From: Little Chiba =========================================================================== [ I n s e r t r e a l l y c o o l F i n a l F a n t a s y 7 ] [ A S C I I l o g o h e r e ] =========================================================================== [ T h e F i n a l F a n t a s y V I I S c r i p t ] v.1.00 [ D i s c 2 - D i s c 3 ] =========================================================================== Ah, too bad I'm not a better ASCII artist. Welcome to the Final Fantasy VII Script. The way I transcribed the different choices ("I don't care / OK, let's go," and the like) requires a little bit of explanation: Do this Do that ***Lead character Do this (Here's all the stuff that happens when you do this) ***Lead character Do that (Here's all the stuff that happens when you do that) (Here's all the stuff that happens no matter whether you do this or that) The actual choices are somewhat more interesting. If you discover any grammatical errors, misspellings, or typos, or if you have a question, comment, or suggestion about the script, I much appreciate it if you email me about it so I can try to incorporate it into the next versions. An enhanced version of this script with HTML formatting, music, and screenshots of the entire game is available at my website at http://come.to/chiba. This document can be used for any purpose except sales or advertisement, as long as it is not modified or changed and is distributed with all available files. As of October 23, 1998, this document consists of three files: ff7disc1.txt, ff7disc2.txt, and ff7opq.txt. The original story was written by Katsuhige Nojima and Yoshinori Kitase; as based on a story by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Tetsuya Nomura. The original copyright is still held by these individuals and Square Co., Ltd. The author of this document does not claim to hold copyright over the full original script, but this document in itself is protected by copyright laws. Email the author at little_chiba@hotmail.com. I do hope you enjoy reading this script much more than I did transcribing it. Sit back, plant your finger squarely on that down-arrow key, and have fun. And be sure to use your imagination. Chiba =========================================================================== Scene 1: Presentiment - AVALANCHE Scene 2: Escape From Mako Reactor 7 Scene 3: Flower Girl - A Daring Leap Scene 4: The Long Ride Home Scene 5: The Reactor Tower Scene 6: Welcome Home, Cloud! - A Childhood Promise Scene 7: The Morning After - Sector 7 Scene 8: The Train - A Narrow Escape Scene 9: Reactor #5 - President Shinra Scene 10: Flowers Blooming In The Church Scene 11: Meet Reno Scene 12: Flee The Church Scene 13: Let's Go, Bodyguard! Scene 14: Sneak Out At Midnight Scene 15: Playground Ai Scene 16: Miss Cloud? Scene 17: Rescue Tifa From Don Of The Slums Scene 18: Lounge Chaos Scene 19: Ecchi Don Scene 20: I'll Smash Them Scene 21: Shinra Plans Scene 22: Encounter At The Reactor Tower Scene 23: Sector 7 Falls Scene 24: Biggs... Wedge... Jessie... ...Marlene... Scene 25: The Flower Girl - Origins Scene 26: A Golden Shiny Wire Of Hope Scene 27: 140 Flights... Scene 28: Climbing Shinra Tower Scene 29: Specimen - Jenova Scene 30: Experimental Aerith Scene 31: Captured - Meet The President Scene 32: A Night In Jail Scene 33: Sephiroth Alive!? - Rufus's Ascent Scene 34: A Confrontation With The New President Scene 35: A Spectacular Escape - Highway Battle Scene 36: Ahead On Our Way Scene 37: Cloud Begins His Story Scene 38: Our Monster Scene 39: Nibelheim - Homecoming Scene 40: The Mountains Of Nibel Scene 41: Monsters Of The Nibel Reactor Scene 42: Sephiroth's Thirst For Knowledge Scene 43: Realization Scene 44: Nibelheim Aflame - Tifa's Revenge Scene 45: J-E-N-O-V-A Scene 46: What A Fascinating Story... Scene 47: The Village Of Kalm Scene 48: Chocobo Chocobo Scene 49: Zolom Impaled - The Mithril Mine Scene 50: Junon Fortress - Resuscitation Scene 51: Rufus's Homecoming Scene 52: The Boat Ride - Jenova BIRTH Scene 53: Landing At Costa Del Sol Scene 54: Hojo On The Beach Scene 55: Mountain Pass - Another Reactor Scene 56: North Corel - Barret's Hometown Scene 57: Gold Saucer - Cait Sith, The God Of Luck Scene 58: Barret's Crime? Scene 59: Corel Prison Scene 60: Gun-Arm Scene 61: Dyne - Broken Trust Scene 62: Ester, Your New Manager Scene 63: Chocobo Race - Free Scene 64: The Turks - Ruined Reactor - Gongaga Village - Aerith and Zack Scene 65: Cosmo Canyon - Grudge Scene 66: Bugenhagen's Observatory Scene 67: The Lifestream Scene 68: Cosmo Candle Scene 69: Nanaki, Son Of Seto Scene 70: Red Truth Scene 71: Nibelheim Revisited - The Black Cloak Scene 72: Calamity From The Skies Scene 73: Rocket Town - Hey, Cid! Scene 74: Sending A Dream Into The Universe - Tiny Bronco Escapes! Scene 75: Tiny Bronco Afloat Scene 76: The Keystone Scene 77: Ghost Hotel Conversation Scene 78: A Midnight Date - Interrupted By Fireworks Scene 79: A Spy!? Scene 80: Temple Of The Ancients - Tseng's Meeting Scene 81: Meteor - A Wound So Large Scene 82: The Black Materia Scene 83: Believe In Me - Cait Sith Scene 84: Cait Sith In The Shrinking Temple Scene 85: Cloud's Sin Scene 86: Aerith's Wood Scene 87: Cloud's Self Scene 88: Bone Village Scene 89: The Sleeping Forest - City Of The Ancients Scene 90: Aerith's Gift Scene 91: Puppet - Descent Into Life Scene 92: Who Am I...? END OF DISC ONE Scene 93: Winter Wonderland Scene 94: Gast's Videos Scene 95: Elena - A Snowy Ride - Great Glacier Scene 96: Gaea's Cliff - Mako Crater Scene 97: The Shinra Airship Scene 98: Reunion - The Black Materia Scene 99: Cloud's Truth, Or Cloud's Lie? Scene 100: Materia Tree Scene 101: Sephiroth's Ruse Scene 102: Identification Number - Out Of Our Grasp Once More - Weapon Rises Scene 103: Origins - Sector 7 Train Station Scene 104: Dark Sun Scene 105: Public Execution - Weapon Attacks - Camaraderie - Cheating Death - Highwind Scene 106: Highwind Takes To The Skies Scene 107: Mideel - Mind Of A Friend Scene 108: Shinra's Plans - Cid's Election Scene 109: Corel's Huge Materia Scene 110: Fort Condor's Huge Materia Scene 111: Weapon Attacks - Lifestream Revisited Scene 112: Into Darkness Scene 113: Enter Cloud's Mind - Nibelheim, Long Ago Scene 114: That Childhood Promise... Scene 115: Jealousy - In My Room Scene 116: On the Other Side of the Mountain Scene 117: The Truth - You Were Watching Me - A Battle of Will Scene 118: Return to the Others Scene 119: Awakening Scene 120: There Ain't No Gettin' Off Scene 121: Underwater Reactor - Sub Space Scene 122: Gelnika Takes Off - Countdown to Dreams and Death Scene 123: Crash Course - Shinra No. 26's Huge Materia Scene 124: Wreckage Scene 125: Escape Pod - Too Little, Too Late Scene 126: The Cry Of The Planet - That Someone Is Us Scene 127: Remembrance Scene 128: Knowledge Of the Ancients Scene 129: Green - Junon Cannon Relocated Scene 130: Sister Ray Scene 131: Weapon Surfaces - Value of a Life - Epic Battle Scene 132: Fire - Weapon Falls - Paths Opened - President's Redemption Scene 133: Imminent Explosion - Hojo Schemes - Midgar Bound Scene 134: Parachute Into Midgar - Turk Settlement - Proud Clod - Hojo Transforms Scene 135: Seven Days - We Have A Reason To Fight Scene 136: Understanding Scene 137: Last Morning Scene 138: We Shall Fight Together END OF DISC TWO Scene 139: The North Crater Scene 140: The Planet's Core - Jenova-SYNTHESIS Scene 141: Judgment Day - The One-Winged Angel Scene 142: Ghost Scene 143: The Beginning of the End Scene 144: The End of the Beginning THE END Optional Quests - Yuffie Meet Yuffie Materia Thief - Turks Off Duty - Godo Steel Them? Corneo Revisited - Truce - Because It's Our Job. Materia Regained Brave the Pagoda - Godo Optional Quests - Vincent Meet Vincent Waterfall Cave Gift From Lucrecia Optional Quests - Basement Flashback Laboratory Revelations Optional Quests - Red XIII Strength of the Valley Optional Quests - Zangan's Letter Zangan's Letter Scene 93 - Winter Wonderland - (Cloud and the others leave the shell house in the Forgotten City.) Tifa "Sephiroth... I wonder which way he went?" (A high-pitched whine emanates from somewhere as Cloud clutches his head.) Cloud "...ugh." (The screen goes a green tint. The camera pans up so show Sephiroth walking northward, then he flickers away. The camera pans back. Cloud starts shaking his head.) Cid "Ey, hey! You alright?" Cloud "Hmmm..." "Sephiroth said to me... Head North......... ......past the Snow Fields......" (They head north. Traversing a giant conch shell, a deep, dark cave, and a snow field, they arrive at the town of Winter.) People in Winter "Grandpa, wake up! We have a customer!" "...smack... mff... Oh... welcome, glad you came." (Sells weapons) "Next time, I'm gonna make an even bigger one." "It's almost finished!" "My boy got hurt right about the time we moved here..." "I never should've bought him a snowboard." "...whimper..... weep....." "My husband left 20 years ago an still hasn't come back." "He should at least be at the foot of the Gaea Cliffs. It's marked with a check on the map..." "The master is an experienced climber, you know." "I've heard that he knows every corner of the Great Glacier!" "It's nearly impossible to reach the Northern limits without a map." "If you're thinkin' 'bout going to the Northern limits, you'd better take that map on the wall." "You heard about the gnarly hill in this town? They tell me it's off limits!" "What luck! We came all this way... crap!" "It's colder than usual today..." "It's 200 gil, you wanna spend the night?" "Phew, what is it? Don't get too close, or it'll burn ya." Scene 94 - Gast's Videos - (Cloud goes to a small shack in the center of town. In it are many scientific instruments, blinking, flashing. They look out of place in this small town. He takes a look at them.) Play the Video? No Yes ***Cloud No ***Cloud Yes The Original Crisis What is "Weapon?" Confidential Don't watch ***Cloud The Original Crisis (The screen fades to black. When it fades in again, we are still in the same room, but the scenery is dimmed slightly green. A man dressed in a lab coat adjusts some of the instruments - the camera pans erratically up and down here - while a woman in a red dress stands by. The man finishes his adjustments and goes over to stand by the woman.) "Camera's ready!" "Then, Ifalna, please tell us about the Cetra." (He steps away, his attention focused on her. She begins to speak.) "2000 years ago, our ancestors, the Cetra, heard the cries of the Planet." "The first ones to discover the Planet's wound were the Cetra at the Knowlespole." "Tell us Ifalna... Where is the land called 'Knowlespole'?" "Knowlespole refers to this area. The Cetra then began a Planet-reading." "Ifalna, what exactly does Planet-reading entail?" "...I can't explain it very well, but it's like having a conversation with the Planet..." "It said something fell from the sky making a large wound." "Thousands of Cetra pulled together, trying to heal the Planet..." "But, due to the severity of the wound, it was only able to heal itself, over many years." "Do the Ancients, rather, the Cetra, have special powers to heal the Planet?" (She shakes her head.) "No, it's not that kind of power. The life force of all living things on this Planet becomes the energy." "The Cetra tried desperately to cultivate the land so as not to diminish the needed energy..." "Hmm, even here so close to the North Cave, the snow never melts." "Is that because the planet's energy is gathered here to heal its injury?" (She bows her head.) "Yes, the energy that was needed to heal the Planet withered away the land... then the Planet..." "The Planet tried to persuade the Cetra to leave the Knowlespole, but..." (The doctor shrugs.) "Ifalna... Let's take a break." (She shakes her head) "I'm all right... When the Cetra... were preparing to part with the land they loved..." (She turns away) "That's when it appeared!" "It looked like... our... our dead mothers... and our dead brothers. Showing us spectres of their past." "Who is the person that appeared at the North Cave? I haven't any idea." "That's when the one who injured the Planet... or the 'crisis from the sky', as we call him, came." (She covers her face with her hands.) "He first approached as a friend, deceived them, and finally...... gave them the virus." (She looks up again.) "The Cetra were attacked by the virus and went mad... transforming into monsters." (She sinks to the floor. The scientist runs over to her) "Then, just as he had at the Knowlespole." "He approached other Cetra clans...... infecting them with... the virus..." "You don't look well... Let's call it a day." (He walks over to the console and presses some buttons. The screen fades.) ***Cloud What is 'Weapon'?" (The screen fades in to show the scientist pressing buttons on the console again. Ifalna is this time seated in the corner. He walks closer to her.) "Ifalna, can you comment on the thing called 'Weapon'?" "Yes, Professor." (She stands and walks over to him.) "The one the Professor mistook for a Cetra... was named Jenova. That is the 'crisis from the sky'." "The Planet knew it had to destry the 'crisis from the sky'..." "You see, as long as Jenova exists, the Planet will never be able to fully heal itself." "Back then, Weapon was a weapon the Planet produced of its own will?" "Yes, but... There is no record of Weapon ever being used." "A small number of the surviving Cetra defeated Jenova, and confined it." "The Planet produced Weapon... But it was no longer necessary to use it." (He shrugs) "So, Weapon no longer exists on the Planet?" (She shakes her head) "Weapon cannot vanish. ...It remains asleep somewhere on the Planet." "Even though Jenova is confined, it could come back to life at some time..." "The Planet has not fully healed itself yet. It is still watching Jenova." "Where is Weapon?" (She looks away) "I don't know...... I can't hear the voice of the Planet well..." "Times... have changed. The Planet... is probably watching this situation closely." (She rubs her eyes. The professor turns away, shaking his head. He looks almost disgusted. The turns back.) "...Thank you, Ifalna, that will be all for today." (He walks to the console and turns the camera off, leaving Ifalna standing there, her face covered in her hands.) ***Cloud Confidential Daughter's Record: 10th Day after birth Daughter's Record: 20th Day after birth Don't watch ***Cloud Daughter's Record: 10th Day after birth (The screen fades to black and remains dark as we hear the Professor and Ifalna speak.) "What are you doing, Profes...... I mean, honey?" "Oh, I'm thinking of taping it on video. But, the video's not working right..." "What are you going to tape? Is there still something I haven't mentioned?" "No, that's not it. I'm going to record my beautiful daughter." "And when she's sleeping, her face ...looks like an angel." "First, we have to figure out her name. We can take the video later!" "I've already decided! If it's a girl, then it'll be Aerith. That's that!" "You are SO selfish! But Aerith is a good name!" "Hee hee... it's a good name, considering it came out of that forgetful head of yours!" "Right!? Oh, the video tape......" ***Cloud Daughter's Record: 20th Day after birth (The screen fades in to show the Professor working at the console again. Ifalna comes in and stands next to him.) "Video again? You just got through taping!" ".........Please don't say it that way." "It's our lovely daughter, both yours... and mine!" "Don't you want to capture her childhood on videotape?" "If you keep doting on her like that, she won't grow up to be strong..." "Aerith is different from the other children. I wonder what dangers await her...?" (He faces away) "Never say that! I will protect you and Aerith no matter what!!" (He turns to her) "You and Aerith are my only treasures. I'll never let you go!!" "I feel so much better now, darling." "If I hadn't met you, I......" (He walks over to her and places his arms around her neck. Just as they are about to kiss, there comes an abrupt knock at the door. He turns) "Who could that--! I was just about to..." (He grabs his head. Ifalna covers her face) "Damn!!" "How dare they intrude on our 'private time' together!" "I'll send them away." (She looks at him) "Yes, at once!!" "Who the devil?" (She goes to the door. As the opens it, cold wind blows through the room.) "It, it's them!!" (She runs behind the Professor. Two Shinra guards rush into the room, followed by Hojo. He walks right up to the Professor.) "Heh, heh, heh...... I've been searching for you, Ifalna... or should I say, Cetra!" "Long time no see, Professor Gast!" (So this is Professor Gast.) "Hojo... How did you know?" "Believe me, I had to turn over a stone or two to find you." (Hojo faces away as Gast shakes his head.) "Two years I waited.... That's how much I wanted this new sample..... Ha, ha, ha." (He turns back to Gast.) "...New sample? You don't mean Aerith!?" (Gast viciously grabs onto the front of Hojo's lab coat. The two guards raise their guns. He freezes. Hojo pushes his arm away.) "Hmm, Aerith? What a nice name...... Ha, ha, ha." (Gast holds his head.) "That's it! I'm severing all ties with the Shinra." "Hojo, please leave." (Ifalna moves at last. She walks calmly around in front of Gast and kneels on the floor before Hojo.) "Please, Aerith has nothing to do with it! All you want is me, right?" (Gast spins to face her) "Ifalna!" (Hojo nods) "I'll need all of you for my experiment." (He turns to face Gast.) "You understand, don't you, Professor Gast? We can change the future of the Planet!" (Gast kneels by Ifalna.) "Don't worry, Ifalna. I'll take care of this!" "Please don't put up a fight. I don't want any harm to come to my precious sample." (Hojo turns to face the camera.) "Mmm? What a funny looking camera. Guard! Destroy it!" (The guard nearest the camera spins and shoots out the camera. The screen goes black.) "Be careful with her!! Ha, ha, ha......" (A sound of a blow.) "Wh... what are you doing, Professor!?" "Ifalna! Take Aerith and run!!" (A sound of a gunshot.) "Eyaaaaah... Darling......!!" (A pause.) "Oh, and uh... don't forget the child!" "Hmm, a video? The Ancients... Weapon!?" "Heh, heh, heh... a mountain of treasure! Thank you, Professor... Ha, ha, ha." ***Cloud Don't watch ***Cloud Don't watch Scene 95 - Elena - A Snowy Ride - Great Glacier - (Cloud exits Gast's shack in Winter. He goes north, to the steep slope past the town, where someone mills aimlessly around.) "No, don't! It's a steep downgrade past here!" "It's dangerous, please don't go!" I'm still going Thanks for your kindness ***Cloud "I'm still going "Damn, I was just being nice..." "What the? Who are those people over there? Looks like trouble!" (The camera pans downward. We see Elena come running into Winter. She turns to face her guards.) ***Cloud Thanks for your kindness "No, no. I just did what came natural." Elena "There they are, hurry!" (The guards pop into the camera, flanking her) "Yes ma'am!" (All three come running up to Cloud.) Elena "Cloud... huff... wheeze." "I won't let you go any further!" (Cloud shrugs) Cloud "What's down there?" Elena "It's a SE-CR-ET." "It really doesn't matter! But you really got guts doin' my boss in like that!" Cloud "You mean Boss... Tseng? That wasn't us. Sephiroth did it." Elena "No! Don't think you can fool me, liar!" Cloud "I'm not lying... it was Sephiroth." Elena "Don't try to act innocent. I'll never forget it!!" (Cloud scratches his head) Cloud "Oh, man..." (Elena taps her foot) Elena "Looks like talking alone won't cut it. You're going to have to feel some pain!" (A guard steps forward) "Just you... and me!!" Elena "No, I can handle him! There's no way he can avoid my punch." "What? Yeah......" (Elena throws a punch, leaving the PLAYER, via a series of direction presses to avoid it.) ***If you didn't avoid it... (Elena kneels by Cloud) Elena "Why? Why didn't you try to avoid it..." (She stands) Elena "There's no way they can climb the Great Glacier anyway." "Put them in some house in the village." (The screen fades to black. Cloud wakes up in Gast's laboratory.) ***If you avoid it... (Elena's punch misses and she goes tumbling down the hill, cannonball style.) "Ele... Elena!?" (Her guards give chase. The guy milling around the top of the mountain comes out from his hiding place in the trees.) "What the...? They sure were weak for Shinras." "Sorry I just took off a while ago... It looked like there was going to be trouble." "Anyhow, you'll need a snowboard to get down that hill. Want me to teach you to ride one?" Yeah, maybe you should Nope, not interested ***Cloud Yeah, maybe you should (He gives control directions for riding the snowboard.) ***Cloud Nope, not interested "All right, big-head... But don't blame me if you get hurt." (Cloud returns to the house of the injured little boy.) "I got hurt on my snowboard, and now I can't go out for a while..." "Hey, I'll give you my snowboard." "Tell me when you get good at it." (Cloud receives the Snowboard. He takes it to the slope at the north end of the village and rides it to the bottom in an incredibly fun minigame. They all land in a heap at the bottom.) Cloud "Ugh..." (He shakes his head) Cloud "I guess we're still in one piece." "Everyone all right?" Tifa "Yeah, somehow." Cid "I can't be doin' this! Damn!" Cloud "So where did we land?" "Looks like we've jumped pretty far..." (Your starting point changes depending on which path you took through the minigame. Heading right causes you to jump farther.) Tifa "Oh yeah, we got the map, right? Let's look at the map by pressing the Square button." Cloud "It sure is cold. We'll freeze if we stay here any longer." (Cloud and the others begin to explore the frozen mountain. Everntually, they pass out from exhaustion and cold. They come to in a house.) "You awake?" (A man comes down from a loft above them.) "You collapsed at the Great Glacier. It's a miracle you're all right." "My name is Holzoff. I've been living here 20 years now." "If you are planning to head North, you'd better listen to my story." "Why don't we go to the next room and sit down." (They go to the next room.) Holzoff "You ever hear about those who challenged the cliff?" Yeah No ***Cloud No "There's an old legend that says something fell from the sky here a long time ago." "That's what's supposed to have pushed the land up and formed this cliff." "30 Years ago, Yamski and I took this cliff on to see what was on the other side." "But, we weren't prepared for it. We did expect the temperature to be low but..." "On that cliff, there's always a biting cold wind. The cold air lowers your body temperature." (He faces away) "Yamski, was below me. He cut his own rope..." "...and I didn't even notice..." (He turns back) "Ever since then, I've settled here... continuing to challenge the cliff, and provide warning and shelter to my fellow climbers." "If you're going to climb the cliff, there's 2 precautions you'll need to take." "First, check your route... It's hard to find because of all the snow." "Second, once you get to a ledge, make sure you warm youselves up." "Understand?" One more time Yes ***Cloud One more time (He explains again) ***Cloud Yes "You must've used a lot of energy getting up here... Better get some rest before you head out." (They spend the night.) Scene 96 - Gaea's Cliff - Mako Crater - (Cloud and the others wake up and leave the shack. Everyone is shivering outside in the snow.) Barret "You know, I've been thinkin'...?" What is it? Save it for later ***Cloud What is it? Barret "Seein' a place like this, makes you realize how awesome nature is." "But, if anyone ever told me to live here, I'd tell them to... you know..." "I tell you one thing though. If I did have to live here I'd change things around 'n' make it better." "I guess the total opposite of this would be...... Midgar." "When you think of it that way, Shinra don't seem so bad..." (He makes an angry motion) Barret "Uuuuurrrrrgh!!" "What the hell am I sayin'!? The Shinra, not bad!?" ***Cloud Save it for later Cloud "We'll secure the route. You come up later." (Cloud heads north, to Gaea's Cliff. Traversing a long series of uneventful cliffsides and ice caverns, they reach a long tunnel, illuminated green. Something groans ahead of them.) "Ugh....... Errgaahh!!" (A black-cloaked figure is thrown into the tunnel.) (Boss battle with Schizo) (They exit the tunnel and find themselves on a narrow ledge. Climbing the canyon wall, they reach the summit of a huge crater. FMV sequence as they see Mako energy spewing pure from the crater. They head down the canyon wall.) Cloud "An old crater..." "Something fell out of the sky and crashed down here......" "Leaving a scar on the planet." Cid "Damn, this's somethin'. It's gathered up all that energy to try an' heal itself." Cloud "Sephiroth took that energy and is trying to use Meteor." "Next time the wound won't be so small." (They continue down towards the crater. Near the bottom, another black-cloaked figure collapses.) "...b, back... to... Seph... ...i...roth..." (They continue, reaching a misty passe. Huge black obelisks rise from the fog.) Tifa "The time has come to settle things with Sephiroth, huh?" (Cloud nods. She faces away) Tifa "I, too, have lost many things because of Sephiroth." (A pause. She turns back) Tifa "Let's go!" (They continue on. Arriving at a large rock wall, they see another black-cloaked figure. It jumps off the wall to its death before they reach it. A ways further, Cloud pauses and looks up at the sky.) Cloud "That's......!!!" (The scene fades.) Scene 97 - The Shinra Airship - (When the scene fades in, we are on the Shinra airship. Rufus and Scarlet look out the front bay window. Heidegger stands behind them.) Rufus "So, I finally found you." Scarlet "Kyaa haa hah." (She turns to Heidegger) Scarlet "Kyaa haa hah." "haa hah" "haa.............hah" "This is incredible......" (Heidegger laughs) Heidegger "This is the Promised Land the President has been searching for!!" (Rufus turns to look at him) Rufus "But, I'll be the one who gets it." (He turns back to watch the clouds below.) Rufus "Sorry, old man." (The camera pans down. We see Hojo laughing to himself in the other corner of the room. Rude stands behind him.) Hojo "Heh heh heh......" (He stops laughing.) Hojo "That land is no one's." (He straightens. Rude turns toward President Rufus) Hojo "It's where the Reunion will take place...... They will all gather here......" "I wonder if I will see...... Sephiroth?" (The scene fades to black.) Scene 98 - Reunion - The Black Materia - (Cloud continues on his journey to the North Crater. They reach a long land bridge; the wind blows so strong it is visible. Two black-cloaks attempt to pass the wind, then get knocked back.) Tifa "We need to cross when the wind is calm, or we'll get swept off!" (They cross. On the other side, we see that the land bridge continues on a long way, twisting in on itself. Hundreds of black cloaks trudge along it, single file. Here and there one jumps off to its death or simply collapses in the way. The others walk over them. Continuing along the land bridge, they reach a point where they seem to be miles above the earth. Standing in the way is Sephiroth.) "This is the end for all of you." (There are two black cloaks kneeling on either side of him. With a swing of his sword, they both fall to the ground below. One bounces loudly on a stone protrusion before disappearing into the green mist below.) Cloud "Sephiroth!!!" (They all run forward and confront him. Sephiroth does not turn around.) "This is the end!" "You're right. This is the end of this body's usefulness." (The area goes dark. Sephiroth disappears, leaving only a pulsating jet of purple smoke. Cloud's heart pounds in our ears.) Cloud "He disappeared!?" Tifa "He might still be nearby......" (The camera pans all around as they look for Sephiroth. They see no sign; but now there are two jets of smoke. Suddenly, they hear Sephiroth's voice from... somewhere.) Our purpose is to deliver the Black Materia to our master. (Cloud looks around.) Cloud "Our...?" Cid "Hey, hey, ! What's goin' on?" (The camera pans wildly. There are now three jets.) Those who carry Jenova's cells... Cloud "Master...!?" (Four jets.) Of course... Sephiroth. (Cloud's heart pounds faster.) Heh, heh, heh... (His heart pounds still faster and louder until he falls to his knees. The light suddenly returns to the area. Sephiroth is hovering above them, his sword drawn. He descends on the party, knocking them to the ground. He stands for a moment by the edge of the land bridge, his arms raised to the sky. Then Cloud stands, slowly. Sephiroth turns to face him, his sword drawn, and the battle begins.) (Boss battle with Jenova-DEATH) (Once Jenova-DEATH has been defeated, the entire party meets with Cloud at the land-bridge. A small black mass floats where Jenova stood.) Cloud "Jenova's cells..." "...hmm. So that's what this is all about." "The Jenova Reunion..." Tifa "Not Sephiroth!? You mean all this time it wasn't Sephiroth we were after?" (He shakes his head) Cloud "I'll explain later. Right now, the only thing I'm thinking about is beating Sephiroth." Tifa "But Sephiroth is..." Cloud "He's here. the real Sephiroth is just beyond here." "It's both incredibly wicked and cruel..." "But it's releasing a powerfully strong will from deep within this planet's wound." (Cloud walks to the black mass and picks it up. The Black Materia.) Cloud "...The Black Materia is back in our hands." "Now all we have to do is defeat Sephiroth and that'll be the end of it." Tifa "We'd better not take the Black Materia any further. Why don't you give it to someone else to hold on to?" (Cloud gives the Black Materia to Red XIII.) Red XIII "You want me to take the Black Materia? ......all right, I understand." Cloud "Don't give it to ANYONE. I'm counting on you." (He returns to Tifa. She nods.) Tifa "Let's find Sephiroth!!" (Cloud turns to face the whole party) Cloud "We're going in first! You guys stay and keep watch." (They continue on their journey.) Scene 99 - Cloud's Truth, Or Cloud's Lie? - (Cloud and the others continue across the land bridge. Braving more winds and lightning, they complete another section of the land bridge... when the screen goes white.) Tifa "What is this? What happened?" Cloud "Calm down, Tifa." "Sephiroth is near. Anything could happen." (When the white fades, we see Cloud approach the gates to his hometown.) Tifa "Nibelheim..." Cid "What the hell? Why Nibelheim!?" (Cloud shakes his head sadly) Cloud "This is an illusion Sephiroth made up." "He's trying to confuse us." "It'll be all right. As long as we know it's an illusion, there's nothing to be afraid of." "Come on, let's keep going." Tifa "Yeah, you're right..." "Look!!" (She points to the town entrance. They all turn to look, then scatter to make room. Sephiroth reaches the gates to Nibelheim.) Sephiroth "All right, let's go." (Sephiroth appears not to notice the others as he walks further into the town. He is followed by two guards and a young man with black, spiky hair and a huge sword on his back.) Cid "Cloud's not here......" (Tifa shakes her head.) Tifa "Stop... Sephiroth." (Cloud shrugs) Cloud "This is so stupid..." (Sephiroth begins to laugh, covering his mouth in mirth, when the screen flashes white and all disappear save the party.) Cid "Hey, Cloud. Let's get back to