Reno and Rude were waiting for us halfway up the mountain. The narrow trail wound snakelike around the five huge statues that loomed above us, with sheer cliffs on one side and a nearly thousand foot drop on the other. The gloom and wind weren't helping any, and it was hard to see now that the sun had gone down. I had drawn and lit one of my blaze talons to use the blade's glow as a guide, and Cid had taken out a small flashlight from his blue leather jacket and had strapped it snugly onto the wrist of his right glove as he held his spear.
"There you are," Reno said. "You all took your time."
Cid frowned. "Ain't very easy gettin' way the hell up here, smartass. Climbin' up hundreds of feet takes a little while."
Reno shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we'd better split up. It'll take less time to run Corneo to ground that way. Do whatever you feel like, but don't endanger Elena. Rude and I'll keep an eye out for Yuffie, too. We won't let anything happen to her... today."
"Fine," Cloud agreed. "But we'll be watching you."
Reno snickered as he rested his shock stick on his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Just try to keep up, Mr. First Class. Corneo ain't gonna be waitin' around for us. He'll slip away first chance he gets."
I narrowed my eyes. "The hell he will. Let's move."
We all hurried up the path, and when it split, the Turks went right while we went left. There were turns and dead ends, some of which led right out onto the arms of the statues themselves, and even a few caves. Our search took us further up the mountain, and as we climbed, Rude met us near one of the caves and shook his head to let us know Corneo wasn't inside. So we went on, following the path around as it twisted up and up until it led right onto the outstretched arm of the middle statue where it curved gracefully around in front of its face.
The path ended at the statue's hand. Its palm was broad, about fifty feet across, and hung suspended over a very long drop. Its thick fingers were stretched out directly ahead of us with its thumb to our right, and at end of the middle finger stood Corneo, a flashlight in one hand and some kind of control pad in the other, He scanned the sky intently as if he were looking for something. The four ninjas who had carried Yuffie and Elena away were with him, and they rushed at us, weapons drawn. But between the five of us, they didn't last long.
The ninjas were good, but not good enough. While Tifa countered their attacks with a flurry of rapid punches, kicks, and throws and Cid thrust and stabbed with his spear, Cloud and I spun and slashed as our blades cut through the black-clad forms of our enemies. We kept away from the edge of the hand as we fought, mindful of where we were, and Vincent covered us with his gun. I fired a few shots myself, and we did the best we could to avoid hitting the statues. The air was full of energy blasts, gunfire, the clang of steel on steel, and more.
When the ninjas were down, I glared darkly at Corneo and fell into a ready stance with my blaze talons in hand and lit. "That the best you can do? You knew this was coming, Corneo! Did you seriously think I wouldn't track your sorry ass down sooner or later?"
"Firebrand!" he gulped, his eyes wide. "Inconceivable!"
"That's right," I continued as I advanced slowly on him. "We've got some unfinished business between us, you and I. After all you've done, well... does the expression 'skinned alive' ring a bell?"
Corneo stumbled back a step. "Now, now, no need to be hasty! You might regret it, you know. Take a look around first. My girls would say hi, but I'm afraid they're all tied up at the moment."
"Let me go!" a familiar voice yelled.
Tifa gasped. "Yuffie!"
"This is intolerable!" another voice added.
"Elena!" I recognized it at once as we all looked up.
Yuffie and Elena were bound with ropes to the statue's face, each of them over an eye, and hung suspended precariously over the thousand foot drop to the valley below. As I took in the situation amidst the soft moonlight that faintly illuminated the area, I tried to think of a way to save them before Corneo could send them into a fatal fall.
"Lovely, aren't they?" he crooned, leering up at them. "But who's it gonna be? Hmm... her? Or maybe the other one?"
Yuffie groaned. "Oh, gawd! Why didn't I pay more attention to my stupid rope escape lessons!? If I'd known something like this was gonna happen, I never would've skipped them in the first place!"
"And we have a winner!" Corneo cackled. "The cheerful one!"
"GROSSNESS!" Yuffie screamed.
He laughed wickedly. "Oh, so saucy! I like it!"
"That's enough!" Cloud roared.
"End of the line, you son of a bitch!" I added.
Tifa fell in beside us. "Let them go!"
