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Description
FFVII
The Fate of the Planet

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Emotive themes
Setting: 3 years after DoC
Rating: M
Status: WIP
OCs: 25%
Disclaimer: All related Final Fantasy VII names and characters are copyrighted © by Square Enix. However, this story and the OCs are ALL mine. Thank you.

THE FATE OF THE PLANET

Over four and a half years ago…

Cloud entered the kitchen by the garage door. He bypassed Tifa busy on the phone behind the counter and walked through the empty tavern and upstairs. 7th Heaven was strangely still without Denzel and Marlene. Even when the kids were playing quietly there was a happy hum in the air, but he had to admit the peace was a welcomed retreat.

All the way home and even now, the familiar weight of the sword on his back was bringing back somber memories. It still didn’t really feel like his despite using it more than its predecessors. He went into his old room and was about to shut the door. His hand on the knob, he stopped. Closing it would only provoke suspicion and make it look like he was hiding away. He didn't want to close himself off anymore.

Tifa would have heard Fenrir and seen him come in; she would be up soon. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to her. He just didn't think he'd be able to talk about what he was doing or why. He wasn't sure he wanted to be confronted with those memories. Not verbally at least.

He pulled the sword from his holster and laid it across the bed and dragged over his box of cleaning materials; oil, cloths and various sandpaper sheets. He had been putting this off for weeks, ever since he came back to live. The desire was there, but he lacked the mental courage to carry it through. But the longer he left it, the harder it was to do. It was now or never. And with the kids gone for a while, he was free to work on it without prying eyes and innocent questions that would only make him think about stuff. Now that he and Tifa had confessed their feelings to each other, there was stability in his mind, and he was at peace to reflect on his past with more insight. Not that it wiped away those regrets or sadness, it just helped him look at things in a new way. Tifa took the edge off the remorse and gave him hope for the future.

Oil first, followed by the coarse grade. The decay was broad spread. Cleaning the blade was a longtime coming. For someone who knew how to look after a weapon, Cloud really had let it go. How did he let it get so bad? But he knew why to some degree. He had been beyond looking after things, including himself. How could he hope to look after anything or anyone else? Lacking any ability to act rationally, his life was directionless and without hope. In fact, he was so mired in sadness, he had no idea what was occurring around him or to the people in his life.

He had sunk into the bowels of depression without realizing it and without any way out. The geostigma topped off his despair. When the voice of Jenova started, he came dangerously close to losing control of his senses, and so bad, he was fearful of what he might be led to do. He couldn't face people, especially Tifa, Marlene and Denzel. Once he left, he went from Zack's grave, to Aeris' church, to listening to Tifa's voice mail, like a haunted ghost bound by Jenova.

More rust came off on the paper. He continued scraping.

Tifa peeked in through the half open door. "Hey."

Cloud glanced up from the sword across his lap and just as quick his eyes went back to the job at hand. "Hey." He sensed his face become a wall to his emotions. Like a bad habit he was becoming aware of.

Tifa took a moment, obviously spying the sword. "I see you're busy. We can talk later." She pulled the door, but left it ajar.

"Tifa." Cloud didn't want her walking away from him, no matter how difficult it was to talk.

She came back, pushing the door, tentatively, and approached him. "That brings back memories." Her voice was a bare murmur.

"Yeah…" He remembered; fighting monsters and Shinra, fighting Sephiroth and killing him, more than once. Protecting everyone. Remembering a unique and heroic man, and his friend. The token of a legacy. A grave on a hill. "Good memories?" Right then he needed to hear the up-side. Tifa was good like that.

"Mmm," She sat on the floor by his knee, and Cloud shifted the sword down on his lap so she was near the hilt and not the sharp edge. "Some of the best memories." She gave a spontaneous chuckle of fondness for some undisclosed memory. "It saved us a number of times."

"Saved me more than I can count." Whenever he used it, it came through for him and on those times it was the embodiment of Zack's presence. As if Zack was the sword. No wonder it never felt like it belonged to Cloud.

Tifa scratched at a bump of corrosion. "I remember when I first saw it." Her remark was flippant but there was significance in the memory attached to it.

"Same here."

"I remember saying, 'That sword look's so heavy. Don't you get sore arms?'" She smiled at the blade, and shook her head at her naiveté.

"What did he say?" Cloud gazed at her face, casting his mind back to when she was that perky teenager.