the real world, huh." Tifa "Cloud... It's just an illusion." "Don't worry about it..." (The screen goes white. we hear the sound of rushing wind.) Cloud "What's.. next?" Tifa "Stop it already!!" Cid "This is terrible..." (The white fades to reveal that we are still in Nibelheim. Every building in the town is aflame.) Cloud "...This is what actually happened five years ago." "But..." "It's probably not me that's going to come out of the Shinra mansion." "He's going to try and show us another stupid illusion." (We see the black-haired young man from before rush out of the Shinra mansion.) Cloud "See... didn't I tell you?" (He slowly walks into the town, his sword drawn. Zangan is outside the inn, while a couple people lie on the ground.) Zangan "Hey! It's you! You're still sane, right?" (He nods.) Zangan "Then come over here and help me!" (He rushes over to Zangan.) Tifa "I don't want to... watch this. Cloud... don't watch." (The young man turns in place slowly, staring at the burning houses. He shakes his head sadly.) Zangan "I'll check this house. You check that one over there." (Zangan rushes into the inn.) Cloud "...What's wrong, Tifa? I told you before, right?" "As long as we know that it's just an illusion, there's no need to be scared." (The screen goes white again, and Cloud and the others are standing amidst the flames. Cid goes over to the person laying outside the inn.) Cid "He... hey you! You alright!?" (He does not respond. Cid turns) Cid "Damn! This was all made up." Cloud "Sephiroth! I know you're listening! I know what you want to say!" (He shakes his head) Cloud "That I wasn't in Nibelheim five years ago." "That's it, isn't it?" (A blink of white, a gong of a church bell, and Sephiroth is there.) Sephiroth "I see you finally understand." Cloud "What you are trying to say is that you want to confuse me, right?" "But... even making me see those things won't affect me." "I remember it all. The heat of the fire... the pain in my body... and in my heart!" (Sephiroth shakes his head grimly.) Sephiroth "Oh, is that so?" "You are just a puppet... you have no heart... and cannot feel any pain..." "How can there be any meaning in the memory of such a being?" "What I have shown you is reality. What you remember, that is the illusion." (Cloud shrugs. He walks right up to Sephiroth.) Sephiroth "...Do you understand?" Cloud "I don't want to understand." (He turns away from him.) Cloud "But, I want to ask you one thing. Why... why are you doing this?" (A blink of white. Sephiroth appears in front of Cloud, between Tifa and Cid, his arms raised. They run to stand beside Cloud.) Sephiroth "Ha, ha, ha......" "I want to take you back to your real self." "The one who gave me the Black Materia that day..." "Who would have ever thought a failed experiment would prove so useful?" "Hojo would die if he knew." (Cloud steps forward) Cloud "Hojo!? What does he have to do with me!?" (Sephiroth lowers his arms.) Sephiroth "Five years ago you were..." "...constructed by Hojo, piece by piece, right after Nibelheim was burnt." "A puppet made up of vibrant Jenova cells, her knowledge, and the power of Mako." "An incomplete Sephiroth-clone. Not even given a number. ...That is your reality." (Cloud shrugs.) Tifa "Cloud... Don't listen to him..." "Close your ears! Close your eyes!" Cloud "What's wrong, Tifa? I'm not affected by it." "...I wasn't paying attention to him." Tifa "All that talk of Hojo constructing you is a lie." "Don't we have our memories together?" "Being kids together, starlit nights..." (Sephiroth cocks his head toward her.) Sephiroth "Ha, ha, ha... Tifa..." "Why are you so worried and scared by those words?" "Hmm... Shall I show everyone here what's in your heart?" (She quickly turns away, without a word.) Sephiroth "Ha, ha, ha... You look like you're not feeling well." (He disappears. Cloud turns to Tifa) Cloud "...Tifa? Is Sephiroth right?" (She doesn't speak for a long time.) Tifa "Cloud..." Cloud "Why are you so scared? Don't worry about me. I'm all right." "No matter how confused I am, I'll never believe a word that Sephiroth says." (He looks at the ground.) Cloud "It's true that sometimes I can't figure out who I am." "There's a lot of things muddled up in my memories." "But, Tifa......." "But you said, 'Long time no see, Cloud' right?" "Those words will always support me." "I am the one you grew up with. I'm Cloud of Nibelheim." "No matter how much I lose faith in myself, that is the truth." (He looks up at Tifa.) Cloud "That's why you shouldn't be so scared." "No matter what anyone else says to me, it's your attitude that counts..." (He turns away. Tifa turns back towards him. She shakes her head.) Tifa "No, that's not true, Cloud......" (He shakes his head sadly and turns to face Tifa.) Cloud "What's not? Aren't I the same Cloud you grew up with?" Tifa "That's not what I meant... I don't know how to say it..." "Cloud, I need some time... Just give me a little time..." (The screen flashes white and Sephiroth is standing on the stairs down to the courtyards. All but Tifa turn to face him.) Sephiroth "Cloud... Don't blame Tifa." "The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova." "Inside of you, Jenova has merged with Tifa's memories, creating you." "Out of Tifa's memory..." "A boy named Cloud might've just been a part of them." (In a blink of white, he vanishes.) Tifa "Cloud..." "Please... don't think right now." (White flash. Sephiroth is behind them.) Sephiroth "Ha, ha, ha...... Think, Cloud!" "...Cloud? Ha, ha, ha...... Oh, excuse me. You never had a name." (Cloud shakes his head.) Cloud "Shut up... Sephiroth." (Sephiroth shakes his head.) Sephiroth "You still don't understand? Then..." (He faces away and starts to laugh. It is the exact laugh as he might have made upon his first arrival to Nibelheim. He stops with a dismissive gesture and turns to face Cloud.) Sephiroth "Do you remember the picture that we took before we headed for Mt. Nibel?" (He turns to Tifa) Sephiroth "...Tifa, you remember, right?" (He turns back to Cloud and raises his arms in an almost-happy gesture.) Sephiroth "But there is no way he would know." (He shakes his head. Cloud shrugs) Sephiroth "Now... what happened to that picture?" (He pretends to look all around, then practically skips over to the dead man lying in front of the inn. The photographer.) Sephiroth ".......is this it?" (He turns back to Cloud.) Sephiroth "...Do you want to see it? It turned out pretty good." Tifa "Cloud... don't..." (He nods to Tifa.) Cloud "I... should be in the picture." "Even if I'm not in there, no worry. This is just an illusory world Sephiroth made up." (He looks at the picture. Of course, the young man in the picture has black hair, not blond.) Cloud "...Just as I thought." (He nods.) Cloud "This picture's a fake. The truth is in my memory." "...Five years ago, I came back to Nibelheim, to inspect the reactor. I was sixteen." "The town hadn't changed at all. What did I do...? Oh yeah..." (He nods) Cloud "Yeah, I went to Tifa's room. There, I..." (What did you do at Nibelheim...?) Cloud "I played the piano!" "I looked in the drawers!" "I spent the night and went to the reactor in Mt. Nibel. I was excited about it." "Because that was my first mission after becoming First Class in SOLDIER." (A flash. Sephiroth is gone. Cloud shakes his head) Cloud "...SOLDIER, First Class?" (He shakes it harder.) Cloud "...SOLDIER? When did I enter SOLDIER?" (He clutches his head, trembling.) Cloud "How did I join SOLDIER?" (He falls to the ground, shaking harder.) Cloud "Why... why can't I remember?" (He rises to one knee.) Cloud "I'm... I'm..." (He stands.) Cloud "That's right..." (He nods) Cloud "...I didn't have to worry about it, because I was..." (The screen fades to black. Silence.) Tifa "......Cloud?" Cloud "Let's go, Tifa. I'm... I'm all right." Scene 100 - Materia Tree - (The screen fades in to show a crystal cave at the Northern Crater. President Rufus enters, standing in the center of the room for a moment, enjoying. Scarlet enters.) Scarlet "Wow!! That's amazing!" (She runs to the center of the room, to the back wall, and back, looking up. Hojo enters just before the camera pans past him to the ceiling of the cave. There is a huge, tree-like, awe-inspiring structure there. Sunlight diffuses through it, into the cave. One large blue stone is nestled in the center of it.) Scarlet "It's all Materia!!" Rufus "The ouside is rich with Mako energy, The inside is a treasure trove of Materia. This truly is the Promised Land." Hojo "There is no such thing as the Promised Land. It's a legend... an old wives tale... ...it's utterly ridiculous." (The camera pans back down to show Hojo standing near Rufus. Rufus turns to face him.) Rufus "Everything as I imagined it to be. Isn't it splendid?" "It is that kind of dullness that makes you a second-rate scientist." (The entire room quakes, filled with a rumbling sound. Rufus spins.) Rufus "What's happening?" Scarlet "It's coming from within the wall! Something's in there! It's moving!" (A huge, emerald green eye winks out from the wall of the cave.) Hojo "Weapon..." "Then it really does exist... I didn't believe in it." Rufus "What does this mean?" (Hojo turns to face him) Hojo "...Weapon. Monsters created by the Planet." "It appears when the Planet is in danger, reducing everything to nothingness." "That's what was stated in Professor Gast's report." Rufus "I never saw that report... Where is it?" (Hojo searches a bit and holds up something in his hand.) Hojo "Here, right here." (The eye winks again.) Rufus "You keep a lot of things to yourself." (The screen fades to black.) Scene 101 - Sephiroth's Ruse - (The scene fades in again and we are at the land bridge. Red XIII, Barret, and Cait Sith are waiting there. The green wind below is rushing past at insane speeds.) Red XIII "I wonder how Cloud and the others are..." "It's hard to believe... such a small piece of materia is able to destroy the Planet..." (The land bridge, the others, everything vanishes in a blink of black. Red XIII is left hovering over the winds below. He looks around.) Red XIII "What the!?" (He looks another direction) Red XIII "Is everyone all right?" (He makes fighting motions.) Red XIII "What's going on?" "Where am I!? Don't leave me alone!" (Tifa comes running in from somewhere in the wind.) "Red XIII, you're here! I'm so glad!!" (The land bridge fades in again. Barret and Cait Sith are gone.) Red XIII "Tifa!!" (He runs over to her) Red XIII "Something is strange... Why was it dark all of a sudden and where is everybody?" "Everyone's waiting! Cloud's in trouble!" (A voice from offscreen) "Please come. Help us!" (Tifa turns in the direction they had left.) "Over there!" (Red XIII nods) Red XIII "R, right!" "I'm not sure I understand... but I'll go if you want me to." (He runs off. Tifa is still standing there.) "......hee hee hee... And remember..." (Tifa's form flickers, then vanishes. It is replaced by Sephiroth.) "...the Black Materia!" (Sephiroth vanishes, and Barret and Cait Sith flicker back in, flat on the ground. They sit up, slowly, rubbing their heads.) Scene 102 - Identification Number - Out Of Our Grasp Once More - Weapon Rises - (The scene fades back to the cave in the Northern Crater.) Scarlet "Mr. President... I've got a bad feeling about this place..." (Rufus turns to Scarlet) Rufus "Hmm... perhaps we should return to the ship now." "We need to prepare for the inspection anyway." (The screen flashes white for a moment, and Cloud is standing in the center of the cave.) Scarlet "Hey!!! Where did you come from?" Cloud "...don't know..." (He turns to Rufus, shaking his head) Cloud "This place is going to get rough." "Better leave things to me and get out of here while you still can!!" (Rufus flips his hair back.) Rufus "Leave things to you? Hmph... I don't know what you mean." (Cloud turns away, slowly) Cloud "This is where the Reunion is happening. Where everything begins and ends." (Tifa runs in from the rear of the cave.) Tifa "Cloud!" (They take no notice. Red XIII comes running in.) Red XIII "I'm here to help you, Cloud!" (Cloud stands still for a long moment, then holds his head. He is almost crying. He takes a few steps toward Red XIII, then stops again. Eventually he goes all the way over to Red XIII.) Cloud "Thanks... Red XIII. Where's the Black Materia?" Tifa "Cloud!" Red XIII "It's safe. I'm holding onto it." (Cloud looks down.) Cloud "I'll take it from here. Give me the... Black Materia." Tifa "You can't hear my voice?" Red XIII "Are you all right, Cloud?" (Cloud nods.) Red XIII "Then... here you go. I was a little apprehensive holding this thing." Tifa "No, don't! Please... stop, Cloud!" (Cloud takes the Black Materia from Red XIII.) Cloud "Thanks. ......leave the rest to me." (There is a long pause... then the screen blinks white, and for just a moment, we see Sephiroth, staring.) Come on... the Black Materia Please!! Just a little longer!! (The white fades. Cloud walks to the center of the room.) Cloud "Everyone, thanks for everything. And... I'm sorry." (He faces Rufus.) Cloud "...Sorry." (He faces Red XIII.) Cloud "...Sorry." (He faces Tifa.) Cloud "Especially you, Tifa. I'm really sorry." "You've been good to me...... I don't know what to say..." (He shakes his head.) Cloud "I never lived up to being 'Cloud'." "Tifa... Maybe one day you'll meet the real 'Cloud'." (He walks forward and turns to Hojo. Tifa holds her face and sinks to the ground, crying.) Hojo "Ha, ha, ha... this is perfect!!!" "It means that my experiment was a complete success!" (He laughs.) Hojo "What number were you? Huh? Where is your tattoo?" (Cloud shakes his head sadly.) Cloud "Professor Hojo... I don't have a number." "You didn't give me one because I was a failed experiment." (Hojo turns away) Hojo "What the--? You mean only a failure made it here?" (Cloud speaks to his back.) Cloud "Professor... please give me a number. Please, Professor..." (Hojo spins to face him.) Hojo "Shut up, miserable failure..." (Cloud slumps down. We hear the sound of an electrical spark, and catch another fleeting glimpse of Sephiroth's visage, then Cloud rises into the air, spinning, exactly like Sephiroth had at the Forgotten Capital. He shoots up to the tree-like structure at the ceiling. The screen goes white.) Rufus "Who... was that?" Hojo "...He's a Sephiroth-clone I created after the real Sephiroth died five years ago." "Jenova cells amd Mako, with my knowledge and skills, have been combined with science and nature to bring him to life." (A glimpse of the materia tree.) Hojo "...I'm not wild about the failure part, but the Jenova Reunion Theory has now been proven." (Another glimpse.) Hojo "You see, even if Jenova's body is dismembered, it will eventually become one again. That's what is meant by Jenova's Reunion." (Another.) Hojo "I have been waiting for the Reunion to start. Five years have passed, and now the Clones have begun to return." (Another.) Hojo "I thought the clones would begin to gather at Midgar where Jenova is stored." "But my predictions were not entirely correct. Jenova itself began to move away from the Shinra Building." (The scene fades in to show the materia tree. Cloud stands upside down on one of the roots, by the huge blue stone in the center.) Hojo "But being a genius that I am, I soon figured it out. You see it was all Sephiroth's doing." "Sephiroth is not just content to diffuse his will into the Lifestream; he wants to maniplate the Clones himself." (The room seems to darken and Cloud sits down on the root, defying gravity. He crosses his arms on his knees.) "Yes, that was how it got started." (The room lightens.) Hojo "I wondered where the clones were going, but I was never able to figure it out." (Darkens.) "I couldn't figure it out, either." (Lightens.) Hojo "The one thing that I did know was that Sephiroth was at their final destinations." (Darkens.) "I wasn't pursuing Sephiroth." (Cloud shakes his head.) "I was being summoned by Sephiroth." "All the anger and hatred I bore him made it impossible for me to ever forget him. That and what he gave me." (Cloud stands, upside down, on the tree root.) "Sephiroth? Sephiroth? I'm here. And I have brought you the Black Materia." "Show yourself to me. Where are you?" (Cloud turns and steps to the blue stone, which is now glowing brightly.) "Sephiroth... So we finally meet again." (He walks down (up) to the center of the tree. FMV sequence. The blue stone slips, then falls down, sending small stones to the floor below. We see that the stone is a cocoon for Sephiroth. His body sleeps inside it, prefectly preserved, sleeping, waiting. The scene switches back to the floor. Rufus and Scarlet have left. The entire room quakes violently.) Hojo "Did you see it!! It's Sephiroth! So he IS here!" (They all turn to face him.) Hojo "This is perfect! Both Jenova's Reunion and Sephiroth's will!" "They won't be diffused into the Lifestream," "but gathered here! Mwa, haa, ha,....." (Tifa shakes her head.) Tifa "What are you so happy about, Professor? You know what this means, don't you?" "Cloud has the Black Materia!" "Sephiroth is going to summon Meteor! Every single person is going to die!" (Rufus comes back in.) Rufus "Whatever I say now is too little... too late... We must evacuate." (They all turn to face Rufus.) Rufus "I want you all to come with me. There is still much more I want to hear." (The camera pans up to show Cloud preparing to hand the Black Materia to Sephiroth.) Red XIII "Cloud, NO! Stop! Please!" (Cloud holds his head in his hands for a moment. Then he begins to spin in midair, rising and falling, like a marionette.) Tifa "Cloud-----!!" (FMV sequence. The blue stone becomes a liquid, and Cloud pushes his hand, and the Black Materia into it. The Black Materia fuses with Sephiroth's body. His face maintains its expression of calmness as his whole body begins to spark with energy. The materia tree and the stone crumble to the ground as the others rush out of the cave and onto the airship. As the airship flies away, a beam of energy shoots from the northern craters, nearly knocking the party off the airship. As the beam grows and grows, we see what is inside it. The Weapon. It rises from the crater, dwarfing the airship as it releases a beam of pure energy from its maw. The Weapon creates a barrier of energy around it as it rockets off across the continent. The airship flies off.) Scene 103 - Origins - Sector 7 Train Station - (The screen is black. All we see is a tiny Cloud, floating in space.) Tifa "Cloud..." "Cloud..." (The tiny Cloud stands up and runs off into the blackness. Tifa runs onto the screen and chases him into the nothing.) Tifa "......I didn't know what else to do. I was always like that..." (The scene fades in to show the Sector 7 train station. It is raining. Cloud, his sword across his lap, slumps by the stairway to the train platform. The train conductor is looking down at him as Tifa enters.) "What's the matter?" (The screen flashes electrically white.) Cloud "ohhh..." "......poor kid." Cloud "Ooouugh......" (Tifa runs up to Cloud as the train conductor leaves.) Tifa "Are you all right?" Cloud "oo... uh... agh" (She kneels by him and tries to lift him up. The screen flashes electrically white again.) Cloud "Uh... uh... Tifa...?" (Again.) Cloud "Tifa...?" (Again. He stands.) Cloud "Tifa!" Tifa "...................?" (She brushes his face.) Tifa "Oh, Cloud!" (Cloud raises his sword in an offensive posture.) Cloud "That's right. I'm Cloud." Tifa "Is it really you, Cloud? I never thought I'd find you here!" Cloud "Yeah, it's been a while." Tifa "What happened to you? You don't look well." Cloud "......Yeah? It's nothing. I'm okay." (Tifa walks a short distance away. The screen flashes again. Cloud clutches his head, shaking, for a brief moment. He stops before Tifa turns around.) Tifa "How long has it been?" (The screen flashes again. Three times. He grabs his head, in pain, but Tifa does not seem to notice.) Cloud "Five years." Tifa "............" Cloud "What is it?" Tifa "...It's really been a long time." (The screen darkens, but does not disappear.) Tifa "Actually, it's been seven years." "You got your wish and joined SOLDIER, quit after the Sephiroth incident, and now you're a mercenary..." "You told me a lot about what happened after you left Nibelheim..." "But..." "...Something's wrong. I felt there was something strange about the things you talked about." "All the things you didn't know that you should. And other things you shouldn't know that you did..." "I wanted to make sure..." "But then I heard... you were going far away..." (The screen finally goes to black.) Tifa "And I didn't want that..." "I didn't know what to do. So, I thought I needed more time." "And that's why I told you about the AVALANCHE job. I wanted to be with you, watch you." (The screen goes white. We hear the cry of the planet we heard at Bugenhagen's observatory.) Scene 104 - Dark Sun - (The white screen fades in just enough to make out Tifa's form, lying on the floor, or a bed.) Tifa "Ding..." Barret "Huh? Tifa "The glare..." Barret "You'll be better soon. You've been asleep a long time." Tifa "I'm hungry..." Barret "Hey, why don't you ask?" "About him." (The scene fades the rest of the way in. Tifa has been lying on something resembling an operating table, in an auxiliary room in Junon. Slowly, she sits up. She looks at Barret, standing by the far wall.) Tifa "...Because I'm scared." Barret "Don't worry. I don't know what happened to Cloud either." (He scratches his head.) Barret "Guess I shouldn't tell you not to worry..." "None of them know if he's all right or not." Tifa "He's still... alive, right?" (A pause. Barret nods) Tifa "How long... was I asleep?" Barret "Lessee now...... Must've been about 7 days." Tifa "What about Sephiroth?" (Barret walks over to Tifa's bed.) Barret "You ain't over it yet. Remember that huge light, in the Northern Cave?" (Tifa swings her legs over so that she is sitting on the edge of the bed.) Barret "Since then, the crater's been surrounded by a huge barrier of light." "Everyone knows Sephiroth sleeps in that big hole, protected by the barrier." "We can't do a damn thing about it. We just gotta wait till he wakes up." (He faces a wall.) Barret "And on topa that, some huge monster called Weapon's been on a rampage." (She looks at Barret) Tifa "...Weapon?" (Barret turns to face her) Barret "Remember that huge monster that was made with Sephiroth, at the bottom of the crater?" "Well it's up here now. They say it's some legendary monster from the past." Tifa "Weapon... is protecting Sephiroth?" (He shakes his head.) Barret "Dunno. But he's up here goin' around tearin' shit up." "Right now Rufus' fightin' it. I hate to say it, but he's got guts." (He turns and walks away. Tifa hops off the bed.) Barret "We shoulda been the ones to destroy it, but we ain't got no time..." Tifa "Time..." (She turns to him.) Tifa "...Hey! How about Meteor?" (Barret doesn't say anything. Instead, he walks further away and presses a button. The window shades open up. FMV sequence. The camera sweeps past the room to the window, and past Barret's profile we see Meteor hanging in the sky like a dark sun.) Tifa "Do we have to give up?" Barret "...Dunno." (The door to the room slides open with a hiss and President Rufus walks in.) Rufus "I thought Cloud would show up to save you all..." "Professor Hojo wanted to check up on Cloud, too." Tifa "What are you going to do to Cloud?" Rufus "Sephiroth's alter ego..." (He flips his hair.) Rufus "Meteor has been summoned... Essentially, it's all but over now." "So, there's no need for you now." "No, maybe there is an important task for you..." (Heidegger enters behind Rufus.) Heidegger "President! Preparations for the public execution are complete." (Barret jumps) Barret "Execution!?" "What're ya gonna get by executin' us?" Rufus "You are to be executed for causing this situation." "People are ignorant. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished." (Barret runs forward, up to the President, trembling with rage.) Barret "I take back what little praise I had for this damn jackass!" (He straightens.) Rufus "Well, enjoy your last moments together." (With that, he turns and leaves.) Heidegger "I'll tie your arms now." (He does so. A guard leads Barret and Tifa through the Military Base Junon to the bottom floor, where the gas chamber awaits.) Scene 105 - Public Execution - Weapon Attacks - Camaderie - Cheating Death - Highwind - (Barret and Tifa are led, bound, to the bottom floor of Junon Military Base. To the gas chamber. They arrive at a large auditorium, with rows upon rows of seats available to watch the event. A rather large, round fellow sits in the front row. Scarlet speaks at a podium.) Scarlet "Is everyone here? These are the ones who brought this madness into the world!" (Several cameramen set up their cameras. Barret looks around at them) Barret "The hell are these people?" Scarlet "We will be broadcasting your miserable deaths live on national television." (The large fellow turns to her.) "Scarlet, why a public execution in this day and age?" (Scarlet walks a ways toward the gas chamber) Scarlet "With the chaos resulting from the Meteor reports, we desperately need to rally public support... it's better that we punish somebody, anybody." Tifa "You make me sick..." (Scarlet starts laughing. A cameraman moves forward to film her.) Scarlet "Ha, ha, ha, ha!" "They'll never admit it, but everyone loves this stuff!" (She turns to Tifa) Scarlet "We'll start with this girl." (Barret struggles against his cuffs.) Barret "If you've gotta do it... do me first!" Scarlet "Camera, this way! Make sure you get this, the audience just eats up tearful goodbyes!" (A cameraman films Barret. The scene fades in to the interior of the gas chamber. Tifa enters, followed by Scarlet. She kicks her toward the chair.) Tifa "What are you doing!?" (Scarlet moves so that Tifa is between her and the chair.) Scarlet "This is my special gas chamber. Take your time, and enjoy a slow, painful death." (A guard moves forward and removes Tifa's cuffs. Scarlet punches her into the chair. The guard fastens her in.) Scarlet "Stuck up ^%$#&!!" (She slaps Tifa again and leaves. The guard follows, but drops something on the way out. The scene fades back to the auditorium.) Scarlet "Well now, the show's about to begin. Ha, ha, ha!" (A red light floods the room and a siren begins to sound.) "Emergency! Emergency!" "Weapon's approaching! Attention all military personnel: take your positions!" "Oh no! It's Weapon!" (One person rushes out of the auditorium.) "Run!" (Everyone else follows except Barret, Scarlet, the round fellow, two guards, and, of course, Tifa.) Scarlet "Hey, hey, all of you!" "Damn! Why now?" (The big round one hops up to Scarlet.) "How does it feel now, Scarlet?" Scarlet "Hmm, so you didn't run? I'm impressed. How do I feel? Right now......" (With a sound of escaping gas, Scarlet passes out.) Scarlet "Nngaaaaaahhhh!" Barret "Huh!? Sleeping gas?" (The fellow spins around, shedding his coat. It's Cait Sith. The two guards ready their guns.) "Weirdo!!" (Fight sequence with the two guards) Cait Sith "I'm here to help!" Barret "Why you......? Ain't you part of Shinra?" (Cait Sith raises a paw) Cait Sith "Let's just say I'm against capital punishment. Besides... I hate this broad. Come on, we gotta help Tifa." "I'll keep watch at the entrance." (Cait Sith stands by the door while Barret runs to the gas chamber entrance. He grabs and pulls. It doesn't budge.) Barret "It won't open!" (The scene fades in to President Rufus' office. Rufus is standing by his desk, gazing out at the sea through a huge picture window. Heidegger comes rushing in.) Heidegger "It's Weapon." Rufus "There's been so many attacks lately. Can we handle it?" Heidegger "I believe so. Your orders?" Rufus "No need to ask." (Heidegger salutes. Three sailors dash in.) Heidegger "We'll give it a shot from our big cannon." (He turns to the sailors and thrusts his fist in the air) Heidegger "Open cannon doors!! Activate cannon. Target: Weapon!!" (He turns back to the President as the sailors run off. FMV sequence. Huge steel plates protect the buildings in the residential area. A huge port opens in the street by the sea; a smaller cannon extends from it. The huge main cannon rotates into place, aiming at the sea. Back in the office, one sailor comes back in and salutes.) "Preparations complete!" (Heidegger nods.) "The cannon..." (He thrusts his fist towards the bay window, to the sea.) "Fire----!!!" (FMV sequence. The cannon releases a huge burst of energy out at the sea. It recedes toward the horizon; a pregnant pause as we wait for it to hit its mark. It does. A large explosion rises from the water, sending a tidal wave in all directions. The FMV ends. The scene switches to the President's office. Heidegger slowly lowers his arm. The scene changes to several points around the Base; soldiers stand expectantly, waiting, watching the sea. The scene switches back to the office, panning up to show Rufus and Heidegger once more. Both stare out at the sea. Rufus turns his head.) Rufus "Did we get 'em?" Heidegger "Seems so..." (Another red alarm goes off through the base. Heidegger looks around, disoriented.) "Weapon approaching!" "Speed, 50 knots!" "It's heading right toward us!" (Heidegger looks at Rufus) Heidegger "It can't be! We hit it dead on!" (Rufus turns) Rufus "How about the cannon?" Heidegger "It'll take time to reload." Rufus "Then use regular firepower in the mean time!" (Heidegger runs toward the door and thrusts his fist in the air) Heidegger "Yes sir! Open all artillery doors! Target: Weapon! Don't let it land!" (FMV sequence. Weapon closes in through the water, fishlike, rising out of the water. Soldiers placed all around the Base fire their weapons. The smaller, secondary cannons fire energy bursts at the Weapon. None have any effect. It comes closer. Soldiers switch to their bazookas, sending trails of smoke towards the Weapon, ending in explosions. It continues, ripping a huge wake in its path. Inside the President's office, Rufus shakes his head in disbelief and steps back from the window.) "Speed: 70 knots!" "Weapon closing in!" "Not good! It's attacking!" (As Weapon almost reaches the base, the soldiers flee inside. One faints on the ground just before Weapon crashes into the base, creating an earthquake throughout. It slowly sinks back into the water. The scene switches back to the gas chamber. The gas jets turn on around Tifa.) Tifa "Gas!!" (She tries to cover her face with her arm.) Tifa "Barret, help!!" (Barret screams in from outside the chamber.) Barret "Hold your breath! Hold on as long as you can!" (She puts her head back and kicks her feet.) Tifa "Come on! I can't hold on forever!" (The scene switches back to the auditorium. Barret jerks on the door a few more times before giving up. He pounds the door with his fist in anger.) Barret "Shi-!" (He runs over to Cait Sith.) Barret "The Gas Room's probably locked from a different room!" Cait Sith "Hmm, we gotta go with a different plan. Let's get out of this room first." (Barret turns back to the chamber door.) Barret "Tifa! I'll help you, I promise!" (Barret and Cait Sith run out of the auditorium. The door slams behind them. Barret yanks on it.) Barret "No! They locked this too!" (Scarlet yells through the door.) Scarlet "Fools. Now, you can't save the girl." (Barret lets go of the door.) Scarlet "Ha, ha, ha, ha!!" (He bangs on the door.) Barret "Goddammit......!!" (He turns to Cait Sith.) Cait Sith "OK, OK time for Plan B. Let's run to the airport!" Barret "Why the airport? An' leave Tifa there?" Cait Sith "Trust me, trust me. We gotta take a chance." (They run off. Outside the base, they find a cameraman filming the action. As they try to pass, there is a huge flash of light. FMV sequence as Weapon rises out of the water, majestically deadly.) Barret "Damn, man!" (They continue to the airport. The airship hovers overhead.) Barret "Yo! You sure this is the right way? It's a dead end!" Cait Sith "Uh oh? Did I make a wrong turn?" (Barret throws his fists in the air) Barret "You damn cat......! What the hell're we gonna do now? They all be comin' soon!" (Barret turns to face the only way out and rubs his gun-arm.) Barret "Yo, better watch my back till the end... partner!" (He raises his gun. The scene switches back to the gas chamber. Tifa is still alive. She uses her feet to grab the item the guard dropped before- a key. She uses her teeth to unlock one hand, then the other. She rises from the chair.) Tifa "Which button stops the gas...?" (Covering her face, she presses the button by the chair, shutting off the gas. She tries the door with all her strength, but it doesn't budge.) Tifa "Open it---......" (There is a sudden explosion. FMV sequence. Outside, the Weapon pulls itself up to its full height. It shakes violently as its maw begins to glow, brighter and brighter, then releases a beam of pure energy at the Base. It lands on one tower, ripping a giant hole in the side of. The hole opens into the gas chamber. Weapon begins to gather energy for another salvo. A split second before it releases its beam, the Junon cannon- the Sister Ray- fires square in its face. As the smoke clears, we see the Weapon, sans head, sink into the ocean. The scene switches back to the gas chamber. There is a huge hole opening onto the side of the tower. Scarlet yells through the door.) Scarlet "What d'you do? Hey! Open it!" Tifa "First you lock me in this weird place, and now you're telling me to come out? Make up your mind!" (She climbs through the hole out onto the side of the tower, then nimbly begins to descend the side of it. Scarlet and her guards give chase, without much success. The guards lose their grip and tumble past Tifa to the ground. She jumps the last twenty feet or so and lands in a heap. Picking herself up, she runs blindly away. The only route available is directly onto the top of the Sister Ray. She arrives at the end. There is no way out except down.) Scarlet "Our little game of hide and seek ends here." (Scarlet catches up with Tifa. She stands between Tifa and the only exit.) Scarlet "The execution may have been unsuccessful, but your death by falling from here and crashing into the water below might be pretty exciting." (She walks up to Tifa and slaps her.) Scarlet "Stuck up to the end!" Tifa "Quit slapping me! You old wench!" (Tifa, controlled by the PLAYER, slaps back. Tifa and Scarlet exchange slaps and insults until Scarlet falls on her rear end.) Scarlet "God! I can't stand it!" (She stands and faces the way she came.) Scarlet "Take her away." (A guard comes onto the Sister Ray. Scarlet turns back to Tifa.) Scarlet "Now it's time to pay up. I'll really drop you if you don't settle down!" (She laughs) Scarlet "Ha, ha, ha, ha!" "Run..." (A voice comes from somewhere up above. Tifa looks up) "Run to the end of the Cannon!!" (Tifa does. FMV sequence. When she reaches the end of the cannon, she sees the Shinra airship rising before her. Barret stands on deck, waving to her. He grabs a rope and tosses it over the side. Tifa makes a running leap for it, but misses. She falls toward the ocean, but catches the rope at the very end as it swings toward her. The airship flies off, into the sunset.) Scene 106 - Highwind Takes To the Skies - (Tifa, Barret, and Cait Sith stand on the deck of the Shinra airship.) Barret "You okay?" (Tifa nods) Tifa "My cheeks hurt a bit." "Forget about that, what's this all about?" (They both turn to Cait Sith.) Cait Sith "Well, I'll catch the details later." "In any case, the Airship, Highwind, is now yours." (Barret and Cait Sith go below deck. Tifa follows. When she catches up, she finds them standing on a wire walkway.) Barret "Dammit! Why didn't you tell me you could fly an airship?" (He turns away, shaking his head.) Barret "I thought...... Tifa was gone for good." Cait Sith "Sorry, but I had to do something to trick the enemy." "Come on! Everyone is waiting!" (The camera pans over to show Tifa. She jumps up) Tifa "Everyone? Everyone's here?" (She follows them into the main navigation room. Cid comes jogging up to her) Cid "Welcome to my airship- the Highwind!" (She walks up and looks around the room, without a word.) Cid "What's wrong!? You should be more excited than that!" (Red XIII, sitting by some steps, shakes his head.) Red XIII "Cid......" (Cid rubs his head.) Cid "Yeah......" (He turns to Tifa. She shakes her head.) Tifa "Not enough crew." People on the Highwind Cid "Well, it takes all kinds." Cait Sith "Tifa, I'll give you information Shinra." "Ask me if there's anything you don't understand." "Whenever anyone talks to me, I get all nervous and mess things up!" (Cid yells at him) Cid "Hey you! What the hell are you doin'!?" "All we have to do is just pilot. They don't have to talk to us." Red XIII "Do you think we aren't strong enough without Cloud?" "Do you think we can't save the Planet alone?" (Barret comes running over) Tifa "Meteor is coming, and Weapon is on the rampage......" "At a time like this, I don't know what I'm supposed to do......" (She shakes her head.) Tifa "No idea at all......" (Cid dashes over to the pilot) Barret "Get a hold of yourself Tifa! C'mon, let's think about this!" "No way we can get offa this train we're on!" Tifa "......If only Cloud was here, everything would be fine." "Cloud would......" "Stand that cocky little way he did, and tell us what to do." (She nods) Tifa "He'd say, 'Everything's under control, Tifa.'" (She turns away) Barret "Tifa! When'd you become such a wimp!" Tifa "I'm sorry Barret." "I'm kind of shocked myself. I'm so depressed." (Barret beats his chest and runs off) Red XIII "And Tifa...... the reason why we all thought it was Cloud was because......" (She nods) Tifa "......I know." "That's why I want to make sure. That's why I have to see him again." Cid "I want you to know that I didn't dislike him." "Gotta admit he was a strange dude." "Just when you thought he was cool, he'd go and do some damn fool thing." "And when you thought he was smart, he'd show how stupid he was." (He rubs his head) Cid "Everything about him from his movements to his speech were kinda odd." "Knowin' what I do now, I can see why he was that way." "Well, as long as you stay alive, you just might see him again someday, so cheer up, sis." (He laughs. Tifa nods) Tifa "......I'll be able to see him someday." Cid "If we can find out where he is, the Highwind'll get us there in no time." (Red XIII bounds up) Red XIII "......Maybe" "Cloud is still stuck deep in the North Crater, where the ground cracked and swallowed him up......" "Buried in the depths of the underground......" Tifa "Deep within the earth... are you talking about the Lifestream?" Red XIII "The Lifestream sometimes gushes out to the surface from cracks in the ocean floor." "I heard that such a place exists." (He sits back down by the stairs.) Red XIII "Maybe, just maybe Cloud's......" Pilot in training (LV3) "Waaaah! Captain Cid!" Cid "Tifa, sorry, but I've gotta show this moron how to land the ship." "Don't worry, it'll be done in a minute." "Oh, and Tifa......" "No matter what your goal is, you've got to be prepared." "Go to your room and get ready for our operation." Barret "What? Does Cloud always gotta be around?......" "We did fine without him in the beginning......" "Right? An' what happened to tough girl I used to know? Where'd she go to?" Cid "I put a lot of things for the operation in your room, so go get them in order." "My hands are full, so I'll excuse myself here!" Fly Airship Chew the fat ***Tifa Fly Airship (You get flying intructions) "So things have come to this... When you want to take off, just tell the pilot on the bridge." ***Tifa Chew the fat "......Well......... Um, what should I talk about?" "Wanna hear why we rebelled?" Listen Don't care ***Tifa Listen "Working on the Highwind, we spent every day slaving under Heidegger." "Whenever he got yelled at by the President, he'd immediately take it out on the crew." "We put up with this all the time. Even when he beat us." "I mean, I finally made it on the crew of the famous Highwind, and there's no way I was going to quit over him." "Let's see, it must've been a week ago... it was my shift and we were heading towards the North Cave." "Everyone, including the President and Scarlet, got on." "And with them, I saw Cid, a legendary pilot!" "And he was looking around the inside of the ship looking really, y'know, nostalgic......" "He even talked to us." "I couldn't believe it! I was so impressed! He was every bit as warmhearted as we'd always heard." "Cid said that if he had the Highwind, things would be a lot easier." "And now here we are off to save the Planet. It's true. He really overwhelmed me." "And that's why we decided to help." "After the North Cave, we went to Junon, and I started screaming 'Fire! Fire!'" "In the middle of all the commotion, we stole this ship from the Shinra." "That's how it happened. ......Just a minor mutiny against our leaders." "But Barret and you were captured by Heidegger......" "We waited seven days for a chance to rescue you guys, before we finally could." "So thanks to our successful mission, we were able to see you again." "I hope I didn't bore you too much with that long story." "I'm bored...... I'd like to ride a Chocobo." How do I? Later ***Tifa How do I? "Listen...... you gotta ride in on a Chocobo once you've raised yourself" "Then, if you bring your Chocobo to this stable, I'll take care of it for you." "I'll take care of it for you." "What? How do you raise a Chocobo? Can't say I know much about that." "If you want to know about raising Chocobo, there's a Chocobo ranch near Midgar. You should ask them." ***Tifa Later "Whew......" (Tifa goes to the operation room.) "Tifa, thank you for a job well done!" (You can choose your party here. After choosing your party, Tifa goes to the pilot and takes off.) Scene 107 - Mideel - Mind of a Friend - (Tifa pilots the Highwind to the southernmost continent, to the town of Mideel.) People in Mideel "Ahoy! Hey ain't you a beaut. This here's Mideel. It's a quiet little Hot Springs town." "Just the perfect place for old folks like us to live out our lives." "I hear that things ain't so peaceful on the outside. But here it's still nice and quiet." "But anyhow, that overgrown moon is going to fall down on us isn't it?" "This's no joke! We've got to start stocking up on supplies before they're all gone!" "Outta the way! Hey, move it, move it!" "Welcome! We always welcome cash! What can I help you with today?" (Sells items) "Thank you! Come again!" "Huh? Never seen you here before. You from outta town? How're things on the outside?" "Between the earthquakes and Meteor...... it just might be the end of the world like everyone's been saying'..." "Oh, how depressing! What a miserable world this is......" "You again! You aren't here hoarding up goods too are you?" "Don't reach in front of me! Everything in this store is mine!" "I've got money to burn! I've been saving like mad just for a time like this!" "C'mon, outta the way! Move, will you, move!" "Welcome, this store! Very rest and recreation shop. Where you go?" "Oh no, other customer take up everything. Not leave anything for you..." "...gah, hah, hah... dassa joke! So where you go?" (Sells materia) "Thank very much! You come 'gain." "Gather 'round, gather 'round, this is a bargain!!" "We've got the best armor and weapons, the likes of which you won't find anywhere else." "But it's first come first served, so get yours now!" "Step right up! You there, don't just stand around outside." "Go on in! Come on! Don't be shy, step right up!" "I'll never know why he wanted to open a store in a dead town like this. What's up with him......? ...sigh......" "Oh...... there's not much time left!! You never know when that moon is gonna come crashing down!!" "When it all comes down to it, this world's about money and material things!" "If you got 'em, you can get by whenever, wherever!" "Gotta buy!! Gotta buy, buy, buy!! I'm gonna shop till I drop!" "Welcome to the charity store, a store of love and courage! What can I get you today?" (Sells weapons) "Thank you very much! Please come again." "Everything must come to an end. And someday it's gonna be your turn. Even the world's gotta end sometime." "Everybody leaves at one time or another. And everyone gets left also. That's just fate..." "It's sad, but there's nothing that can be done about it. So that's why I'm prayin' like this for all of you." "You say you don't know when the stars are gonna fall outta the sky? Is that for real?" "I still don't believe it! How could this be happen?" "Ancient Weapon? End of the world? I don't know nothing about that! I'm gonna live to be a hundred!" "There's tons of stuff I still gotta do! This's just ths beginning." "And what have Shinra and SOLDIER done about it? Tell me! They're a waste!!" "Actually, I'm a beautiful maid. I just work here in the accessory store part-time." "Everything here can compare with the best goods anywhere. So, how about one?" (Sells accessories) "Thank you. Stop by again." (Tifa hears a small squeak when she steps on a spot next to a house. She bends down) Tifa "Huh......? What could that be?" "There's something stuck deep inside that looks like a key... it's hard to get out." "Well, I'll just let it go for now......" (Tifa moves further into the town. She sees a small dog sitting in the shadows.) Tifa "What's the matter? Are you all alone?" (He whimpers. She kneels down by him.) Tifa "You got lost didn't you? Separated from someone you love......? Silly thing..." (She overhears two men talking next to a small house across the street.) "......guess it's been about a week now since he washed up here on the shore... Poor pokey-headed young thing..." (The camera pans up to them.) "It was really sad...... but weird. He was holding this really long sword." "I dunno. The whole thing feels unlucky to me. But the amazing thing was those weird blue eyes....." Tifa "Wha!?" (She runs over to them) Tifa "Wh...... wait a minute!! What did you just say!?" "Excuse me! That young person you were just talking about......" "Yeah... a villager found him a little ways down the coast... It was about a week ago I think." "Yeah, poor kid... He must've drifted from somewhere pretty far away..." Tifa "Cloud!! It must be!! It's Cloud!!" Cid "Heh, good job, Tifa." Barret "You sure!?" Tifa "So where is he? Is he safe!? Where is he now......?" (One of them points up ahead.) "Yeah... up ahead here... At the, uh, clinic......" Tifa "He's alive...!" "Cloud...... Cloud's alive!!" "Cloud!!" (She dashes off to the clinic.) Barret "Uh....? Yo, Tifa!" (Tifa arrives in the clinic.) Tifa "Cloud!?" (A doctor turns to face her.) Doctor "Here now. The way you're running around here, you'd think Meteor fell or something." Tifa "I'm sorry, but I heard that a friend of mine was being taken care of here......" (He crosses his arms) Doctor "A friend...?" (He nods) Doctor "Oh yeah......! That young fellow!?" "Don't worry. Your friend is next door. But I'm afraid his condition is..." (Tifa turns her head towards a small room, separate only by a thin curtain) Tifa "Here?" (She nods) Tifa "Over here." (She runs into the next room. A nurse is taking care of someone in a wheelchair, hidden behind her.) Tifa "Cloud...!?" (The nurse moves. We see that the person in the wheelchair is indeed Cloud. His head is in his lap. The others come running in.) Tifa "Oh... Cloud!! I'm so glad you're safe!?" (She runs up to him. Cloud raises his head to meet her... and it falls down again. His head bobs like a children's toy. He looks around as if confused.) Tifa "......!?" "Cloud......?" Cloud "Uh...... aaa......?" (His head continues to bob, cretinous.) Tifa "Wh...... what's wrong...... Cloud......?" Cloud "A...... Gurk......?" (She shakes her head.) Tifa "Cloud! What happened to you.....!?" (The doctor crosses his arms.) Doctor "Mako poisoning...... Quite an advanced case......" "It appears this young man's been exposed to a high level of Mako energy for a protracted period of time." "He probably has no idea who or where he is now......" "Poor fellow, his voice doesn't even work. He is literally miles away from us." "Some place far away where no one's ever been... All alone......" (He shakes his head.) Tifa "Doctor......!!" Cid "Damn...... that's evil." Barret "That's bad......" Tifa "Cloud......" (She kneels in front of him.) Doctor "Ahem! Let us excuse ourselves." (He turns to the others.) Doctor "Listen, would you all mind......... waiting outside?" Barret "........." (They all leave Tifa alone with Cloud. The screen dims slightly. Tifa leans her head against his knees, crying.) Tifa "Why......? What do you want me to do?" "Please, Cloud...... Talk to me......" "Tell me you see me, that you can hear me...... Tell me, please......" (Cloud just bobs his head.) Tifa "I came this far believing in the memories we have together..." "This isn't happening......! This is too cruel......" (She shakes her head.) Tifa "Oh, Cloud......! I........." (The screen fades to black.) (The scene fades in. Everyone waits outside the clinic for Tifa.) Barret "So what about him? You know...... Cloud?" (The doctor crosses his arms.) "I'll say it again, he's got Mako poisoning. I've never seen a case this bad..." "An immense amount of Mako-drenched knowledge was put into his brain all at once......" "No normal human could have survived it...... It's a miracle he did!" Barret "No wonder...... After fallin' in the Lifestream an' bein' washed up here........." "But remember, the light of hope can be found anywhere." "Listen, if you give up hope... What will happen to him?" (He turns away.) Barret "......hope......" "Hey, but honestly, man...... Do I really want him to come back?" "What did he do for this world? What can he do for us from here on out? He may be nothing more than Sephiroth's shadow......" "Is something wrong?" (He turns to the doctor.) Barret "No, nothin'. Nothin' at all, doc." (Tifa comes out of the clinic.) Tifa "........." (All turn to face her.) Barret "You okay?" Tifa "Yes...... I'm sorry I had you all worried." "And I have something I want to tell you all......" (She goes back into the clinic. Everyone follows her. When the others arrive inside, Tifa is standing near Cloud, facing away.) Tifa "I don't care about anything else, only Cloud......" (She turns to face them.) Tifa "I...... want to be by his side......" Cid "Yeah. Right. Hang in there, Tifa." Barret "Yeah, that's probably best......" "For Cloud...... an' for you......" (She nods, but doesn't bring her head back up, looking at the floor.) Tifa "I'm sorry, everyone... At a time like this......" (She looks up.) Cid "Don't worry. I'll stop by again sometime." Barret "You take care now, Tifa. And take care of Cloud." Tifa "Right......" (He turns to leave, then looks at Tifa over his shoulder.) Barret "Oh, and uh, Tifa... I don't like askin' this but......" "Is he really your childhood friend? And not Sephiroth's shadow?" (She looks at Cloud) Tifa "Huh!? Well... that is......" (She shakes her head) Tifa "No, I'm sure of it!" (He nods.) Barret "Yeah......? Okay then...... Sorry for askin' that." Cid "Now, we gotta be headin' back to the Highwind." (Barret nods. The scene fades to black.) Scene 108 - Shinra's Plans - Cid's Election - (The party is gathered on the bridge of the Highwind. Barret gazes out the front bay window; Cid sits sprawled on the floor.) Barret "What're we gonna do now? What can WE do?" (He turns.) Barret "Huh? Ain't there nothin' we can do?" "An' don' go tellin' us to wait for Cloud to get better." Cait Sith "Oh, I've got some news." Barret "Yeah, what!? That you a spy?" (He walks up to Barret.) Cait Sith "Yeah...... I've already told you I was." (He turns away.) Cait Sith "Both Gya ha ha and Kya ha ha are up to something." "Wanna eavesdrop?" (The scene fades to black. It fades back in to the Shinra board room. Heidegger and Palmer are seated at the table. Reeve stands in the background. President Rufus flips his hair, then turns to face them.) Rufus "Now then...... We're faced with two issues." "1. Destroy Meteor. 2. Remove the barrier around North Cave and defeat Sephiroth." (He points at them.) Rufus "Any ideas?" Heidegger "Gya haah hah hah! We already solved the first problem!" "Meteor will soon be smashed to bits!" "The plan has already been put in motion. Namely, to collect Huge Materia from each region." Rufus "Well......" (Scarlet enters.) Scarlet "Huge Materia is a high density special type of materia made through a special compression process in Mako reactors." (She makes an "I caught a fish THIS BIG" pose) Scarlet "The energy extracted from it is 330 times the strength of normal materia." "Ha, ha, ha! How about that!?" (She crosses her arms and faces the others) Scarlet "We will gather all the Huge Materia together and ram it into Meteor." (She looks at Rufus) Scarlet "That will cause a huge explosion!! Reducing Meteor literally to bits." Rufus "You're going to ram into Meteor?" "Do you think we have the technology to do it?" Scarlet "Don't worry about that!" "More importantly, we've got to collect Huge Materia from each area." Heidegger "We've already collected materia from Nibelheim." "All that's left is "Corel" and "Fort Condor"." "I've already dispatched troops to Corel." "Ghaa haah hah hah!" (The scene fades to black, then back to the bridge of the Highwind.) Barret "Corel!" "What else can they do to Corel!?" Red XIII "And the Huge Materia......" "You mean the Huge Materia, don't you? I've heard about it." "When our small materia hears the larger one, something should happen." "I'm certain of it." "That's why we're using the power of materia in our fight......" Barret "Can't let Shinra get a hold of the Huge Materia!" "Besides, when Cloud gets back, I wanna show him his Huge Materia. He's gonna be shocked." (Cait Sith bounds up to Barret) Cait Sith "So, what are you saying, Barret?" "Even though you're always knocking him, you really want Cloud to return." (Barret turns to watch the clouds for a moment, then back to Cait Sith.) Barret "I ain't sayin' nothin' 'bout nothin'. You just... shut your face!" "Every group's gotta have a leader." (He beats his chest) Barret "An' that's me!" "Or at least I wanna be... But I ain't cut out to be no leader." "I never knew that till lately." (He walks toward Cid, then looks at the window) Barret "An' that's what is......" (Cait Sith hops away, surprised) Cid "......ZZZZ...... hmph?" (Cid shakes his head and stands up) Cid "Wha? What's goin' on?" (Barret nods) Barret "You been chosen to be the new leader." Cid "Pain in the ass. Forget it." Barret "But for us to fight, we gotta have Highwind, and you." (He sweeps his gun-arm) Barret "We need it to save the Planet. An' who's runnin' this ship? You!" "That's why you're our new leader. Ain't no one else can." (Cid considers...) Cid "Hm..... this ship's gonna save the Planet, huh? Ain't that gonna be just a little tough?" (He rubs his head) Cid "Oh man, that went straight to my heart." "I'm a man, too!" "Okay, I'll do it! Everyone, follow me!" (Barret nods) Barret "Awright, now here's the first job." "The Operation Room's waiting for you!" Cid "Yeah!!" (He practically scampers off to the the Operation Room. Barret runs after him) Barret "Yo, Cid!" "When you're ready, we're headin' for the Corel Reactor. C'mon Mr. leader, you'd better hurry." Scene 109 - Corel's Huge Materia - People on the Highwind "Looks like you turned out to be the leader after all, Captain......" "Good day, Captain!" Cait Sith "Hmmn, the Huge Materia is at Corel, Fort Condor......" "I'm sure there was another place that had it. Where was that......?" Red XIII "Cid." "Let's visit Cloud and Tifa from time to time." Barret "Yo, Mr. Leader! Get your pilot ass up here!" (Cid pilots the Highwind to North Corel.) People in North Corel "Shinra soldiers came around sayin' they were gatherin' up all the Huge Materia." "I think they're gonna bring it here by coal train, from the Corel Reactor." "Hey, what's gonna happen to the world...?" "I guess no one wants to have fun anymore now that the Gold Saucer is closing..." "The next train's coming in soon." "With Meteor coming, I guess it won't make any difference..." "I want to leave this garbage dump of a town behind me, and start a new life." "If I had a buggy, I'd cross the southern desert, and go to that town across the river..." "Everyone knows that accident couldn't have been avoided." "But no one will be satisfied until someone takes the blame." "There was something glowing in that well over there." "If I can get my hands on it, I'm gonna sell it and go to the Gold Saucer!" (Cid heads north to the Corel Reactor. Two Shinra guards at the entrance accost them.) "You guys are...!" (Battle sequence with the two guards) Cid "Guess we're safe for now...!" (We hear the sound of a train whistle.) Red XIII "Ohh!" Barret "Da---mn!" (They scatter to avoid the train as it rumbles out of the reactor towards Corel.) Cid "Looks like they're takin' off with the Huge Materia in that train!" Barret "NO! You damn boneheads!" Red XIII "Did the Shinra beat us!?" Cid "Hey, do you know who I am?" "I'm Cid - that's who the hell I am! Now just let me handle it!" (They follow Cid as he runs into the Reactor. We hear another train whistle.) Cid "Hey, hey, hey, hey---!" (Another small train, driven by Cid, trundles out of the reactor in pursuit. The scene switches to the engineer's compartment.) Barret "How can they even drive this?" Cid "Don't ask me... I don't know!" Barret "What!?" (Cid grabs the levers in front of him) Cid "Don't worry! I can handle this kinda stuff!" "Two levers; one on the right and one on the left..." (He flips the levers) Cid "I see, just alternate the two levers up and down, right!?" "Judging from the enemy's speed, I'd say it'll take about 10 minutes." "We're gonna fly!! Hold on tight!!" (Cid, controlled by the PLAYER, begins to alternately flip the levers back and forth. The train gains speed until it catches up with the enemy train on the other track.) Cid "All right! We're gonna jump!!" (The party makes a flying leap and lands on the last car of the train. They leap from car to car, battling minibosses, until they reach the head locomotive. A Shinra soldier is piloting the train.) "What the! You... you guys!" Cid "All right-- Just hand over the Huge Materia!" "Sh......" "Whooooa----!" (Battle sequence with the Shinra soldier) Cid "You got guts comin' after me!" "I'll never forget you!" Barret "Got no time for that now!" Red XIII "We got it going, but what about the brakes?" Cid "I KNOW, already! Just shut up and keep quiet! If we keep this up, we'll crash right into North Corel!" "Let's see... if we alternately use the levers to accelerate..." "It should brake if we move the levers up or down simultaneously!" (Cid, controlled by the PLAYER, moves both levers up. The train gains speed.) Barret "Hey, it's not working!" Red XIII "We're gaining speed!" Cid "^%#@! The other way!? Just watch, this time, I'll..." (He moves both levers down. The train gains more speed.) Barret "Hey... HEY HEY!" Cid "SHI-------!!" (He jams both levers down once more until they snap off. FMV sequence as the train rolls to a stop scant inches from North Corel. Cid receives the Huge Materia.) People in North Corel "You sure are brave. I'm impressed!" "You guys are really something!" (The camera pans over to show many citizens of North Corel come out of their homes to meet the party.) "Aren't you the ones that stopped the Shinra Train?" "The Shinra was just about to destroy our lives again..." "It might be full of junk, but this is the only home we got, Barret!!" Barret "Of... of course! We're all born and raised in the coal mines!!" "No matter how tough it gets, our hearts burn bright red like coal!" "To hell with Meteor! We're Coal Miners, ain't we?" "We'll dig a deep tunnel and hide from the Meteor!" "That's it!" (One of them turns to a small child standing by the well.) "Hey, kid! How about givin' somethin' to these guys fighting the Shinra?" (He nods and comes down to meet the party.) "I got it out of the well. Isn't it an amazing rock!!" (He gives you the Ultima materia and retreats.) "Must've been a horrific battle. You have scars all over your body." "I already talked to the Inn's owner, today you can rest for free." (They stay the night at the Inn.) People in North Corel "Whenever I look up in the sky, I see Meteor staring me right in the face......" "If you're comin' down, then hurry up do it!! 