"Guys!" Yuffie exclaimed. "You're here!"
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Corneo said. "Ever since you and that sweet girl in the red dress ran me out of Wall Market. Where is she, by the way? I was hoping I'd get to see her again, hehe..."
Tifa clenched her fist. "Far beyond your reach, Corneo."
"I heard what happened, but I don't care," Vincent intoned grimly. "I'd still have come after you with the others. What you're doing here is sick and idiotic. And we're going to end it. Now."
"Maybe God'd forgive an ugly fuck like you, but I won't!" Cid spat, his eyes blazing. "This shit's gone far enough!"
Corneo sighed dramatically. "You all don't know how I've suffered ever since then. So just be quiet! It's a long story..."
"Blow it out your ass!" Cloud retorted.
Cid hefted his spear, making damn sure Corneo got a good look at
its sharp, pointed tip. "I don't give a shit, Corneo! Piss me off any more than you already have and I'll shove this thing so far up your ass you'll have a permanent fuckin' wedgie! Let those girls go!"
Then Corneo sneered at us and looked up as a loud flapping sound suddenly filled the air. "Look's like my ride's here! You may have killed my little Abzu, but I've found another pet. Rabzu!"
The monster that descended slowly using a pair of flapping leather wings was huge and reptilian, with greenish-brown scales, a tall fin on its back, no arms, a needle-like nose, razor sharp claws, and a long tail that ended in a sharp, pointed stinger. It gazed hungrily at us but didn't attack just yet, probably waiting for Corneo's orders.
"Now, here's what's gonna happen," he said, holding up his control pad and hungrily eying my body up and down. "I might let those lovely ladies go, but I'll be wanting something in return."
"Like what?" I asked, though I had an ugly suspicion.
He pointed at me and grinned. "You, of course. You're just too hot for me to resist, baby! Come with me and we'll fly away from here. And those girls and your friends can walk away in one piece."
Cloud took a step forward. "Fuck that, asshole! You just made your last mistake! You're not gonna lay a finger on her!"
"Ah, ah!" Corneo sneered, his thumb on the button. "Don't forget I can drop those two anytime! It's an awfully long fall from way up here, and I wouldn't want to see those girls get hurt."
To add to his point, he casually held his arm out to the side and let his flashlight slip through his fingers. It fell, end over end, down, down from the heights, its glow growing fainter and fainter as it disappeared from sight and smashed on the rocks at the base of the slope far below. And as I watched, I knew then what I had to do.
I put my weapons away. "Alright, Corneo. I'll do it."
"Jessie!" Cloud argued.
"I know what I'm doing, Cloud," I said, lifting my arm to cut off his inevitable protest. "This is the only way to save them."
He frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Do you trust me?" I asked in return.
"With my life," he nodded.
I smiled at him. "Good. That's all I need to know."
Taking a breath to steady myself, I walked slowly across the statue's hand toward Corneo, my shoulders slumped in defeat. He beckoned to me, laughing crazily while undressing me with his eyes. I wondered for a moment why he hadn't demanded that Tifa join me, but then I knew. This was his revenge on me for humiliating him years ago and on Tifa for helping to kick him out of Wall Market. Making her watch as one of her closest friends turned herself over to him and became the bride he was looking for would hurt her badly, and he knew it.
"That's it, Firebrand," Corneo crooned. "Come here to daddy! You still owe me that kiss you tricked me out of back when we first met, so lay it on me and I'll let those two pretty girls go."
"Don't do it, Jessie!" Tifa pleaded.
I looked at her over my shoulder and winked. Then I faced Corneo again and sighed, my hands at my sides. As soon as I was within reach, he grabbed me and pulled me to him, wrapping one thick arm around my waist while still holding the control pad in his other hand. I had to fight back the urge to gag as he leaned in close and grinned. His breath could've struck a malboro dead. But it didn't seem like I had much of a choice. He was keeping his eyes open, unlike when I'd stolen the Sector 7 gate key from him for Chocobo Sam two years ago.
"No tricks this time, baby," Corneo warned me. "Or those girls are gonna hit bottom and be flat as pancakes."
"Fine," I sighed. "You win."