Her hand ran through her hair at the back of her head, and she appeared thoughtful. "He said something about being a 1st Class Soldier, and of course he could lift it! And he said, 'How do you get to ask questions like that?!'"

"And what did you say?" Cloud smiled at her, warmed by the recollection.

"Um, 'if I want to know, I'm going to ask.'" She folded her arms across her chest and mimicked herself. Smiling, she blushed and lowered her face to study the grooves on the steel.

Cloud remembered Tifa being like that, but then she changed, and she wasn't as bold to voice her opinion. It was comforting she knew Zack and he relished the shared memories. He went back to oiling the blade. "Zack wouldn't have minded."

She watched him in silence and finally she spoke, her voice hesitant. "I'm glad you've still got it."

Cloud nodded, admiring the emerging silver.

"When you brought back the fusion blade, I thought maybe you had sold it," she said with care, perhaps worried she would offend him with her doubts. "I should have asked you, but…"

He stopped rubbing and stared at her downcast eyes.

She continued, "…I couldn't."

He sighed. What would he have said anyway? He had left it as a marker for Zack's grave? Even though Zack had willed him the sword as the symbol of his legacy. The guilt was rising in his mind and the shame. He had let the sword deteriorate, much like his life and relationships. "Did you want to?"

"Yes," she said with a short gasp. "That and much more. But... I guess things change, huh?"

"I really didn't give you much of a chance." He had shut her out, assuming it was for the best. Little did he know, she needed him for her own healing and he needed her for his.

"Maybe. Maybe I should have tried harder." Tifa's dark eyes skimmed his and she went back to the sword between them.

Cloud put his hand out to touch her shortened hair, but stopped, realizing his hand was oily from the cloth. He touched the stray wisps, saddened he couldn't have voiced how much he liked her hair long.

She went on, "It's a beautiful sword, and I think it's more than that."

"You're right." So much more he couldn't continue bearing it due to his heartache.

"It's like something that's been there from the beginning. It knows… things. It's witnessed more of history than us." Her cheeks tinged at the candid remark.

Cloud smoothed his hand over the symmetrical patterns with reverence. "Now, it can keep watching."

"Oh, you are going to use it?" She ran her fingers around the gold circular pattern at the hilt.

"No, it needs a new resting place." He wasn't sure where that was yet.

"It reminds me of all that time searching for Sephiroth and the black materia, and everything." She got up on her knees and looked down the length of the blade. "I feel I know it. I was always looking at this sword on your back, admiring the gleaming edge and the intricate patterns. And then I remembered Zack wore it." Her dark lashes shielded her averted gaze. "It gave me hope somehow that everything would work, and…" she stopped.

Cloud watched her with avid attention. She had never spoken so openly like this, or perhaps he had never been open to listening. He was mesmerized by how pretty she was kneeling at his feet. "And?"

Tifa flicked rust from between the golden pattern, distracting herself. "And… it gave Aeris hope too, because she remembered it."

"Yeah…" He remembered that later, but it was too late by then. Too late to share with her his time and memories of Zack, and his last moments with him. She would have appreciated it and been proud of Zack's actions, and maybe it would have helped with her own grief. He had let them both down, and it was one of his deepest regrets. "She knew it."

Biting her lip, Tifa placed her warm hand on his wrist. "Cloud…" her burgundy eyes sought him out with care.

He had come to realize that as soon as Aeris entered the life-stream she would have known all about Zack and what happened to him, he knew that now. After seeing them together he understood they had found peace with each other. They both knew so much more about it then he did.

He leaned in and kissed Tifa, lightly at first, with their hands on the sword between them. Their kiss deepened and he mouthed her lip, tasting her sweetness. Moving from her, he kissed her check and she smiled. Putting the past to rest was easier when he did it with her. "I think I know where I can put it," he whispered against her skin.

"The sword you mean?" She teased him with a coy smile.

"Mmm, yes…" he murmured, "you were thinking of something else…?"

She hung her wrist over his shoulder and her fingers played with his hair. "Maybe, but I think we should clean it first."

"You mean the sword?"

She pushed on his chest and chuckled. "You know!"

He grinned at her blushing. "You started it."

"But really," she said with seriousness, "I think Zack would be happy that you're looking after it."

"Yeah…" Cloud's eyes sparkled as he surveyed the whole blade, and envisioned it looking like brand new again. To Zack it symbolized everything important in life, and now to Cloud as well. "This sword meant a lot to him."