'Cause I'm gonna kick the $#@& outta ya!" "What the? Don't get hit by the train!" "You saved my life. Not that I have much longer to live anyway..." "When I grow up, I'm gonna travel the world collecting glowing stones!" "I figure if I stay alive long enough, something good's bound to happen." (They leave Corel.) Scene 110 - Fort Condor's Huge Materia - (Cid and the party travel to Fort Condor A huge, majestic bird perches atop it. A doorman greets them as they arrive.) "We've been fighting the Shinra for a long time at this battlefield." "Even now, we're still settled in for a long war with them." "If you aren't in a hurry, would you help us fight them?" "Listen I don't want to push but, if you've got something else to do, why don't you finish that first?" Like to help but... I guess we'll help you ***Cid Like to help but... "All right then...... Take care of yourselves..." ***Cid I guess we'll help you "Really!? Then go on up and they'll fill you in on the details." (He runs inside the fort. Cid follows.) (Climbing a rope ladder, Cid enters the main room of Fort Condor, where they meet an older man sitting at a wood table.) "Hmmn, now this is something. I never thought anyone would climb up here." "Any minute now, this will be a battlefield against Shinra. You'd better get down before you get involved." Cid "A battlefield, we can't overlook that." Barret "Shinra? The hell those jackasses doing here?" Red XIII "Shinra again." "It appears you have a problem with Shinra, too. After all, you climbed up here." "Why not listen to what I have to say for a moment?" Cid "All right, talk on!" "Do you know what's at the top of this mountain?" Barret "Huh? Something's up there?" Cid "No matter how you look at it, that's a reactor. And on top of it, is that the Condor?" "I can see you're very perceptive. Yes, it's a reactor and a condor." "Looks like there's a special materia up in the Mako reactor." "Then came the condor, so Shinra dispatched the troops to get rid of it." "Their plan is to get rid of the condor and the people on this mountain and to get the materia from the Mako Reactor." "Unfortunately, we don't have the ability to fight Shinra ourselves." "That's why we have hired soldiers to help us." "As our sponsor you can help us with a contribution or by fighting alongside of us..." "What do you think? You want to join us in our fight?" Cid "If you go that far, what can I say. Well, we'll be able to do something if you leave it to us." Barret "Hey! We'll come to the rescue." Red XIII "Got it. I'm gonna lend a hand, too." (They set off.) People in Fort Condor "I'm begging you. Please prevent the reactor from being destroyed and the condors from being killed." "Hello. Do your best. We will, too." (Sells materia) "You hang in there!" (Sells items) (The party climbs another rope ladder to the top floor. A lookout surveys the area outside through a window.) "So shall I let you in on our strategy?" "The enemy is targeting this mountain's reactor and will be climbing to reach it." "We must set a trap and hire soldiers to protect the place." "Well, this is all we have...... this village doesn't have any money. Even if we wanted to fight, our hands are tied 'cause we're broke." "To hire one soldier, we need 400 gil. So, if we have 20 soldiers, we must have 8000 gil." "That is, we would like you to use your own money to hire these soldiers, buy the trap, set it up and give the commands." "We know that we're asking is selfish. We sent out our wives and kids to another village. We are resigned to our fate." "Let's get it back to square one. If the enemy penetrates this shed, you'll have to fight them off immediately." "I know it's a one shot deal, but I'm asking for your help." "Now then, is there anything you wish to ask?" (Here you may get full instructions on how to play this minigame.) "Ready?" Wait Okay, ready Hear more ***Cid Wait ***Cid Okay, ready (The battle begins.) ***Cid Hear more (Cid gets the intructions again) "This is the deciding battle. The enemy numbers more than ever before." (The battle begins. This minigame is a Warcraft-style real-time strategy game, in which you buy your own soldiers and attack the enemy, trying to prevent them from reaching the top of the fort. It's a long battle, but eventually they win. The scene shifts back to the lookout post.) "YES! We did it! That was wonderful! Thank you!! I doubt Shinra will attack now." (The watchman laughs, then spins to look out the window.) "A, arrgghh......" (FMV sequence. The sky around the Fort darkens, and the egg the condor is protecting cracks, then hatches. A sphere of light envelops the condor, then it bursts into flame. The energy fades, and the condor screeches and tumbles off the side of the tower.) "Th, that light just now...... The condor...... The eggs......" "What!? Would you go outside and see what it was?" (Cid goes out to the roof of the tower. He finds that the egg has indeed hatched, and a not-so-tiny baby condor is sitting in the now-empty nest. Cid grabs a Pheonix summon materia from the ground. The baby chirps, flaps its wings, and clumsily takes flight. Cid goes back inside.) "Gone..." "Be sure and report to my father, too." (Cid goes back downstairs and speaks with the man seated at the table.) "Everyone, thanks. I really mean it. Thanks." "Although there isn't anything we can give you, we'll make sure you can stop in and stay any time, so be sure to drop by." "Yes, yes, and there's one thing I forgot to tell you......" (He gives Cid the Huge Materia.) Cid "Huh? What's this?" Barret "Damn man, it's Huge Materia." "The truth is, this is the matera inside the reactor." Cid "What the hell did we fight for?" "We weren't protectin' the reactor, we were protectin' the condors." "When that reactor was built, they forced us to help. That's how we knew what was inside the reactor." "I knew this day would come, so after the Shinra left, I sneaked in and took the materia." "I didn't mean to fool you, but I guess that's how it ended up. I'm really sorry." Cid "Just forget about it. Anyway, we're still alive." "I see. If you put it that way...... we're really grateful." Cid "So the last Huge Materia that Shinra's after's in the underwater reactor in Junon?" Barret "We gotta get there first and beat'em no matter what!" Cid "But ya know, Shinra's probably on high alert since we always mess with 'em." "How 'bout we take a break and go see that little fella for a bit?" Barret "You mus' mean Cloud......" Cid "Yeah, I'm worried aobut Tifa; she may've collapsed takin' care of the guy." "How about checkin' on 'em? Down to Mideel!" (Several thousand gil poorer but one Huge Materia richer, they leave Fort Condor and head to Mideel.) Scene 111 - Weapon Attacks - Lifestream Revisited - (Cid and the others arrive in Mideel. The first sound that meets their ears is that of the homeless dog's whimpering. It comes trotting up to them as soon as they arrive and rolls over at their feet. They hurry to the clinic; the dog following close behind.) Doctor "I'm sorry...... But your friend's condition remains unchanged......" "You'll have to be patient and wait this out. These things take time. Just like fine wine, time is of the essence." (They go to the next room. Tifa still watches over Cloud. Cloud still bobs his head.) Tifa "......It's no use...... I don't understand a thing, Cloud." "What should I do......? What if you never recover for the rest of your life?" (A huge earthquake shakes the area. Tifa falls down.) Tifa "Eyaaah!?" (Cloud slowly lifts his head up.) Cloud "......They're...... They're...... coming......!!" (Cid spins to face him) Cid "What did you say, Cloud!?" Cloud "Uh...... aaa......?" (Cid spins toward the doorway.) Cid "Damn. What the hell's goin' on!?" (He rushes out, passing the doctor and nurse, taking a duck-and-cover position. Outside, the entire area quakes and flashes randomly red and yellow.) Cid "What's this...!?" "The Lifestream is gushing up from below the surface of the earth!" (The planet cries.) Cid "Damn, that's......!? This is bad.....!!" (Tifa comes running out of the clinic) Tifa "Cid......!? What's wrong?" Cid "N, nothin'!! You and Cloud get inside quick!!" Tifa "But I......!?" (He crosses his arms.) Cid "Hey, don't worry about a thing. I ain't about to die that easily." Tifa "Be careful...!" (She turns and runs back inside.) Cid "Okay, here I go! Watch this!!" (Cid runs to the town square. The camera moves to show the Ultimate Weapon circling in the sky overhead.) Cid "Damn!! That &%$^%$ Weapon!!" "Of all the times to show up......!" (The camera pans up toward the Weapon.) Cid "OK then, come on!! You &$^%$!" (Boss battle with the Ultimate Weapon) (The camera pans to show the Weapon circle once more, lazily, then mosey off.) Cid "You &^$#&$#! You tryin' to escape?" (The Weapon releases one more cry and flash of energy before departing. The camera pans back down to the party.) Barret "Damn, man. Just a little bit more an' I wouldda smashed him......" Red XIII "It looks like the Lifestream has settled as well." (The ground begins to quake once more. Cid shakes his head) Cid "Damn, you gotta be kiddin'......!!" (The ground begins to quake more violently as the screen flashes more chaotically than before.) Cid "Th, this's bad......! The main stream is kickin' up!!" "Somethin' way bigger that that last one is on its way!!" "No good!! Get outta here......!!" Red XIII "But what about Tifa and Cloud!?" Cid "Goddammit!!" "You don't have time to worry about anyone other than yourself! You don't know when that stream'll blow......" (Something in the ground gives with a bang.) Cid "Whoa!!" "There's no time, hurry!!" (They all go sprinting out of the town. Cid stops and turns before leaving) Cid "Tifa!! Cloud!! Get outta here!!" (The scene fades back to the clinic. Tifa turns) Tifa "This is bad...... The tremors are getting worse." (She turns to Cloud, his head bobbing frantically.) Tifa "Wait a minute, Cloud." (She runs into the main room, the nurse still duck-and-covering.) Tifa "Doctor! Shouldn't we move him somewhere rather than stay here...?" (The doctor nods) Doctor "Hmm...... It might be safer to take refuge in a wide open space." (Tifa runs back in and kneels in front of Cloud.) Tifa "Don't you worry about a thing, Cloud......" "I'll see to it that you get somewhere safe!" (He bobs his assent. The Weapon roars from outside.) Doctor "No! The structure can't take it!! Hurry!" Tifa "Yes!" (She gets up and runs around behind Cloud's wheelchair.) Tifa "Ready Cloud? We're leaving now!!" (Bob bob. Tifa wheels him out. FMV sequence as Tifa wheels Cloud out of Mideel. The ground behind them cracks, then collapses, the gaps following them closer and closer. Just as they are about to exit the village, a whole section of ground gives, tilts, and falls into the Lifestream, taking Tifa and Cloud with it. The camera follows them down, Cloud's face expressionless, as they land without a splash in the rippling green of the Lifestream.) Scene 112 - Into Darkness - (Tifa and Cloud slowly float downward through the green Lifestream. The green fades and Tifa is left spinning, somehow artificially, in black space. She slowly comes to a stop, then sits up as if she were sitting in a chair.) Tifa "Wh, where am I......? What's happening? I......?" (She stands up in the nothing.) Tifa "Where's Cloud......!? Cloud, where are you!?" (She slowly turns, without moving her feet, as if she were on a turntable.) Tifa "Huh...... what......? Who......?" (She looks around) Tifa "Who is it......? I can't hear......" (Odd noises fill the gloom, alive but not human. Tifa spins around.) Tifa "Wait a minute......! I don't know anything about that!" (She turns again, slowly, in the opposite direction.) Tifa "No! It's not me......! I'd never do anything like that!!" (She stands still a moment. The sounds continue. Then she clutches her ears and shakes her head violently.) Tifa "No! Stop it......!! Stay back!" (She begins to run in a random direction, not getting anywhere but to more blackness.) Tifa "Somebody...... help! Please!!" (She stops, her body lit up fire-red. The sounds change, becoming something like radio static, intermixed with the sound of machine gun fire. She drops to her knees, clutching her head.) Tifa "Cloud, help me!!" (Crumpled on the ground, she begins to spin at dizzying speeds.) Tifa "Eyaaaaghh......!!" (With a great, grating sound, she spirals into the blackness.) Scene 113 - Enter Cloud's Mind - Nibelheim, Long Ago - (The blackness fades. We see Tifa stand up, slowly. She is on a great green platform, suspended in space. The screen is dimmed slightly. Planets and stars are born and die in the background. Three paths lead away from the platform. On each one sits a twin of Cloud, his head on his knees.) Tifa "............ Where am I......?" (The screen brightens. Tifa spins and looks up to see another Cloud, high above the platform. He is tranparent. He clutches his head, writhing in slow motion, suspended in midair.) Tifa "Cloud!?" "What is it, Cloud? What is this......!?" (She takes a step toward him.) Tifa "Is this the inside of your dream? Or is it...... your...... subconsciousness......?" (She looks down.) Tifa "You're searching, aren't you, Cloud?" "Searching...... for yourself......" "I can help too. We'll work together to try and get the real you back!" (She crosses her arms, contemplative.) Tifa "But...... Where do we start......?" (She speaks to the replica of Cloud sitting to the north. Past him, we see the gates of Nibelheim, faded slightly, as if in a dream.) "The gates of Nibelheim... Five years ago, Sephiroth passed through these gates......" "And...... That's how it all started......" Tifa "It connects...... to Nibelheim......?" "That's right... It's probably best to start from there......" (Cloud stands up. Tifa comes forward, toward the gates.) Tifa "Let's go have a look, Cloud. I know it's not easy...... But I'll be right with you......" (FMV sequence. The camera floats past Tifa and Cloud to the gates of Nibelheim. Tifa arrives there.) Tifa "Cloud... look." (She runs into the town, nodding in the direction of the courtyard.) Tifa "Here's the well..." (She turns another direction.) Tifa "And that's Gramps' Inn, too." (She runs back through the gates, stopping by a rusted old truck reposing there.) Tifa "The only truck in town. It's been here since we were little kids, right?" (She faces back toward Cloud's mind.) Tifa "This is the Nibelheim you remember, right?" (She nods.) Tifa "It's the same as my Nibelheim That's why this place is... our Nibelheim." (Cloud materializes from thin air, seated restfully on the ground. He stands, looking at his feet as Tifa comes over to him.) Tifa "Five years ago... two men from SOLDIER came..." (She turns toward the town.) Tifa "Sephiroth and...... a young and vibrant soldier." (She turns back.) Tifa "Can you tell me again what happened?" (Cloud blinks out of existence, then reappears behind Tifa, still staring at his feet. She moves aside as Sephiroth comes into the town. He stands in the gates a moment, then turns back. He takes no notice of Cloud and Tifa as this movie of Cloud's memories plays out.) Sephiroth "So how does it feel?" Tifa "Five years ago... I saw the real Sephiroth for the very first time." Sephiroth "It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right?" "So how does it feel?" "I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown..." Cloud "Ummm... how 'bout your parents?" Tifa "So this is... the Great Sephiroth." Sephiroth "My mother is Jenova. She died right after she gave birth to me. My father..." (He laughs.) Tifa "But to tell you the truth, I thought he was very cold." Sephiroth "What does it matter...?" "All right, let's go." (He turns and takes a few steps into the town.) Tifa "I remember, I felt a foreboding about him." (She turns to watch as the Cloud of five years ago, flanked by two soldiers, enters. The soldier on the right stops to occupy the same space as the present Cloud. He walks through the soldier, to the other Cloud, turns, and seems to meld with him as they both occupy the same space. The present and past Clouds flash subtly. Tifa shakes her head.) Tifa "No, Cloud." (She turns away.) Tifa "I've been hiding it for some time, afraid that if I told you... something terrible might happen." "But, I'm not going to hide anything anymore." (With a white flash, Sephiroth, the guards, and the past Cloud disappear, leaving only Cloud and Tifa.) Tifa "You weren't here. Cloud did not come to Nibelheim five years ago." (She turns away. Cloud looks at the ground. With a white flash, the Tifa of then, in her kawaii cowboy hat, appears, sitting on the ground. She is slumped over, staring at the ground, perhaps playing with a pebble or a blade of grass.) Tifa "I... waited. But, Cloud... never came." (The Tifa of then stands up.) Tifa "The two that were ordered here were Sephiroth and another person..." (The Tifa of then stands up and dashes off into the town, not headed anywhere in particular. Sephiroth appears before Tifa once more.) Sephiroth "All right, let's go." (He turns and walks into Nibelheim. As the screen fades to white, we catch a glimpse of the two soldiers and the young man with black hair, in Cloud's place, follow him.) Scene 114 - That Childhood Promise... - (The scene fades in to the green platform of Cloud's mind. The gates of Nibelheim are no longer there. The Cloud that sat there speaks with Tifa.) "You mean that member of SOLDIER who came with Sephiroth wasn't...... Cloud......?" Tifa "There's nothing......... I can say......" "You must find the answer yourself......" (She shakes her head.) Tifa "If you can't...... Then you......" "Take your time, Cloud. Slowly...... little by little, okay?" (The Cloud of Nibelheim slowly turns away. Tifa speaks to the Cloud to the left. Beyond him, we see the well in Nibelheim, slightly washed-out. The Cloud stands up.) "That starry night at the well...... And our promise that night... What if the memory was just a lie?" Tifa "Don't hurry, Cloud...... Don't answer too quickly." "Just keep checking all those small emotions and it'll come back...... Slowly...... little by little......" "Right... like the sky that night...... the heavens were filled with stars......" (FMV sequence. Cloud and Tifa float up into space as the camera flybys to the well at Nibelheim , ending focused on the starry night sky. The scene fades to black.) Tifa "From the beginning... OK?" (The scene fades in to the well, that night when Tifa and Cloud were just children. They stand on the well, Cloud staring at the ground.) Tifa "Try and remember, Cloud." (Cloud, a child, materializes. He is sitting on the edge of the well, dangling his feet. Then Tifa, also a child, is there too, sitting across from him, exactly as on that night long ago.) Tifa "Right, I was wearing these clothes." "That's you, too. You were so small then......" (She sits down next to her childhood counterpart, who doesn't see her.) Tifa "...and cute." (She and her younger self both look at their respective versions of Cloud, in perfect sync.) Tifa "Sephiroth once said..." (The present Tifa looks down again.) Tifa "Cloud made up his memories by listening to my stories...." (Young Tifa looks back down. She swings her feet.) Tifa "Did you imagine this sky? No, you remembered it." (Young Cloud shakes his head.) Tifa "That night the stars were gorgeous. It was just Cloud and I. We talked at the well..." "That's why I continued to believe that you were the real Cloud." (She looks down. She swings her own feet.) Tifa "I still believe you're the Cloud from Nibelheim..." (In a flash, Young Cloud disappears and reappears at the highest structure of the well, silhouetted against the night sky.) Tifa "But you don't believe in yourself..." (Tifa and her child self both cross their legs in perfect sync, as if they were the same being. The present Tifa leans back to look up at young Cloud. The screen pans up and fades to white.) Tifa "These memories aren't enough." Scene 115 - Jealousy - In My Room - (The screen fades back in and we are back in Cloud's subconscious. The Nibelheim well is no longer visible.) Tifa "Cloud, what about your other memories?" (She shakes her head.) Tifa "No, not memories." "A memory is something that has to be consciously recalled, right?" "That's why sometimes it can be mistaken and a different thing......" (She looks down, into the endless green space.) Tifa "But it's different from a memory locked deep within your heart......" "That's why it must be a fake. If he could recall up that memory......" "That's it! What about some memory that has to do with me?" (She turns to the Cloud of the well.) Tifa "I say something and you don't remember it......" "But you say something, and I remember it, too... Then we'll know that's our memory......" (She nods) Tifa "Talk to me. About anything, some important memory to you..." "Now that you mention it, why did you want to join SOLDIER in the first place?" "I always thought it was a sudden decision you made......" (Suddenly, the transparent Cloud high above speaks. Tifa doesn't hear.) "......I was devastated. ......I wanted to be noticed." (The Cloud of the well echoes these same words.) "......I was devastated. ......I wanted to be noticed." (The next words come only from the Cloud of the well.) "I thought if I got stronger I could get someone to notice........." (Tifa nods.) Tifa "Someone has to notice you...? ......who?" (The Cloud above speaks again.) "Who.........? ......You know who! ......You, that's who." (The Cloud of the well speaks differently.) "You......" Tifa "......Me? Why!?" "Tifa...... did you forget...... about those days?" (She turns away) Tifa "Look...... I......" (She shakes her head) Tifa "I'm sorry...... But what are you talking about?" (For the first time, we see Cloud, as a teenager, leap down from a high stone column near the place where Nibelheim once could be seen.) "No...... it's all right. You were having a hard time back then." (Teenage Cloud looks down.) "You were so busy with your own things, it's only natural you don't remember me back then." (Tifa walks over to him.) Tifa "'Back then'?" "It's important to me...... I hate to say it but...... It's a very important memory......" "Do you want to see it?" (Teenage Cloud runs over to stand next to the third and final Cloud. Past him can be seen a window, without a building past it to look into. Tifa speaks to the Cloud seated there.) "......a sealed up secret...... wish......" "Tender memories...... no one can ever know........." (He slowly stands up and moves out of the way so that Teenage Cloud can run past him to stand by the window. Tifa follows him.) "Do you want to know where this window goes to, Tifa?" "Fine...... I'll go." (FMV sequence. The camera floats past Tifa and Teenage Cloud, through the window. We see that the window leads to Tifa's room. Inside, Tifa looks around. Both Teenage Cloud and an adult Cloud are there.) Tifa "My room?" (Young Cloud nods.) Cloud "It was my first time there." Tifa "Was... it?" Cloud "I only used to look up at it from outside." (The screen flashes white. A teenage Tifa is now sitting on the floor at the foot of her bed, her head bowed on her knees.. Three boys are standing around her.) "Hey, look!" (The camera moves to show Tifa's window. One of the boys looks out of it.) "Cloud's coming!" (Through the window, we see Young Cloud come running up the path. The boy turns to Tifa.) "You think he wants to come in?" (Tifa looks up a moment, then puts her head back down on her knees. The present Tifa speaks.) Tifa "Was that the first day you came into my room?" (Another boy walks up to Tifa.) Tifa "...that's right." "We lived next to each other." "But I really didn't know you that well." (The third boy comes up.) Tifa "I've known you since we were children and I always thought we were close..." (The teenage Tifa looks up, shakes her head, then bows it back down. The camera switches back to the overhead view of Tifa's room.) Tifa "Now that you mention it... I don't recall you ever being in my room..." (Young Cloud nods.) "Tifa always used to be with this three-some." Tifa "...That's right." (Young Cloud turns away.) "I used to think... they were all stupid." (Tifa spins to face him.) Tifa "What?" (He turns back to face Tifa.) "You were all childish, laughing at every little stupid thing." (She turns to look at her former self and friends, then back to Young Cloud.) Tifa "But we were children, back then." (He turns away slowly.) "...I know. I'm the one that was stupid." "I really wanted to play with everyone, but I was never allowed into the group." (He turns to face Tifa dead-on.) "Then later... I began to think I was different..." "That I was different from those immature kids." (He turns away.) "That then... maybe..." (A double of the adult Cloud, motionless up to this point, materializes. It stands, flashing in and out of existence. Then it speaks. Young Cloud doesn't seem to notice.) "Just maybe, they would invite me in." (Tifa spins to face the double.) "I thought that might happen, so I hung around..." (Young Cloud speaks.) "I was so prejudiced. And... weak." (The double speaks again.) "That night I called Tifa out to the well..." "I thought to myself Tifa would never come, that she hated me." (Tifa nods.) Tifa "Yeah... it was so sudden. I was... a bit surprised." (She turns to face Young Cloud.) Tifa "But..." "It's true that we weren't THAT close, but..." (She turns to face her young self.) Tifa "After you left town, I really thought about you a lot." (She holds her face in her hands.) "I used to wonder how Cloud was doing." "I wonder if Cloud was able to get into SOLDIER?" (She spins back to face Young Cloud.) Tifa "I started reading the newspapers, thinking that there might be an article about you." (Young Cloud looks down.) "Thanks, Tifa." "Tell him what you told me, later. He'll probably be so happy." (Tifa nods) Tifa "OK!" "Huh?" (She looks at the double, then the original adult Cloud, then back to Young Cloud.) Tifa "What happened on this day? Was it a special day?" (Young Cloud does a little hop) "This was the day..." (After a long pause, the double speaks.) "Tifa's mother..." (The screen fades to white.) Scene 116 - On The Other Side Of the Mountain - Tifa "The day Mom died..." (The screen fades in to show the window once more, and young Tifa sitting on the floor, looking very small.) Tifa "I want... to see... mom..." (She stands and runs out. The scene fades to the Nibel Mountains.) Tifa "...I wonder if there's anything beyond that mountain?" (The camera pans down to show Tifa, surrounded by her three friends, on the mountain path. One looks ahead at the mountain, then back to Tifa.) "Mt. Nibel is scary. Many people have died there." "No one crosses that mountain alive..." (Tifa turns to face the boy. She spreads her arms skyward.) Tifa "How 'bout those that died?" (She turns.) Tifa "Did mama pass through the mountains?" (Tifa walks a little way along the path, then turns back.) Tifa "I'm going!" (She spins on her heel and heads down the path. Her friends follow. Two of them pause, consult with each other, then one of the them turns and goes running home. He bumps into Cloud, who had been following, on the way. Cloud runs along the path, pauses to look ahead at Tifa and her two remaining friends continuing, then keeps following, out of sight. The scene fades to the bridge across the deep gorge. Tifa walks resolutely across it. Her two friends look at each other, then turn tail and run home, again brushing past Cloud. Apprehensively, he takes a step onto the bridge, then, without looking back, goes sprinting across it. The screen fades to black. When it fades in again, we see young Tifa and young Cloud lying crumpled on a white screen. Tifa and Cloud look on. A black silhouette of an adult Cloud stands in the center. Tifa goes up to the dark Cloud.) "I don't remember what path I walked." "Tifa missed her step. I ran to her... but didn't make it in time." "Both of us fell off the cliff." "Back then, I only scarred my knees, but......" (Tifa's father and another man from the village come running onscreen, shocked. Tifa's father picks her up in his arms, while the other screams at young Cloud.) "Cloud! Why'd you bring Tifa to a place like this!" (Cloud pulls himself up on one elbow.) "What the hell's the matter with you!?" (Tifa's father carries her off.) "What if she dies!?" (He walks after Tifa's father, leaving Cloud sitting on the ground. The dark Cloud speaks again.) "Tifa was in a coma for seven days." "We all thought she wouldn't make it." "If only I could've saved her..." "I was so angry... Angry at myself for my weakness." "Ever since then, I felt Tifa blamed me..." "I got out of control... I'd get into fights not even caring who it was." (The screen fades to black.) "That was the first time I heard about Sephiroth." "If I got strong like Sephiroth, then everyone might..." Scene 117 - The Truth - You Were Watching Me - A Battle of Will - (The scene fades in to Cloud's subconscious. A Cloud still sits on the steps to the window, but where young Cloud had once stood, now stands an adult Cloud. The dark Cloud stands alongside.) "If I could just get stronger...... Then even Tifa would have to notice me......" (Tifa nods.) Tifa "So that was it......" "Sorry, Cloud." "If I had only remembered more clearly what had happened, I could have done something sooner......" (The adult Cloud shakes his head.) "It's not your fault, Tifa." (She turns away.) Tifa "But, I remember back when we were eight!" (She nods) Tifa "That's it! Now I know!" (She turns back to him) Tifa "You weren't created five years ago." "My childhood memories weren't all made up!" (She turns to the dark Cloud, then to the other.) Tifa "Hang in there Cloud! Just a little longer! You've almost found the real you!" (Both Clouds nod, then touch their faces, in perfect sync, as the same being.) Tifa "Let's go back to Nibelheim again......!" (The dark Cloud walks into the normal Cloud, melding their bodies with a small metallic sound. The resulting adult Cloud runs toward the representation of the gates of Nibelheim. Tifa follows him.) "The truth is right there. We almost have the answer right in the palm of our hands." (Tifa runs into Nibelheim and motions for Cloud to follow. As they run through the courtyard toward Shinra mansion, Tifa stops.) Tifa "Cloud, wait." "Where are you going?" (Cloud turns to her.) Cloud "......The reactor......?" (He nods) Cloud "To the reactor! The Mako reactor of five years ago!" (He runs off and Tifa follows. The screen fades to white. It fades in; we are at the pod room at the Nibel reactor. Tifa and Sephiroth are at the top of the stairs. We see them wrestle briefly with the Masamune, then Sephiroth wrenches it away and slashes her as he did five years ago. We see her fly backwards, in slow motion, landing, broken, at the bottom of the stairs. The black-haired young man, Zack, comes running in, his huge sword on his back.) Tifa "Hey! It's Cloud!" (The camera pans up to show Sephiroth turn without a word and enter Jenova's room.) Cloud "Za......ck...... Zac......k. Zack..." Tifa "You remembered!!" (Zack rushes, leaving Tifa where she lies, up the stairs, after Sephiroth. He sprints into Jenova's room.) Tifa "That's right! It was Zack who came to Nibelheim with Sephiroth!" "Then, where were you, Cloud?" (After a long, silent pause, Zack flies backward out of Jenova's room, landing atop one of the pods, in exactly the same position as Tifa lies.) Tifa "Cloud... Did you... see it all?" (There is a flash of white. One of the guards that accompanied Zack runs into the pod room. The camera pans wildly as he glances in horror around the room.) Cloud "I saw...... everything......" (The guard dashes up the stairs to where Zack lies atop the pod. He grabs Zack's sword and, laying it across his back, dashes up the stairs. Inside Jenova's room, he rushes up to Sephiroth. Sephiroth turns just in time to stabbed through the stomach by the guard.) "Mom... Tifa... my town... give it back..." Sephiroth "Aaarrrgh...... who... who are you?" (The guard pulls his sword from Sephiroth's body. Sephiroth kneels down, clutching his stomach. The guard slowly backs away, shaking his head.) "I had so much respect for you... I admired you..." (The camera pans down to show the guard, facing away from Sephiroth and looking down at the floor, breathing heavily.) Tifa "Cloud!?" (The guard removes his helmet. It is Cloud.) Tifa "That's what happened..." (The scene fades in to the Mako fountain in the Nibel mountains. Zack stands in place of Cloud. Tifa walks toward the fountain, while the guard looks on.) Tifa "You were there." "You were watching me." (The scene shifts to the Mako reactor in the Nibel mountains. The guard blocks Tifa from entering the Mako Reactor.) Tifa "Yeah, I remember." (Tifa turns away, her hands on her hips.) Tifa "Hmm... so it was you." (The scene fades to black.) Zack "Hey, Cloud. If you're feeling sick, why don't you take that mask off?" Cloud "Yeah..." (The scene fades in. We are on the truck carrying Zack and Sephiroth in search of their monster. The carsick guard is Cloud.) Cloud "Yeah... this is... me." "I... never made it as a member of SOLDIER." (The carsick Cloud slumps down as Zack walks energetically around the back of the truck, doing squat thrusts and the like.) Cloud "I even left my hometown telling everyone I was going to join, but..." "I was so embarrassed...... I didn't want to see anybody." (The scene fades to the gates