Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Premonitions: Uncut	By : Hippo_and_Friends_with_Benefits Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 3901 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, and I am not making any money of of this writing.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Chapter 13: Succession
"Aerith, you all right?" asked Cloud, as the two girls returned.
"She seems all right in many ways," Tifa replied.
"I am now that you're here!" Aerith said. "To be forced to cross-breed…"
"I have a right to choose, too," added Red XIII. "I don't like two-legged things."
"What are you?" asked Barret.
"An informed question," replied Red XIII. "But difficult to answer. I am what you see. You must have many questions, but first, let's get out of here. I'll lead the way."
"Cloud, so you did come for me," Aerith repeated.
"I apologize for what happened back there. I was merely acting to throw Hojo off guard," Red XIII explained.
"So what now?" asked Tifa.
"Now we've saved Aerith, there ain't no need to be in this building!" said Barret. "So let's get the hell outta here!"
"If all five of us go together," said Cloud, "we'll be noticed. Let's break up into two groups."
"I'll take those stairs," Tifa announced. "Who's with me?"
"Fine," groaned Barret. He and Tifa disappeared down the flight of stairs.
"I'll take the elevator," Red XIII said. "I don't like stairs, either."
"We'll join you!" said Aerith as she pat Red XIII on the nose.
"Please," said Red XIII. "I'm not a house pet."
"Let's just get to the elevator," Cloud insisted.
The three made their way inside the elevator a few feet away.
"Well, we made it!" Aerith sighed with relief. "My mom will be so happy. Now we can all go home in peace."
"You can," Cloud corrected her. "Tomorrow, I probably have another reactor to blow up."
Just then, a bald, dark-skinned man dressed like a Turk entered the elevator. He placed his hands on Cloud's and Aerith's shoulders.
"Hey! What is it?" asked the nervous Cloud.
"Would you press 'Up' please?" requested Rude.
"Turks?!" Cloud exclaimed. "Must be a trap."
"It must have been a real thrill for you," suggested Tseng as he followed in. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Shit on a shingle," muttered Cloud.
UPSTAIRS...
Everyone stood on the 70th floor. President Shinra's office. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret were standing in front of his desk with their hands tied. Red XIII was on a leash.
"You all got caught, too?" Cloud said to his companions before turning to the president. "Where is Aerith?"
"In a safe place," President Shinra replied as he got up from behind his desk. "She's the last surviving Ancient, don't you know? They called themselves the Cetra, and lived thousands of years ago. Now they are just a forgotten page in history."
"Cetra," replied Red XIII. "That girl, is she a survivor of the Cetra?"
"Cetra," continued President Shinra, "or the Ancients will show us the way to the 'Promised Land.' I'm expecting a lot out of her."
"The Promised Land?" asked Red XIII. "Isn't that just a legend?"
"Even so, it's just too appealing to not to pursue," explained the president. "It's been said the Promised Land is very fertile. And if the land is fertile…"
"Then there's gotta be Mako!" Barret finished.
"Exactly," replied President Shinra. "That is why our money sucking Mako Reactor is a necessity. The abundant Mako will just come out on its own. That is where Neo-Midgar will be built. Shinra's new glory."
"Asshole, quit dreaming!"
"Oh really, don't you know?" taunted the president. "These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and science. Well, that is all for our meeting"
"Come on! Outta his way!" ordered Tseng as Cloud, Tifa, and Red XIII were led away by the guards.
"Hold it! I got a lot I wanna say to you!" exclaimed Barret as Rude began to drag him out, but it was no use.
"If you need something else," said the president, "talk to my secretary."
With his last look at the president, Barret felt a strange sense of satisfaction. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it felt somewhat like the old man's days were numbered…
LATER...
"Can we get out?" whispered Tifa.
"Leave it to me," Cloud replied.
"Cloud, you're so brave!" she complimented.
Barret and Red XIII were in the cell next door. While Red XIII was eating food from a dish, Barret was passing the time pacing back and forth.
