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Darkened Skies	By : Cynthia Category: Final Fantasy VII > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 949 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters are the property of Square Enix. I do not profit from this fanfiction, it’s for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter List
- 29
- 30
"Darkened Skies"

Chapter thirty: Beginning of the end

A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction

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*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.

~**************************************~

Zack stood at the harbor with Cissnei, looking out over the water. For a while, the two of them just stayed there together in companionable silence, watching the whitecaps break over the surface of the sea. She finally turned to face him and looked up at him with a mixture of emotions in her expressive brown eyes.
"You give too much away," Zack told her with a slight, sidelong smirk.
Cissnei bit her lip. "Not really. Only when I want to." She hastily wiped her eyes and blinked, visibly struggling against tears.
Zack looked at her head-on, then. His gaze softened on her as his one good eye looked her up and down. "I thought Turks were supposed to be tougher than this."
"We are," she confessed, laughing softly. She composed herself and gave him a tremulous smile. "Zack, I'm really going to miss you. I know I hurt you when I broke things off, but we said we'd always be friends. We…are friends, aren't we?"
He nodded, the salty ocean breeze blowing a rebellious lock of dark hair over his good eye. He tucked the strand away and forced a smile for her. "Always, cute stuff. You'll always be something special to me."
Cissnei lost the battle against her tears and her eyes welled up.
"Come on, don't do that," Zack said, reaching out to brush a falling tear away with the pad of his thumb. "You know I hate seeing girls cry."
She blurted another shaken laugh, but she couldn't stop weeping. He put his arms around her and held her close, petting her soft, brown hair gently. "So you guys really have to get out of dodge today, huh? They won't let you hang around for a little longer?"
She shook her head, resting her cheek against his chest. "No. The president wants to get our colonists organized and settled in as soon as possible. He doesn't like even a little chaos, you know."
Zack snorted. "Man, that guy's uptight." He nuzzled her hair softly, shutting his eye as he memorized her scent. "But hey, we'll see each other again."
"You bet." She nodded, and she squeezed him tight around the waist. "I love you, Zack."
"Then ditch the Turks and Elena and stay here with us," he teased, understanding how she really meant it.
"Trying to poach my woman, Fair?"
Zack and Cissnei both turned at the sound of Elena's voice, coming up behind them from the harbor entrance. Fortunately, she didn't look angry.
"I dated her first," Zack reminded, but he released the brunette and stepped back. "But just so you know, I've got a hug for you too, if you want it."
Elena seemed to consider the offer before shrugging and grinning at him. "What the hell. I guess I can risk the boy cooties."
Zack chuckled a little and gave the blonde woman a hug. When they parted, he sighed against the feeling of melancholy he felt. "You know, you could both defect from the Turks and stay here with me. I'd protect you."
Cissnei stepped forward again to cup the back of his head and draw it down for a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad to see some of the old Zack coming out again."
He shrugged and lowered his gaze, grinning in a manner that was almost like his previous self. "I guess he's a little hard to get rid of."
Elena grabbed his hand and shook it. "You take care of him then, Zack. I didn't care much for the guy that came out after Gongaga, to tell you the truth."
"Yeah, me either," sighed Zack. "But I think he's part of me now, too." Genesis had him pegged just right, and Zack wondered where the man got his insight. Between Gen and Kunsel, Zack sometimes wondered if people really could have psychic powers.
They parted ways and Zack watched as the two women walked away, holding hands. He wondered when he'd see them again and he hoped they'd stay safe.

~****************************~

"What makes you think I'll agree to this?" Demanded Rufus as he stood over Lazard's desk, scowling.
"I would think you'd be happy to agree with it," reasoned the older sibling, tapping his pen on his desk absently. He twirled the writing tool between long, elegant fingers and scanned his data screen absently, the light reflecting off the lenses of his glasses. "Think for a moment; you really are getting the better deal, here."
"How do you figure?" challenged the president. He took a seat at the other side of the desk and frowned at Lazard. "Hollander is brilliant, true, but Hojo is—"
"Hojo is an egotistical, obsessed sociopath who may very well have ended life as we know it," snapped the SOLDIER director harshly, glaring at him. "And he's intransigent, to boot. Hojo still has a few tricks up his sleeve and please bear it in mind that whomever takes him in will have the responsibility of constantly monitoring every move he makes. If you really want that burden, I'm happy to trade with you. The general may not agree, however. You can take it up with him."
Rufus faltered. "Hojo is all yours."
Lazard smirked without humor. "I thought you'd see the light."