of Nibeheim. Sephiroth enters the town, followed by Zack, flanked by two guards. One guard is Cloud; he has forgotten his helmet. He runs offscreen, then returns, masked.) Sephiroth "How does it feel?" "It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right?" (The scene fades to the Nibelheim courtyard. Every building is in flames. The guard that was lying outside of Cloud's house moves a little.) Cloud "I'm..." (The scene fades to the pod room at the Nibel reactor. Cloud, his helmet off, exits Jenova's room.) Tifa "...You came. ...You kept your promise." (Cloud comes down the stairs and lifts Tifa's broken body. He gently lays her down against one of the pods.) Tifa "So you really did come when I was in trouble!" Cloud "Sorry... I didn't get there... fast enough..." Tifa "It's all right... Cloud." (The camera pans up to show Sephiroth exit Jenova's room, her decapitated head in one hand.) Sephiroth "Just like you." (He descends the stairs, Jenova's head swinging back and forth, and leaves the pod room. Cloud gets up and prepares to follow, but Zack catches him as he leaves.) Zack "Cloud... Kill Sephiroth..." (Cloud nods and leaves the pod room. The scene shifts to the entryway of the reactor. Sephiroth walks determinedly out of the reactor, despite his wound to the stomach. Cloud exits the pod room as Sephiroth reaches the walkway across the Mako pit of the reactor, the hole in the Lifestream.) Cloud "Sephiroth!" (Sephiroth stops, then looks back over his shoulder at Cloud. Cloud rushes him, preparing to kill. Sephiroth neatly stabs Cloud through the chest with the Masamune. He lifts the sword, and Cloud with it, off the ground.) Sephiroth "Don't... push... your luck..." (Cloud dangles there for a few moments, then by sheer will alone, brings himself back to the ground. Sephiroth's sword arm begins to tremble. Cloud reaches up and grasps the sharp edge of the Masamune.) Sephiroth "...It can't be!" (Cloud summons his strength. He lifts the sword, still through his chest, raising Sephiroth an inch above the ground, then two inches. With all his might, he flings the sword to the side. It slides out of his body as Sephiroth flies into the wall above the Mako pool. He falls down, down, into the Lifestream. Cloud slumps to the ground. The screen fades to white.) Scene 118 - Return To the Others - (The scene fades back in to Cloud's subconscious. Tifa and Young Cloud stand in the center of the great green platform.) Tifa "Cloud......" (Young Cloud turns to her.) "Then... this is goodbye, Tifa. Until we meet again......" (He stands straight. The three Clouds guarding Nibelheim, the well, and the window, translucent, all stand in unison.) Tifa "............!?" (The three Clouds turn and walk forward, forming a triangle around Young Cloud. One by one, each steps forward, fusing with his body with a small metallic sound. The camera pans up, and the writhing, transparent Cloud high above, floats back down to earth with a hig-pitched whine. He lands crumpled before Tifa. She kneels next to him.) Tifa "Cloud!!" (He tries to stand.) Cloud "Uh...... Ah, Uh......!" (He flashes brightly, then loses the transparency in his body. He sits up.) Cloud "Uh...... Tifa......" Tifa "Oh, Cloud......! It's really you, isn't it?" Cloud "Yeah...... Tifa...... We finally...... meet again......" (He stands.) Tifa "You stupid jerk!! You had us all worried sick!!" (He crumples to the ground.) Cloud "Krgh......!" (She kneels down.) Tifa "Cloud!? Are you all right!?" (We hear the cry of the planet. Cloud "V, voice...... Their......" (She shakes her head.) Tifa "I see. We're... in the Lifestream aren't we?" "Everyone's waiting." "Let's go back, Cloud. Back to everyone......" Cloud "Yeah, I guess so... Come on, Tifa. Let's go home......" (He stands. The screen fades to black. When it fades in again, we see Cloud and Tifa float upwards through the green of the Lifestream. The screen fades to white.) Scene 119 - Awakening - (The scene fades in to show the entire party at Mideel. The town has been demolished; loose boards float in the green Mako pool created in the earthquake. Tifa and Cloud lie, dazed, on the ground.) Barret "Yo! You awright!? Tifa!?" Tifa "u... uhh......?" (She sits up.) Tifa "Barret... You came back, I......" "Cloud... Where is he?" Barret "Don't worry about him. He's a tough one." Tifa "Barret...... I...... When I was in the Lifestream I saw the real Cloud." (She nods.) Tifa "I mean, I didn't really find him. Cloud found himself on his own..." Barret "Awright, I know... I shouldn't have doubted him." (He shakes his head.) Barret "But I can't win against you. You're some kinda lady." (She lies back down.) Tifa "People have so many things pent up inside of themselves..." "And they can forget so many things......" "Strange...... isn't it............" (She turns her head away.) Barret "Yo, Tifa! Snap outta it!!" (The screen fades to black.) Barret "Tifa......!?" Scene 120 - There Ain't No Gettin' Off - (The scene fades in. We are in the operation room on the Highwind. The party is seated around the table; Cloud stands at the head of it.) Cloud "Everyone...... I'm sorry. I don't know what to say......" Red XIII "Don't say anything, Cloud. All you've been doing is apologizing." (He nods to Red XIII, then looks down at his feet.) Cloud "I never was in SOLDIER." "I made up the stories about what happened to me five years ago, about being in SOLDIER." "I left my village looking for glory, but never made it in to SOLDIER......" "I was so ashamed of being so weak; then I heard this story from my friend Zack..." "And I greated an illusion of myself made up of what I had seen in my life....." "And I continued to play the charade as if it were true." (He straightens and nods.) Barret "Illusion, huh...? Pretty damn strong for a 'lusion, I'd say." (He nods to Barret.) Cloud "I'm physically built like someone on SOLDIER." "Hojo's plan to clone Sephiroth wasn't that difficult." "It was just the same procedure they use when creating members of SOLDIER." (He shrugs) Cloud "You see, someone in SOLDIER isn't simply exposed to Mako energy." "Their bodies are actually injected with Jenova cells......" "For better or for worse, only the strong can enter SOLDIER." "It has nothing to do with the Jenova Reunion." "But weak people...... like me, get lost in the whole thing." (He looks up.) Cloud "The combination of Jenova cells, Sephiroth's strong will, and my own weaknesses are what created me." "Everyone knew that. I'm...... Cloud." (He shakes his head sadly.) Cloud "......the master of my own illusionary world." "But I can't remain trapped in an illusion any more......" "I'm going to live my life without pretending." Tifa "You're sure messed up, Cloud!" Barret "That means there ain't no difference from before!" (Cloud rubs his head.) Cait Sith "By the way, Cloud. What are you going to do now?" "Don't tell me you're going to leave the ship?" Cloud "......I'm the reason why Meteor is falling towards us." (He nods) Cloud "That's why I have to do everything in my power to fight this thing." Barret "Good!! Then you're gonna keep fightin' to save the planet!?" Cloud "It's like you always told me, Barret." Barret "Oh, uh, you mean that!" Red XIII "What? I don't understand!" (All speak in unison.) Cloud "There ain't no gettin' offa this train we on!" Tifa "There ain't no gettin' offa this train we on!" Barret "The train we on don't make no stops!" (They all cheer and run out of the operation room. Cloud stays behind. He turns to face the wall behind him, sighs, and shakes his head. Then he too leaves. On the way out, the pilot by the door stops him.) "Cloud, I was deeply moved by your story!" "I'm really a weak person and so I could really understand how you feel, Cloud!" "No one knows when fighting will begin. But let's get ready!" (Cloud chooses his party and leaves the operation room, heading for the bridge.When he arrives on the bridge of the Highwind, the rest of the party is assembled there.) Cait Sith "Listen, Cloud." "We're right in the middle of the mission for the Master Materia, right?" "I know this's kinda outta the blue, but there's a underwater reactor at Junon." "As fas as I can see, that's the only one left." "That's that. Let's go!" Scene 121 - Underwater Reactor - Sub Space - People on the Highwind Barret "C'mon, Cloud! Don't #&$* around!" "We're goin' to Junon, boyeee!!" Cait Sith "This's kinda on the spur of the moment, but shouldn't we oughta get to Junon!?" Red XIII "I'm glad you're back with us!" Tifa "Let's do our best, Cloud!" Cid "I know how tough it is bein' a leader, because I've been one." "I always forget who has what materia." (Cloud and the others travel to Junon.) People in Junon "They say Shinra's gathering Huge Materia from around the world and bringing it to Junon." "Bringing it to Junon must mean they want to use their airplanes." "I've noticed there's been a lot of Shinra ships recently. I think they're going to the off-shore Underwater Reactor." "Isn't Shinra trying to transport the Reactor's Huge Materia?" "Once Meteor hits, not just the fish, but the whole ocean will be destroyed." "I remember years ago, seein' the Shinra build a long pipe underwater." "The underwater reactor is connected to Junon by a pipe." "You should be able to get to the reactor through it." Priscilla "Who are you---?" (She does a little hop) Priscilla "Cloud!!" "Stupid jerk! Look how much you made me worry!! Were you at the Lifestream?" Cloud "Yeah, that's right." Priscilla "You've gotta be more careful! Because you're going to marry me one day." (Cloud heads to the north end of the city, where a Shinra guard stands watch over a sliding door to the elevator.) "If you want to get on the elevator that badly, give me 10 gil!" Okay, I guess No way! ***Cloud Okay, I guess (The door slides open) "Hurry up and get in!" ***Cloud No way! "You're such a cheapskate." (Cloud enters the elevator. He presses a switch there and is lifted to the next floor. He arrives in the heart of Military Base Junon, where he once dressed as a guard to greet Rufus.) People in the Base "The Shinra's collecting Huge Materia at the Junon Undersea Reactor!" "When they're done, they'll bring it to this airport." "Get out of here before you get in the way!" "What... me? I'm gonna be watching from here, so that I don't get in the way either!" "After they get in, they'll take it to the airport and will transport it to Rocket Town by Gelnika. Don't let your guard down!" "They've finally started collecting the Huge Materia from the Junon Underwater Reactor." "Come on in!" "Welcome!!" "I just can't believe it. I never thought a monster like Weapon really existed." (Sells materia) "They're not going to get me down! Not me!!" "Weapon, Meteor, even bad customers, aren't going to get me!" ( Sells items) "Hey!! Stay out of the way!" "I'm starting to feel like I can't stop anymore." "I've been had!! I want to get in a real battle, too!" "Hmmm? Back again, Mr. Know-it-all!?" "All right! You can enter!!" "This is a Respectable Inn... guests only!" "You should absorb all the wisdom until it is a part of you." "Ok wise-guy, I'll ask about Materia just so you can let off some stress." "Ok. Expert! Enlighten us on Limit Techniques, why doncha?" "Ok, Mr. Know-it-all, ex-SOLDIER! Let me revenge... I mean, review!" "I lost most of my rivals in the attack on Weapon." "Oh, of course, I was here, studying." "And the coveted green officer's uniform is almost in my reach." "Weapon and Meteor scared everyone else off, but I'm sittin' here soused as usual." "I'd like to close down the shop, but we got the regulars to think about... I don't know what to do......" (They head to the long street in the middle of the base. Cloud stops and shrugs.) Cloud "I may be mistaken, but...... Doesn't it feel like we're missing something?" (He continues further into the base, reaching an underground path where a red officer trains a horde of blue grunts. He turns to face Cloud.) "All right!! Let's see how hard you trained!" (The soldiers turn in perfect sync away from the officer, his back still turned.) "Attention! Charge--!!" (They rush off in the other direction. The officer turns) "He... hey--!! That's the Underwater Reactor!! Come back!!" (He runs after them. Cloud shrugs and continues toward the reactor. He enters an elevator at the end of the underground path. A woman stands looking uninterested in one corner; two guards in the rear raise their guns.) "How 'bout, whoever stays alive, gets to take her out?" "All right, you're on!!" "But... What if both of us..." "Whoa!! Don't even talk about that!" (Battle sequence with the two guards) (The elevator stops at the ground floor. The woman stands, waiting for her floor.) "...gulp... (Great... there went two perfectly good men!)" (Cloud walks past her out of the elevator. Another guard comes rushing up to him. A barking dog stands in the door behind him.) "OK! Back to work!! Back to work!!" (Another follows him.) "Yawn... I'm sleepy!!" "For Junon!!" (Battle sequence with the two guards) (Cloud continues toward the reactor. Traversing a series of hallways and taking another elevator, he arrives at the ocean. He walks through a glass, Sea World-esque tunnel, through which he can see dolphins and schools of fish swim past. At the end is a small room lined with glass tubes filled with water. Cloud presses a switch on the wall; the door seals shut and the tubes empty of water. When he exits the room he is at a lower floor. An elevator. Cloud arrives on a narrow wire walkway; behind him we see a Shinra submarine docked. A mechanical arm trolleys through the huge warehouse, above Cloud. He continues past it, reaching another room. Shinra guards patrol all around. Cloud attempts to sneak by, but one guard catches him as he walks past.) "You, you're Cloud!!" (Battle sequence with the guard) (Cloud continues; two more guards accost him.) "You are NOT getting this Huge Materia!!" (Battle sequence with the two guards) (Two more guards catch him at the exit.) "So you WERE after the Huge Materia!" (Battle sequence with the two guards) (Cloud exits the room. He ends up on another narrow wire walkway. A huge metal pod stands near it. At the top is the Huge Materia.) Cloud "!? The Huge Materia!" (They all look on as the mechanical arm finally arrives at its destination. It lowers, picks up the Materia, and trundles off.) Tifa "They're gonna take it on that submarine!" Cid "That's what you think! ^%$@#&#!" (They rush into the next room. The Shinra submarine is docked here. Reno stands here, his back turned to them.) Cloud "Did we make it!?" (He watches as the arm slowly lowers the Huge Materia into a port on the sub's deck. The porthole closes it inside. Cloud runs forward, up to Reno.) Reno "What are you doing? Help load." (He turns and finally sees them.) Reno "Cloud!?" Cid "You know I don't work for cheap!" Tifa "Looks like we barely made it." Cloud "Either give it to us or else." "...which is it gonna be?" Reno "Unfortunately, I don't have time to deal with you." (A huge, oddly simian robot lumbers out from the shadows.) Reno "My priority is the Huge Materia!" (Reno runs off. The robot assumes a fighting stance.) (Boss battle with Carry Armor) (After the battle, Cloud looks up to see that the sub has departed.) Cloud "Damn! The submarine!" Tifa "We have to go after it!" Cid "Hold on to your horses! Let's get it from them!!" (Cloud rushes across the docking bay to another submarine on the other side. A bevy of Shinra soldiers all dash randomly around the deck. Cloud wades through them.) "Y, you!" (Battle sequence with the two soldiers) "You're not taking over this ship!" (Battle sequence with the two soldiers) (Cloud climbs onto the deck of the submarine and drops down the porthole to the interior. Three guards stand on either side. One raises his gun.) "You want the Sub? Just try an' take it!" (Cloud turns to the other guards) "Um... sir! Maybe we shouldn't piss them off..." (Battle sequence with the three guards) (Cloud runs forward into the cockpit. A red officer stands behind the captain's chair; two blue guards leap up from their navigation seats. These are the people who helped you prepare for the President's parade. The officer starts shaking his head) "NO, NO!! This is terrible!" (He runs to the other guards) "We don't have much time left! I don't want to die!" (One guard turns to him) "There's still so much more I've got to do!" "I never even got to do my special victory dance in battle!" "All right!! Then make this your first victory!!" "Go on, show 'em!!" (The guards raise their guns) "Yes, sir!!" "Remember you last training. Begin!!" (The twirl their guns) "Yes, sir!!" (The officer turns) "I'm back! An' now I got no regrets!!" "ATT---ACK!!" Cloud "Hmmmm..." Fight them Take them prisoner (A [quite comical] battle sequence with the soldiers.) ***Cloud Take them prisoner (The guards sit down in the corner of the cockpit.) (Cloud and the others run to the navigation controls. Cloud turns away) Cloud "Someone... please. I'm sorry I can't take it anymore." "The lack of space, the shaking, the roar of the engine..." (He kneels on the ground) Tifa "What are we going to do... We stole a submarine but can't pilot it." Cid "Hunka junk... just gotta do this!" (He fiddles with the controls. A red light starts flashing and he jumps up, startled) Cid "SEE! Now you take over!" (Cloud stands) Cloud "Hey, you're right. I DO feel a little better driving." "No sweat. Just leave everything to me." Tifa "You can do it, Cloud!" Cid "I'll be watchin' from here!" (Cloud walks up to the control panel.) Cloud "Well, now what?" Read the manual Sit in the seat Leave it alone ***Cloud Read the manual "Submarine Operation Manual - Beginner's Edition" (Cloud gets instructions on the mission objective - sink the red submarine) ***Cloud Sit in the seat (He hops into the captain's chair) Cloud "Everything seems set..." Read the manual Start the mission! ***Cloud Read the manual (He reads the manual) ***Cloud Start the mission! Cloud "This switch...? (He presses it) "Main screen: ON" Change the screen mode. (The mission begins.) ***Cloud Leave it alone (The mission begins. Cloud pilots the submarine, sinking the red target sub. After winning the minigame, you acquire control of the submarine.) Cloud "Phew--! We did it!!" "The Huge Materia should be at the bottom of the sea by now. Let's continue the search..." (The radio emits a blare of static, then emits a voice.) "All Shinra Submarine Units, do you read...?" "...All Shinra Submarine Units, do you read...?" Cloud "Hmm...? ...Must be from Shinra." "...Report, No. 2..." Tifa "No. 2..." "...I saw that written at the dock! They must mean this sub." Cloud "All right, I'll do it." (He picks up the radio.) Cloud "This is Shinra No. 2... Everything's normal." "...Roger..." "...Your next mission is..." "...Return to Junon Dock..." "...We will transport the Huge Materia from the airport..." "...Those without other assignments will report for guard duty..." "That is all. Over and out..." Cloud "Junon Airport... We should make it if we hurry." "Forget about the Huge Materia for now." "We're climbing!" Cid "The airport? No sweat!" (Cloud climbs the submarine to the surface and docks at Junon.) Scene 122 - Gelnika Takes Off - Countdown to Dreams and Death - (Cloud exits the submarine and enters Junon. He takes the elevator up into the base and heads to the airport. He arrives just in time to see the Gelnika take off from the runway and fly off.) Cloud "Oh no! The Huge Materia..." Tifa "Can't we go after it?" Cid "Where's that thing headed?" Cloud "Rocket Town, of course." (They rush out of Junon and fly the Highwind to Rocket Town.) People in Rocket Town "The Shinra serious 'bout launching that piece of crap rocket? But why now...?" "What's young President Rufus doing by getting all those mechanics together?" "Even with all this goin' on outside, that guy still won't come out of the bathroom? He must be a damn water tank!?" "Would you like something to drink?" Let me hear your story Not interested ***Cloud Let me hear your story "Seems like Palmer of Shinra, Inc. ordered soldiers to restore the rocket..." ***Cloud Not interested "If he continues on like that, he's gonna collapse some day. Y'know what I mean? I'm talkin' heart attack." "There's a bunch of Shinra people here messin' with the rocket..." "Is my rocket... all right?" "Mmmmm, a SPECTACLE." "Is something about to happen? Oh, I'm getting excited." (Cloud heads north, to the old rocket. Steam emanates from the engines; the Shinra are about to launch. Two guards standing by the stairs to the launch platform spot him.) "Those terrorists are here!" (Battle sequence with the two guards) (Cloud runs up the stairs. More guards wait on the launch platform at the top.) "Don't let them get any further! Everyone, ATTACK---!" (Battle sequence with two guards) (Cloud runs up to the platform. The last three guards attack) "Urrrgh, you're not going anywhere! Uh un, nowhere!" (Battle sequence with the three guards) Cid "Goddammit, what the hell do they think they're gonna do to my rocket!?" "I'm outta here, Cloud! I'm gonna kick those $^%$# Shinra right out of my rocket!" (Cloud climbs the ladder to the top of the rocket. Rude, flanked by two guards, stands outside the rocket's door.) Rude "...you again?" (He steps forward) Rude "...We will eliminate everyone who gets in Shinra's way." (Battle sequence with Rude and the two guards) (Rude collapses on the walkway.) Rude ".......they got us." (Cloud strolls right over Rude and enters the rocket. Another guard is waiting inside.) "You... you! Why are you here? Rude of the Turks should've been here!!" (Cloud motions "Back there") Cloud "Too bad. Those guys are over there." "Oh man... the Turks, being done in like that... But, I won't let you through!" (Battle sequence with the guard) (The guard collapses on the floor. Cloud walks past into the rocket control room. Cid's mechanics all scurry about, fixing and adjusting things.) Cid "Hey! What the hell're you guys doin'!?" (They all turn to face him.) "Hey! Just when I thought somethin' was goin' on, you came back!" "Listen to me, Captain. We're gonna launch this rocket!" Cid "Huh? What are you talkin' 'bout?" "We're gonna load a Materia bomb in this and blow up Meteor." "Our rocket's gonna save the planet!" "Urrrrgh. Man this is so COOL!!" Cloud "Wait a minute!" (Cid angrily turns to face him) Cid "Shut up!! Just shut the hell up!" (He turns back to the mechanics. Cloud shrugs) Cid "How's the rocket?" "It's pretty much OK." "But..." "We planned to run it into Meteor on Auto-Pilot, but the most important device is broken." Cid "Broken? How's the repair goin'?" "Shera's doin' it..." Cid "Oh great! What a buncha wizards you guys are! She's gonna take a 100 years!" (He laughs) Cid "I'm gonna take over, so don't worry about the Auto-Pilot!" "Hey, go ahead! Go tell everyone!" (They all nod) "All right, Captain. Good luck." (They run off.) Cloud "Hey, Cid! What're you doing!?" (Cid turns to him.) Cloud "There are generations of knowledge and wisdom inside the Materia." "We're gonna borrow their powers and save the planet from Sephiroth." "There's no way that we can lose the Huge Materia. You understand that, right?" (Cid shakes his head.) Cid "Yeah, I understand. I understand that Materia is precious, and I also understand what you're thinking." "But listen." "I don't give a rat's ass whether it's science or magical power." (He nods) Cid "No. I guess if I had to choose, I'd rather put my money on the power of science." "Humans who used to only roam around on the ground are able to fly now!" "And finally, we're about to go into outer space." "Science is a "Power" created and developed by humans. And science just might be what saves this planet." (He raises a fist.) Cid "I was able to earn my living thanks to science. So to me, there's nothing greater!" (He lowers it.) Cid "Now quit your worrying 'bout what Shinra's gonna do!" "I don't want to regret not having done something later." (Cloud reaches toward him.) Cloud "But, Cid......" (Cid angrily pushes him away.) Cid "Shut the hell up!! I don't wanna hear it!!" (He hitches his pants up.) Cid "Alright, time to get back to work! Anyone who ain't involved, get the hell outta here!" (The rocket engines turn on. Cid looks around, startled) Cid "What the hell......? What the hell happened?" (The radio comes on. It emits a blare of static) Palmer "Hey-hey!" (Cid runs over to the radio.) Cid "Palmer! What the hell did'ya do!?" Palmer "They said they finished repairing the Auto-Pilot. So, I laun---ched it!" Cid "Goddamn Shera! Why'd she pick today to get fast!" (He punches some buttons on the control panel.) Cid "DAMN! Won't even budge! It's completely locked up!" Palmer "Hey-hey-hey! Almost lift off!" Cid "What the!? No countdown!? It just don't seem the same without it!" Palmer "Hey!!!! Hey-hey!!! Blast------off!" (FMV sequence. The rocket's engines continue to steam as the timer counts down from 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. The engines starts spinning and burning, emitting a blast of air that sends trees, tires, everything that is not tied down blowing out of the city. The engines spin faster and faster until they create enough lift to send the rocket into space, leaving a trail of exhaust.) Scene 123 - Crash Course - Shinra No. 26's Huge Materia - (Cid and others stand in the now space-borne rocket's cockpit.) Cid "I finally made it... outer space..." (He scratches his head and looks at the controls.) Cid "Let's see, how's the course set...?" (He punches some buttons and taps his foot as a depiction of the rocket's course appears on the monitor. A dotted line travels from the green circle of the planet to the red circle of Meteor.) Cid "Yup, it's headed for a collision course with Meteor." Tifa "Can't we do something? If it goes on, we're......" (Cid presses more buttons. A red message appears on the screen. He kicks the panel.) Cid "That Palmer went outta his way to lock the Auto-Pilot device. We might not be able to change the course." Cloud "...this is the end?" (Cid turns to him) Cid "Huh? What the hell're you sayin'? You're still young, and you give up that easily?" (He shakes his head) Cid "I'm not gonna crash into Meteor." (He turns and presses more buttons.) Cid "Just watch." (An array of red lines and messages appears. Cid turns.) Cid "I keep an Escape Pod on the rocket just for emergencies like this." (He goes over to a hatch on one wall and turns some dials.) Cid "I deciphered the lock code on the Escape Pod. We'll bail right before we crash into Meteor." (Tifa walks forward.) Tifa "Hey, what about the Huge Materia?" Cid "......" (He nods) Cid "If you want the Materia, do whatever you want!" "The Materia should be there after you climb that ladder." Cloud "...You sure?" (Cid shakes his head.) Cid "I dunno..." "I know what I said a minute ago." (He turns his head upward.) Cid "But maybe all that I really wanted was just to go into outer space." (He looks down again.) Cid "So, why don't you all do whatever you think is right?" (They climb the ladder to a room at the tip of the rocket. The Huge Materia is sitting in a glass case in the center.) Cloud "I finally found the Huge Materia..." (He walks to the glass case.) Cid "It's structured so that the lock can be opened if we enter the passcode from this control panel." (Cloud operates the panel.) Enter Passcode Cid "Hey, Cloud, you know how to use it, right?" "Everytime it says, 'Enter Passcode,' push one of those Circle, X, Triangle, Square buttons." "If you punch in the right code, it'll unlock and you can get the Huge Materia!" (Cloud looks at him.) Cloud "So, what order am I supposed to enter the passcode in?" (Cid shrugs.) Cid "I dunno. Just try and punch in the code randomly." (Cloud turns his head back to the panel. He enters a random passcode.) Passcode Error Unauthorized User Identified Protection System will activate in 3 minutes Cid "Seems like you missed the code!" "If we don't enter the correct passcode before the Protection System activates, we won't be able to get the Materia back!" (Cloud, with some marginally helpful clues from Cid, manages to enter the correct passcode- Square, Circle, X, X.) Passcode Confirmed Identified as an Authorized User Unlocked (The glass case opens.) Cid "Alright, Cloud!! It's unlocked!" (He nods.) Cid "Yup, my great advice saved the day." (Cloud gets the Huge Materia.) Scene 124 - Wreckage - (Cloud, Huge Materia in hand, comes down the ladder, through the cockpit, and down to the oxygen-tank room. As he passes, one of the oxygen tanks sparks, then explodes. The screen goes white, then we see Shera, in some other room in the rocket, working on some repairs. She hears the explosion and rushes out. The scene fades back to the oxygen tank room. Cloud and Tifa are ducking and covering their heads. The tank that exploded is emitting dense smoke. A huge chunk of metal from it is now on the floor. Cid's leg is pinned under it.) Cid "Grrrgh!" "Damn! My leg's stuck in the debris......" (Cloud and Tifa stand up.) Cloud "Cid!!" (They start trying to lift the chunk of metal.) Tifa "...I can't! It's so heavy, I can't lift it..." Cid "Don't worry 'bout me. Hurry up and go! If you don't hurry, the rocket's gonna crash into Meteor!" (Cloud looks up at Cid.) Cloud "...I can't go without my friends." (He goes back to trying to free Cid.) Cid "You ^%#@&%......! No time to worry 'bout other people!" (Cloud looks up.) Cloud "I'm gonna do whatever I can." (Cid wipes his eyes with one glove.) Cid "You're stupid. You're really $#&^%$* stupid." (He holds his head in one hand.) Cid "Tank Number 8 blew up...... So Tank Number 8... really was malfunctioning......" (He leans back, looking up at the ceiling.) Cid "Shera... You were right." (He covers his face again. He is close to crying.) Cid "But, ......this is the end for me." (A door slides open at one end of the room.) Shera "Don't say that, Cid." (Shera enters the room. Cid looks up.) Cid "Huh!? Shera!?" Shera "I tagged along. I'm coming to help you." (She helps Cloud and Tifa lift the chunk of metal.) Cid "You stupid &$#&%*%&%#!!" (The others continue to struggle with the metal.) Cid "......Sorry." (The scene fades to black.) Scene 125 - Escape Pod - Too Little, Too Late - (The scene fades in to the room where Shera had been making repairs. A circular portal slides open and Shera and Cloud come through it.) Shera "The Escape Pod is this way. Please hurry." (They all continue to the escape pod. Shera turns to them, waiting for them to enter.) Shera "Hurry. I'm going to detach the Escape Pod." (Cid hops down into the pod.) Cid "Hey, Shera! Does this Pod really fly?" Shera "It'll be OK. I've been checking it till now." (Cid rubs the back of his head.) Cid "......Then I'm relieved." (Shera looks down.) Shera "......Thanks." (FMV sequence. The outer shell of the rocket tears away in one spot and the escape pod tumbles out. One piece of the rocket still attached falls away, leaving the pod, a sphere, floating back towards the planet. The scene fades to the interior of the pod. Cid is peering out of the viewport with wonder.) Cid "So this is... outer space..." "Man... it's the real thing... I'm really here in outer space..." (He looks back in the direction of the rocket as the blue curve of the planet's surface comes into view.) Cid "So long, Shinra