Then I slid my arms around him, clasped my fingers lightly behind his neck, gathered my courage, and let my mouth move closer to his as he pushed me toward him. But just before our lips would've touched, I tapped my right glove switch, activating my speed boost, and whipped my left arm out, grabbing the control pad and slipping out of his grasp before he even realized what was happening.
"Psych!" I taunted as I waved the control pad in front of him. Then I spun around to face the others. "Tifa, catch!"
I tossed it to her, and she caught it easily, relief for the girls and for me clear on her face, but just before I could rejoin her and the others, a burst of pain suddenly sheared through my lower back and I cried out, sinking to one knee with a gasp. Then there was a short, rough jerk as I glanced behind me and saw Corneo yank out the knife he'd taken from inside his jacket and stabbed me with, his eyes bulging with fury. There was blood on it, and although my suit had deflected the blade a little to keep it from going too deep, it still hurt like hell.
"Jessie!" Tifa yelled.
"Son of a bitch!" Cid snarled.
Cloud's voice didn't have any words but was an almost primal roar, and he charged at Corneo with both swords ready and fury in his baby blue eyes. Even hurt as I was, my heart skipped a few beats at the sight of Cloud bearing down on that bastard for what he'd just done to me. I grimaced at the pain in my back but still managed to get to my feet just in time to dodge Corneo's second attack as he tried to bury the dagger in my throat. But here on the statue's outstretched finger there wasn't a lot of room to move, and he nicked my arm instead.
"Rabzu!" Corneo called. "Time for a midnight snack!"
Before Cloud and the others could reach us, the monster slammed down in front of them with a loud screech, blocking their path as they skidded to an abrupt halt. It lowered a wing, and Corneo scrambled up onto its back to sit behind its shoulders, grabbing me before I could get away and taking me with him as he held the dagger to my neck. I could feel his breath in my ear as I sat in front of him.
"You wanna do this the hard way, you little bitch?" Corneo snarled. "That's fine with me! I've got ways of teaching bad kittens like you their manners, and by the time I'm through, you'll beg to give me not only a kiss but all the rest as well! You'll live to please me!"
"I'd rather die!" I shot back.
He snickered. "That can be arranged! Either way, we're going back to Wall Market. Just imagine how it'll break everyone there to see their dear legendary heroine dragged through the streets dead as a doornail. Or paraded alive as my willing bride. Your choice."
"You bastard!" I swore.
"I know I am, and that's why I'll win!" Corneo laughed. "Now, let's let Rabzu have his midnight snack. And then—"
A loud blast cut him off, and the knife flew from his hand to fall to the ground far below. On the path leading here, Rude stood with a gun in his hand, its barrel still smoking, as Reno sauntered casually toward us with his shock rod sizzling. Seeing my chance, I elbowed Corneo in the stomach, then jumped off Rabzu's back to join Cloud, Cid, and the others. I quickly drank the healing potion Tifa gave me, then drew and lit my weapons again. The pain in my back had subsided enough that I could ignore it for now and focus on the fight, but I knew it was only a temporary reprieve and that I'd have to be careful.
"You okay, Jessie?" Cloud asked, not taking his eyes off Rabzu and Corneo but unable to hide how worried he was. "Why'd you turn your back on him like that? He could've killed you."
I fell in beside him, eying our enemies. "Didn't have a choice. I had to get the control pad away from him even if it meant giving him a free shot at me. It still hurts a bit, but I'll be alright."
Reno pointed menacingly at Corneo with his shock rod. "You ain't goin' nowhere, pal. You leaked classified information about that plan to drop the plate on Sector 7 to these fine folks here. Did you really think we'd just let that slide? We're gonna take you out."
"Personally," Rude added, joining him.
"Oh, I'd just love to stay and chat with ya, but I've gotta go," Corneo taunted as Rabzu started to rise into the air. "Don out!"
Reno snickered. "Not so fast, asshole."
Before Rabzu could get very high, Reno let loose a sizzling blast of electricity from his shock rod. It tore through the monster's right wing, knocking it off balance and keeping it from escaping as it screeched in pain. Taking that as our cue, the rest of us went to work, hitting Rabzu from all sides as we moved around the huge stone hand. We were often forced close to the edge as we fought, and my heart was pounding with adrenaline and anxiety as I was well aware of the long drop to the base of the mountain and how precarious our position was.