"Aerith is an Ancient and the real name of the Ancients is Cetra," Barret said aloud. "The Ancients know where the Promised Land is and the Shinra is searching for that Promised Land. I only hear stories about the Promised Land. I don't know if it really exists. Is that right? The Shinra believe that the Promised Land is full of Mako energy. Which means, if the Shinra get there, they'll suck up all the Mako energy and the land'll wither away. The Planet's gonna get weaker. I can't just leave 'em be. I'm recruitin' new members. Me, Tifa, Cloud, and Aerith too." He then turned to his cellmate. "How 'bout you?"
"I need more food," Red XIII answered.
"Your dish ain't empty!" Barret complained. "You just ate the center!"
"I know," Red XIII replied. "I need more food."
"Why can't you eat from the sides?"
"I just can't," the cat replied as he lay down again.
"You're so damn boring."
Back in the other cell, Cloud focused his attention on Aerith. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm all right," she replied. "I knew that you would come for me."
"Hey, I'm your bodyguard, right?"
Aerith giggled. "No worries. We'll have another date."
Tifa shot up from the cot she had been laying on. "Oh, I get it." she said in an obviously disappointed voice. "Excuse me, but I have a question. Does the Promised Land really exist?"
"I don't know," Aerith replied. "All I know is that the Cetra were born from the planet, speak with the planet, and unlock the planet. And then the Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises supreme happiness."
"What does that mean?" asked Tifa.
"More than words," Aerith replied. "I don't know."
"Just what does the planet say?" asked Tifa skeptically.
"It's full of people and noisy," said Aerith. "That's why I can't make out what they're saying."
"You hear it now?" asked Cloud.
"I only heard it at the church in the slums," Aerith replied. "Mother said that Midgar was no longer safe. That is my real mother. Someday I'll get out of Midgar, speak with the planet and find my Promised Land. That's what mom said. I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but no."
"I say we get some sleep," Cloud suggested.
"You don't seem worried," Tifa continued.
"I'm not," Cloud replied. "Somehow, I just know we're going to get out of this."
"Cloud," commented Tifa, "I've never seen you this positive. What's changed?"
"I dunno," Cloud said.
"Wait, I know," Tifa interrupted. "The premonitions."
"Premonitions?" asked Aerith.
"I've been having them ever since the raid on Reactor Number One," Cloud replied. "That's when they started. And ever since I've had small feelings that I knew what was coming next. Not always, but sometimes."
"And Barret's been having them, too," Tifa added. "Somehow he knew you had taken Marlene to safety."
"What about you?" asked Aerith, looking in Tifa's direction.
"Not any," she replied. "You?"
Aerith shook her head.
"There's more," Cloud continued. "Even for the stuff I didn't see coming…I feel like I've done it before."
"You mean déjà vu?" asked Aerith.
"You got it," Cloud replied. "And that also started when we invaded Reactor Number One."
"I wonder if it has anything to do with that incident in Sector Four," suggested Aerith.
"What incident was that?" asked Tifa.
"I'm not sure," Aerith replied. "I heard there was some sort of strange anomaly. A few people said they saw some UFO come through."
"Probably a Shinra military experiment," Tifa suggested.
"I'm not sure," Aerith replied. "What do you think, Cloud?"
The only response she got was snoring. Cloud was sitting on the floor with his head in his lap.
"Did he fall asleep?" asked Aerith.
"It appears so," Tifa replied. "I've known him all my life, but he's totally unpredictable."
MINUTES LATER...
"adeuiawgubrteaivcartgydetgbvdvjitnvgjidrjslahbfcljakhcbawiehfwbioifcnslkdhbgaerilbnaclibnawlhnatgblarekhcvnarlejkbgfvalkwrhebgalreabglieeipoavncaroepivnraeikbvraeihbvaroeibvhaelhbvrareaeioheneboprupoaruewosmikopomasdcnaihubaoiwuhebfaowieybfatuedislcmwejhrugndbsfko"
SECONDS LATER...