~*********************************~

That evening, after Rufus and the Turks departed for Cosmo Canyon, Reeve paid a visit to Chaos and Vincent in their stasis chamber. He sighed as he looked up at the being floating in the tank. It seemed like he always sighed whenever he looked upon Chaos. He couldn't decide whether it was better or worse that he'd gone into hibernation as Chaos, rather than Vincent. It would have been a nice comfort to come down here and look at his sleeping friend, rather than the "demon" he hosted in his body. At the same time, Reeve thought it would break his heart all the more to do so.
"But you aren't really a 'demon'," reasoned the engineer to the oblivious creature in the tank. "Not in the literal sense. Oh, who the hell am I kidding? You were born of humanity's sins and regrets. That's a demon by definition, right? I'm afraid I'm not quite the theologist Rhapsodos and some other people are. I'm sure Lucrecia had a much better understanding of your origins than I ever could."
He lightly tapped the glass before tracing patterns over it, his eyes roving over the strange, spiked armor hugging Chaos' body. "You know, I kind of miss you too, Chaos. When you aren't scaring the ever-loving piss out of people, you aren't bad. Or maybe I just feel that way because you're a part of Vincent, now. He has to be in there, still. I'm sure of it."
Reeve's phone began to vibrate, startling him so badly he jumped. He dug it out of his blazer and he almost dropped it on the floor, before putting it to his ear and answering it. "Tuesti here."
"Reeve, we had an appointment to discuss the migration to Modeoheim next week," Lazard said. "Have you forgotten?"
Reeve checked his watch. "Damn, I did forget. Sorry about that. I'll be in your office in a few minutes."
"All right. Until then."
The call ended and Reeve put the phone away again. "Well guys, I hope you don't mind getting manhandled a little, because you're definitely coming with us when we move. I'm not about to leave you here to be possibly crushed by any WEAPONS that might take it into their heads to come blasting."
He started to turn, but something caught his eye and Reeve froze, staring up at the stasis tank uncertainly. He could have sworn that for a moment, Chaos' eyelids flickered as if he heard him. Feeling a sudden chill, the engineer hastily left the room.

~*********************************~

"Easy, easy, easy!" Reeve grimaced as the workers manipulated Chaos' stasis tank and it wobbled precariously as the machinery shifted it. "I don't want to see a single crack, understand?"
"Yes Sir," hollered the worker operating the grab lift. "Sorry! I'll try to be more careful."
"Yes, please be more careful," agreed the engineer with a wary look at the creature floating peacefully inside. Maybe it was his imagination playing tricks on him again, but he thought he saw Chaos' left wing move a little, as if he was stretching a little in his sleep to get more comfortable.
~Why the hell do I find that cute?~
Reeve decided that perhaps when they finished the relocation to Modeoheim, it might be a good idea for him to look into talking to a shrink. For now, he just wanted to make sure Chaos/Vincent got safely secured aboard Cid's airship and transported to Modeoheim with the tank fully intact.
"What's the status, Tuesti?" Cid asked him, coming up beside him to watch curiously. "That thing ain't gonna come alive on my ship and bust her up, is it?"
"No," promised Reeve…though he wondered if Chaos could choose to wake from his comatose state if he truly wanted to. "It's perfectly safe—as long as the capsule stays intact."
Cid grumbled uncomfortably. "You'd better be right about that, Reeve. Anything happens to my ship while I'm transporting that thing, I'm holding you responsible."
"Do you mind?" Reeve said, becoming annoyed. "There's a human being inside of there, too. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop referring to him as 'thing'."
Cid frowned at him. "You're awful touchy about it. Don't forget that thing in there was s'posed to go on a killing spree to snatch up souls for Omega. Just because you and your buddy Valentine got it to cooperate doesn't mean it wouldn't turn on us in a heartbeat, if it ever wakes up."
Reeve glared at him. "Let's just concentrate on getting him secured at Modeoheim, Captain. The sooner we finish this, the sooner you can leave for Ft. Condor."
He had to admit that he was a little bit resentful of Cid's decision to join AVALANCHE instead of going with them, but they couldn't force the man to join them. At least Highwind was being gracious enough to help him with this transport—seeing as the other pilots were too afraid to fly Chaos anywhere.