Cloud jumped and slashed at Rabzu's side from the left while I did the same from the right, driving it back as Tifa and Rude hammered it with punches whenever it got close enough and Vincent blasted it with Cerberus again and again. Cid expertly spun his spear and thrust it up at Rabzu's broad chest while Reno shocked the monster with more blue bursts of electricity, and I got in as many shots with my enhanced blaze talons as I could while I fought, the searing, bright orange plasma bolts tearing right through Rabzu's thick, armored hide.
But monster was tough, and with a roar, it shot up into the air and then swooped toward us in a dive, stabbing at us with its long, pointed nose as Corneo hung on for dear life, cackling like mad. Cid barely got out of the way as Rabzu flew past, slicing at him and the rest of us with the curved claws on its feet before quickly spinning in midair to face us again. Flapping its huge wings, it unleashed a massive gust of wind that blew us all back across the palm of the statue's stone hand and closer to the long drop just past its outstretched fingers.
"That all you got!?" Cid spat, readying his spear with a cocky grin. "The sky's my element too, asshole! Lemme show you!"
Then he gathered himself, sprang up high into the air, and dove in hard at Rabzu, his spear glowing with energy. It struck hard directly in between Rabzu's shoulders as Cid landed nimbly on the monster's neck right in front of Corneo. As he yanked out his spear, Cid kicked him in the face, then jumped away again with a little mock salute, leaving him bloodied and sputtering with rage. Corneo pulled a gun from his jacket and shot at him, but Cid was too fast, coming down lightly on the path leading to the statue's hand as Rabzu flew past again.
And so it went, all of us attacking the monster as much as we could whenever it flew in close enough for us to reach it, and when it wasn't, Vincent, Reno, and I kept the pressure on with our firearms. The night air was full of light and sound as we all fought. Energy blasts, gunshots, sword slashes, the heavy thudding of fists and feet against Rabzu's scaly hide, and more. And through it all, we kept our position very much in mind. One misstep would mean a very long fall.
"Is this another dragon, Jessie?" Tifa asked between punches.
I shook my head as I fired off another string of energy blasts. "Not quite. It's a wyvern. Related, but not the same."
Reno grunted as he shot more electricity at Rabzu. "Fascinating as it is, this ain't the time for comparative species analysis. Save it for later, girls. After we've trashed this ugly bastard's sorry ass."
"Which one's the ugly one?" I quipped, smirking at Corneo.
"Take your pick," Reno chuckled.
Cloud landed next to us after hitting Rabzu with an overhead chop that forced it back before it flew past again. "We've gotta pin him down and keep him up close. Otherwise this'll go on all night."
"Any ideas?" Reno asked.
Cloud readied his swords as Rabzu swooped back in again. "Jessie, what about those new raspberries of yours?"
I shot more plasma bolts at the wyvern and shook my head. "Not a good idea, Cloud. There's not much cover here, and Rabzu could easily blow it right back at us with one of those wind gusts and take us all out instead. Besides, this place is very important to Wutai, and I don't want to risk damaging it. There's gotta be another way."
"Leave it to me," Vincent said.
Holstering Cerberus, he stretched his arms out wide, and in a flash of purple light, transformed into the Galian Beast. Then he roared, and as soon as Rabzu was close enough, he jumped and launched a blazing fireball right in its face as Corneo gaped in disbelief. The huge wyvern tried to move away, but the acceleration from its dive took it right into the blast, scorching its eyes out. Rabzu fell onto the palm of the statue's massive hand like a rock as we rushed out of the way.
"Damn you!" Corneo swore, shooting his gun at us. "You might've blinded my poor pet, but he can still hear you!"
And that proved to be all too true. Before any of us could blink, the wyvern whipped its tail at Tifa and caught her across the arm. Though the wound itself was shallow, her skin immediately grew sweaty with a pale greenish cast, and she staggered backward as the poison weakened her body. But just as Rabzu lunged at Tifa again, Cloud and I darted in between it and her, deflecting the attack with our weapons while Rude hurried over, took an antidote out of his pocket, and put it in her good hand. She quickly drank it and nodded her thanks.