No. 26..." (FMV sequence. The escape pod hurtles back to the planet, a small flame forming around it as it re-enters the atmosphere. The camera switches to show the rocket heading straight for Meteor. It shrinks to a pinpoint as it plummets toward the surface of Meteor. They collide in space with a blinding flash of light. The scene fades to the exterior of the Shinra building. The light from the explosion lights the area up like fire; the people standing in the road all duck in fear. The scene changes to Cosmo Canyon, also bathed in the blinding light. The scene moves to show Bugenhagen, floating next to his model of the planet. The tiny replica of Meteor hovering above it also explodes in a light just as bright as that outdoors. Bugenhagen throws his arm over his eyes until the light fades. The scene moves back to the exterior of Shinra Building. The people slowly stand up as the light fades. One person frantically points at the sky. The camera pans up to show Meteor. FMV sequence. The camera moves along the surface of Meteor. Huge fragments of the rock orbit above the surface of Meteor, creating electrical sparks along the dry stone. Some of them crash into one another in huge explosions. The rocket crashed into Meteor, causing great damage to one side of it, but it was not enough. Meteor still hangs in the sky. The scene fades back to Cosmo Canyon. The entire village is silent and still, save the windmills which still turn expectantly. The scene changes back to Bugenhagen's lab. He floats next to the model of the planet, shaking his head sadly as the tiny Meteor still hovers above it. The scene changes again to the exterior of the Shinra building. The people in the street begin to realize what has happened. One young girl begins to cry; others just shake their heads; one falls to his knees in the street, futilely beating his fist on the asphalt in anger and frustration.) Scene 126 - The Cry Of the Planet - That Someone is Us - (The scene fades in. The entire party is on the bridge of the Highwind; Barret, Cloud and Tifa stare out the window at the clouds passing by below; Cid and Cait Sith face their backs; Red XIII looks in another direction, distant.) Cloud Rufus and the others plan was a failure..." (Cloud walks closer to the window, watching the clouds, shaking his head. Barret turns to him.) Barret "What a bust... But I kinda hoped it'd work." (Cait Sith slumps.) Cait Sith "We been botherin' them as much as we can..." "But there ain't no other way... Wonder if we've been wrong all this time?" (Red XIII turns toward the group, shaking his head.) Red XIII "Makes you worry, doesn't it?" (Tifa turns to the group.) Tifa "Don't worry! Think!" (Cid steps forward.) Cid "Hey! The girl's right." "You start worryin' and there's no stoppin' it! Things just start fallin' apart and get worse and worse." (Barret turns to him and thrusts his fist in the air half-heartedly.) Barret "You're pretty damn optimistic! You up to somethin'?" (Cid walks up to him) Cid "Yeah, I been thinkin' about this and that." "All the time we been up here lookin' at the planet." "I been thinkin' even when we were floatin' in the ocean in that escape pod." (Cloud turns away from the window to face the group.) Cloud "I've been thinking too. About the universe... planet... ocean." "How wide and big... No matter where I go and what I do it won't change a thing." (Cid turns to him, shaking his head.) Cid "Maybe you're right." (Cloud turns back to the window.) Cid "But I came up with something different." (He turns to face Cait Sith and Red XIII. Cloud, Barret, and Tifa gather around him.) Cid "I always thought this planet was so huge." "But lookin' at it from space, I realized it's so small." (He turns to Barret) Cid "We're just floatin' in the dark. ......kind of makes you feel powerless." "On top of that it's got Sephiroth festerin' inside it like a sickness." (He turns, shaking his head.) Cid "That's why I say this planet's still a kid." "A little kid sick and trembling in the middle of this huge universe." (He turns to Red XIII.) Cid "Someone's gotta protect it." (He turns to Cloud and Tifa and cocks his head to one side, tapping his foot.) Cid "Ya follow me? That someone is us." (Tifa steps up to him.) Tifa "Cid... that's beautiful." Barret "Yo! Cid! You even got to me!" "So, now what? How're we gonna protect the planet from Meteor?" (Cid turns to face Cait Sith, then Red XIII, then Tifa. He scratches his head. He sits down on the floor, leaning against a control panel.) Cid "..................I'm still thinkin' about that." (The others turn away silently and take a seat in their usual places.) Red XIII "Huh!?" (He comes bounding back up the steps to the others. They all turn to face him.) Red XIII "Did you...... hear something?" (The planet begins to cry.) Tifa "The planet's scream...... or Meteor...? Is it this planet?" (They turn to face Cloud.) Cloud "Hey, how do we know that this is really the planet's scream?" Tifa "Did you forget?" "Bugenhagen told us." (Cloud nods) Cloud "Bugenhagen..." Red XIII "Let's go see Grandfather! To Cosmo Canyon!" "I'm sure he'll be able to tell us something that will be helpful!" Scene 127 - Remembrance - People on the Highwind Cait Sith "This's just between you 'n' me but..." "That there Bugenhagen feller, used to be a pretty handy Shinra worker." "Yep, he ain't never bought no weapons or Mako though......" Barret "That Bugenhagen guy... He was a weird old dude." "I though he was some kinda naturalist, but he was all into them machines." Tifa "Did Bugenhagen...... tell you anything?" Cid "Maybe it's just me, but has this ship been remodeled without me knowin' it?" "All these switches and levers. They're kinda gettin' to me." Red XIII "Hurry, hurry! We must go meet Grandfather!" (Cloud pilots the Highwind to Cosmo Canyon. He meets the doorman at the gate.) "Oh, it's you. This is terrible. The color of that unlucky star..." "The children are all so scared that they won't even go outside." "I'd rather not see it either..." (Cloud heads up to Bugenhagen's observatory. Bugenhagen is waiting for them there.) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hoooo. If you are ever in need of my wisdom, you are always welcome here." Cloud "Yeah, that's why we came." (Bugenhagen bounces up and down) Bugenhagen "What to do? Have you lost your way? When that happens we each have to take a good long look at ourselves." "There's always something in the deepest reaches of our hearts." "Something buried, or something forgotten." "Remember it... Whatever that is, must certainly be what you are all looking for..." Cloud "That's easy enough to say... But, I can't remember a thing." Bugenhagen "It must be there. Look harder!" Tifa "...no good. Cloud, let's have the others come." (Cloud nods and dials the PHS. The scene fades to black.) Bugenhagen "Do you see it? What is it that you are searching for?" (The scene fades back in; we are at Bugenhagen's observatory, now, the entire party is present. Cloud and Tifa stand on either side of Bugenhagen; Barret stands in the back; Cait Sith stands behind Cloud, Red XIII is in one corner, and Cid is leaned casually against a wall, smoking a cigarette.) Cait Sith "Nope. Not a thing. Naw. Can't come up with a thing." (Cloud looks down) Cloud "I remember Aerith a lot." "No... not that. You haven't remembered. You haven't forgotten. That's not it..." "How would you say it... Aerith was right there all along. Right by our side." "She was so close, we couldn't see her. What Aerith did... The words she left behind..." Tifa "That reminds me... I was the same." Red XIII "As was I." Barret "Me too..." Cloud "She said that she was the only one who could stop Sephiroth's Meteor." Tifa "But Aerith is gone." Red XIII "Is it impossible for us to carry on... what Aerith tried to accomplish?" Barret "We ain't no Ancients, if that's what ya mean." (Cid turns his head toward the group) Cid "What, did that girl go off to that place?" Cloud "That's it!!" Cid "What's it?" Cloud "We don't know about it." "What did Aerith know?" "Why did she face Sephiroth without running away?" Red XIII "I see... She returned there once again, correct?" Bugenhagen "Hmmm. Perhaps I'll have you take me there." Red XIII "You're going too?" Bugenhagen "What's so surprising about that...?" "Even I want to get out from time to time and see the outside world. I wonder what did it? I haven't felt like this in ages." (Red XIII turns to him) Red XIII "It must be the planet. The planet is calling you!" Cid "Yeah, hoo boy, the planet calling... right." (Cid walks out. Bugenhagen bounces happily) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hoooo. Then let's go." (They all leave except Cloud and Bugenhagen.) Cloud "Oh yeah, Bugenhagen. I have one more thing I want to ask you." "We're carrying around Huge Materia. This is pretty delicate stuff and we would like to keep it in a safe place..." Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hoooo. Then we'll put it upstairs. Now, shall we be on our way?" (Cloud steps onto the elevator. Bugenhagen moves over to a switch on the wall.) Bugenhagen "I'll teach you how to work the machine. Watch carefully now. You just pull this here..." (The elevator lifts them up to the solar-system model. The Huge Materia is now floating in space.) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hoooo. Is this what you call Huge Materia...?" "This is really rare Materia, indeed." "Materia this rare is certain to have a special consciousness enclosed in it." (Cloud chooses to go back down.) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hoooo. Good. Now let's leave." "Do you remember how to use the machine down below? If you ever want to see Materia, come here anytime." (The scene fades to black.) Scene 128 - Knowledge Of the Ancients - (The scene fades in. We are in the main room of the Highwind; Bugenhagen is floating outisde the Operation room.) Bugenhagen "Hm, hmm, hmm!......" "Smells like machinery." "I love this smell." "Of course, I also love the smell of nature, too......" "Hm? Is the deck up there?" "Then I'll be on the deck just passing the time." "I can feel the workings of the planet in the smell of the wind." "I also feel the greatness of man's wisdom and the knowledge in the smell of machinery..." "Well, bye for now." (He floats up to the deck above.) People on the Highwind Cait Sith "I went an' told Aerith's Mom about her death." "Yes, an' Miss Elmyra was cryin' herself silly... So was little Marlene..." Barret "And Aerith... she's dead." "Guess she turned into spiritual energy and returned to the planet, huh?" "But even if she did, there's no way we'll meet her again..." Tifa "I wonder what Aerith felt... when she was on that altar...?" Cloud "I'm sure she wanted to give her life for the planet..." Tifa "Really? I wonder? I don't think that's it at all." "I think she didn't think she would die at all, but that she planned on coming back all along." "She always used to talk about the 'Next time'." "She talked about the future more that any of us..." Cid "Aerith...?" "I wanted to give her a ride in the Highwind......" Red XIII "Aerith used to pat me on the nose sometimes." "I used to hate being treated like a child like that, but I also liked the attention." "I wanted to apologize to her for what I did when we first met." (Cloud pilots the Highwind to the City of the Ancients. He takes the same path he took when he first arrived on his search for Aerith, heading west, then north, to the small shrine in a huge cavern. The shrine is a clear blue, beautiful, pure, crystalline.) Bugenhagen "This is..." (He floats over to the shrine.) Bugenhagen "Yes...... exactly..." Cloud "Are you getting something?" (He floats closer to the shrine, inspecting it.) Bugenhagen "...Give me a moment." (Cloud must run around the perimeter of the cavern to reach the shrine. When he arrives, Bugenhagen is floating next to it.) Bugenhagen "The knowledge of the Ancients swirling around here is telling me one thing." (Cloud looks at him) Bugenhagen "The planet's in a crisis..." (He shakes his head.) Bugenhagen "A crisis beyond human power or endless time." "It says, when the time comes, we must search for 'Holy'." Cloud "Holy?" Bugenhagen "Holy... the ultimate White Magic. Magic that might stand against Meteor. Perhaps our last hope to save the planet from Meteor." "If a soul seeking Holy reaches the planet, it will appear." (He bounces happily) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hoooo." "Meteor, Weapon, everything will disappear." (He leans conspiratorially toward them.) Bugenhagen "Perhaps, even ourselves." Cloud "Even us!?" Bugenhagen "It is up to the planet to decide." (He floats higher, above them.) Bugenhagen "What is best for the planet. What is bad for the planet." "All that is bad will disappear. That is all." (He bounces) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hooo." "I wonder which we humans are?" (Cloud looks down at the ground for a moment, then up at Bugenhagen.) Cloud "Search for Holy... How do we do it?" (Bugenhagen lifts his arms up, his too-long sleeves drooping down.) Bugenhagen "Speak to the planet." "Get the White Materia... This will bond the Planet to humans." (He nods.) Bugenhagen "Then speak to the planet." "If our wish reaches the planet, the White Materia will begin to glow a pale green." (Cloud slumps.) Cloud "...This is the end." (He looks up, shrugging.) Cloud "Aerith had the White Materia..." "But when Aerith died, it fell from the altar..." (He shakes his head sadly.) Cloud "That's why...... this is the end." (Bugenhagen bounces) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hooo!" (He bounces again as he floats back down to the party. He stops in front of the altar.) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hooo!" "Ho Ho Hooo!" (He moves aside.) Bugenhagen "Look at this!" Cloud "!?" (The camera moves in closer to the altar. Cloud turns to look as Bugenhagen floats closer.) Bugenhagen "Ancients' writing." Cloud "Can you read it?" (He turns to face Cloud) Bugenhagen "I can't even make it out!!" Cloud "This's no time for jokes..." (He floats to the front of the altar.) Bugenhagen "I'm not an Ancient. I can't read this thing!" (He turns and floats lower down along the altar.) Bugenhagen "I may be old, but my eyes aren't completely bad yet. Look closely below the writing." (Cloud steps forward and looks closely.) Cloud "There's something written in chalk... ......(even sunlight can't reach) ...... (Key)" Bugenhagen "It was probably written by a scientist who's been here... He probably used all his energy to make out these two words." (Cloud looks at him) Cloud "Key......? To what?" Bugenhagen "I don't know... But, it probably has something to do with our riddle." "The riddle... then it must have something to do with Aerith." Cloud "So this note points to where the key is?" (Bugenhagen floats higher.) Bugenhagen "Probably..." "Use these words as clues and go find the key." "I'll continue to figure out the Ancient's writing." (Cloud turns and looks up at him) Cloud "A place (Even sunlight won't reach) is where the (key) is, right?" (Bugenhagen turns) Bugenhagen "When you find the key, or when you can't go any further, come back here." "Maybe I'll understand more from the writing and get some new information for you." (Cloud nods. He sets off in search of the key.) Scene 129 - Green - Junon Cannon Relocated - (Cloud takes the sub by Junon in search of the key. While he's down there, he finds the red leader sub he sank before.) Cloud "So this is the Leader Sub..." "Damn...... makes me sick just thinking about it..." (Cloud gets the Huge Matera from the sub.) "...Huge Materia recovered..." "...no damage appears to have been sustained..." Cloud "...Phew... That's good to hear." (Cloud continues searching until he finds the "Key" hiding in a small crevice.) Cloud "Do you think it's......?" "...analysis completed..." "...exact date of origin cannot be determined..." "...estimated to be several thousand years old..." Cloud "Key of the Ancients..." (Cloud gets the Key. He returns to the City of the Ancients. He heads to the small shrine where Bugenhagen is waiting.) Bugenhagen "Oh! You've found it!" "That Music Box over there. We'll put the key in it." (The camera pans over to show the stone music box as Bugenhagen floats over to it. It is made of many blue crystals.) Bugenhagen "I'll go use the key. You all wait here." "And watch closely what happens." (The camera moves to show Bugenhagen as he places the Key into the music box. He bounces happily.) Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hooo!" (He tosses the key the rest of the way in. FMV sequence. As he does so, the crystals vibrate as the stone pillar in front of it recedes into the ground. The camera pans up; high above the shrine, a wave of water pours over a cliff over the cavern, creating a curtain of water around the shrine. Bugenhagen floats back over to Cloud, who is watching with awe.) Bugenhagen "Now, go inside. Hope may be inside... Or......" (Cloud enters the curtain of water. Bugenhagen floats by the shrine as the water pours around them.) Bugenhagen "This was just a screen to project an image!" "Look! Look at the image projected on the screen of the water!" (FMV sequence. The camera floats past Cloud to show what he sees: Aerith. Her image is projected perfectly onto the moving pane of water, causing her to distort as if in a dream. We see her kneeling in prayer in the altar. She looks up, a smile on her face; then we see her body fall forward on Sephiroth's sword. We watch the materia fall from her hair as she falls, bouncing once on the floor, then twice. It falls with a small splash into the water. We now can see what happened to it after it fell. It is sitting peacefully at the bottom of the pool, nestled in the sand. It is glowing a pale green.) Cloud "...It's glowing." Bugenhagen "Ho Ho Hooo!! It's pale green!!" (Cloud touches his face.) Cloud "...Aerith. Aerith has already prayed for Holy." "...After I gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth...... Aerith's words came into my dreams..." "She said, she was the only one who could stop Sephiroth...... And to do that, there was a secret here..." "That was Holy...... That's why, she had the White Materia. Aerith knew about here... and what she had to do." "Aerith has left us great hope. But, it cost her her life... her future..." "I'm sorry... Aerith. I should have figured this out sooner." "...You left us without saying a word...... It was all so sudden, so I couldn't think..." "That's why it took so long for me to find out... But, Aerith... I understand now." "Aerith... I'll do the rest." Tifa "You mean, WE..." (Cloud turns to Tifa.) Cid "The big gift the flower girl left for us... It'd be sad if we didn't finish it!" (Cloud turns to Cid. He nods. He turns to face both of them and raises his arms.) Cloud "Thank you... Aerith." "Aerith's voice has already reached the Planet. Just look at the glow of the White Materia." "But...... how about Holy? How come Holy isn't moving?" (He shakes his head.) Cloud "Why?" Bugenhagen "Something's getting in its way." Cloud "......Him......" "He's the only one that could do it." "...Sephiroth. Where are you?" (He leaves the shrine. On the way out of the City, the PHS rings. It's Cait Sith.) Cloud "What the?" Cait Sith "whisper... whisper... (sorry I was a little surprised)." Cloud "What happened?" Cait Sith "You remember when the Junon Cannon disappeared? Actually, Rufus moved it." Cloud "Moved it? That big thing......? Where...? Why?" Cait Sith "Rufus wants to destroy Sephiroth with it." "That cannon operates on Huge Materia. But the Huge Materia has already been used in the Rocket Plan." "So since the cannon's useless right now, he decided to move it." "To a place where Materia... no, where Mako is gathered..." Cloud "And, where is that!?" (FMV sequence. The camera shows Meteor hanging in the dark sky, not going anywhere. Then a chopper hovers up, obscuring Meteor, then a second and a third. They fly off, toward Midgar. The camera moves along Midgar, showing the framework, the fuel souces, the barrel, and finally the tip of Junon Cannon, appended to the top of the Shinra building. The scene fades to black.) Scene 130 - Sister Ray - (Reeve, Heidegger and Scarlet stand around Rufus, behind his desk at Shinra headquarters.) Rufus "......That's why, Reeve. It's your job to adjust the reactor's output." (Reeve looks away.) Reeve "I see......" (Scarlet comes forward.) Scarlet "Hah, hah, hah! Don't worry about adjusting it, Reeve." (She punches the air) Scarlet "Once you open it up all the way everything will go full speed!" Heidegger "Gya hah, hah, hah! The President's sure done it this time!" "If we can only defeat Sephiroth, the idea that Meteor will also disappear is based on different objectives!" (Scarlet waggles her finger at Rufus.) Scarlet "Please remember, Mr. President..." "It was my idea to fire Mako reactor powered shells." (Rufus flips a bit of hair off his forehead.) Rufus "Will the shells really reach the far northern border?" Scarlet "Ah, hah hah!" "Of course!" (She makes a matter-of-fact gesture with her arms.) Scarlet "But Mr. President, please do not call it a Mako cannon." "This new weapon will be called......" (She sweeps her arm) Scarlet "The Sister Ray!" (The scene fades to black.) Scene 131 - Weapon Surfaces - Value Of a Life - Epic Battle - (Cloud hangs up the PHS and leaves the City of the Ancients. Outside, he prepares to board the Highwind, then stops and looks around.) Cloud "............?" (The entire earth begins to vibrate in a huge earthquake.) Cloud "Wh, what the...!?" (The camera moves to just above Midgar. It zooms past, flying by to the northern continent. Just off the coast, the water begins to ripple, then wave, then splash hugely. The Weapon rises from the sea. It begins to slowly plod toward Midgar. The scene fades to the bridge of the Highwind; everyone is gathered there. A red alarm light is flashing.) Cid "What's wrong?" (One of the pilots turns) "It's a strange signal!" (The light flashes again) Cid "From where?" (The pilot faces Cait Sith.) "It's coming from this... person (?)" (Cait Sith raises his paws in the air as the pilot turns back to the controls) Cait Sith "Wow!" (He hops over to the rest of the group) Cait Sith "Hey!" (He does a wild dance as the light continues to flash. He eventually stops.) Cait Sith "That was a surprise, the controls went crazy." "This ain't good..." "Weapon came out of the sea and is heading straight for Midgar." Cloud "The new weapon should stop him, right?" Cait Sith "I don't know if it's ready or not..." (Barret runs forward) Barret "Hey! What's gonna happen to Marlene!?" Cait Sith "Doncha worry none, Marlene's in a safe place. She's with Aerith's mama." (Barret scratches his forehead and turns away.) Cait Sith "Barret!!" (He bounds over to Barret.) Cait Sith "What was that scratching just now!?" "As long as Marlene is safe, who cares what else happens, right?" (He slumps.) Cait Sith "I been itchin' to say this to ya fer a while now!" (He waves his arms madly at Barret.) Cait Sith "When ya blew the Midgar No. 1 up, how many folks d'ya think died?" Barret "...that was for the life of the planet. Ya gotta expect a few casualties." (Cait Sith turns away.) Cait Sith "A few? Whaddya mean 'a few'? What may be a few to y'all is everything to them who died......" (A pause. He turns back to face Barret, who is still staring out the window.) Cait Sith "Protect the planet. Hah! Y'all sure sound good!" "Ain't no one that'd go against ya. So ya think ya can do whatever y'all want?" (Barret spins to face him.) Barret "I don't wanna hear that from no one in Shinra..." (He turns back to the window. Cait Sith slumps down.) Cait Sith "......nuthin' I can do 'bout that..." (Cloud turns to face them both.) Cloud "Stop it!" Tifa "Cait Sith...... Barret, he knows what he did." "What we did in Midgar can't be forgotten no matter what the reason." (She walks over to them.) Tifa "Right? We haven't forgotten, right?" (She faces Cait Sith.) Tifa "I know you." "You can't quit the company because you're worried about the people in Midgar, right?" (She walks back over to Cloud.) Tifa "......Cloud?" (A pause.) Cloud "OK! Let's go! We'll beat Weapon ourselves!" (Cid crosses his arms.) Cid "Hey Cloud......" "You think we can win against that monster? We got a chance of winnin', right?" Cloud "How would I know?" "But that's no reason for us to just let him go!" "We're goin' to Midgar and fight Weapon! Come on, let's move!" (The Highwind takes off. Cloud pilots it, landing outside of Midgar. The Weapon continues to lumber slowly towards the city. At last it reaches the city; it releases a guttural roar. Cloud attacks it and the battle begins.) (Boss battle with Weapon) (FMV sequence. The Weapon turns and slowly moves back toward the sea. Cloud and the others stay behind; as it leaves, the huge shadow it casts recedes from where the party stands. They watch it go.) Tifa "What's wrong? Are you still looking for something...?" (Cloud shakes his head.) Cloud "No, it's...... feeling something. ......Yeah, it senses murder." (FMV sequence. The Weapon continues its journey to the ocean.) Cid "To my ship!" (They all run to the Highwind as the Weapon reaches the edge of the water. As Cloud turns to go, the PHS rings again. It's Cait Sith.) Cait Sith "Oh no! Let's hurry out of here!" "Something big... I'm talkin' REALLY BIG's comin'!" (The scene fades to black.) Scene 132 - Fire - Weapon Falls - Paths Opened - President's Redemption - (The scene fades in to President Rufus' office. Rufus stands, looking out the window at the sea as Heidegger comes over the intercom.) Heidegger "Hah, hah, hah, Mr. President, preparations for Sister Ray are now in order." (Rufus turns to face his desk as Scarlet comes on as well.) Scarlet "Hah, hah, hah!" "Anytime is fine." (Rufus nods and turns back to the window.) Rufus "......Fire." (FMV sequence. The camera pans along the length of the Sister Ray. It looks ominous as it shines metallically in the night. The camera circles Midgar as the Mako reactors activate, one by one. When all are burning, pure Mako energy begins to emanate from each one through small holes in the metal walls. The cumulative energy of the reactors combines, flowing into the receptacles of the Sister Ray. The energy builds. The cannon begins to vibrate as a blue halo of light forms around the barrel; the molecular energy of the very air being drawn into the cannon as it prepares to fire. The halo of light is then too drawn into the barrel, and all the Mako energy, molecular energy, light, everything is compressed into a single pinpoint of light. The light from the surrounding area is as well drawn into the cannon and the countryside goes pitch-black. It fires. A colossal helix of energy launches from the cannon; the supporting structures collapse and every window in Shinra building shatters outwards from the sheer force of the fire. The scene changes to Rufus' office. He nonchalantly flips a lock of hair from his forehead. The scene changes into another FMV sequence; the Weapon, now across the ocean, turns. It lifts the armor plates on its body, revealing countless orifices from which bullets of energy begin to shoot across the ocean in the direction of the Sister Ray. The scene changes to the deck of the Highwind. Everyone is gathered there.) Tifa "Which direction is it going to attack from?" Red XIII "Midgar!" (They all run to the railing and look out at Midgar. All except Cait Sith. He stands facing the rudder, away from the group.) Barret "Marlene!!" (FMV sequence. The Highwind circles as the fire of both the Weapon and the Sister Ray intermingle with each other, mixing. The white energy burst of the cannon strikes the Weapon square in the chest. It flies backwards as the entire length of the fire slips through its body. Once it is past, the camera moves so that we can see the inside of the Weapon's body, plainly shown, torn open. It sparkles with violet energy. The Weapon hits the ground, bounces once, then comes to a stop, dead. The scene changes back to the Highwind.) Barret "Damn..." Red XIII "It went right through Weapon........." (They all turn to face Cloud as he speaks.) Cloud "I see! They're after Sephiroth! The crater on the Northern boundary!" (FMV sequence. The energy blast from the Sister Ray shoots along the northern mountains, towards the crater. The camera follows it along, moving to show the inside of the blast as it speeds toward its target. It hits it mark. The blast slams into the energy barrier around the northern crater, spraying outward as if it were water from a garden hose striking a tree stump. The energy barrier dissipates. The scene fades in to Rufus' office. Rufus still stands, not moving, staring out the window. The operator comes on the intercom.) (operator) "Sir! Weapon's been defeated!!" "The barrier has disappeared!" (He moves for the first time and walks over to his desk. He stops and looks up at the ceiling as the operator speaks again.) "Sir! A mass of high-density energy is heading towards Midgar!" (FMV sequence. The energy bullets from Weapon sail over Midgar. People run panicking in the streets.) "Weapon's attacking!" "Run for your lives!" (The bullets continue to sail past, striking the city in several places. The scene moves to show Rufus in his office. He stands motionless before his desk, watching calmly as the yellow bursts fly past his office. The camera makes a close-up on his eyes. He blinks once. Then a blast strikes his office. He doubles over, silhouetted against the flame for a moment, before his entire office is consumed. The scene fades to black.) Scene 133 - Imminent Explosion - Hojo Schemes - Midgar Bound - (The scene fades in. Cloud and the others are on the bridge of the Highwind.) Cloud "What happened to...... Sephiroth?" (He nods.) Cloud "Northern Cave..." "Let's go see what happened to it." (Cloud pilots the Highwind over the Northern Continent. He looks out at the Northern Crater.) Cloud "Sephiroth's energy barrier is gone......" (He turns to Cid, who stands near the pilot in training.) Cloud "Cid! Can the airship get inside?" Cid "Huh? He's my student, ain't he!? Of course he can go anywhere!" Cloud "Right, sorry about that." (Barret turns to Cait Sith.) Barret "Yo, Cait Sith! Now what?" (He jumps) Cait Sith "Hold it!" (He hops a few steps away.) Cait Sith "Scarlet! Heidegger! What's going on?" (The scene fades in to the board room in the Shinra building. Heidegger has a phone pressed to his ear. Reeve and Scarlet look on. After a moment, he puts the phone down.) Heidegger "Strange. I can't reach the President." Reeve "Not the President. To Sister Ray!" Scarlet "Ha, ha, ha. What is it Reeve? You're speaking strangely." (Reeve shakes his head.) Reeve "None of that matters!" "The reactor's output is increasing all by itself!" Scarlet "Ww, wait a minute. That's not wise!" "It must be cool for 3 hours or it won't work. Reeve, shut off the machine!" (He shakes his head.) Reeve "We can't do that! It's inoperable!" (He pulls out a portable phone and holds it up to his ear.) "Someone has switched the machine over to mainframe operation!" "We can't operate it from here." Reeve "What about the mainframe? Who!?" (He turns to Heidegger.) Reeve "Hey, call the