~*****************************~

After the weekend passed, they began transporting the remaining population of Junon Harbor to the fortified shelter in Modeoheim. Sadly, they got reports that Bone Village was attacked over the weekend and Lazard sent Sephiroth to scout for survivors and confirm whether they could still fuel up there, while the air convoy continued to transport people from the harbor. The general reported that there were no survivors. The diggers that had stubbornly remained in Bone Village had all been slaughtered, but the fuel pumps were still operational.
Every colonist was given a copy of rules to abide by, and the penalties for disobeying those rules could be quite stiff, depending on how badly a person could endanger the population by breaking them. The security and survival of the colony was dependant upon everyone's cooperation. People going outdoors in the daytime without authorization ran the risk of attracting the attention of any WEAPONS that might pass by. Brawling was punishable by jail time and Reeve had designed a holding area for criminals and troublemakers for just such a possibility. They couldn't afford fighting or rowdy behavior to go unpunished, in such a setting.
People were encouraged to volunteer for jobs and recruitment for military positions was always open, even if the only positions available were non-combat ones. After the things Hojo had done, Lazard and Sephiroth both agreed that the need for more SOLDIER operatives wasn't pressing enough to risk the chance of him playing too freely with anyone's DNA. SOLDIER recruitment was closed until such time as a need arose to revise the decision. They kept Hojo strictly regulated to the study and research of the WEAPONS—a fitting task, considering he was largely to blame for their awakening and subsequent rampaging.
Of course, when Genesis saw the little cubby that would serve as his and Angeal's sleeping quarters, he had some issues.

~*****************************~

"Far be it from me to act like a Diva," muttered Genesis Rhapsodos as he stood with his lover before the cubby, "but this isn't acceptable."
"It's not that bad, Gen," murmured Angeal. "We've slept in worse beds, before. We've slept on bare ground, for Gaia's sake."
Genesis sighed and combed gloved fingers through his auburn hair, his eyes sweeping over the little cubby with faint disgust. "I was just hoping for something at least half the size of our quarters in Junon. I've learned to live without luxury, Angeal, but this could become a permanent arrangement."
He looked at the brunet operative and he smirked. "Not to mention, your bulk alone is going to take up the majority of that bunk."
"We could always request separate cubbies," suggested Angeal reluctantly, seeing what he meant.
Genesis gave him a look. "Bite your tongue. This is going to be miserable enough, as it is."
Angeal smiled at him. It wasn't Gen's style to admit he slept better beside him, but he still suffered terrible nightmares from time to time, which led to night terrors that only Angeal could soothe. Angeal cast a furtive look around to be sure nobody was in immediate visual or hearing range, before leaning closer to his lover and murmuring into his ear.
"You could just sleep on top of me, then. Why not give it a try, before we write it off as a lost cause?"
Genesis turned his head to regard him with intrigued, aqua eyes. "I believe that could be arranged."
Zack came into the military "barracks" at that moment. "Hey guys, have you checked out those gardens? Reeve really put his back into it, when he designed this place!"
Genesis sighed. "You're excited about the ability to grow vegetables in a cave? You do realize this means we aren't going to see the light of day very much, anymore? We're going to have to ration everything carefully, and certain products that we've all come to rely upon will no longer be available, once we've used up the last of them. I for one am going to miss condoms."
"Why?" Zack asked with sincere puzzlement. "You two only keep to each other and it isn't like you can get pregnant."
"But there's a certain mess factor involved," explained Genesis. "Do I really need to go into details?"
Zack made a face. "No man…you really don't. I think I get it. But still, it could be a lot worse. We'll have food and clean water, and there's even a working plumbing system and electricity. There are people out there in the world right now that don't have any of that."
"Well, you'll have to forgive me for failing to muster your sense of optimism."
Zack sobered a little. "Look guys, I'm really trying, here. Do me a favor and try to pretend this doesn't suck so much, because I don't want to think about it too much and end up going back to that place I was in a while ago, you know?"
"Of course," agreed Angeal. "We'll focus on the bright side…won't we, Genesis?"
The redhead snorted. "Look who you're asking…but all right. I suppose I'll try to bullshit my way through it."
"Cool." Zack smiled a little.
"Why don't we have a look at these gardens you were talking about?" offered Angeal. "I've got to admit, I'm a little curious."
"That's the spirit."