While Cloud and I kept Rabzu distracted, Reno and Cid hit it from the other side as Tifa's strength returned, the poison was cleansed, and she got back to her feet. Rude nodded slightly to her, then they came at Rabzu alongside us, fists and feet a blur as they fought.
Vincent raged through it all, pounding the wyvern again and again with his huge clawed fists until his transformation finally wore off and he had to resume his human form. But he didn't let up, firing Cerberus at Rabzu repeatedly and darting back and forth to avoid its attacks. We kept up the assault as well, and my weapons were a blur as I slashed left and right and used my suit's speed boost to stay ahead of the monster. I backflipped away as its tail slammed down in front of me where I'd just been, and Cloud answered with Buster to its face.
Rabzu roared then, recoiling in pain, and flapped its wings madly. A massive gust of wind slammed into us, throwing us across the hand and knocking us off our feet. It felt like the inside of a tornado, and the raging wind hurled me over the edge. Just as I started to fall, though, I jammed my right talon into the side of the statue's index finger as deep as I could and prayed desperately that it would hold.
"Jessie!" Cloud yelled. "Hang on!"
My heart was pounding faster than I ever thought it could. "Hurry, Cloud! I don't know how long I can last like this!"
He dropped his swords onto the ground and rushed over as fast as he could while the wind kept raging around him and the others. I tried not to look down, but I couldn't help it, and it was all I could do not to scream. Then, as I holstered my left blaze talon to free my hand, Cloud was there. The wind threatened to tear me right off, but I reached up to take his hand. Just my fingers brushed against his, though, there was a sudden lurch as my right talon tore free, unable to hold my weight any longer, and then I did scream as I started to fall again.
Cloud caught me by the wrist just in time, though. "Jessie! I'm not letting you go! Just hold on, you hear me?"
"Loud and clear!" I answered.
"Jessie, grab it!" Cid stretched his spear toward me.
I holstered my right talon and took it. "In my hand, Cid!"
The wind had finally subsided, and as Tifa and the others got back to their feet and kept Rabzu busy, Cloud and Cid pulled me back up to safety. As soon as I was fully back on the stone hand, I gasped in relief, shuddering inwardly at the thought of what I'd just experienced. Cloud looked at me in concern as he still held onto me.
"I'm fine," I assured him. Then I gave him a shaky smirk. "But if we get outta this, Cloud, I swear I'll never even think about climbing a tall mountain again. At least for a while, anyway."
"Then let's end this," Cloud said, helping me to my feet.
I nodded. "I couldn't agree more."
But even as we retrieved our weapons and raced back into the fight alongside the others, I knew it wouldn't be easy. We were hard-pressed just to keep up. Rabzu was blind but still extremely dangerous, its claws and tail slashing at us again and again amidst more gusts of wind. And from atop it, Corneo kept firing at us with his gun.
"Having a little trouble, are we?" he gloated. "Well, too bad. Rabzu wants a snack, and you're all on the menu!"
"As if!" I retorted, shooting right back at him.
Corneo sneered as the energy bolt just missed him. "Close, but no cigar! If I can't have you, Firebrand, I'll just go back to Wall Market and grab that sweet little shop clerk you're so chummy with instead. She's a real hottie, and if you won't be mine, then maybe she will!"
"Never!" I roared.
Something inside me just snapped as if a dam had broken, and my blood suddenly burned with an inner heat like nothing I'd ever known as a strange warmth flowed from my earlobes. My grip on my weapons tightened, and as I readied myself to strike, the two light daggers burst into flame and an aura of blazing fire surrounded me. I gazed at it and my transformed weapons in amazed wonder, feeling stronger than ever as I stood there within the rippling orange inferno.
"No way... it can't be..." I breathed. Then my eyes went even wider as understanding hit me like a physical blow. "The earrings! Claudia... did you know? Was this... your real gift to me?"
"W-What the hell's goin' on!?" Corneo gulped as the ground began to tremble and shake under Rabzu's claws.
I smiled and looked up at the sky. "Claudia... thank you..."
Cloud gazed uncertainly at me. "You okay, Jessie?"
"Never better!" I smirked. Then I glared darkly at Don Corneo and pointed at him with one fiery talon. "But you won't be, asshole! This is finished! And so are you! Get ready to burn!"
