I braced myself as Corneo's monstrous pet charged at us, its barbed tail whipping around it. The thing's roar split my eardrums, but I didn't waver. I kept my fists up as Cloud and Aerith readied their weapons. A large tattoo on the monster's left shoulder read "Abzu" over a red heart with a sword running through it. Abzu's hoofed, cloven feet stomped at us across the stone floor as it got close.
"Spread out!" Cloud ordered. "Surround it!"
Aerith and I did as he said, fanning out to either side of him so we could come at Abzu from three different directions and keep the thing off balance as much as we could. Aerith sped to the left while I dashed over to the right and Cloud took the middle. Abzu swung a huge fist at him, but he dodged it easily, rolling aside and countering with a pair of quick slashes to the monster's arm.
At the same time, I focused my energy, ran in, and let loose with a brutal chain of punches and kicks into Abzu's blackened and burnt side where Jessie had blasted it with her grenade two years ago. Then I kept the pressure on with a charged fist followed by a pair of diving kicks to the monster's ribs. Abzu snarled in pain and swiped at me with its fists, but I backflipped out of range as Aerith scorched its horns with a blast of fire magic from her materia.
Abzu staggered back, then roared and jumped, clinging to the wall for a moment and eying us warily. Lifting my right arm, I let loose with an ice spell that bit into the monster's hide with a piercing shot of cold. Cloud got the same idea, shouldering his sword and shocking Abzu in the back with a fork of lighting while Aerith continued burning it with more fire. Abzu grunted, writhing under the magical assault, and then gathered itself as it prepared to spring at us.
"It's gonna jump!" I called.
Abzu leaped, faster than I'd thought possible with its huge bulk, as we backed away. It caught Aerith before she could escape, pouncing on her and driving her to the floor. She shrieked as the monster snarled at her and slammed a clenched fist toward her face. But although she got her mythril staff up above her just in time to block the assault, she still couldn't roll away. She was trapped.
But then Cloud was there, leaping through the air with his massive sword held high. He came down on Abzu's back with a yell, slicing and dicing for all he was worth. And I was right behind him, showering the beast with blow after blow from my fists and feet and the occasional ice spell until finally Abzu fell back with a roar and stumbled away. Cloud kept the pressure on while I went to Aerith.
"You okay?" I asked, helping her get to her feet.
She nodded. "I'll be fine, Tifa. Let's go!"
We shared a determined glanced, then ran after Cloud. He was still trading blows with Abzu, blocking what attacks he could with his huge sword while cutting at the monster again and again. Aerith unleashed a tempest of magical energy, flower petals floating all around her, while I backed Cloud up with a focused strike into Abzu's other side. I added a quick chain of jabs, hooks, and spinning kicks for good measure while Cloud followed up with more lightning.
Abzu growled, driving us back with a sweep of its arms, then came right at me, totally enraged now. Its heavy footsteps were like thunder, making the floor tremble as it charged. I tried to get out of the way, but Abzu was faster, sending me skyward with a brutal headbutt and a pair of quick punches that hurled me into the wall.
I cried out, pain exploding everywhere at the impact, and fell into the murky water at the base of the wall with a splash and a groan as tile shattered around me. I coughed on the dust and struggled to stand up, somehow making it out of the narrow channel and onto my knees. But Abzu was still coming, practically berserk as it bore down on me, and I braced myself for another blow.
Aerith darted in between us though, her staff held high, and sent a line of bright white energy slamming into Abzu, driving it back. And a moment later, Cloud was there, slashing furiously with his sword as he unleashed a trio of quick slices followed by a single focused thrust that went deep into the monster's side.
Then I felt a cool, refreshing breeze wash over me, and the pain of my injuries faded, at least enough that I could stand and keep fighting. I smiled gratefully at Aerith as her healing energy swept across both of us as well as Cloud, then narrowed my eyes as I gazed intently at Abzu again. It was time to finish this.