~****************************~

While Zack played "tour guide" to his mentor and Genesis, Sephiroth was surveying the area. Night had fallen, so it was relatively safe for him to be out on his own, so long as he kept an alert eye out for any signs of WEAPONS. They were still working on the security and alert systems, but at least now they could detect WEAPONS on scanners, before they came within visual range. Sephiroth kept a mini version of such a scanner strapped securely to his wrist as he flew around the mountain range surrounding Modeoheim.
He could just make out the ruins of Icicle Inn when he crested the top of the range and looked to the north. Beyond that was Mt. Gaia and the Northern Crater. He mentally reviewed the landscape, mapping the area out in his head. One of the most important strategies in combat—be it for defense or offense—was to know one's surroundings. Sephiroth intended to learn every crack, crevice and rock of this area, by the time the colony was settled in.
As he flew around to another peak adjacent to the entrance of the cave network, he spotted something that sparked his curiosity. There, high above the ground in the mountain, was a small opening. He flew over to it to investigate, readying his sword as he landed at the entrance and ducked inside. His eyes glowed and his pupils dilated as they adjusted to the darkness. Even with his enhanced vision, he had difficulty making anything out inside the blackness of the tunnel entrance, so he procured a small flashlight from a pocket and he turned it on.
Peering around cautiously, he walked into the tunnel and he discovered that it opened into a small cave, eventually. The ceiling was high enough to allow him to stand up, and as he studied the interior of it, Sephiroth came to realize that it was bigger than the sleeping cubbies inside the shelter. It could probably fit up to four people, in fact, and it might make a convenient nook for privacy.
Pleased with the thought of having somewhere to go and get away from others, Sephiroth almost smiled.