Mythril was a material capable of readily conducting and storing a lot of magical energy, which was why it was often used in weapons and armor, and that was what the earrings that Claudia had given me in the dream we'd shared were made of. Over the years that she'd worn them, they must have absorbed some of her immense power. And now it had awakened in me thanks to her gift, though not in quite the same way as it had in her. But even so, it was undeniably strong.
With a loud yell, I swept both of my talons in front of me in a wide crossing slash, and the windstorm around Rabzu suddenly ignited into a blazing cyclone. The wyvern screeched and writhed as its own attack was turned back upon it, and Corneo struggled desperately just to hold on while trying to avoid the flames. Then, with fire raging around me, I rushed in, slashing at Rabzu again and again with my burning blades. But they weren't as hot as the fury in my blood.
I was vaguely aware of the others fighting around me, setting aside their amazement and confusion about my sudden transformation long enough to press the advantage I'd just given us, but I barely noticed as I fought. My attention was fixed on Corneo and his monstrous pet, and I darted back and forth around them like a streak of living fire, burning Rabzu with every slice of my talons. And when I fired the plasma bolts, they came out as small fireballs that exploded when they struck Rabzu. Then I skidded to a stop right in front of its head.
"Inconceivable!" Corneo gasped.
I smirked confidently at him. "You keep using that word, old man. I don't think it means what you think it means."
He fired desperately at me, but his arm was trembling so badly the bullet went wide. "Just stay back, Firebrand!"
"It's over, Corneo!" I snarled, lifting my arms above me.
Then I drew upon the fire within, the power that Claudia's gift had awoken inside me, and called forth the inferno again. I lunged forward and leaped into the air as a pillar of orange flame exploded down onto Rabzu. Corneo barely jumped off at the last second and onto the rocky path leading to the wide stone hand to avoid it. But I wasn't going to let him get away ever again. I looked down at him, my eyes narrowed, and saw what he'd done to Lydia, her mom, and all the other women he had hurt over the years. It had to end here and now.
But then, suddenly, the flames went out in a rush, and I fell hard to the ground with a startled shout as my power dissipated. I lay there on the statue's palm and groaned, barely able to even move as my weapons clattered onto the stone next to me. I had pushed too far, too fast, and I felt utterly spent and drained. It had just been so totally overwhelming. And now I had nothing left. The pain in my lower back from where I'd been stabbed flared up with a vengeance as Rabzu, burned and injured but somehow still alive, loomed over me and roared.
Cloud rushed in between us, though, his blades ready and his eyes on the wyvern as he stood protectively over me. Tifa, her new diamond knuckles glittering on her raised fists, was at his side less than a second later as I lay weakly on my hands and knees looking up and panting for breath. Cid was on my left and Vincent my right, their weapons poised to strike. But without our materia and our magic, it would still be hard to take Rabzu down. I'd almost had him until my sudden collapse. And now I didn't know how we'd be able to finish him off.
Then I heard a familiar voice speak calmly but firmly from behind Corneo and his pet. "I think this has gone far enough."
"Master Gorki!" Tifa exclaimed.
"Eh?" Corneo turned to look as Gorki stood alone on the winding path to the statue's hand, a slender, sturdy wooden bo staff in his hand. "And just who the hell are you, old man?"
Gorki eyed him coldly. "Did you truly believe the Wusheng would not intervene in this matter? We will not allow you to continue preying upon our people like a mantis upon insects."
"So you came here all by yourself?" Corneo snorted.
Gorki smirked ever so slightly. "No."
Then three other Wusheng masters joined him, slipping out of the shadows of the statue to stand at his side. A man in a blue kimono and white headband held a deadly-looking ball and chain in his hands, and next to him was a dark-haired woman in a soft pink and purple gi. She didn't have a weapon, but her hands glowed with magical energy. And the youngest was a girl in an orange kimono who didn't look any older than Yuffie. Her short brown hair was pulled back into two small buns, one on either side, and she readied a pair of metal nunchaku. And just like Gorki and the other two, her belt was black.
Despite my weakened state, I smirked at Corneo. "Looks like today just isn't your day. Have fun on the way down."