While Aerith covered me with her magic, blasts of fire bursting left and right as they burned Abzu's tough, leathery hide, I rushed in, dove low, then rose up with a series of devastating punches culminating in a fierce uppercut to its jaw before I jumped away and prepared to deliver more pain. Cloud followed up with a set of three deep slashes at angles to each other that left trails of amber energy behind. Then Abzu froze, paralyzed by the energy of Cloud's attack.
"Gotcha now!" I smirked, setting myself up.
Arms out to either side, I leaned forward, then charged, shattering Abzu's jaw with a forward somersault kick to its face while Aerith blew apart one of its horns with another burst of fire. Cloud finished the job, jumping high into the air and driving his sword into Abzu's chest with a spinning overhead chop. The monster gurgled and groaned, falling to the floor with a crash, and lay still.
Aerith nodded in satisfaction. "Looks like Corneo won't be feeding anyone else to this thing. Down it went!"
"The big ones really do fall harder," I agreed.
"You two alright?" Cloud asked.
Aerith smiled. "Yep! A little banged up, but nothing serious. Looks like you're in pretty good shape yourself."
He shouldered his sword. "Yeah. We need to move."
"Are we... too late?" I sank back to my knees as the reality of what was going on suddenly flooded back to me. "Jessie... Biggs... Barret... and everyone else in Sector 7..."
"Don't give up," Aerith knelt down next to me.
I looked at her. "But..."
She took my shoulder. "It's not easy to bring down the pillar, right? And I'm sure Jessie knows how to disarm whatever bomb they're using to try and destroy it. There's still hope, Tifa."
"You're right," I breathed, feeling as if a weight had lifted from me. "We can do this. Let's go save everyone."
For the second time, I let Aerith help me to my feet. I felt more like myself by the time I stood up, and seeing Cloud's firm resolve reflected in his eyes helped me to steady my own. Without a word, he started on down the tunnel, jogging at a brisk pace as Aerith and I followed close behind him and we all hurried toward Sector 7.
— — — — — — —
"Director Tuesti, sir!" the secretary protested as I stormed into the lower office on the 69th floor. "The president is in a meeting right now. I'm afraid you'll have to—"
"I'll do no such thing!" I snapped. "Move aside!"
The young woman swallowed and did I as I ordered, and I hurried up the wide stairs to the 70th floor and President Shinra's vast, spacious office. A huge desk made of black metal dominated the back half of the room, and behind it, floor to ceiling windows looked out over Midgar. If Sector 7 fell, the president would easily be able to witness it from up here. Knowing him, I was certain he'd watch. Lamps and potted plants stood here and there, and a door to the right led out to the roof and his private helipad. It was empty at the moment.
Just as I'd suspected, the president was meeting with Heidegger, the director of Peace Preservation. I hated him. With a dark green military uniform and a Shinra logo pin on his lapel, he was the very picture of a general, and a brutal, eager smile creased his seamed face as he stroked his long, thick black beard. It made my blood boil to think about what he'd done to Amanda and Jessica all those years ago. I hadn't been able to save Amanda, but her daughter was another story. And I intended to keep her safe no matter what it took.
"Are we on schedule?" the president asked.
Heidegger cackled in that hideous horse laugh of his. "Indeed! The Turks are on it, sir. There will be no delays."
"Sir!" I strode up to the desk. "You can't do this!"
"Who invited you to this meeting?" Heidegger snorted.
I glared at him. "I have every right to be here. The Sector 7 slums is home to more than 50,000 people! To say nothing of those who live on the plate itself. We can't just exterminate them!"
"Director Tuesti," the president sighed.
"This is madness!" I went on. "Avalanche consists of only a handful of individuals. Are we really going to do this? Destroy an entire section of the city and countless lives to wipe them out!?"
President Shinra leaned forward. "You want to leave?"
"No," I shook my head. "But I'm the head of Urban Development. I helped build this city. That's why—"
Heidegger held his nose. "Go flush your crap, Reeve! The stench of your abject cowardice fills the room yet again. You're as pathetic as you are powerless. A man without a spine."
