloud." she answered, trying to blink away the tears. 

"How could I? Just walk out, as if nothing had happened. Only to tell her that I 

was leaving again and this time, forever...  It would do more harm than good."

Cloud bowed his head. 

"You're right... I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"It's all right."



Aeris looked again, just in time to see both Elmyra and Marlene leave, hand in 

hand. In a few moments, they were gone.

"It's enough for me to have seen them with my own eyes... one last time."

She stepped from behind the pillar, walking to the flower patch where she had so 

often knelt down years before.



"It would be better for them both if they were just to forget me..."

Aeris stopped.



A bouquet of flowers lay on the flower mound, set lovingly in place.



The Flower Girl stared at it for a moment, then knelt down, taking the object in 

hands that had begun to tremble.

"Never say that." said Cloud, stepping forward to stand by his friend.

Aeris looked up at him, tears flowing down her cheeks, yet a smile on her lips.

"People don't forget the ones they love. That's the way they are."







As they walked back to where Aerial waited patiently, Aeris held the bouquet of 

flowers to her chest. She smelled the fragrant blossoms, her eyes closed. 



"Cloud." Aeris said, quietly.



"Yes?"



"It's time."



Cloud stiffened slightly, his lips pursed. After a moment though, he nodded. He 

stopped and looked at his dear friend in the eye.



"I love you, you know that."



"I know. And I love you too, Cloud."



Aeris leaned forward, to kiss him gently on the cheek. Cloud responded by 

embracing her tightly. For a moment, they were there, silent and unmoving.

Finally, Cloud stood back, his mako-eyes somewhat misty.



"Well, let's go. The others are probably waiting."





























FAREWELL.





They all stood on the Highwind's bridge. Before them, the North Crater. It was 

nightfall, just before midnight.



Aeris watched as they slowly approached the place where it would all end. Or 

begin. It was how you looked at it. She turned to look at her friends.

Silence. The bridge was silent, from Cloud, who stood looking out the main 

window, to the young uniformed pilot.

"Everyone." she said, her voice like crystal through the quiet bridge.

"I would like to thank you all... for being with me through everything."

She walked into their midst.

"We shared so much together... and I know how you fought so hard after I 

returned to the Planet. 

I died. I gave my life for the Planet, and the Promised Land. I did so with my 

own free will, to save what is dear to me. That includes all of you.

I cannot go back into the Promised Land... not without regrets... unless I know 

that you are all truly all right."

She looked to each of them in turn.



Caet Sith nodded.

"I've learned how it is to be strong... for me and for other people. I've met so 

many new friends who look up to me and listen to me. I want to continue to be 

strong... for all of them." 



Barret stepped forward, his eyes on Aeris.

"I have the people of Midgar... who need me and count on me to be there for 

them. I got me the best friends in the world... and out of the world... and most 

of all, I got my daughter... who's growing more beautiful each day. Each morning 

those are all the things I need to keep on going."



"I have new dreams. New places to go. And a smart woman to go home to." Cid 

said, simply. 



"I have the promise of a future." said Red XIII, his good eye sparkling as he 

looked at Aeris.



"I have..." Tifa stopped, considering. 

"I... I have friends whom I can count on and can count on me."



"More than just friends."



Cloud stepped forward, to Tifa's side. He took her hand in his.

"You have more than just a friend."

Tifa looked at him in surprise, her brown eyes wide. 

"Cloud...!" she said, feeling her cheeks redden. 

Yet she didn't let go of his hand.



Aeris smiled, nodding.

"Then are you happy, Cloud?"

"I am. Or will be."



Tifa walked over to Aeris, embracing her. The others followed suit, to touch and 

hug their friend one last time. Cloud was the last, the intensity of his embrace 

undiminished.



"Well... I guess this is it." said Aeris. Her eyes went to the silent Phineas, 

who had been watching silently all this time.

"We're going to get her back."

"I trust you." he answered.

"All right. Prepare to disembark." said Cid, quietly.

"Uhh... captain...?"

It was one of the crewmembers. 

"What is it?" 

"Me and the others were all so touched by everything. We thought it would be 

nice if there was something we could remember Miss Aeris by..."

Cid stared at the object the man held in his hands. It was a camera.

He looked at Aeris.



The Flower Girl smiled, shrugging.

"Why not?"









































DESCENT.





The air was chill as they disembarked from the Highwind. The green glow of the 

Lifestream cast the whole interior of the Crater with a faint green tint.

"It is as it was before..." murmured Red XIII.

"What does that mean?" said Barret.

"As before... I HAVE NO IDEA."