Rabzu snarled and lunged, but the Wusheng were faster. While the woman unleashed blast after blast of what Tifa had called chi magic in a relentless barrage, Gorki and the others darted in close, the girl in the orange kimono moving so quickly I could barely see her. She whipped her steel nunchaku in sharp, vicious combos as Gorki expertly spun his staff and used it to deliver powerful, crushing blows. The man with the blue kimono swung his ball and chain and slammed it into Rabzu. The sound of breaking bone split the air when it hit.
Bright, colorful flashes of chi energy followed the Wusheng's every attack, culminating in an explosive combined strike between all four of the masters. The massive blast tore Rabzu apart and hurled it in pieces right off the side of the mountain. Corneo gaped at it in disbelief, then took a second control rod out of his jacket and pressed a button before any of us could stop him. Yuffe and Elena were spun upside down with their heads pointed at the long, deadly drop.
"Oh, this really pisses me off!" Yuffie yelled.
Elena's eyes were wide. "Help!"
"One more push of this little button and down they'll go!" Corneo sneerd. "You didn't really think I'd travel without a backup, did you? I'll just be leaving now. With the ladies, of course."
"Coward!" Tifa snapped.
Gorki's eyes narrowed. "You'll not get far, cretin."
Corneo chuckled. "Oh, I think I will. Now come along, girls. Time for us to be going. Guess I've got the last laugh!"
"Guess again!" I snarled.
With the last of my strength, I grabbed one of my blaze talons and shot him. Thinking I was out of commission and with the Wusheng in his face, he hadn't been paying much attention to me. The plasma bolt slammed into Corneo's chest, driving him backward as the control rod fell from his hand. He lost his balance and tumbled backward over the edge of the stone hand, grabbing desperately at a small outcropping of rock to hold on. But he missed it and fell screaming in pain and terror off the mountain to the rocks a thousand feet below.
"That was for Lydia," I murmured grimly.
Then I collapsed onto my stomach and my talon fell from my hand as my strength finally gave out. Cloud was there in an instant, though, shouldering his swords and kneeling at my side with Tifa next to him. I grinned wearily up at them, hurting and tired and weak but happy that this was finally over and Corneo couldn't hurt anyone anymore. Reno, to my surprise, gave me a respectful nod.
"Not bad," he said. "You'd have made a pretty good Turk."
I smirked. "Thanks, but I'll pass."
Tifa looked hopefully at Gorki as he approached us. "Master, thank you for your help. We wouldn't have survived if you hadn't come when you did. But Jessie's hurt. Is there anything you can do?"
"Of course, Tifa," he nodded. "Chekhov will tend to her."
Then the dark-haired woman in the pink and purple gi came over and knelt next to me opposite Cloud and Tifa. She gazed intently at the stab wound in my lower back, her hands still glowing a soft white with her powerful chi magic as she held them over me.
"Lay still now," Chekhov told me. "The wound has torn open again from the strain of battle. But I don't think it's serious. Your armor kept the blade from piercing your organs and made it hit bone instead. You should recover after a day or two of rest, although you may be sore for some time afterward. But that will eventually pass."
Then I felt a cool, soothing sensation almost like a healing spell as Chekhov used her magic to close the injury. The pain diminished a bit, fading from a sharp, stabbing agony like needles in my spine down to a faint, dull ache I thought I could live with. Cloud's hand found mine as Chekhov worked, and he held it gently in his.
"Did Godo send you?" he asked, glancing at her.
"Yes," she answered without looking up. "To protect Wutai and his daughter. Not necessarily in that order, however."
Yuffie's annoyed voice chime in above us. "I'm still up here!"
"So am I!" Elena added.
"Shake, Staniv, get them down," Gorki ordered.
The other two Wusheng masters jumped lightly up onto the top of the statue's head where the thick ropes had been fastened, pulled Yuffie and Elena up, and untied them. Then they all sprang back to safety on the stone hand where the rest of us were.
"Oh, thank you, guys!" Elena gushed to Reno and Rude. "After the way I left, I didn't expect you to come after me."
Reno frowned. "You're a Turk, Elena. Don't act like a wuss."
She straightened at once. "Yes, sir!"
"Mistress Yuffie," Gorki gave her a stern glare. "You have, as usual, been the source of much trouble. And I believe there is something you owe your friends, who risked much on your behalf."
"Yeah, I know..." she sighed. "I'll give it back. It's at my place."