There had to be a way I could force them to abort this mad plan. It couldn't be allowed to go forward, but I didn't see how I could possibly stop it. Then I remembered what Jessica had entrusted to me long ago, hard evidence of Heidegger's responsibility for several of the atrocities that had happened in Midgar over the years. Jessica had risked her life to find it and bring it to me before leaving Shinra.
"Powerless, am I?" I said. "Then how about this? I have undeniable proof that you orchestrated the Reactor 3 massacre four years ago. Not only that, you and Scarlet were behind the destruction of Corel as well. And you sabotaged your wife's train three years ago, destroying it along with the Sector 5 station, killing her and so many others. She was going to leave you, exposing you if necessary, and you murdered her! You are the coward here, Heidegger. Not me."
His dark eyes narrowed. "Proof? What proof? And even if you did have it, just what do you plan on doing with it?"
"Let's just say that my evidence comes from a very reliable source," I said. "Don't play dumb with me. I know you know she knows. It's why you tried to kill her and have spent the last few years searching for her. If you don't rescind those orders to the Turks immediately, I'll see to it that this information goes public. Tonight."
"What!?" Heidegger's face turned a satisfying shade of red.
I went on, twisting the knife. "Your daughter was quite thorough in what she gathered. It'll be on all the news stations across Midgar. You'll be finished, Heidegger. You know the president won't allow anything to tarnish the company's image. This would destroy it."
The president rose from his desk. "That will be all, Director Tuesti. The investigations of those events are long since over. Accusing one of your fellow directors of such heinous crimes may lead you into a great deal of trouble if you aren't careful."
"But sir!" I protested.
"Whatever evidence you think you may have is irrelevant," he said, taking out a cigar. "Project Firestorm will proceed as planned. And the incidents you spoke of will remain classified indefinitely. Do not make the mistake of attempting to release the information covertly. It would not work out well for you if you did."
I sighed. "At least let us issue a warning!"
"Progress requires sacrifice," President Shinra replied. "Live with it. The mako is beginning to run dry, Director. And unless we act now, we won't be able to provide power and energy for the people of this city. It all comes down to numbers, you see."
"Numbers, sir?" I folded my arms in front of me.
He nodded. "To save the many, we must sacrifice the few. Letting a few thousand die now saves tens of thousands of lives later. Surely you can appreciate that. Cold, simple numbers."
I didn't believe a word of it. "The mayor won't allow this!"
"Mayor?" Heidegger sneered. "That fool just sits in this building all day feeding his face and reading his books! You call that a mayor? He's a nitwit that does whatever we tell him."
I knew better, of course, but I wasn't about to say so. Domino and I had conferred frequently over the years, both of us united in our desire to improve things for the people of Midgar. Although he appeared just a foolish old man to Heidegger and the others, he and his assistant had long worked in secret to undermine Shinra and change it from within. He had his eccentricities, but he was a good man at heart. He'd help me fight this terrible plan if he could.
I narrowed my eyes. "He still runs this city, Heidegger."
"No, Reeve," he laughed that insane horse laugh again. "We run the city. He just gets to pretend he does. Now why don't you two go have a little cry in the corner while we do what needs to be done! I grow tired of all your whining and complaining."
"Damn you..." I growled.
He turned to President Shinra and saluted. "If you'll excuse me, sir. I have preparations to make. I trust my men, but I intend to be ready if things don't go as expected."
The president puffed on his cigar. "Of course, General."
With that, Heidegger grinned smugly at me, then left. As I watched him go, President Shinra walked around his desk until he stood next to me. All my efforts, and I hadn't been able to convince him to abort this catastrophe. But I wasn't giving up. I intended to meet Domino next to figure out if there was anything else we could do.
"Go on, Reeve," he said. "You don't look very well. Take some time off and rest. It'll be over soon."
I shook my head. "No, sir. I'm fine."
He shrugged. "If you insist. But it won't change anything. The plan is in motion. It's probably beginning right at this very moment, in fact. There will be no dawn... for Avalanche."