She gripped his hand and looked him in the eye with a firm gaze. "And now it means a lot to us too."

~ 7 ~

Apart from sporadic monster noises in the distance, the Cetra city was quiet. Wisps of smoke still hung in the muggy air caused by the combination of summoned elemental creatures in the assembly area. Cloud, Denzel and Nanaki descended the stairs of the tower with Denzel doing the talking and Nanaki the listening. Cloud meanwhile was lost in his thoughts as he savored the moments he had with Tifa. Their bittersweet meeting was weighing him down with longing. It made everything more painful. He couldn't explain why for sure, but the presence of the Buster sword in that evil environment gave him hope, and he was more than grateful for it. Like it always did, the sword reminded him of Zack.

"- it's so hard to believe." Denzel walked alongside Cloud.

Only half listening to his chatter, Cloud was shaken from his thoughts to consider his statement. It was even difficult for Cloud to believe and he had been there. But, they had spoken and touched. No doubt about it, it was her.

Nanaki replied, his head turning to eye the youngster. "The life-stream is a mysterious force, ultimately controlled by Gaia."

"It's incredible," Denzel muttered, more to himself. "But now we know a lot more about what we could be facing…"

"Yeah," Cloud finally voiced his vexation. "And we don't even know where we're going."

"True." Denzel paused. "But no, Tifa told you about the train. That's got to count for something?"

Denzel was right. It had to mean something and he had to hold onto that. Besides, there was little else to go on so far. He pulled his phone from his pocket and flicked it open. He dialed Reeve's speed number. It was dead. He tried Cid, but it was the same. Even Barret, but he'd be with Cid, hopefully that meant they were in Rocket town. He could do nothing to aid them. What was the use of being in charge if he didn't know what was going on?

"Are you ringing Vincent?" Denzel asked.

"Good idea." Cloud put Vincent's number in. At least it was ringing, but if he could get a connection with Vincent and not Reeve that did not bode well.

Someone answered, "Hello."

With all the background noise, Cloud could barely discern who it was. "Vincent?"

"Cloud?"

"I can't hear you. Can you hear me?"

"- a bad line-"

Vincent was actually yelling which was unusual for him. Cloud could hear a great rushing of wind and voices in the back, and Vincent's flat tone speaking of flying and Turks. "Did you say Turks?"

Indecipherable grumbling followed. "—travelling in— investigate—life-"

"Have you heard anything from Reeve?" Cloud shouted.

"No connect- out–" Whirling wind swept into the receiver "-noth—Rocket Town."

Was all Cloud could hear and it was not sounding like good news. "They were under attack."

Disjointed voices were shouting in the background, and through the mechanical rumbling, he heard Vincent, "- call when we land-"

"We?" Cloud asked not expecting an answer. "Okay." He snapped the phone shut.

"Where is Vincent?" Nanaki asked.

"The last I heard he was on the coast. Right now I think he's flying, somewhere. Sound's like he might be with the Turks. Strange for Vincent." Cloud followed Nanaki to the walkway leading off the great stairwell. "I don't think he could get through to Reeve either."

"I hope they're okay." Denzel's head lowered and he looked dejected.

"They'll have a fighting chance at least," Cloud told him, "About as much as us."

Denzel gave a rigid nod. "You're right."

"And we're getting an idea of what's ahead." Cloud didn't want to say it aloud, but the enemy seemed to be increasing with power the more information they gathered on them, and Cloud was charging right into it and taking everyone with him. He wished Barret and Cid were with him, or some of those WRO troops at least. "I wish we knew more though, to better prepare." But he shouldn't be surprised. It always seemed to be that way; following vague leads with only a handful of warriors and rushing into danger without knowing the best form of action. But now he knew without a doubt Genesis would be at the end, but more importantly, Tifa and the baby.

"Yeah…" Denzel mumbled.

"You'll be alright." Cloud sensed his trepidation, because he was feeling it himself, although probably for different reasons. "Stick with me and don't go off by yourself."

Denzel shook his head, and looked rueful. "It's not really that, it's… I wonder where Marlene is?"

"Yeah…" That was a concern and Cloud had pushed it from his thoughts, simply because he didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure splitting their team up to look for her was the best solution, but, could they really move forward without trying to search?

"You know what I think?" Denzel said quietly.