Then Elena walked over, crouched down, and looked thoughtfully at me. "Jessie... when Corneo had you in his arms earlier... would you really have given yourself to him to save me?"
I nodded. "If I had to, yeah."
"I see..." she said, her expression uncertain. "Then you'd better get well. You've... given me a lot to think about."
Cloud picked me up then and carried me in his arms as he and the others headed back along the path leading down. "That was some trick back there with the fire, Jessie. What was it?"
I chuckled. "I'll tell you once we're back at Godo's house and I'm in a nice, soft bed. We've got a lot to talk about."
"We do?" he blinked.
"Yeah," I said, laying my head tiredly against his chest. "More than you know, Cloud. How do you feel about kids?"
He looked at me in confusion. "They're okay, I guess. Why?"
"You'll find out," I teased.
"Wait, you're not...?" Cloud's eyes went very wide.
I laughed. "No, no, it's nothing like that."
"Oh, okay," he sighed in relief. "By the way, did you know that your earrings were glowing when you... changed?"
"I didn't, but I'm not surprised," I answered.
The descent took a while, and I dozed for a bit. Vincent, I saw, had picked up my weapons from where I'd dropped them and was carrying them for me while Cid brought up the rear, his eye on the Turks. They didn't make any aggressive moves but walked just a little ways ahead of us while Tifa alternated between staying close to me and falling in next to Gorki. Yuffie trailed along behind him and the rest of the Wusheng, her eyes on the girl in the orange kimono and her face oddly sad. Then I remembered what she and Godo had said earlier.
"I hope they can work it out," I sighed.
"Who?" Cloud wondered.
I went on. "Yuffie and Shake. They grew up together. Now the guy Shake loves is dead and her brother's missing. And Yuffie's the one that has to bring her the news. That's not gonna go well."
Reno's phone rang almost as soon as we made it back to the valley. "Yeah, Reno here. Right, we'll get it done."
"Was that Tseng?" Elena asked when he hung up.
"The president," he shook his head. "He's ordered us to find Cloud and the others and stop them from leaving Wutai."
I could feel Cloud tensing up, and Tifa and the others got ready to fight as Rude and Elena did the same. Reno hesitated, though, his gaze going from us to the Wusheng and back. I was in no shape for another battle, and I knew the others didn't want one, either.
"Are we on?" Rude wondered.
"No," Reno decided. "Not today. We're still on vacation."
Cid lowered his spear. "Thanks, I guess."
Reno shrugged. "Whatever. Let's go, guys."
"Thank you," Tifa said.
Rude nodded slightly to her, then followed Reno and Elena as they headed into town. The rest of us went on, and soon we made it back to the northern plaza. It was pretty late at night now, and while Gorki and the other Wusheng returned to the pagoda, Yuffie led us over to Godo's estate. This time, the guards let us in at once.
"There's a guest house over that way," Yuffie pointed. "And I've got a small place of my own in the compound, too. That's where I put your materia. I'll take you over there now and give it back. But I don't really remember who had what, so it's kinda mixed up."
Cloud nodded. "It's fine. You all go ahead. I'm gonna take Jessie to the guest house and get her settled in so she can rest."
"I'll go with you," Tifa offered.
"Sure," he agreed.
Walking alongside us as Cloud carried me to the guest house while the others went to Yuffie's, Tifa smirked playfully at me. "I thought you didn't like playing the damsel in distress, Jessie."
"It's growing on me," I giggled. "Besides, he's pretty handy."
"I'll bet," she laughed.
Tired and weak but safe in my handsome merc's arms, I let my eyes close. So much had happened today, but it had ended well. We had our materia back, Yuffie and Elena were safe, and Corneo had finally been brought to justice. And on top of that, I'd also discovered a new power in myself. I wasn't sure how to keep from burning out yet or even if I'd ever be able to draw it forth again, but it was there.
For the moment, all I could do was rest. And I did, barely aware as Cloud brought me inside the house. With Tifa's help, he got me settled comfortably into one of the beds after she changed me out of my battle suit and into a soft, satin Wutaian robe. Then she smiled at me and left as Cloud settled onto a cushioned mat by the bed.
Knowing he'd stay by my side, I let myself sleep.