— — — — — — —
The sewer tunnels went on and on, twisting and turning again and again like a maze. Yet there was a certain order to it, and I was sure we could make our way through it and find a way out. I'd been down here before, but not often—Jessie and I had used them once to escape from an ambush after a scouting mission to a Shinra supply depot. Her first real job as a member of Avalanche. I smiled faintly at the memory even as I worried terribly for her.
"Tifa?" Cloud glanced over at me.
We had stopped for just a moment to catch a quick breather, and I was trying to remember which way to go. It did seem familiar, and as I stood there, I tried to picture it all in my mind. The sound of dripping water filled the air. So did the rank smell of sewage and muck. I figured I'd have to get some new boots when this was over.
"Just thinking," I said. "These tunnels are connected. We should be able to use them to get back to Sector 7. Jessie and I did. It was about a year and a half ago, not long after she joined us."
"Sure we're not lost?" Aerith asked from behind us.
I shook my head. "I know the way. There should be a big canal not far ahead of us. Let's find that first."
She and Cloud nodded, and we went on. The ceiling here was low, only a couple feet above our heads, and water flowed along the base of the walls on either side of the path in narrow channels like in the room where we'd fought Abzu. The odor made my nose curl, but I did what I could to ignore it and keep going.
"Ugh, it reeks down here," Aerith muttered.
I agreed. "You're not kidding. I could really kill for a nice, long hot shower right about now."
She laughed. "You and me both!"
We found the canal just a few minutes later as the tunnel we'd been following opened into a larger chamber. At first, I wasn't sure how we'd get across it—the canal was full of water, unlike the last time I'd been in here with Jessie. Shinra did have maintenance workers that came down into the sewers from time to time to make adjustments and check that everything was still running. I supposed one of them might've opened the sluice gate. We'd just have to shut it again.
We managed it easily enough, though, after finding the valve wheel nearby. It squealed in protest as Cloud turned it, but he got it done, and the water flowed out just seconds later. When it was gone, we took the ladder by the edge and descended into the canal. It was kinda dark, but not wide, and it didn't take us long to reach the far side and climb up a ladder to get out of the canal again. Another narrow, smelly tunnel was ahead of us, and we plunged inside.
"Hey, Cloud," I said as we went along, "What do you think Shinra's really up to? They've gotta have some kind of endgame. Blowing up an entire chunk of the city to wipe us out is overkill."
He nodded. "It's psychotic. And they can't profit from it, either. It'd cost way too much to rebuild. Something else is going on here, Tifa. It's not just about getting back at us. Can't be."
I agreed with him but couldn't for the life of me figure out what the real goal of this whole thing might be. It didn't make any sense. But we didn't have time to worry about that now. We had to get back to Sector 7 and save everyone. Fear nagged at me, ate at me like a hungry dog. It chilled me to think that we might be too late. I tried to think of Aerith's words of encouragement that she'd given me after we had beaten Abzu, but they seemed far away, distant.
We stopped after a moment when the tunnel split not far ahead of us and went off into three different directions. One kept going forward, another bent slightly to the left, and the third one slanted a little to the right. But which tunnel led to Sector 7?
"Well, here's a problem," Aerith looked at each in turn.
I frowned. "I don't remember this..."
We took another breather while I wracked my mind trying to find out which way to go. I went over my earlier journey through here with Jessie over and over again, trying to find some clue that might help us. Had she and I come this way? Or had she found a different route for us to take? It had been a long time since I'd been down here, and some of the details of our journey were hard to remember. But as I stood there, I realized something, and suddenly I knew.
"That way!" I pointed to the left tunnel, smiling.
Aerith blinked. "You remembered?"
I chuckled. "Not exactly. But the air doesn't smell as bad in there. It must mean it's closer to the surface. Jessie told me when we were down here that following your nose in a place like this is the best way to keep from getting lost. It's how we got home."
We got moving again, jogging along the tunnel until it opened out into another large chamber. This one I knew right away, and I felt a bit better knowing we were finally getting close to getting out of this place. There was another canal here, full of water, but there was also a narrow bridge that stretched all the way across it.
"The trunk line," I said. "We cross this and we're in Sector 7. From there, we can find a way back to the surface."