mainframe!" (Heidegger picks up the phone for a moment, then puts it down and looks at Reeve.) Heidegger "Huh? Why are you giving orders?" Reeve "I don't give a damn about the details!!" (He turns away and listens into his phone again. The scene fades to a small lab at the top of Shinra building. It is exposed to the open air; electric sparks jump along the metal walkway. Hojo is pressing buttons at a large control panel.) Hojo "Ha, ha, ha...... Just you wait, Sephiroth." "I'll give you all the Mako you want." (The intercom comes on; Reeve called it from his portable phone.) Reeve "Hojo, STOP! The cannon, no, Midgar itself is in danger!" Hojo "Ha, ha, ha...... One or two Midgars? ...It's a small price to pay." Reeve "Hojo! HOJO......!!" (Hojo doesn't answer. He continues to press buttons and pull levers for a few more moments.) Hojo "Show me...... Sephiroth." "It should be near..." "Ha, ha, ha...... Go beyond the powers of science..." "Before your presence, science is powerless..." "I hate it, but I'll concede to it." "Just... let me see it." "Ha, ha, ha......" (The scene fades back to the bridge of the Highwind. Barret shakes his arms at Cait Sith) Barret "YO! Do somethin'! Ya big cat!" (Cait Sith slumps and tiptoes timidly up to Barret.) Cait Sith "We're sunk. Hojo's doing this on his own......" "...? ...? H, huh!?" (He turns) Cait Sith "I don't like this......" (Barret steps up to him.) Barret "You're busted, Reeve!" (Cait Sith waves his arms madly) Barret "Too late tryin' to hide it now..." Cloud "Can't you stop the Mako reactor?" (Red XIII and Tifa gather around.) Cait Sith "......We can't stop it." Barret "You're from Shinra, ain't ya? So why's it impossible!?" Cait Sith "............" Cid "We came a long way to get here. You better not double-cross us now!" Cait Sith "I can't make you trust me......" Cid "You damn fool! Don't you understand anything I'm saying?" "I don't give a damn about Shinra. If you're a man... no, if you're a human being, you'll save the planet! Don't you even care?" Cait Sith "No way! If we shut down the reactor, all hell will break loose!!" Cid "Why? Can't you just shut off the valve?" Cait Sith "Yeah, it's easy to shut off the reactor's pipe valves......" "But the reactor made a path for the energy to escape from below." "Once you open that, it'll be impossible to close it until everything blasts out..." "And we can't try to stop the energy from gushing out........" Barret "An explosion!!" Cait Sith "This blast'll be way stronger than when the number 1 reactor blew up!" (Barret turns away) Barret "Damn...!" Cait Sith "Forget about that......... the CANNON! We've got to get to Midgar! That's the first thing!!" Cloud "Must stop Hojo... first." (The scene fades back to the Shinra board room. Reeve, Heidegger, and Scarlet stand at the end of the long table. Reeve turns to Heidegger.) Reeve "Looks like Cloud and the others are on their way. Stay out of the way!" (Heidegger laughs.) Heidegger "Ghaa haah hah hah!" "Don't be so ludicrous! I don't recall you giving me any orders!" "The Peace Preservation will give their best effort to make the enemy retreat!" (Scarlet laughs) Heidegger "Because of them, I...... I..!" Reeve "That's a private matter......" Heidegger "The President is dead! Now I'm doing things my way!" "Ghaa haah hah hah!" Scarlet "Ha, ha, ha." "Heidegger! Now I'm going to use the new weapon!" (Two guards come in and surround Reeve. Scarlet and Heidegger laugh and exit.) Reeve "Hey! Wait!!" (He shakes his head.) Reeve "Cloud, everybody! Sorry......" "But!!" (The scene fades back to the Highwind bridge.) Cait Sith "But!" "But you'll come, won't you!?" (Cloud walks to him.) Cloud "I know!" (They all nod.) Cid "Hey!" (He turns to the pilot in training.) Cid "I'm leaving the ship in your hands!" (He nods.) "I'm heading for Midgar!" Scene 134 - Parachute Into Midgar - Turk Settlement - The Proud Clod - Hojo Transforms - (Cloud pilots the Highwind to enter Midgar airspace. The scene shifts to the bridge of the Highwind. A crewman salutes and clicks his heels.) "We've reached Midgar!" Barret "Even if we get there, Midgar's under martial law!" "There'll be no way we could slip into the slums." Tifa "Looks like all transportation from the slums is cut off......" Cid "Hey, hey, whaddya think we have Highwind for?" "Where are we now!?" Barret "Huh? Where are we...?" Cid "If land's no go... We'll go by air!" Cloud "Okay then! We'll parachute into Midgar!!" (All exit the bridge. Crewmen salute as they run past, single file, onto the outer deck. Cloud steps to the railing.) Cloud "Here we go!!" (They all leap over the railing. FMV sequence. As the Highwind flies overhead, the party plummets past. The camera follows as they fall high above Midgar, finally opening their chutes just above the city streets. Cloud lands softly near an alley. Cait Sith comes bounding up.) Cait Sith "Heidegger is going after you all." "That's why it's dangerous out there. Let's go underground!" (He runs off into the alley. Cloud follows to find the rest of the party waiting there.) Barret "Sounds strange comin' from me..." "But it feels like home bein' back in Midgar." "Kinda makes me sick..." Red XIII "I have an old score to settle with Hojo, so let's hurry and go!" (Cait Sith is dancing with excitement next to a storm door at the end of the alley. Cloud speaks to him and the music fades.) Cait Sith "This is where we go in." (He throws the door open.) Cait Sith "Please! Hurry and come to the Mako Cannon!" (He leaps down the storm door. Cloud follows. Beneath the storm door is a vast maze of pipes, walkways, and ladders. Traversing the mechanical rooms, Cloud arrives in the subway beneath Midgar. He begins to head through it when he hears a voice behind him.) "Oh no! They're here!" (Elena comes running up to them.) Elena "What are we going to do!? I think it's okay for you to ignore your orders now." (Reno walks up behind her from offscreen.) Reno "...Elena, don't act so weak." (Rude enters.) Rude "We're Turks, Elena." (She shakes her head.) Elena "...Yes, sir. You're right." Rude "Come on, we've got work to do." Reno "I'm not really up for it, but..." Elena "Our orders were to seek you out and..." "...Kill." "Our company may be in turmoil, but an order's an order." "That's the will and spirit of the Turks! Believe it!" (Reno and Rude scratch their heads.) Cloud "......" Elena "What are you doing! Let's go!" Okay, let's end this No, let's not go ***Cloud Okay, let's end this (The party assumes a fighting stance.) Reno "I know we've got a weird relationship, but..." "We have to end this... like Turks!" (Battle sequence with Reno, Rude, and Elena.) ***Cloud No, let's not go (Elena jumps) Elena "You're showing pity!? Don't take the Turks for fools!" Reno "Wait, Elena." (She spins to face him.) Elena "Reno! You're not violating the order... are you!?" Reno "Shinra's finished. It's come down to this." Rude "......" (She looks at Rude, then back to Reno) Elena "Rude..." (She turns her head away from both of them.) Reno "Elena, you were a great Turk!" (A pause.) Elena "......" (Reno waves to the party.) Reno "Farewell. If we both survive..." "If we can save our lives..." (He turns and walks away. Elena turns to the party.) Elena "Remember the spirit of the Turks...!" (She waves and runs off.) Rude "Our mission's finished..." (He turns and leaves. The party continues on. A bit further down the subway, they reach an exit that takes them to an exterior street of Midgar. They climb a tower marked '59' to reach an upper road and are about to continue when they hear huge robotic footsteps behind them, getting closer and closer.) Tifa "This can't be..." (A huge mech arrives behind them and comes to a stop.) Cid "Hey-hey! You serious...?" (A door in the front of the robot swings open. The robot lifts a huge hand to the opening.) "G'yaaa, Haaa, Haaa!!! Here they come!" (Heidegger steps out onto the hand.) "G'yaaa, Haaa, Haaa!!! So they really showed up!" (Scarlet exits the robot and stands next to Heidegger. The robot swings its hand outwards, holding them both.) Heidegger "You sure did treat us like dogs up to now!!" Scarlet "You killed off a lot of my precious soldiers!" (Heidegger starts to cackle vigorously.) Heidegger "G'yaaa, Haaa, Haaa!!! But let's see how you do against anti-Weapon artillery!" Scarlet "You guys are worthless, but my proud creation is a sure thing!" (She gestures and the robot deposits the two of them back inside. The door swings closed as it swings a massive fist down to punch the ground near the party.) Scarlet "I'll show you the destructive power of the Proud Clod!" (Boss battle with Proud Clod) (The Proud Clod freezes. It begins to make electrical sparking sounds) Scarlet "Not that! This is the Proud Clod............!?" (It begins to glow white and makes thundering sounds. It falls to its knees.) Heidegger "Whoooooooa!!" (The screen goes white as it explodes. It begins to rain. The party continues. They head north along the street, reaching a set of wooden stairs. Cait Sith is waiting at the top.) Cait Sith "This way, Cloud!" (He bounds up the stairs and motions for them to follow. They do so. They continue to climb the stairs, ascending a huge metal tower. At the top is a large instrument panel. Hojo is feverishly pressing buttons and flipping switches.) Cloud "Hojo! Stop right there!!" (Hojo does not turn to face them. He merely continues his work.) Hojo "Oh... the failure." Cloud "At least remember my name! It's Cloud!" (Hojo stops working but still does not turn) Hojo "Every time I see you, I..." "It pains me that I had so little scientific sense..." (He resumes.) Hojo "I evaluated you as a failed project." "But, you are the only one that succeeded as a Sephiroth-clone." "Heh, heh, heh......... I'm even beginning to hate myself." Cloud "None of that matters... just stop this nonsense!" Hojo "...nonsense?" "Oh, this?" (He finally turns to look at Cloud.) Hojo "Ha, ha, ha..." "Sephiroth seems to be counting on the energy." "So I'm going to lend him a hand." Cloud "Why!? Why do that!?" Hojo "Quit asking me why, you moron." (He walks up to look Cloud in the eye.) Hojo "Hmm... actually, you might be cut out to be a scientist." (He turns back to the panel.) Hojo "Energy level is at...... 83%. It's taking too long." (He resumes his button-pressing.) Hojo "My son is in need of power and help. ...That's the only reason." Cloud "...your son?" Hojo "Ha, ha, ha... Although he doesn't know." (He begins to laugh so hard he has to stop working.) Hojo "Ha, ha, ha... HA, HA, HA...!!" "What will Sephiroth think when he finds out that I'm his father?" "Always looking down on me like that." "HA, HA, HA...!!" Cloud "Sephiroth is your son!?" (Hojo resumes his work once more.) Hojo "Ha, ha, ha..." "I offered the woman with my child to Professor Gast's Jenova Project." "When Sephiroth was still in the womb, we took the cells of Jenova..." "HA, HA, HA!!" Cloud "I can't believe you're the one who did this..." "The illusionary crime against Sephiroth..." (Hojo stops and calmly turns to face Cloud. They stare at each other for a long moment, then Hojo begins to laugh.) Hojo "Heee, hee, hee, hee! No, you're wrong!" "It's my desire as a scientist! Heee, hee, hee, hee!" (He stops abruptly) Hojo "I... was defeated by my desire to become a scientist." "I lost the last time as well." (He begins to gleefully dance about.) Hojo "I've injected Jenova's cells into my own body!" "Heee, hee, hee!" "Here are......" "Heee, hee, hee!" "...my results!!" (Boss battle with Hojo. He undergoes three transformations during the battle, each more deformed than the last, as Jenova's cells take effect.) Cloud "......" (Cid sighs.) Cid "%$#&$*&^%^" Tifa "I can't believe Sephiroth is Hojo's son..." (The sound of the wind and rain continues as the scene fades to black.) Scene 135 - Seven Days - We Have A Reason To Fight - (The scene fades in. The party is gathered on the bridge of the Highwind.) Cait Sith "Shinra's...... finished." (Cloud walks toward the huge bay window.) Cloud "Meteor's gonna fall in about......" (He turns to face the others. Red XIII shakes his head.) Red XIII "Seven more days. That's what Grandfather said." (Cloud comes to him.) Cloud "Red XIII........." "You want to see everyone in Cosmo Canyon again?" (Red XIII turns away) Red XIII ".........yes." (He turns back to him. Cloud turns to Barret, who is gazing out at the clouds below.) Cloud "You want to see Marlene, right?" (Barret turns) Barret "Don't ask me that." (Cloud shakes his head) Cloud "We'll beat Sephiroth..." "Then, if we don't release the power of Holy in seven days........." "There won't be a planet left to protect." (He shrugs) Cloud "If we can't beat Sephiroth..." "It's as good as death for us." "We'll just go a few days sooner than the rest who'll die from Meteor." Barret "Don't be thinkin' you're gonna lose before ya even fight!" Cloud "No!" (He walks up to the bay window.) Cloud "What I meant was..." (He turns to the others) Cloud "What are we all fighting for? I want us all to understand that." "Save the planet... for the future of the planet... Sure, that's all fine." "But really, is that really how it is?" (He takes a few steps forward) Cloud "For me, this is a personal feud." "I want to beat Sephiroth. And settle my past." "Saving the planet just happens to be a part of that." "I've been thinking." (He nods) Cloud "I think we all are fighting for ourselves." "For ourselves... and that someone... something... whatever it is, that's important to us." "That's what we're fighting for." "That's why we keep up this battle for the planet." (He looks at Barret. Barret scratches his head) Barret "You're right..." "It sounds cool sayin' it's to save the planet." "But I was the one who blew up that Mako reactor......" "Lookin' back on it now, I can see that wasn't the right way to do things." "I made a lot of friends and innocent bystanders suffer..." (He thrusts his fist into the air) Barret "...At first, it was for revenge against Shinra. For attackin' my town." "But now......" "Yeah. I'm fightin' for Marlene." "For Marlene... For Marlene's future..." "Yeah... I guess I want to save the planet for Marlene's sake..." (Cloud nods) Cloud "Go and see her. Make sure you're right, and come back." (He turns to the others) Cloud "All of you. Get off the ship and find out your reasons for yourselves." "I want you to make sure. Then I want you to come back." Cid "Maybe ain't none of us'll come back." "Meteor's just gonna kill us all anyway. Let's just forget any useless struggling!" (Cloud nods) Cloud "I know why I'm fighting." "I'm fighting to save the planet, and that's that." "But besides that, there's something personal too..." "A very personal memory that I have." "What about you all?" "I want all of you to find that something within yourselves." "If you don't find it, then that's okay too." "You can't fight without a reason, right?" "So, I won't hold it against you if you don't come back." (He nods. Cid rubs the back of his head and turns to the pilot. The scene fades to black.) Scene 136 - Understanding - (The scene fades in to show Cloud and Tifa alone on the bridge. Tifa is still watching the clouds go by.) Cloud "What are you going to do, Tifa?" (She turns to him) Tifa "Did you forget?" "I'm... all alone. I don't have anywhere to go." (The scene fades out, then in to show Cloud and Tifa on a grassy hill. Tifa stands close to the camera, looking past the player. Cloud is behind her, staring in another direction. The Highwind hovers above. The only sound is that of the wind.) Tifa "Everyone's gone..." Cloud "Yeah, we don't have anywhere or anyone to go home to." (She looks down.) Tifa "You're right..." (A pause. She looks up and straightens her hair with one hand.) Tifa "But... I'm sure someday... they'll come back, don't you think?" (He crosses his arms) Cloud "Hmm... I wonder...?" "Everyone has an irreplaceable something they're holding on to..." "But this time, our opponent..." (A long pause. The sound of the wind fades. Tifa nods) Tifa "Hmm... But that's all right, even if no one comes back." "As long as I'm with you... As long as you're by my side... I won't give up even if I'm scared." (He uncrosses his arms and looks at Tifa.) Cloud "...... Tifa......" (She moves her arms behind her.) Tifa "No matter how close we are... We were far apart... before this." "But when we were in the Lifestream surrounded by all those screams of anguish, I thought I heard your voice..." (She closes her eyes, crying softly. Her arms fall to her sides and she bows her head.) Tifa "...sniff... you probably don't remember this..." "But deep in my heart I heard you calling my name... Or at least I thought I did..." (Cloud looks away and puts a hand to his face) Cloud "Yeah... At that time I heard you calling me." "You were calling me back in from the stream of consciousness in the Lifestream." (He lowers his hand. He nods) Cloud "After all, I promised. That if anything were to ever happen to you, I would come to help." (Tifa opens her eyes and looks up.) Tifa "Cloud...? Do you think the stars can hear us?" (She gazes off to one side) Tifa "Do you think they see how hard we're fighting for them?" (Cloud looks up at the sky.) Cloud "I dunno... But..." "Whether they are or not, we still have to do what we can. And believe in ourselves..." "Someday we'll find the answer. Right, Tifa?" "That's what I learned from you when I was in the Lifestream." (She nods) Tifa "Yeah...... that's right..." (Cloud stares off into the distance. He turns away from her slightly and lowers his head.) Cloud "Hey, Tifa...... I...... There are a lot of things I wanted to talk to you about." (He shakes his head slowly.) Cloud "But now that we're together like this, I don't know what I really wanted to say..." "I guess nothing's changed at all... Kind of makes you want to laugh..." (Tifa shakes her head) Tifa "Cloud... Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking..." (Cloud looks at her. She continues to stare past the player, into space. She straightens her hair again with one hand.) Cloud "............" (She closes her eyes. The camera pans up, past her, to the sky, as the scene fades to black.) Scene 137 - Last Morning - (The scene fades in once more to the grassy hill. It is still mostly dark out, but the hint of a sun is glowing beyond the horizon. Cloud and Tifa are seated on a small rise in the ground. Tifa is resting her head on his shoulder; both are dozing. Cloud lifts his head slightly.) Cloud "............It's almost dawn..." Tifa "H, huh...?" (He lifts his head further, just enough so that he can look at her.) Cloud "Sorry. Did I wake you...? It's almost dawn, Tifa." (She lifts her head off his shoulder and looks around sleepily.) Tifa "Umm... G, good morning... Cloud." "Give me a little longer... Just a little bit longer..." (She rests his head on his shoulder again.) Tifa "This day will never come again... So let me have this moment..." (He nods) Cloud "Yeah... okay." (He lowers his head again.) Cloud "This is probably the last time we'll have together......" (The scene fades to black.) Scene 138 - We Shall Fight Together - (The scene fades in to show the Highwind hovering in the bright morning sky. The camera pans back down to the hill. Cloud is still sitting down; Tifa has risen and is gazing up at the Highwind, her hands behind her back. After a few moments, she drops her hands and shakes her head.) Tifa "............" (Cloud stands.) Cloud "We'd better go." (She turns to him and makes a pleading gesture.) Tifa "But, I still...!?" (He turns to face her, shaking his head.) Cloud "It's all right, Tifa. You said so yourself yesterday." "At least we don't have to go on alone." (A pause. Tifa nods) Tifa "Yes... That's right!" (He nods) Cloud "Okay! Let's go!" (They walk together toward the Highwind. It begins to lower to the ground as the scene fades. It fades back in to show the walkway to the bridge. Tifa is following Cloud there.) Tifa "The airship is too big for just the two of us." "Yeah, it's a little lonely without everyone." (Cloud turns around to face her.) Cloud "Don't worry. It'll be okay." (He does his squat-thrusts.) Cloud "I'll make a big enough ruckus for everyone." (He stops and straightens his hair.) Cloud "Besides, I'm the pilot." "No more flying around casually like before." "We won't have time to feel lonely." (She nods. A long pause. Suddenly, the entire Highwind shakes as the engines fire up.) Tifa "Huh!?" (She looks around.) Cloud "It's moving......" (They dash to the bridge. They find Cait Sith dozing in one corner. They run past him and find Barret and Cid working with the pilot's controls.) Cloud "Barret! Cid!" (Barret turns and looks at Cloud, then at Tifa, then back to Cloud) Barret "O, oh...... is that okay with you?" (Red XIII runs up to them from offscreen.) Cloud "Red XIII!" (Cloud and Tifa look back to Barret.) Tifa "Why didn't you tell me!?" (Red XIII looks at Cid, who still is operating the controls.) Red XIII "But, you know, Cid." (He looks at Cloud. Cid leaves the controls and stares at Red XIII.) Cid "Hey, Red XIII." "If you butt in now, you never know what they'll say later......" Tifa "......Were you watching?" (They watch her as she runs away, clutches her head and falls to the floor in embarrassment. Vincent enters the bridge. All except Tifa turn to see him enter.) Cloud "Vincent!" (Tifa stands up and turns to look at Vincent. Vincent turns away.) Vincent "Why the puzzled look?" "Don't you want me to come?" (Cloud turns his head away.) Cloud "No, it's just that you're always so cold. I thought you didn't care what was happening." (He looks up. Vincent spins, his cape flying, to face Cloud.) Vincent "Cool?" "Hmmm...... I guess that's just how I am, sorry." (He does a spectacular backflip and lands on a platform in a corner. The room flashes red and the sound of static blares as Cait Sith's radio control comes back on line as he wakes.) Barret "Well lookey-here. The Shinra manager's come back." (Cait Sith stands up and bounds over to the rest of the group. He bows deeply.) Cait Sith "Uh, excuse me but..." "I wanted to come with the main group, but I couldn't get away......" "So some people in Midgar took me in." (He straightens) Cait Sith "I know I have a stuffed animal body, but I'll work really hard!" (Cait Sith hops to his usual place near a secondary control panel.) Barret "I guess that's everyone." (Red XIII shakes his head) Red XIII "No, Yuffie's missing." Barret "She ain't gonna show up." "'Least this time she didn't steal our materia. Guess we gotta be thankful for that." (Yuffie suddenly drops down from the ceiling, lands in the middle of the group, and shadowboxes energetically.) Yuffie "How could you say that!?" (She looks at Barret) Yuffie "I came all the way here after being seasick as a dog!" (She shadowboxes a bit more.) Yuffie "I didn't go through all that just to have you guys have the best parts all to yourselves!" (Cloud turns to face her and nods) Cloud "Welcome back, Yuffie." Yuffie "Gee, Cloud...... that's so nice of you to say that. ......You sick?" (She launches back up to the ceiling.) Yuffie "Well, whatever. I'm gonna be in my reserved seat in the hall...... waiting...... upp! ......Urk!" (She drops back down and heads off to the walkway. Cloud goes to stand near the head of the bridge and bows his head deeply.) Cloud "Thanks everyone." (Barret turns to face him. Cloud looks up.) Barret "We didn't come back for your spikey headed ass!" "We came back for Marlene. Guess it's jes' my...... whatcha call, feelings or somethin'." "I, uh, I ain't got no words now......" (Aerith's Theme begins to play in the background.) Red XIII "......Although she's not here, she left us a window of opportunity..." (He looks at Cid. Cid turns to Cloud and nods.) Cid "We can't let it go like this." (Cloud turns away and stares out the window.) Cloud "......Aerith." "She was smiling to the end." "We have to do something, or that smile will just freeze like that." (He turns to the others. He nods.) Cloud "Let's all go together." "Memories of Aerith......" "Although she should've returned to the planet by now, something stopped her and now she's stuck......" "We've got to let go of Aerith's memory." (Cid looks around at the others.) Cid "Has anyone here changed their mind?" (Cloud nods to him.) Cloud "I'm counting on you, Cid." Cid "Yeah, yeah......" "There are 2 levers here that've been buggin' me for a while now..." (He runs over to the instrument panel.) Cid "Let me try them out." (The music fades.) Cid "All right, so what should I do?" "You decide, Cloud." (Cloud stands tall at the head of the bridge. The others all turn to look at him.) Cloud "This is our last battle." "Our target is the North Cave. Our enemy is...... Sephiroth!" (He steps forward.) Cloud "So let's move out!" (Cid flips the levers. FMV sequence. Panels strip away from the exterior of the Highwind and various extensions emerge such as extra rudders and jet-propulsion engines. The Highwind speeds away over the horizon. The scene returns to the bridge.) Cloud "We're almost to the North Cave! We're on our way, Sephiroth!" Cid "Man, I'm going to stick it to him!" (A red warning light begins to flash and an alarm begins to sound. The others rush over to the instrument panel.) Cloud "What is it, Cid?" Cid "Errrrggh! Some incredible force! Losing... control......!" (The three-man Highwind crew comes dashing in from offscreen and begins to assist Cid.) Cid "Get the hell outta here, flunkies! Didn't I tell you all to go home!?" "Yes, sir. This is our home!!" Cid "Oh ma-- ......stop trying to act so cool." "All right, you jokers! Hold me down with everything you got!!" "Geronimo!!" (He pushes the Highwind to the red-line; the screen goes white with energy as the Highwind speeds off. The scene fades to black.) END OF DISC 2 Scene 139 - The North Crater - (The scene fades in to show the mural of a bikini-clad woman painted on the side of the Highwind. The camera pans down to show the rest of the ship; it is docked just outside the North Crater. A crewman marches to the railing and unrolls a rope ladder over the side, offering passage down into Sephiroth's lair.) People on the Highwind Yuffie "Huh?" "How would you even know? You don't know how tough it is... getting sick on boats and rides......" "So, please...... just leave me alone." Cloud "......I really do understand, Yuffie. When I get sick on a flight, it's a real killer." "When I was in SOLDIER, I completely forgot about my motion sickness." Yuffie "Oh......" "Isn't there any way to prevent this?" Cloud "Well, according to my research......" (He nods) Cloud "First off, if you're nervous a lot, you won't get sick." "But you can't always be nervous." (He does his squat-thrusts) Cloud "With this much space, your best bet is to move around while you're riding." "It also might be a good idea to stretch sometimes, too." "But in SOLDIER, we spent a lot of time in trucks." "That sucked!......" (He clutches his head as he remembers) Cloud "And there's one thing you mustn't do when riding." "And that is......" (He nods) Cloud "Read!" "Once you get sick, there's nothing anyone can do." "I know it's tough......" (He shakes his head.) Yuffie "......so you're a little better off than me." "But I don't feel...... well." (She goes back to her position of clutching her stomach near the walkway.) Yuffie "Cloud...... sign this." Cloud "What is it?" Yuffie "It's a contract that says when the war is over, all the materia will belong to me." "It's all in there. Read it carefully and then sign it, all right?" (He shakes his head.) Cloud "Forget it, Yuffie. I'm not even gonna read it." "Whenever I read, I get airsick." Yuffie "Oh yeah......?" "I'm the same way, so I can't say too much......" "Damn! My plan failed. Let's pick on Red XIII later to let off steam." Cait Sith "But I ain't gonna forget, no matter what happens." "Not about this here trip, or them folks-- none of it!" Red XIII "I am Nanaki, son of Seto... I am afraid of nothing..." "It's all right, all right. I'm Nanaki, the son of brave Seto... I'm not afraid of Sephiroth..." Vincent "Cloud...... take the ship to the Northern Cave." "The time for flying is now past." "Our battlefield is now beneath the earth..." "The gate to tomorrow is not the light of heaven, but the darkness of the depths of the earth........" Barret "Heh heh...... heh heh heh... Time's got a way of sneakin' up on ya, huh?" "I'm shakin' all over... Heh heh... I feel sick..." Tifa "Hey, Cloud... Would you tell me 'It's all right'?" Say it cool Say it normal Don't say it ***Cloud Say it cool (He straightens his hair and strikes a pose.) Cloud "It's all right, Tifa." (He nods. Tifa claps her hands happily.) Tifa "Now I feel like things are really going to be all right." "Thanks, Cloud." ***Cloud Say it normal (He nods.) Cloud "...It's all right." Tifa "You're right, things will be all right." ***Cloud Don't say it (He shakes his head slightly.) Cloud "...I just can't say it that easy." (Tifa shakes her head sadly.) Tifa "I'm sorry... I guess you're right." Cid "You ever see the play 'LOVELESS'?" No Yes ***Cloud No Cid "Yeah, I figured someone like you wouldn't be much on plays." ***Cloud Yes Cid "Yeah? Really? Well, that's fine." "They've been doin' that play every summer since I was a kid." "An' I remember seein' it just once..." "That was when I was in Midgar interviewing to be a pilot." "I had some free time and thought I'd catch the play." "Now, I'm no big fan of the theater or anything." "But this thing put me to sleep, just like I thought it would." "Finally during the last scene, the guy next to me woke me up tellin' me my snorin' was too loud." "So about all I really remember of that play is the end..." "The sister of the lead asks her lover," (He gestures dramatically) Cid "Do you really have to leave?" (He shakes his head) Cid "And the guy says," (He gestures again) Cid "I promised. The people I love are waiting." (He shakes his head) Cid "......I don't understand. Not at all. But...... please take care of yourself." (He nods) Cid "Of course... I'll come back to you. Even if you don't promise to wait. I'll return knowing that you'll be here." (He turns away and taps his foot.) Cid "I remember thinking when I heard those lines," "*&%! What the hell's he talkin' about? But, you know... now I'm not so sure..." "I think I understand......" (Cloud climbs down the rope ladder and into the North Crater. A ways away from the Highwind, he reaches a steep dropoff down into the depths of the cave.) Cloud "Looks like we can only slide down." Alright, let's go! We'll get prepared first ***Cloud Alright, let's go! (He slides down into the crater.) ***Cloud We'll get prepared first (He returns to the Highwind.) (Cloud descends into the crater. Sections of the wall fall away inches from his feet as he continues toward the eerie green glow at the bottom. Traversing a long, complex series of platforms and tunnels, he reaches a large cavern where the path splits two ways. The rest of the party is waiting there.) Cloud "The road splits in two. We'll split into two groups." (Cloud next chooses whether each party member will go left or right.) Cid "Which you gonna choose, Cloud?" Barret "All right. Then I'll go..." Tifa "Then I'm going..." Red XIII "All right, then I'll go..." Yuffie "I'm going......" Cait Sith "Then I'll be heading..." Vincent "Then, I will be going......" Cid "All right! I'm headin'..." (Cloud looks around at all the others.) Cloud "Now don't any of you die on me. ......" "Gotta get through to Sephiroth!" Vincent "It's all over now. With this..." Yuffie "Oh man... 