Cloud again awoke with a start. He had again heard the voices. What were they about? This was the second night in a row he had heard them.
"Cloud," muttered Tifa groggily. "What's up?"
"I head voices in my sleep," Cloud replied. "Like a million voices at once."
"What?!" exclaimed the stirring Aerith. "Again?"
"It's a dream, Cloud," Tifa replied.
"For two nights in a row?" asked Cloud.
"It happens," Tifa said.
"I don't think so," Cloud insisted.
Tifa closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. After a couple minutes, she felt Cloud shaking her.
"Now what?" she groaned.
"Something's wrong," Cloud informed her. "I just noticed it."
"The voices again?"
"No," Cloud said. "Look outside."
Tifa looked where Cloud was pointing. The cell door was wide open. The guard beside the door was lying dead in a pool of his own blood. "I wonder what happened," she said aloud.
"He should have the key on him," Cloud said as he rummaged through the guard's pockets. He quickly found the key card. "Come on, ladies. I'll go help Barret and Red XIII."
He then used the key card and entered the next cell. "Look at this!"
Barret and Red XIII were fast asleep. Red XIII's front paws were pressed against Barret's face.
"Barret, Red XIII, come with me. Something's wrong."
Barret was the first to awaken, and rolled back. "Damn cat!" he shouted.
"Sorry," Red XIII apologized.
"How'd you get in?" asked Barret. "Why's the door open?"
"It's simpler if you just come on out," Tifa informed them.
The first thing Barret saw outside his cell was the dead guard. "The hell's goin' on?" he demanded.
"No human could've done this." Red XIII observed.
"It had to have been," Cloud pointed out. "This guy was stabbed by a sword."
"That's not what I meant," said Red XIII. "Look!"
Beyond the corpse was a trail of blood. But what caught everyone's attention was the concrete dome that had previously imprisoned Jenova. There was a gaping hole in the center, large enough for her to escape.
"So Jenova's on the loose," Tifa mentioned.
"It'll be hard for her to get around with no head," Barret observed. "In any case, don't get caught by the Shinra!"
"I don't think that would be a problem," Cloud pointed out. Along the trail of blood were more dead bodies of Shinra employees.
"I think it's safe to say the Shinra are the least of our worries," Red XIII pointed out as he began to follow the trail of blood.
"Hey, cat!" shouted Barret. "Where you goin'?"
"To see where it leads to," Red XIII replied.
Red XIII made his way to the elevator to the lab on the 68th floor. The other four reluctantly followed him. "Looks like it went to the upper floor using that elevator for the specimens."
On the 69th floor, the trail of blood continued, surrounded by more dead bodies. One of them was Pembroke's.
"Damn," said Barret. "Talk about a wrongful termination!"
"It looks like the blood leads upstairs," Red XIII pointed out.
"To the president's office?" Tifa responded.
"What happened up there?" asked Aerith.
"I dunno," Barret replied, looking at the stairs. "But there's only one way to find out."
Cautiously, the five of them made their way up the stairs, ready to grab any weapons they needed.
On the 70th floor, they could see President Shinra at his desk. He was slumped over, with his eyes open. Blood trickled from his mouth. And, most notably, a giant sword was impaled in his back.
"He's dead," observed Barret, stating the obvious. "The head of Shinra is dead."
Tifa's attention was focused elsewhere. She had seen that sword before. And it made her sick to her stomach to think of where. "Then this sword must be..."
"Sephiroth's!" Cloud finished.
"Sephiroth is alive?" asked the surprised Tifa.
"Looks like it," Cloud replied. "Only Sephiroth can use that sword."
"Who cares who did it?" Barret exclaimed triumphantly. "This is the end of the Shinra now!"
"Fat chance," Cloud said. "You can kill the big guy, but…"
"Hey!" shouted Tifa as she noticed a figure running through the room.
Barret quickly grabbed it. "Speaking of fat!"
"P-p-p-please, don't kill me!" begged Palmer.