"DANG!"

"Guys, guys..." Tifa couldn't help chuckling.



Aeris, in the lead, looked about. A worried expression was on her face.

"Something wrong?" Cloud asked.

"Evil still walks the Crater. Still left from the war. It may try to harm us."

"Like that Iron Man?"

"Yes. Perhaps, even greater."

Cloud looked at the others. They were all armed. As prepared as they could ever 

be. Phineas still looked quite uneasy, but he held his sceptre firmly.

"We'll clean up any dirt we find." said the ex-SOLDIER finally.

"I trust you, Cloud."



They began to descend further into the Crater.





Aeris stood at the edge of the cliff before the Lifestream. She looked at her 

friends one last time, and nodded.

Till next time, everyone.

She turned, to kneel down on the ground, her hands clasped.

Then, she began to pray.



Cloud stiffened. The way she prayed... it was so much like...

The Shell Palace.

He bowed his head, the image making him wince.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back.

"Cloud." It was Tifa. Her eyes were so gentle and caring that Cloud just had to 

smile. 

"I'm all right."

"You're not the only one who has deja vu." she said.

"..."

"Remember." Tifa contined. "We were all there, too."

"Yeah."



Aeris smiled, as she felt her prayers being answered. From the ground around 

her, greenish light began to glow. Smotes of Lifestream energy began playing 

about her form like fireflies.



Then came a tremor.



Cid turned slightly, his eyes alarmed.



Another tremor. And another. And yet another.



"Shit." He brought up his lance, taking a deep pull in his cigarette with his 

free hand.

"Something's coming." growled Red XIII.



Nearer to the praying Aeris, Cloud, Tifa and Phineas felt the tremors as well. 

In particular, Cloud and the travelling chronicler recognized the sound. But 

they couldn't believe it.

"Oh, no..."



From the darkness lumbered the menacing figure of the Iron Man... huge sword in 

hand, the ground shuddering with each ponderous step. The heroes' eyes widened. 

The huge gaping holes and tears in the monster's shoulder and head marked this 

one as the same Iron Man they had dispatched several days before!

"Back for more, eh?!" yelled Cid, setting his lance.

"Darn it! That thing's one helluva...!" Barret opened up with his gun-arm, 

glowing projectiles thudding into the monster's metal hide.

The golem kept walking, even going faster. 

Cid yelled in surprise as he jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding getting his 

head caved in by the behemoth's giant metal foot. Red XIII pounced, his claws 

scraping against the monster's shin. He landed on the other side, growling in 

astonishment. 

The monster ignored them. 

Barret's bullets bounced off or just caused superficial damage. If anything, the 

Iron Man went even faster. 

"It's not after us! It's going after-" 



"Aeris." 

Cloud breathed in realization. He watched as the golem shoved it's way past the 

others. Caet Sith waved his hands, shouting magical words into his megaphone. 

A sheet of flame billowed upward to engulf the monster.

The Iron Man stepped out of it, still moving forward.

Towards Aeris.

It wants to kill her. Does it know?

Cloud readied his sword.



Tifa shouted, drawing upon her reserves of power. She sidestepped a giant foot, 

and then launched a crushing kick at the monster's ankle, where the foot met the 

leg.

Any normal foe would have been crippled by her blow.

The Iron Man just kept walking, hardly slowing.

Tifa gnashed her teeth in frustration, her leg still ringing from the impact. 

She could only watch, rubbing her limb frantically, as the giant warrior rapidly 

approached Cloud, Phineas and Aeris.



Cloud watched the giant approach, and he slowly raised his blade. 

Back then, it was like this. Aeris was beside me... helpless in prayer. I could 

only watch as she died...

The Iron Man was nearly above him, the giant sword slowly being raised for the 

death blow.

I couldn't do anything then. 

Cloud called upon every iota of his strength, readying for the strike to end his 

nightmare.

Never again.

The Iron Man clanked into place, the evil sword poised to cleave both target and 

defender in twain.



CRESCENT GALE SLASH!!!



Cloud screamed, his voice rising above the din of the battle. He swung his sword 

in a perfect circle, cleaving the very air. A high pitched whine, shrieked 

towards his enemy, the ground before him kicking up dust in it's wake. The Iron 

Man was struck full in the chest by an invisible force, and the behemoth 

staggered back. For a moment, it just stood there, motionless.

Then, it suddenly fell apart.

In two pieces it collapsed to the ground, the crater shuddering with the dull 

impact. 

When the smoke and dust cleared, the Iron Man's ruined remains were silent and 

unmoving.



Cloud resumed breathing.