~*********************************~

It took some adjusting, for certain. Now they had even less privacy than before, and it was difficult enough to be discreet at all times without being crammed into a cave with dozens of other men. The SOLDIER barracks were separate from the regular military and civilian sleeping quarters, and they were divided by rank, as well. This meant separate bunker rooms for Thirds and Seconds, but because the only Firsts remaining were Sephiroth and the other officers, they were assigned to the same room as the Seconds.
Their first night in their new "home" started out terrible, in Genesis' opinion. As nice as it sounded to sleep on top of his larger companion, when it came time to bed down, he learned that reality was a bit different. Angeal had angles and bumps that ranged from uncomfortable to painful as they squirmed on top of the thin mattress and tried to settle into a position that worked for both of them.
"Your elbow is digging into my rib," complained Angeal with a grunt as the redhead shifted.
"Then move your leg," insisted Genesis, "It's threatening to crush my balls."
Angeal obligingly tried to move said leg without harming his companion's balls in the process, and he struck his knee on the rocky wall. He hissed a rare curse and went still, waiting for the pain to fade. On top of him, Genesis grimaced in sympathy and eased carefully into a less awkward position. With a bit of finesse, they both managed to settle into a more agreeable position and Genesis laid his head on Angeal's shoulder with a sigh. Angeal stroked the redhead's bare back, waiting for the ache in his knee to go away completely.
"See?" he whispered. "This isn't that terrible."
"Sex would make it better," whispered Genesis almost petulantly. "At least a good orgasm would take my mind off how blasted uncomfortable this is."
Angeal couldn't find it in himself to be annoyed with his companion. In fact, he was having trouble not laughing at him. "You can really be a brat, Genesis."
"You think I was joking?"
Genesis' hand started to burrow between their bodies under the covers, sliding over Angeal's stomach and further. The bigger man was wearing a pair of winter pajamas, complete with a button-up, black fleece shirt and matching bottoms. Genesis, on the other hand, wore only a pair of deep red track pants to bed.
"What are you doing?" whispered Angeal with a frown, squirming a little as the other man's exploration moved further south.
"I intend to invoke the power of orgasm," answered Genesis in a purr, "and I'd appreciate it if you would reciprocate. I need my beauty sleep, too."
"Gen, we're surrounded by other—mph!"
Genesis' kiss muffled the protest and Angeal forgot what he was about to say as the moist, hot tongue darted into his mouth. The deft, skilled hand slipped under the waistline of his pants, provoking a soft gasp of alarm.
"Stop being such a prude," warned Genesis in a bare whisper against his lips, breaking the kiss momentarily. "Do you really think other couples are going to refrain from this sort of activity, indefinitely? We could be stuck here for the rest of our lives."
"Well, no," answered Angeal weakly, distracted by the feel of Genesis' hand curling around his dick beneath his sleep pants.
"Then why in Minerva's name should we?" insisted Genesis with a persuasive stroke that made the bigger man groan. He traced Angeal's lips with his tongue before adding; "we have as much right to fuck as they do."
Angeal blushed predictably at the crude statement. "But we've only been here for a day," he reminded in a harsh whisper, "and in case you haven't noticed, there isn't a lot of room to maneuver in this bunk!"
"Then we settle for frottage, until we can get away somewhere for a proper pounding," answered Genesis. His hand squeezed and rubbed insistently, making Angeal swell to an erect state quickly.
Angeal was very much aware of the people so close by, tossing and turning in their efforts to get some sleep as well. He heard someone begin to snore and he envied their ability to fall asleep so quickly. Despite his reluctance to give away what they were doing in the dark together, he couldn't deny that his companion's efforts were turning him on in a big way. When Gen's teeth tugged on his earlobe, his hips lifted off the mattress a little and he growled softly in his throat.
"And there he is," chuckled Genesis breathlessly in approval. "I knew I could bring out the beast in you, given enough time."
Angeal shifted beneath him and worked his hand down to return the favor, even as he told himself he shouldn't be fooling around like this on the first night here. He could only imagine how awkward it would be if the other Soldiers around them started to pick up on what they were doing.
"I hope we don't regret this," muttered Angeal as he slipped a hand into Gen's pants and sought out the treasure within. He found Genesis already erect—which came as no surprise to him. He brushed his thumb over the satiny tip of his cock and he hardened even further when the redhead made one of those glorious sounds of pleasure and surrender against his lips.
"Careful," admonished Genesis when the big man abruptly shifted beneath him and rolled over, changing their positions and pinning him beneath.
"I thought you wanted to play," reminded Angeal huskily.
The aqua gaze glowed up at him and he saw the flash of Genesis' teeth as the redhead gave him a feral smile. "Oh, indeed. I'm surprised that you banished the ninny so quickly, though."
The reminder that he'd just been lecturing Gen about their potential audience made Angeal hesitate, his lust cooling a bit. He was so used to having Genesis all to himself in the privacy of their old sleeping quarters, it was easy to lose his head for a moment and forget they weren't alone.
"Damn, I shouldn't have said anything," muttered Genesis.
He started stroking Angeal off again, his handsome face determined and inviting. His voice was pitched so low that only a SOLDIER operative or someone with similarly enhanced hearing could possibly hear it, and it was unlikely that the other operatives in the bunker could make out his words unless they listened right outside the privacy screen.
"Don't think about it, Angeal. Forget about everything else and just feel. I want you."
Angeal found it impossible to resist such a simplistic, passionate statement. He rocked his hips gently, pushing into Genesis' gripping strokes. He balanced carefully on one elbow and slipped a hand into the redhead's pants again as he lowered his head and kissed him on the mouth. His breath quickened with pleasure and lust as he and Genesis mutually stroked one other off in the darkness, their tongues alternatively wrestling, caressing and thrusting against each other's. He had to break the kiss after a few moments to breathlessly warn Genesis to check the volume of his moans, when it occurred to him that they were getting a little obvious.
Genesis pulled Angeal's pants down to bare his ass and groin after a while, and then he lifted up with a grunt of effort to expose himself, as well. He grabbed Angeal's bigger hand in his and guided it over their erections as the two members rubbed against each other. Both of them began to produce slippery beads of precum as their passionate efforts bolstered their excitement and brought them closer to the peak they both desired.
"Genesis," groaned Angeal, contradicting his earlier admonishments against the volume of his companion's voice. He clenched his jaw as he started to orgasm, and his companion followed suit. They came against one another and Angeal hardly noticed that most of it got on his nightshirt.
"Dude, keep it down," Zack's voice whispered from the cubby next to theirs.
The afterglow was spoiled by the realization that his "little brother" had heard his blurted expression of pleasure. Angeal buried his head against Genesis' shoulder, his face positively on fire with embarrassment.
"Shoot me."