"I'll go first," Cloud told us.
Aerith and I watched as he stepped lightly onto the bridge, his eyes fixed ahead of him. He made the crossing carefully and easily, just as a trained SOLDIER would. Once he was safely on the far side, I followed him, moving lightly across the bridge. Aerith came last, wobbling a bit as she did but getting to the other side safely. Then we hurried into the next tunnel, our footsteps echoing in the gloom.
I sighed as I took the lead again. "Can't stop thinking about it. The plate, I mean. It scares me, you know?"
"Me too," Aerith nodded. "But the future's not set, Tifa."
"I hope you're right," I said.
She smiled and caught up to me while Cloud trailed a little behind us. "Okay, then. How 'bout this? After we save Sector 7, what's the first thing you're gonna do? Something fun."
It wasn't hard to figure out, actually. "I'm gonna go shopping. Get a few decorations for the bar. Topside, now that I think about it. They've got some nice stores up there. I'll get coasters, decorations... oh, and... that's right! It's you, isn't it! I just remembered!"
"What do you mean?" Aerith asked.
"You must be the girl Biggs was telling me about," I told her. "He's a friend of mine, originally from Sector 5. Same place as you. He said his sister knew someone who grew real flowers and sold them on the plate. I'm guessing that's you, Aerith."
She laughed. "Yep! Sure is! Lena's a friend, though I don't know her that well. But if you want flowers for the bar, I'm your girl! I grow them in my yard as well as at the church Cloud told you about. We'll go grab as many of them as you want, Tifa."
"You'll go shopping with me, right?" I asked.
"Of course!" Aerith agreed. "And we should bring Jessie along, too. Make it a real girls' day out!"
I smiled. "I think she'd like that."
"Cloud can carry all our stuff!" she grinned. "He'll be our bag boy! I'm sure Jessie can sweet talk him into it."
"Definitely!" I smirked.
He blinked. "What'd you say?"
I chuckled. "Nothing!"
We came to another canal a few minutes later. The bridge across it didn't look as sturdy as the last one, though. I went first this time, then Aerith followed after me. Cloud started across once we'd both gotten to the far side, and he moved quickly to try and join us. Too quickly, as it turned out. He had almost reached us when he suddenly missed a step and the bridge collapsed out from under him.
"Cloud!" I called.
Aerith reached down with her staff just in time, though, and Cloud caught the end of it right before he'd have fallen into the swirling water. She strained to pull him up, and I grabbed hold of the staff and helped her bring him up to safety.
"Hold on tight!" Aerith told him.
He did, and when we finally got him up, he grimaced. "Sorry about that. Should've paid more attention."
She patted his arm. "It's okay. No harm done."
"We know you're worried about Jessie," I added. "But if anyone can save her, it's you. It'll be alright."
"Yeah," he said, his fists tightening. "I'll save her."
I knew he would. I had to believe it. Gently squeezing his shoulder for a moment, I took the lead again as we moved into another tunnel. I had a pretty good idea of where we were, but I didn't think it was quite the same place Jessie and I had exited from. Still, we were close, and so I started looking for a ladder and told the others to do the same. We all kept our eyes peeled, and it wasn't long before we found one. It was in a larger chamber with a pool of murky water on one side.
"Over there!" Aerith pointed.
I nodded. "I see it, Aerith. That's our ticket outta here. Hopefully it won't be too far from the pillar."
Cloud started toward it. "Then let's move."
I was just getting ready to do that when I noticed a small sparkle of yellow near the railing by the water's edge. Motioning for the others to wait, I went over and took a closer look. It was a materia, command by the color. There were several different kinds. Yellow materia allows you to use extra skills and abilities or enhance ones you've already got. As I picked up the orb, I sensed it was Steal. I'd heard about it, along with a lot of thieves and bandits in the slums, naturally.
Although you don't actually need to use the materia to steal items, of course, it makes it a lot easier by increasing your speed significantly for a short time when it's activated. That makes swiping stuff from bad guys a lot easier, and when the materia grows strong enough, it lets you move so fast that you can both steal and attack at the same time. I gave the yellow orb a little toss in my hand, then set it neatly into one of the empty slots of my new mythril bangle.