Despite the seriousness of their discussion, Cloud couldn't help but smile at him. "No, but you're going to tell me."

"Marlene is super smart and resourceful, although she probably can't kill anything to save herself…" Denzel looked away in thought. "If she stays low, she should be alright, plus she'll be able to see down here."

"And she could probably lecture a monster to death." There was humor in his words, but Cloud sighed with the burden of Marlene being alone out there. "I wish she had some materia. If I could contact Barret, I would ask him to come look for her."

After a moment of silence, Denzel said, "We only have so much time with Tifa, don't we?"

How did he know that? The kid was too smart for his own good. She had a couple of days, maybe only hours, if not less… Cloud gave a stiff nod and kept his eyes ahead. "Yep."

"We have to get Tifa," Denzel said with steely grit as if he had come to a personal decision. "Besides her being so important to us, she's carrying someone who will only make the planet's enemy more powerful."

His profound words helped Cloud's resolve as well. He was right, and even though it was the safety of the planet and its inhabitants, it was still Tifa. His Tifa, and he wanted her back. "I agree." And even if Tifa wasn't… he had to get the baby.

Nanaki walked along the balcony, his nose lowered to the stone. He looked up at Cloud and Denzel following behind. "Come, they aren't far."

~ 7 ~

Cissnei and Shelke walked out on the balcony plaza with Deneh padding quietly a few feet away. On orders from Veld, Cissnei was to secure the area, or more to the point, she was to clean up any loose ends. Looking out at the scene below, the place needed a whole lot of cleaning up, but not in the way Veld meant. Trails of black smoke drifted up from random spots, and bodies, including a variety of monsters, were scattered nearly everywhere.

While she was checking the city, Veld was watching over Elfie as she healed. Each time Elfie transformed into her metamorphose state, it took a toll on her body. The zirconiade was gone from her body, but it had left an imprint on her spirit energy, and she was paying the cost of that. Cissnei was worried for her, and she could only imagine how Veld felt. But then again, he did blow up whenever Elfie was careless with her health. As it was currently, there may not be any other option then going full force, but into what, who could say.

"Sooo," Cissnei cast a long and inquisitive gaze down at Shelke. "What do you think Deepground are up to?" It was worth asking. Some Turk traits never really disappeared. Shelke used to be one of them after all.

Shelke seemed unphased by her forward query. "Previously, they sought the annihilation of the planet and all its inhabitants." She wavered for a moment, "I can not see their current purposes diverging much from this desire."

"Ah…" Cissnei lowered her chin, and disbelief was in her voice. "That's broad and pretty ambitious to say the least."

"They must not be underestimated." Shelke told her with reproof in her tone.

"Maybe, but, surely you know abit more about them?" Cissnei stopped and faced her, wanting a concise answer.

Deneh also paused, listening to their conversation with curiosity.

Shelke regarded her; her navy-blue eyes piercing Cissnei's forthright stare. "They are without humanity or any mercy. Human life has no value to them, except what they can gain from it. They despise weakness and will do everything they can to rule over humans."

"Ooookay." Cissnei drew out her words in a heavy sigh. "I gathered most of that stuff."

She knew it already. She had seen them in action; had even come face to face with them. When they had started attacking towns on the planet, she and Veld had come across them in Wutai, where she was staying at the time. She found it incredible to think Shelke had been one of those blood thirsty demons. "I mean, can they still be effective?"

"The sole purpose of their existence and the reason for their creation was to be instruments of power." Shelke watched her with some confusion at her simple questioning.

"Yeah, alright." Cissnei sighed. "Stupid question. It's just they were mostly defeated, they shouldn't be that powerful anymore?"

"True, but." Shelke's brow raised in contemplation. "Cloud did mention Genesis Rhapsodos might be with them. He must add to their strength, and possibly he has his own agenda and he is using the Tsviets."

"Really?!" Cissnei could feel her eyes bulging with genuine shock, even though she tried to remain composed. "That bastard Soldier is still around?! That's news to me. Who would have thought it?"

"You know him?"

"Oh, yeah, kinda. Well, way back, but not in a friendly sense, more like colleagues from different departments." Cissnei folded her arms and considered that messed up time in her life. The best highs she had ever had wrecked by the worst lows. Lows she had never properly recovered from. "Holy Ifrit, imagine seeing that old face again! Can't say I look forward to that."

"He's a powerful foe?" Deneh asked her.