~************************************~

Nibelheim, 13 days later:
Tifa carried another round of mugs over to the table in the corner of the tavern's cellar, keeping a careful eye on the patrons' condition. Mr. Grauspache was getting a bit too tipsy, and she decided this would be his last lager for the night.
"No more after this, okay?" she warned him as she set the frosty mug down before him. "You've reached your limit."
"Have a heart, little Lockheart," he hiccupped, "there's not much left to do but drink, these days!"
"Even so," she answered calmly, "the counsel has rules against allowing any villagers to get too drunk, outside their own homes. You know that, Mr. Grauspache. Last one."
The bearded man grumbled, but he didn't say anything more. His companions raised their mugs to each other, laughing with false cheer and trying to pretend that life was normal. Tifa walked away from the table with the now empty tray balanced on one hand, and she noticed that they were running low on ice when she went behind the makeshift bar they'd recently built in the cellar.
"Micah," she called to the other barmaid, "I need to draw some water from the tower, so we can make more ice. I'll be back soon."
The blonde barmaid nodded and pushed a groping male hand away from her skirt. Trusting her to handle herself without her for a while, Tifa grabbed the water bucket and went up the stairs leading out of the cellar. She supposed they could allow patrons to use the common room of the tavern during the night hours, but her father strongly advised against it. Shutters were to be drawn at all times when lights were on, to avoid giving it away that there were people still living in Nibelheim.
Tifa stepped outside the tavern and she took a moment to stretch, looking up at the semi-clouded night sky. He combed her fingers through her long, dark hair absently and she sighed, searching the village for any sign of a certain, protective young blond man.
"Cloud, please be okay."
He was out hunting, again. He was one of the few still brave enough to risk it. The village still had some livestock, but they had been forced to slaughter a few milking cows to put meat on the table and keep families fed. He'd always been a good shot with the rifle, and he knew how to handle a sword if any dangerous animals closed the distance before he could bring them down with the firearm. The trouble was, there had been recent sightings of a huge yellow and orange WEAPON patrolling the land around Mt. Nibel. Rifle bullets and a broadsword couldn't do much against such a creature, no matter how skilled the wielder.
Tifa made it to the water tower, and she filled the bucket before making use of the Ice materia her father had passed down to her. It wasn't strong enough to use as an attack spell, but it still had enough power to freeze water. She activated the spell and when the water in the bucket was frozen solid, she picked it up to carry it back inside, where it would be chipped away to make ice cubes. As she crossed the town square and approached the tavern, she heard the sound of running footsteps hitting the cobbled street behind her.
Tifa turned to see Cloud sprinting toward her, his face flushed with exertion and his eyes wide and alarmed. "Tifa!" he panted, coming to a stop before her. He was forced to put his hands on his knees and bend over for a moment to catch his breath.
"Are you okay?" she asked in concern, rubbing his shoulder.
Cloud shook his spiked head and straightened up again. He grabbed the hilt of his sword with one hand and grabbed her arm with the other. His rifle was nowhere to be seen on him—possibly dropped somewhere while he was running.
"Cloud! What are you doing?" Tifa impulsively resisted as he started to pull her toward her family's house.
"It's coming," he panted urgently. "Get…underground! Saw it!"
"B-but we have to warn the village," she reminded him, her heart leaping in her chest.
"You go," he urged. "Get your parents! I'll ring the bell!"
Tifa stared at the darkened horizon and listened intently, searching for any evidence to back his claim. "Are you sure it's coming this way, Cloud?"
He nodded. "Positive! Who…lit a…fire?"
Tifa turned to follow his pointing with her eyes and she cursed when she saw that the smoke billowing from the chimney of the Wagner home. "Oh, no! Mrs. Wagner must have forgotten again! I'll go and put it out."
"Too late for that," he urged, "Everyone needs to hide…now!"
She swallowed hard, her knees shaking with sudden fear. She refused to allow herself to go into hysterics, though. There was still a chance the creature would pass them by, if they got everyone hidden fast enough.
"Go ring the bell," she told him. "I'll go and help Mrs. Wagner get to her basement, before I go to mine."
He nodded and ran to the alarm bell in the center of town, while Tifa hurried into Mrs. Wagner's house to put out the fireplace and try to get the befuddled old woman to safety.