"YES!" shouted Tifa, jumping up.

Barret and the others ran up, their faces full of relief.

"Cloud."

The ex-SOLDIER turned, to face the woman he had just saved.

Aeris Gainsborough, her form wreathed by Lifestream energy, smiled. The same 

smile she had smiled that time, two years ago.

"I knew Cloud would protect me."  she said. But her voice seemed not to come 

from her lips. Cloud felt the words in his mind.

"I'm your bodyguard, remember?"  Cloud answered, smiling. 

"I remember."



The Flower Girl's form became indistinct, the light growing brighter and 

brighter. As the others approached, soon all that could be seen of Aeris was her 

silhouette.

"Goodbye, everyone. Next time... I'll be the one who will welcome you..."



"Aeris." Tifa whispered, staring into the glow.

"Goodbye, girl." Cid said, his hand on his chest.

"Bye." said Caet Sith.

"We will meet again." Red XIII nodded.

"Be seeing ya..." Barret wiped his eyes.



"Goodbye. For now..." Cloud smiled.



"Phineas..." 



The scribe's eyes widened. He stepped forward, towards the glow.

That last voice... 

"FOXY?!" he cried.

As if in response, the glow suddenly diminished, and the light died down. 





Foxy Reddington, dressed in the Highwind uniform, now stood before them.

"Hi, guys..." she said.

Then she slowly slumped to the ground.



"Uhhh..." she breathed, finally feeling the sensation of touch and other mortal 

senses. Everything was spinning, she thought.

Then suddenly, she felt the comforting presence of someone's arms around her. 

She struggled to open her eyes, but the heaviness prevented it. At that moment, 

she inhaled, smelling a strangely familiar scent... an odd mix of cloth, cologne 

and... ink.

"Phineas." she said, smiling. 

Comforted, she let the darkness take her for now.



"Foxy..." Phineas said, as he knelt on the ground, the girl's unconsious body in 

his arms.

"Is she...?" Tifa drew closer, her eyes full of concern.

"She's breathing. I think she's just tired." said Phineas, smiling in relief.

"That's-"



An inhuman shriek sliced through the air, forcing everyone to look up. 

"Damn! Razorwings!" yelled Barret, raising his weapon hand.

"And a lot of them...!" Caet Sith began shouting into his megaphone. 

"Looks like they're throwing everything they have left at us..." 

Cloud turned to Phineas.

"Go! Make for the Highwind! We'll take care of this!"

"I can't..."

Cloud cut him off.

"We can handle this! But Foxy needs help... NOW! GO!"



Phineas nodded. Without another word, he gathered up his unconsious companion 

and began hobbling towards the path back to the top.

Uff... I really must work out...  he thought.



Suddenly, another shriek, closer this time, rose above the din. Phineas looked 

back, just in time to see one of the bat-winged monsters swooping down at him.

"AH!" he yelled, ducking. He felt razor-sharp claws tear at the air where he was 

but seconds before.



"Damn!" yelled Cloud, seeing Phineas go down. He seemed all right, but the thing 

was already making for another pass...

Another razorwing flew at Cloud, forcing him to parry an attack. Still another 

clawed at him, forcing him back.



Phineas held Foxy close as he watched the battle. Everything seemed to move in 

slow motion. The others were all preoccupied and far away. He looked up, seeing 

the horrible bat-creature start to descend at them. 

His rod was several yards away, dropped when he fell. He could try to reach it, 

but he couldn't leave Foxy.

Never again.

He watched, quietly, as the razorwing approached.

Soon, it was close enough for him to see it's face.

Oh... no eyes. Well, I guess that would've made the Silver Rod useless...

He rolled over, putting Foxy's body underneath him, shielding her with his own 

body.

The razorwing shrieked, the way it always does before a kill.



"I love you, Foxy Reddington." he whispered into Foxy's ear.



Then, came the light.



"..."

A death scream filled the air.

Phineas opened his eyes. It was not his death cry. It was the razorwing!

He looked up, to see someone standing over him... long brown hair blowing in the 

wind, pink dress fluttering about.

Aeris the Flower Girl stood before the two travellers, just as she looked during 

the quest. Her form was straight, strong and warm, with the light of the 

Lifestream surrounding her with a nimbus of holy light. 

The light grew brighter, and soon everyone in the Crater sensed the power. Cloud 

and the others turned, joyfully seeing what they thought they would never see 

again.

Aeris was with them. In battle.

 

"Thank you, Foxy."  said Aeris, smiling. "For everything."

"Least I could do." 



Mere hours before dawn, the North Crater lit up as bright as the day.