'Materia Hunter Yuffie' sounds like the last chapter of 'Materia Forever.'" Red XIII "All life on this planet, indeed the very life of this planet is in our hands..." Cait Sith "I'm so happy to have met you all, really! ...sniff..." Barret "Well...... Looks like this is our last big job!" (The others go their separate ways.) Cloud "This will be the end of it!" (Whichever party you choose will continue along their chosen path, perhaps a series of platforms, a deep cave, or swamp, until they reach another crater deep inside. Golden mist wafts upward from a green glow at the bottom. A series of suspended stone platforms form a path down to the bottom. The party approaches them.) Barret "Yo, we're a bit late?" (Barret appears from another of the possible paths. He leaps down to join the others. The scene fades to black.) Scene 140 - The Planet's Core - Jenova-SYNTHESIS - (Cloud and the entire party are gathered at the lip of the final crater in the North Cave. Cloud stares down into the bright glow.) Cloud "This is the center of the Planet...?" (He speaks to each of the other party members.) Cid "Let's just get this over with!" Tifa "This is it." Barret "Here, Cloud." (He hands Cloud a Guard Source.) Red XIII "Cloud, I found this..." (He gives Cloud a Mind Source.) Cait Sith "Hey Cloud, I found this." (He gives Cloud an Elixir.) Vincent "Hold on to this." (He gives Cloud a Last Elixir.) Yuffie ".........Wh... what?" Barret "Oh yeah, Yuffie, didn't you find somethin'?" (She shakes her head.) Yuffie "Oh, all right." "Here, Cloud." (She gives Cloud a Last Elixir.) Yuffie "But I'm the one who found it, so you better give it back to me when you're done with it!" Barret "Awright, this's the last dance!" Red XIII "We finally made it here." Cait Sith "Well, shall we get goin'?" Vincent "Hmm... Being with you all is not so bad." (Cloud prepares to follow the path of stone platforms down into the crater.) Cloud "All right, everyone, let's mosey." Cid "Damn! Again!" "Stop sayin' it like a wimp!" "Can't you say 'Move out!' or somethin'?" (Cloud rubs the back of his head, then vehemently gestures with his fist.) Cloud "Move out!!" (The sound of roaring monsters comes from above.) Barret "What?" (The party looks skyward) Red XIII "Look at the number..." (They assume fighting stances.) Cid "%#@^! They're comin' out in force!" Barret "Cloud! You go first!" (Cloud shakes his head quickly) Cloud "I'm fighting here too." Barret "Shu'up! It won't do us no good wit' everyone back here!" Cid "Barret's right." "You take two of us with you and go first. The rest'll catch up with ya later." Tifa "Is this like a practice run before the real thing?" Cait Sith "Yeah, a major practice run..." (Yuffie does a little fighting-dance.) Yuffie "Heh heh, I'm fine with that." (It's probably more fun than fighting Sephiroth down there." Vincent "Hmm, this might be fun to pass time." (A pause. The monsters' roar above suddenly sounds, closer.) Red XIII "They're coming! They're already on the floor next to us!" (A deafening roar.) Barret "Cloud! Hurry up and make up your mind!" (Cloud arranges his party.) Cloud "All of you!" (They turn to look. Cloud waves.) Cloud "Later!" (A pause. The monsters sound closer than ever.) Barret "Yeah, later." (Cloud descends into the crater. Leaping from one stone platform to another and fighting massive enemies along the way, Cloud arrives at the bottom. He arrives on a strange crystalline platform seemingly made up of cubes and triangles. The green mist howls along the edges.) Cloud "Where are we...?" (They hear an inhuman howl.) Tifa "What!?" (Jenova, a serpentine woman from the waist up and a huge skull from the waist down, appears from the mist.) Cloud "Jenova...!?" (They assume fighting stances as Jenova rushes toward them.) (Boss battle with Jenova-SYNTHESIS) (FMV sequence. The cubes and pillars that make up the platform begin to break up, rocketing skyward past the party. As the last of the platform disintegrates, the party falls down toward the green glow, absorbed in it. The scene fades to black.) Scene 141 - Judgment Day - The One-Winged Angel - (Cloud falls in slow-motion through blackness. The only light is from a glowing white sphere in the center of the screen. It pulsates with energy as though it were a beating heart. Cloud continues to fall toward it.) Li......ght...... A light........ Is this....... Is this light...... Holy? (He falls into the light. The scene abruptly changes. The core of the Planet. In the undulating green glow is a round, red stone structure. It forms tendrils, almost but not quite concealing what is inside- a pulsating white sphere. The structure is surrounded by many smaller stone platforms. The entire party rests unconscious on these. After a moment, Barret stands.) Barret "Oww... damn, man!" (Cloud gets to his feet.) Cloud "Barret!?" (The rest of the party comes to.) Barret "What...? So everyone's together again...?" (Suddenly, a ring of white fire shoots from the center of the sphere. The party is levitated, struggling, into the air.) "Uuuugh...!!" (Sephiroth's face flashes in front of the camera for a split second. His theme begins to play as he vanishes, only to reappear, materializing from the center of the sphere.) Cloud "...Sephiroth!!" (Another ring of white fire emanates from the sphere, driving the party further from Sephiroth.) Barret "Ugh...! Is this...... the true power of Sephiroth?" Cid "My... my body... I can't control my body...... Uuugh!?" (Sephiroth draws the party nearer with his mental powers, only to torment them with another fire ring.) Red XIII "My front legs...... my hind legs...... my tail's about to tear off!!" Cait Sith "This is definitely not good...... He's way outta our league..." Yuffie "I, I don't know if I can... go on..." (The screen flashes and the party spins in the air like toys.) Tifa "Cloud... Cloud..." Cloud "Ugh... ugh..." (Again.) Cloud "...there..." "It's...... there..." Tifa "Cloud...?" (Again.) Cloud "...Holy...... Holy... is there......" "The Holy is shining...... Aerith's prayer is shining......!" Tifa "Holy...... Aerith......" (Again.) Cloud "It's not over yet...... This isn't the end yet!!" (Cloud assembles his party and prepares for the final battle. Sephiroth unleashes a final fire ring that drives away all the characters not in the current party.) "Eyaaaah-----!" Tifa "...We're not gonna lose!!" (She floats up above Sephiroth.) Tifa "Aerith is here... everyone is here... Cloud is here with us!" "There's still many things for us to do... I'm not giving up!!" (Cid floats up alongside Tifa.) Cid "Hoo-ok......! I can't be foolin' around in the bottom of this hell hole..." "I still have lots of stuff to do with my life!" (Cloud floats directly in front of Sephiroth.) Cloud "Aerith's memories... Our memories..." "We came... to tell you... our memories... Come Planet! Show us your answer!" "And Sephiroth! To the settling of everything!!" (The screen flashes. The rock structure and green haze begin to waver, undulate, and finally collapse in on themselves, leaving the party and Sephiroth suspended in darkness. Sephiroth draws the party in to him and transforms.) (Boss battle with Bizzaro Sephiroth) (As Bizarro Sephiroth goes down, he transforms again. The battlefield fades to black, then reappears as a spinning, wavering backdrop of bright purple clouds. Sephiroth shows himself as he descends from the heavens. He is Seraph Sephiroth. The final opponent. The One-Winged Angel. An unseen, heavenly choir begins to chant ominously as the ultimate battle for the Planet commences: Estuans interius Ira vehementi Sephiroth! Sors immanis Et inanis Sephiroth! Veni, veni, venias Ne me mori facias Sephiroth!) (Boss Battle with Seraph Sephiroth) (Cloud and his friends deliver the final blow to Seraph Sephiroth. With a great flash of light, his body begins to break apart. Rays of light emanate from his body as he disintegrates into tiny particles that are absorbed into the purple clouds behind, above, everywhere. The scene fades to black.) Scene 142 - Ghost - (The scene fades in- Cloud and the others are gathered near the stone pathway at the lip of the final crater. All are exhausted from the stress of the journey; Barret leans against the far wall, Yuffie lies panting on the ground; Cait Sith is drooped over his stuffed moogle; Red XIII rests, his head on his paws; Vincent stands in his usual Vincent pose, arms crossed, distant; Cid sits, leaning forward, dozing. Cloud gazes down into the green glow of the crater. Tifa stands behind him, watching him.) Cloud "This was all we could do." (He looks up. Barret stands.) Barret "Wait! What about Holy? What's gonna happen to the Planet?" (Cloud turns to look at him. He shakes his head.) Cloud "That... I don't know. Isn't the rest up to the Planet?" Tifa "...You're right." "We've done all that we could do." (Cloud looks at her for a moment, then looks around at the others.) Cloud "All right, everyone." "It's no use thinking about it." "We'll leave all our worries here." (He raises one fist.) Cloud "Let's go home proud." (He lowers it. The others all rise wearily and begin to trudge back to the exit of the crater. Cloud and Tifa walk together for a few steps when the screen flashes white. Cloud stops in his tracks. Tifa turns.) Tifa "What happened?" (He lowers his head.) Cloud "......I feel it..." Tifa "What......" (The screen goes white, longer this time, with the sound of rushing wind. Cloud shakes his head.) Cloud "He is still...... here." (Again. Cloud falls to the ground, clutching his head, and we see Cloud's double, white and ghostlike, fall with him.) Cloud "Still......" (The screen goes white.) Tifa "Cloud!?" (It fades. Cloud is in tremors, still tightly clutching his head.) Cloud "He's... laughing..." (Cloud's double removes from his body and spins off into the distance. The screen goes white once more.) Tifa "Cloud!" (The scene fades to black.) Scene 143 - The Beginning of the End - (FMV sequence. Cloud rockets headfirst through a strange tunnel. The very air moves out of his way as he shoots faster and faster. The walls of the tunnel seem to be intangible; made up of air or steam or thoughts. Cloud can almost glimpse past memories as he travels; for split-seconds we hear the sweet piano of Aerith's theme or the low cello and clangs of church bells of Sephiroth. The tunnel ends and Cloud floats through a vast black space; bright blue tendrils of whatever untouchable stuff this world is made of waft past. He enters another tunnel, this one of stone, then water, then air. As the tunnel ends, Cloud opens his eyes and sees exactly who he had expected. Sephiroth. He narrows his eyes and prepares to square off against his archenemy in the depths of his subconscious.) (Battle sequence with Sephiroth. The two face each other. Cloud, leaning forward, his sword-grip tight with anticipation. Sephiroth, shirtless, holding his Masamune at eye level, catlike. The camera switches rapidly between the two, their eyes filled with hate as they glare at each other, their swords at the ready. Cloud's inner energy steadily climbs until his Limit is prepared. He leaps into the air and summons a Limit he hadn't known up to this point- an Omnislash. Sephiroth barely moves as Cloud comes screaming down at him, his sword dealing two, five, a dozen, twenty blows, fire burning behind each and every one. With the final stroke, Cloud leaps into the air, gathering energy. Light streams into the sword, reaching a pinpoint, and Cloud brings it down. Sephiroth stumbles, clutching his chest, then falls to his knees. His piercing, hateful eyes continue to stare at Cloud as the scene fades to black.) Scene 144 - The End of the Beginning - (FMV sequence. Sephiroth, bloodied, a expression of shock and horror on his face, rises, flailing, into the air. Rays of white light emanate from his body, increasing in intensity for a few moments before Sephiroth disappears, somewhat anticlimactically, in a small shower of glowing red embers.) (Cloud watches his rival vanish, panting from the intensity of the battle, a slight smile of victory on his face. His attention is abruptly removed from the now empty air to the area around his feet. Green tendrils and droplets of lively energy snake upwards around his body as he watches with wonder, raising his hands in an attempt to touch the intangible green. A second presence, this one pink, joins the green as they coil themselves around Cloud, the only light to be seen in the darkness. They bring more and more of themselves reeling inwards, forming a tight sphere of brightness around him before they dissipate, leaving only streams of green weaving into a column around him. Cloud watches them as they waft upward.) .......Lifestream? (They too float lazily outward, dissipating, leaving only green spheres, dancing around Cloud. The air above, around him, in him, takes on a bright green-white glow. Aerith's theme begins to play softly in the background. Cloud gazes upward, the green dots still bouncing happily. He raises his hand to meet that above him. The camera moves out to show the green light pouring down around Cloud from above, a perfect column until it washes out along the ground at his feet, as if it were solid. One fragile, graceful hand reaches down from amidst the source of the light, toward Cloud's hand, as Aerith's theme continues. Cloud smiles broadly in his joy, at l ast united with (Tifa stretches her hand toward Cloud, perched on a narrow ledge on the wall of the Northern Crater. Massive boulders and debris crumble from the walls around her as the Northern Crater begins its collapse. She is too far away. Cloud falls. Cloud snaps to his senses as the tiny rock ledge he is balanced on slips further, cracking beneath his feet, inches from tumbling to the green Mako ocean at the bottom of the crater. Tifa falls. Her platform crumbles away, sending her plummeting headfirst towards the sea of green. With lightning speed, Cloud rushes toward the wall of the crater, his feet somehow finding the tiniest footholds, leaps toward the crater wall, catches Tifa by the waist as she falls past, and grabs a handhold at the lip of a larger rock ledge, leaving him dangling precariously by one hand, Tifa held tightly by his side.) ......I think I'm beginning to understand. (Tifa looks up at him.) What? (She holds on tighter and leans her head against his chest.) An answer from the Planet... the Promised Land... I think I can meet her... there. (Tifa looks up at him, then closes her eyes and leans her head back down.) Yeah, let's go meet her. (Cloud begins to pull the two of them up to the ledge. The Mako pool begins to glow white, shifting colors. Cloud and Tifa make their way up and sit down. Cloud looks at her.) Hey, where is everyone? (The camera shifts to show Cait Sith, Barret, Cid, and Red XIII reclining on another ledge across the crater. Barret looks up and waves.) Heeeey! (Tifa happily waves to them.) I'm glad you're all safe! (The camera moves behind the others. Barret looks at Cid.) They all seem to be safe, too. But... now what're we going to do? (He looks out across the crater. Red XIII rises to his feet.) Holy should be moving soon, and that means this place will... (Cid stands and looks up out of the crater.) Oh, Lady Luck don't fail me now... (He gapes and his cigarette falls from his mouth. Cloud and Tifa, then the rest of the party follow suit and look up to see the Highwind come crashing down. It shoots nose-first into the crater, crashing into the walls and dislodging more rocks and debris before finally coming to a stop, wedged between the stone walls, the bikini-clad woman painted on the side still winking and smiling vacuously.) (The scene shifts to the area outside the Crater. The Mako inside glows, grows, and explodes from the crater, sending a circle of energy outwards as it blasts skyward in a perfect white column. The force of the explosion propels the Highwind out of the crater, spinning wildly. The camera moves to the deck to show the party as they slide this way and that and struggle to hold on to the railing as the ship flips in the air. Cid catches hold of a steel pipe bolted to the floor.) Shit!! (He pulls himself up and stretches to reach a lever marked 'Emergency.' He pulls it and the Highwind transforms again into a sleek craft resembling a jet plane more than a blimp. With the extra control, the ship rolls out of the Mako explosion and screams off toward the horizon.) (The scene shifts. The view is blocked by fog until the camera passes through it, revealing a birds-eye view of Kalm village. The camera continues downward, swinging to show the lone window in the tower, the tallest building in the city, the shutters closed. The scene shifts to the room inside. Marlene is seated at a small table. The table is clear except for a single mug and Marlene's hands. She stares at them, twisting them in worry. Suddenly, she looks up.) The flower girl? (She turns and looks inquisitively at the shutters. She rises and swings them open to see red fire consuming the world. Meteor hangs low in the sky. It has almost reached the earth, so close that its fire is beginning to scorch the land. The scene shifts to Midgar. The camera looks up past steel beams and towers at Meteor as red tornadoes of flame begin to touch down. They sweep through the city, mercilessly smashing massive metal structures like so many straws. Shinra headquarters is no exception. The columns of fire cut swaths of destruction through the metropolis, razing filthy slums and upper-class residential zones alike.) (Holy comes. At first merely a white pinpoint in the distance, then growing, accelerating toward Meteor, a mighty wave of white magic. It rushes in between Meteor and Midgar, clipping the tip of what used to be Shinra headquarters. The scene shifts briefly back to Kalm village. Marlene, still watching from the window, squints and holds up a hand to the blinding white light. The scene moves to show Bugenhagen's observatory, Meteor and Holy so huge as to be visible even from here, the other side of the world.) (The scene moves back to above Midgar. Meteor continues its slow, slow descent toward land. As it reaches Holy, dots of ember and tongues of flame lick upwards along its red-hot surface and Holy glows pink around its edges rather than white. The camera shifts to the ground outside Midgar, looking up at Holy, the remnants of homes and buildings below. A red spot forms on Holy's underside as Meteor brushes it. Then, all of Holy begins to burn red and a huge, perfectly round hole opens above Midgar. Its diameter is exactly the same as that of the city. The camera moves to just outside Shinra HQ. The air begins to burn red and the last framework of the building begins to explode as Meteor's wrath pours through.) (The scene shifts to the sky. The Highwind continues to circle at a safe distance from Midgar. The party, assembled on the bridge, watches the destruction through the bay window. Cloud and Tifa stand together near the panel. Barret comes over to stand behind them.) Wait a damn minute! (He looks over at the rest of the group.) What's going to happen to Midgar? (He slams his fist down.) We can't let that happen! (Cait Sith begins to gesture frantically.) I had everyone take refuge in the slums, (He looks down at the floor, shaking his head.) but the way things are now... (He wipes a tear with the back of one of his white cartoon gloves. Red XIII comes forward, the red fire below further reddening his coat.) It's too late for Holy. Meteor is approaching the Planet. (The camera shifts to show Meteor and Holy still decimating Midgar.) Holy is having the opposite effect. (The camera shifts back to Red XIII, slowly zooming in on his one good eye, glittering in the light.) Forget Midgar, we've gotta worry about the Planet. (The Highwind continues to circle. The camera shifts to show Cid working frantically at the control panel, then to show Cloud sitting on the railing in front of the window, his back to the destruction outside, as Tifa continues to watch fearfully. Cloud looks at her. The camera moves to show her face. Her eyes widen in surprise.) What's that!? (The camera shifts to show a sky view of a remote, mountainous area of the eastern continent. A tiny pinprick of green light is visible in one dark moor. The camera shifts down to ground level. The green light grows and one bright tendril of the Lifestream worms its way out from the ground. A large hole opens in the ground around the stream, revealing the Lifestream boiling just below the surface, one thread escaping into the air.) (The camera shifts to another location in the mountains. Another strand of the Lifestream is emanating from the ground curving gracefully in Midgar's direction. It shifts again. Two more. They grow. Then three. Then four. Then five.) (The scene shifts back to the bridge of the Highwind. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret are gripping the railing at the very front, watching with wonder as more and more arms of green burrow out from the ground.) What the hell IS that......? (The camera closes in on Cloud, an empty expression on his face.) ......Lifestream. (The Lifestream emanates in three more spots, twisting together as they move along the ground. The camera shifts back to Kalm village. A light comes on in one window, then another opens, and another. Within moments, every soul in Kalm is leaning out one window or another, watching silently. The camera moves to show Marlene once more, leaning on the highest windowsill in the town, her eyes wide, but expressionless.) It's coming. (The Lifestream continues to rush from the earth. It is streaming from nearly every spot on the ground now, turning the earth into a massive pool of green. Midgar continues to crumble.) (A tidal wave of green closes in on the city, arms of Lifestream swaying and undulating gracefully, marching along. The air is nearly a solid mass of green. The camera swings up, past Meteor, chunks still dislodged from its surface from its encounter with Shinra No. 26. The camera swings up, up, higher and higher above the earth. The entire continent comes into view, spewing Lifestream from every crack and pore, a thousand-mile-wide net of green light covering everything, closing in on Midgar, Holy, and Meteor.) (The camera flips to each party member in turn. Barret. Red XIII. Cait Sith. Cid. Marlene. Tifa. Cloud. All squeeze their eyes shut from the sheer power of the blinding green-white light. The Lifestream surrounds Meteor, adhering to it, dissolving it.) (Aerith in darkness, her eyes closed. Green embers floating upward around her. She opens her eyes and looks directly at you, a sweet, kind smile on her lips.) CREDITS Producer Hironobu Sakaguchi Director Yoshinori Kitase Music Composer Nobuo Uematsu Main Programmer Ken Narita Character Design & Battle Visual Director Tetsuya Nomura Art Director Yusuke Naora Image Illustrator Yoshitaka Amano CG Supervisor Kazuyuki Hashimoto CG Movie Director Motonori Sakakibara Character Modeling Director Tomohiro Kayano Magic Effect Director Hirokatsu Sasaki Special Magic Effect Director Shintaroh Takai Battle Stage Director Akira Fujii Graphic Outside Contractor Art Director Hitoshi Sasaki Outside Contractor Coordinator Hiroyoshi Hamada Animation Director Hidetoshi Omori Battle Plan Director Yasushi Matsumura Map Plan Director Hidetoshi Kezuka Map Plan Co-Directors Takeshi Endo Motoharu Tanaka Masato Yagi Main Character Modeler Hiroshi Arai Battle Programmer Hiroshi Harata Character Programmer Hiroshi Kawai CD & Movie Programmer Shun Moriya Sound Programmer Minoru Akao Sound Engineer Eiji Nakamura MA & Recording Engineer Kenzi Nagashima Story By Kazushige Nojima Yoshinori Kitase Based on the Story By Hironobu Sakaguchi Tetsuya Nomura Field Section Programmer Keizo Kokubo Event Planners Kazushige Nojima Keisuke Matsuhara Hiroki Chiba Motomu Toriyama Jun Akiyama Kazuhiko Yoshioka Hideshi Kyonen Kazuhiko Aoki Special Thanks Takashi Tokita Masato Kato Map Planners Masaru Oka Naoya Kawahira Satoru Tsuji Toshio Kurihara Junko Iriguchi Masashi Nakata Ryo Tsurumaki Concept Art By Tetsuya Takahashi Takayuki Odachi Background Designers Takaharu Matsuo Matsuzo Itakura Kenzo Kanzaki Kazuyuki Ikumori Yukio Nakatani Takeshi Okui Hiroshi Matsuyama Kazushi Urata Yasunori Higuchi Masaaki Hayashi Sub-character & Character Texture Designer Kazuhiro Okawa Assistant Character Designer Fumi Nakashima Character Modelers Takanari Tajima Murasaki Iriguchi Hiroyuki Hoshino Character Animators Norihito Takami Tatsuo Heianzan Battle Section Programmers Akihiro Yamaguchi Kazumasa Fuseya CG Programmer Masaharu Inoue Planners Takayoshi Nakazato Goro Ohashi Masahiro Kataoka Takatsugu Nakazawa Special Thanks Toshiaki Suzuki Monster Modelers Kouichi Ebe Yoshio Yamakawa Hiroto Yamamoto Character Animators Tatsuya Kando Kuniharu Takeuchi Go Kikuchi Monster Designers Shin Nagasawa Tetsu Tsukamoto Battle Stage Designers Hideyuki Matsumoto Jun Matsuo Kyuji Kawase Masahide Tanaka 2D Animators Kenichirou Okamoto Hiroyuki Yotsuji Magic Effects Section Graphic Designers Youichi Tanaka Hiroyuki Ikeda Kunio Asahara Programmers Kentarou Yasui Shinichi Aoyama Mitsuo Yoshioka World Map Section Planner Masato Yagi Programmer Yasuo Kuwahara Graphic Designer Hideyuki Matsumoto Effect Designer Takayuki Odachi Chocobo Race Section Programmer Keitaro Adachi Graphic Designer Ryotaro Takahashi Planner Hiroki Chiba Condor War Section Programmer Ryo Muto Graphic Designer Hiroyuki Yotsuji Planner Kazuhiko Yoshioka Submarine Chase Section Programmer Shin-Ichi Tanaka Graphic Designers Hiroyuki Yotsuji Takeshi Sanda Planner Motomu Toriyama Highway & Roller Coaster Section Programmer Tatsuya Yoshinari Graphic Designer Takeshi Sanda Planner Keisuke Matsuhara Snowboard Section Programmer Tadamichi Obinata Graphic Designer Daiki Komatsu Planner Jun Akiyama CG Movie Section Field CG & Movie Designers Hiroyuki Honda Yoshinori Morizumi Kanako Aoki Yuko Akiyama Ayako Kuroda Movie Engineers Motohisa Adachi Ryusuke Sasaki Banprest Co., Ltd. Tadao Odaka Koji Tanaka Koji Kobayashi Keiko Imamura Takeshi Yamazoe Kazutoshi Sakai Daisuke Shigeta Battle CG Support Monster Animators Masateru Suzuki Kenji Kadonishi Kouichirou Soeda Yousuke Asahara Junnichi Murata Hiroyuki Hamada Reina Ikeda Ikuyo Yoshida Mari Miyamoto Nobuhiko Imai Yusuke Tanaka Yukimasa Nakauchi Manabu Inokuchi Makoto Yagishita Kyouko Muramatu Monster Modeling Yuki Kawaguchi Yoshihiro Takeshita Rie Masuda Yoshiyuki Oku Kumi Kanai Hideo Kubota Nokazu Sato Takuya Tsunakawa Kazuhiko Torishima Hideo Yoshikura Toshimasa Takahashi Yuu Kondoh Sound Effect Yoshitaka Hirota Mitsuhiro Iwadate Yuichiro Mori Yoshikuni Nakamura Sephiroth Choir Soprano Matsue Fukushima Minae Fujisaki Alto Kazuko Nakano Saki Ono Tenor Toru Tabei Daisuke Hara Bass Toshizumi Sakai Masashi Hamauzu Excerpts from "The Creation" Composed by Joseph Haydn Soprano Matsu Fukushima Tenor Daisuke Hara Synthesizer Masahi Hamauzu Square USA Staff Tool Programmers - LA Paul Ashdown (V.P.) Yun-Po Paul Fan Shiro Kawai CG Designers - LA Ron Sabatino (V.P.) Sharon Packer Joseph Black Nicholas Hoppe Suzanne Berger Doug Smith LA Unit Coordinators Junichi Yamagihara (V.P.) Shinichiro Kajitan (V.P.) CG Outside Contractors Field & Movie Section Links Corporation Hiroyuki Seshita Kouji Ichiyama Ikuo Nishii Tatsuya Ezaki Yoshihisa Hirano Hiroshi Kamohara Michiko Kanno Natsuyo Kobayashi Kaori Saitoh Sigeko Sogame Miki Saitoh Sanae Nakanishi Keiichi Abe Teruyuki Nagoshi Terushige Watanabe Kunihiko Mohara Amoe Hosogai Sachiko Yoshida Makiko Mizushima Atsushi Funabashi Yuuichiro Mouri Milai Corporation Masanori Usuba Satoko Matsuda Masahisa Kaneko Hajime Hidaka Kazuhiko Konta Miku Kayama Tsugio Yamamura Yasuhiro Sugitani Pixy Corporation Akiko Ige Masanori Ikeda Akihiro Tsuchiya Jun Terai Image Corporation Kouichi Ishiwata Fumihiro Otsuki Okayama Yousuke Isao Tokunaga Yoshiyasu Shimada Kazuhiro Kinpara Jeongtae Kim Noriaki Kato Daisuke Miura Masaaki Tanabe Junko Anzai Yasuhiro Tezuka Wilco Japan Inc. Hideaki Noguchi Sakiko Aoki Yukihiro Shibamoto Kaori Nagasaki Makoto Sugawara Tamotsu Mashida Hiromi Takahashi Omnibus Japan Yoichi Harato Mitsugu Kobayashi Haruo Koyama Jyunji Munekata Michitaka Sato Aritsune Kawamura Taro Ibusuki Kazushi Sugawara Tetsuo Kojima Akira Watanabe Tetsuji Nakaoka Naoko Hatsukari Mae Hirose Kenji Ogura Hiekazu Miyake Katsuyuki Amano Kenji Tanabe Satoshi Takagi Seichi Tanaka Mami Kojima Tomohiko Syuto Yuki Masuda Hiroshi Murakami Hiroyuki Morohoshi Hanako Kido Yuichi Morio Norihiro Ohtsubo DAAC Corporation Tose C.G Section Monster Model Support NHK Enterprise 21 Masayoshi Obata Field Design Support Atelier Musa Shigemi Ikeda Kusanagi Nobuhito Sue Hiromi Kariya Umigame Jimusho Corporation Hiroyuki Kayashi Algo-Nicus Shunichi Baba Yukitomo Watanabe 2D Animation Support Studio Gazelle, Inc. Ikuo Sato Yoshikazu Samura Shuji Miyata Hideki Watanabe Sound Engineer For Additional Movie Tak Ogawa Recording Engineer For Additional Movie Masayoshi Okawa Special Thanks Izumi Kawanishi Makoto Tanaka Masayoshi Yanaka Yoshiaki Nakayama Teiji Yutaka Toyoshi Okada Kaoru Yamanoue Shinzaku Kozuma Yusuke Yamamo Yasuyuki Noda Quality Assurance Hiromi Masuda Tsuyoshi Fusano Yoshia Shibano Miki Ito Yuji Saito Yuki Hasegawa Square Soft, Inc. Product Development Coordinator Michael Baskett QA Manager John Williams Customer Service Manager Rick Thompson Executive VP Strategic Planning Yoshihiro Maruyama Vice President of Marketing Jun Iwasaki Assistant Marketing Associate Kenji Mimura Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. Associate Producer Seth Luisi Assistant Producer Jeffrey Ng Senior Producer Perry Rodgers QA Manager Mark Pentek Lead Tester Mike Benton Asst. Lead Tester Christian Davis Licensing Manager Etsuko Kobata Business Coordinator Taku Imasaki Vice President of Marketing Andrew House Director of Product Marketing Peter Dille Director of PR and Productions Jeff Fox Product Manager David Bamberger Publicity Producers Shinji Hashimoto Tadashi Nomura Kiyotaka Sousui Executive Producers Tetsuo Mizuno Tomoyuki Takechi Five hundred years later (The camera flies through the white clouds high above the earth. It swings downward, out of the clouds into a valley resembling Cosmo Canyon. Red XIII sprints along the soft dirt ground with two tiny cubs at his heels, barely keeping up with him. A ways down the valley, the three reach a place where the valley wall has crumbled, creating a number of stone platforms leading up out of the narrow valley. Red XIII leaps up the platforms, cubs following, onto the plateau above. He stands at the plateau's edge as the cubs catch up to him, raises his head, and howls to the sky as the cubs watch inqusitively.) (The camera swings up above Red XIII to show a lush green rainforest below the plateau. Nestled in the forest are the remains of Midgar, overgrown and forgotten. A flock of geese flaps by, honking enthusiastically.) (The Final Fantasy VII logo appears abruptly on a black screen. After a few moments, the logo fades as the haunting sound of young childrens' laughter echoes in the background.) - The End -