I was just turning to go back to the others when suddenly six large creatures leaped out of the water behind me. I dove away, fists up when I got to my feet. Cloud and Aerith rushed to join me, weapons ready as the monsters landed. They were like humanoid turtles, with shells and all, and brandished wicked-looking tridents.
"Sahagins!" I told the others. "Jessie and I ran into a few back when we were down here. They can be tough."
Cloud's eyes narrowed. "Not tough enough."
"We're not delicious!" Aerith incinerated a sahagin with burst after burst of flame. "Not even a little! I swear! I don't taste good. Even with salt! Or pepper. And you can forget the oregano."
I laid into another with a flurry of punches. "Me either, but I don't think they care. They hurt Jessie pretty bad when we fought them. I got her outta there, but it was still a close call."
Cloud growled. "Now they've really pissed me off."
Then he darted in, sweeping his sword across and sending three of the sahagins flying back. One of them landed in the water with a splash and didn't come back. Another tried to stand, but a swift chain of slices from Cloud's blade kept it down. I hit the third one with a shot of cold that left it screeching in pain as it stumbled back, and then I finished it off with a high roundhouse kick to its ugly, greenish face. It dropped its trident and tumbled limply to the floor.
That left two. Cloud and I stood back to back as they rushed at us, and between my fists, his sword, and Aerith's magic, they didn't last too long. They managed to get a few minor cuts and bruises in on us, but it was nothing serious. The side of my shoulder stung a bit from where a trident had caught me. After shouldering his sword, Cloud focused on his materia and used the Restore that Jessie had given him to see to our injuries. The pain faded in the wake of the spell's healing energy, and a wind from Aerith refreshed us, too.
"Well, the worst is over," she sighed in relief.
But she'd barely finished talking when over a dozen more sahagins suddenly exploded from the water and leaped over the railing, tridents ready in their clawed hands. They croaked to each other as they moved toward us, and I supposed that was their way of communicating. But I didn't feel like learning the language today.
Aerith swallowed. "Then again..."
"Up the ladder!" Cloud ordered. "Now!"
We did as he said while he drew his sword and kept the sahagins at bay. Aerith went first, then I climbed after her only a few seconds later. Once we were both about halfway up, Cloud put his sword away again and came last. The sahagins hissed but didn't follow us as we made our escape and quickly moved out of their reach.
The ladder rose high and long as we climbed, which meant it went all the way to the surface. I could feel air above us, free of the stench of the sewers, but there was something odd about it. It wasn't fresh. It was cold, still. I shivered, wondering what it meant.
Aerith was almost at the top when she suddenly stopped, blinking as if she'd just remembered something. Then she looked down past me at Cloud and blushed a deep red. What was the matter with her? I held onto the ladder and waited, confused by her sudden embarrassment. It didn't make sense. Not at first, anyway.
"Um, Cloud?" she called to him. "You didn't, uh... happen to look up my dress, did you? By accident?"
His eyes widened. "N-No! Of course not!"
My own cheeks flamed. "What about my, um... skirt?"
"No, Tifa!" he insisted. "I-I didn't!"
I relaxed as I saw how flustered he was. It was pretty cute, actually. "It's okay. Eyes ahead, though. Not up."
"Yeah," he breathed, doing as I'd said. "Sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about," Aerith told him. "We know you're too nice a guy to do something like that. Just caught me by surprise, is all. I didn't even realize it at first. But keep those eyes forward 'till we get out of here, Cloud. You understand?"
He nodded. "Got it. Straight ahead."
With that all sorted out, we started climbing again. It didn't take us long to get out, but by the time we did, I almost wished we hadn't. As I looked around and saw where we were, I knew then why the air felt the way it did. I shivered, and it wasn't from the unnatural cold that chilled my blood while I stood there with Cloud and Aerith. We had emerged in the worst place I could have ever imagined.
We were in the Train Graveyard.