"What happened?" demanded Cloud. "If you don't tell us…"
"I'll slice them off with that sword back there!" Tifa finished.
"Guys!" Barret said, "The way he's actin' it sounds like he doesn't have any!"
"Sephiroth came!" stammered Palmer.
"Did you see him? Did you see Sephiroth?"
"Yeah, I saw him!" Palmer replied. "I saw him with my own eyes!"
"You really saw him?"
"Would I lie to you at a time like this? And I heard his voice too! He was saying something about not letting us have the Promised Land!"
"Then what?" asked Tifa. "Does that mean that the Promised Land really exists and that Sephiroth's here to save it from Shinra?"
"So he's a good guy then?" Barret suggested.
"Save the Promised Land? A good guy? No way!" Cloud insisted. "It's not that simple! I know him! Sephiroth's mission is different!"
Just then, all ears were pierced by the sound of a helicopter outside. Palmer saw his chance and broke free running for the back door.
"What about him?" asked Tifa, pointing to President Shinra's body.
"What about him?!" exclaimed Red XIII. "I suppose we could call a coroner. Or send a condolence card to Rufus. It's your choice.
"Rufus!" exclaimed Barret as he was reminded. "Fuck! I forgot about him!"
"Who's that?" asked Tifa.
"Vice President Rufus," Barret replied. The President's son."
The five quickly ran to the helipad.
Outdoors, Palmer stood by the helicopter as a young man in white emerged. Aerith took extra notice; he looked quite like Cloud. As if they could be related…
"So Sephiroth was actually here," asked Rufus. "By the way, who are you guys?"
"I'm Cloud, former SOLDIER First Class!"
"I'm from Avalanche!" announced Barret.
"Same here!" said Tifa.
"A flower girl from the slums."
"A research specimen."
"What a crew," observed Rufus as he smoothed his hair. "Well, I'm Rufus, the President of Shinra, Inc."
"You're only president 'cause your old man died!" Barret eagerly pointed out.
"That's right," replied Rufus. "I'll let you hear my inaugural address. Father tried to control the world with money, and it seems to have been working. The population thought that Shinra would protect them. Work at Shinra, get your pay. If a terrorist attacks, the Shinra army will help you. It looks perfect on the outside, but I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste money on them."
"He likes to make speeches, just like his father," Tifa pointed out.
"Get outta this building with Aerith!" Cloud ordered suddenly.
"What?" demanded Barret.
"I'll explain later!" Cloud insisted. "This is the real crisis for the planet!"
"The hell's that supposed to mean?"
"I'll tell you later!" Cloud insisted. "Just take my word for it! I'll go after I take care of him!"
"Awright, Cloud!" agreed Barret as he took Aerith to safety. Cloud remained alone with the new president.
"Why do you want to fight me?" asked Rufus.
"You seek the Promised Land and Sephiroth," Cloud replied.
"Exactly," said Rufus. "Did you know that Sephiroth is an Ancient?"
"A lot has happened," Sephiroth replied. "Anyway, I can't let either you or Sephiroth have the Promised Land!"
"I see," observed Rufus. "I guess this means we won't become allies. Get him!"
A giant dog-like creature leapt out of the helicopter and ran straight for Cloud. He drew his sword-too late. The creature leapt and bit Cloud on the wrist.
The pain was unbearable. The bite grip was strong, and Cloud had to use his free hand to pound on the creature's head before he could get the jaws to release their grip. Cloud staggered back, nursing his arm.
"Get his groin!" Rufus ordered.
The creature charged again. Despite the pain, Cloud drew his sword once more, driving it into the creature's chest.
"That's all for today," announced Rufus as the helicopter left the ground.
"I don't think so!" Cloud shouted as he pulled his bloody sword from the creature's body.
"We'll meet again!" assured Rufus as he grabbed the helicopter.
Cloud sighed. Right now, there were bigger things to worry about.
- 12
- 13
- 14
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Premonitions: Uncut