~*********************************~

They had been collecting survivors from all around the world whenever possible, relying scanners to detect human life forms. Each night, Reeve did a broad-range search with the improved scanning system he'd devised. Satellite relay still worked and he took advantage of that to create the more advanced, powerful system. It enabled him to search whole territories, without the need to physically travel to the areas. His schedule had been keeping him too busy to scan excessively, but he recalled his interest in investigating Nibelheim and when he performed a scan of the area and found life signs, he immediately went to report it.
“I’m getting life readings in Nibelheim,” Reeve told Lazard. “I’m also getting some fainter life readings to the east, near Bone Village.”
“How strong are they?” Lazard kept his eyes on the reports he was reading over but Reeve knew the man could read and listen at the same time.
“Scanners indicate multiple life forms in Nibelheim,” answered the engineer. “The signs I’ve picked up near Bone Village are weak, but still strong enough to bear investigation.”
“Send out search parties to Nibelheim and Bone Village, then. Contact our allies and see if they can lend aid. We may not have enough room to transport many people alone.”
Reeve nodded. "I'll get the word out right away."

~*******************************~

As he flew with a rescue convoy to Nibelheim, Reeve considered the blank journal he'd salvaged during the last rescue he'd been a part of. He opened it up and flipped through the empty pages, pondering over the future, and whether future generations would have a clear history of the things that had happened, or if it would end up muddied like so many events often did. Written history only dated back so far. In order to prevent repeating the mistakes of the past, it was important that people understand it. Without full knowledge of what those mistakes entailed, people might just be doomed to echo them in the future.
"Excuse me," Reeve said to a young woman in standard military uniform, sitting across from him, "Would you happen to have a pen I could borrow, Miss?"

~*********************************~

I am part of an organization that once used Mako energy for everything. We used it as an energy source. We used it to manufacture weapons. We used it to create useable materia. We used it to enhance human beings and create the ultimate soldiers…living weapons that made it possible for ShinRa Inc to stand unrivaled in military might. The president of the company even forged a new operation in secret, so greedy for world domination that Mako energy, SOLDIER and wealth weren’t enough for him. In his attempt to create even more powerful soldiers, he created Deepground…right beneath our feet under Midgar. Not even his sons knew about it. The Deepground soldiers were given much higher concentrated treatments of Mako—to the point where they needed regular infusions just to live.
None of us knew about Mako Reactor 0 and the superhuman army being bred beneath it. Well, almost none of us. Of all the high-ranking company executives, only Scarlet, Heidegger, Hollander and Hojo were aware of the Deepground project. Perhaps if we had known it was going on, we could have stopped the disaster that put the world into the sorry state that it’s in now. Perhaps if someone had killed President Shinra, Hojo and Hollander years ago, the rest of the world would be at peace today. Some might call it poetic justice that President Shinra and Heidegger were amongst the first casualties in the Deepground event.
As it stands, we barely survived the Deepground uprising and the summoning of Omega. You see, without Lifestream, life itself isn’t possible. Omega nearly ascended and if it had, it would have taken all departed souls and the Lifestream with it. With the help of Vincent Valentine and the entity called Chaos that he harbors inside of him, we defeated Deepground and stopped Omega. Afterwards, Vincent went dormant and left Chaos in control of his body. That would have been a very bad thing for all, considering that Chaos feeds on spirit energy. Fortunately, the “demon” was exhausted by the final battle and he chose to go into hibernation.
Civilization moved on and began to rebuild, but our problems weren’t over. The planet now felt threatened and we began to get reports of strange activity at the Northern Crater. The teams we sent to investigate never returned and it wasn’t long before we discovered why.
The planet still felt threatened. Omega was gone, but the planet was still quite capable of creating and releasing WEAPONS…creatures designed to protect Gaia from threat. Now it seems the planet considered US the threat and the solution? To obliterate human kind. Whole cities and communities were wiped off the map as the first WEAPONS rampaged over Gaia, killing everything and everyone in their path. Survivors banded together to fight the creatures and seek shelter but before long, we humans became an endangered species.
We’re now spread out…scattered over the globe in small, remote clusters. Our forces are divided, so that we don’t make a large, easy target. Director Lazard leads SOLDIER in Modeoheim. President Rufus is in charge of the Turks in Cosmo Canyon and Commander Wallace and Captain Highwind command AVALANCHE in Fort Condor. The cave system beneath these towns provide somewhere for people to hide if a WEAPON attacks and we’ve been gathering survivors across the world and bringing them to these sanctuaries.
We’re at war with our own planet. I don’t know if there will be any future generations to read my journals, but history must be recorded so that mistakes of the past aren’t repeated. Hope is a difficult thing to hold onto, these days.
-Reeve Tuesti

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-Continued in "Ashen Skies"
- 29
- 30
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Darkened Skies