"You could say that. But the thing with Genesis, he went berserk and screwed a lot of people up."

"I see." Shelke nodded her understanding, and she reasoned, "I believe that was due to the Jenova cells implanted in his body which were slowly debilitating his thinking."

Cissnei didn't care for excuses. As far as she was concerned, he was a spoilt Soldier with too much power in his hands. "Ah, yeah, whatever. So," Suddenly tiring of the talk, she gazed around the courtyard. "How about I take the left. Shelke, you do the bottom level, and Deneh, you do the right? Sound cool?"

Deneh replied, "I can do that."

"Fine," Shelke said, curtly. "But I shall need to do an extended search of lower levels for information."

"Great, but I have a hunch you won't find anything." Cissnei continued, "There doesn't seem to be any power here."

"There is organic power," Shelke replied.

"I gather that's enough eh? Okay then, whatever you need to do." Cissnei grinned at Deneh first. "If you run into any trouble, give a roar." Her luminous eyes fell on Shelke. "And if I do, I'll give a yell, and Shelke, you can… you… do you even yell?"

Shelke kept her gaze cool, ignoring her blase attempt at humor. "If there is trouble, I will destroy my enemy."

Cissnei held back a chuckle. "Right, I'll take that as a, Shelke doesn't need help, cry." She went on, "We'll be fine, anyway. Alright, girl—s" she looked at Deneh in a questioning way. Or should she say feline? She just hoped she wasn't insulting her in some way. Talking animals were one of the oddest things she had come across, although not the strangest thing. "Back here in twenty. Hey, you don't have watches." She looked at her matt black watch with silver trim, under her sleeve. "Oh, look at that. 4.45. Am." She mumbled, "and nowhere near getting any sleep." Did she say that aloud?

"I have no need," Deneh's voice had a hint of mirth.

"Of sleep?" Now that would be handy.

"I have an inbuilt clock," Shelke said matter of factly.

"Ah, that really is weird, but for some reason not surprising," Cissnei remarked. Everything about Shelke was disconcerting. Like, how could someone like her be a Tsviet? And why did she end up looking like a kid? Did that mean she would never age? "Don't tell me, you don't need sleep either."

"My body has enhanced endurance—"

Cissnei put up her hand. "That's nice and all, and I do to some degree, but - Let's just go."

The girls separated without a sound to scout and secure the rest of the city.

~ 7 ~

Cloud, Denzel and Nanaki came into a partly concealed walled courtyard. Veld stood on guard, leaning his pistol against his shoulder and he watched them approach. Elfie sat against the wall, her body trembling and her face pale. She took short breathy gasps.

Cloud halted. "Where is Shelke?"

"Securing the area with Cissnei and Deneh," Veld replied. "Did you find out anything?"

"They're purging the planet," Cloud said. It was the same story as before with Deepground, but somehow this was different. "And it sound's more complicated than simply killing people. They're 'cleansing' them."

"Damn them!" Veld growled.

"What the hell is going on?" Cloud snapped at his unexpected and brash reaction. "What does the purification thing do to give them power?"

Elfie struggled up against the wall in an attempt to stand. "It's—"

Veld pointed at her and commanded, "You, sit!"

She fell back down and glared daggers at him.

Veld took a step nearer Cloud. "I tried to warn you."

Cloud watched him darkly. "Tell me again how bad it is."

Veld took a long breath and cast a glance at Elfie. She gave him an agreeing nod. He said, "In its original state, the experiment uses the Cetra as a conduit to restore the human, by accessing the life-stream. It brings complete restoration, mentally and physically, and supposedly even resurrection, provided it is carried out quickly enough."

"Wow!" Denzel breathed out with awe.

Veld added, "That was never tested."

"And?" Cloud said.

"But, if the restoration procedure is reversed, life force from the human is absorbed into the Cetra and contained, or dispersed into the life-stream via the Cetra."

"And the person dies?" Cloud contemplated the people in the tanks in Deepground city, and their decrepit appearance.

"Yes, and the Cetras would eventually die after a prolonged time," Veld told him.

"But," Cloud spoke his thoughts aloud, trying to figure out the complexities of the dilemma, "Weiss is up to something bigger than killing people. There must be more to it than Deepground wanting to erase people by this complicated setup."

"That's right," Veld said.

"Who are these Harbingers?" Cloud observed Veld's deep-set eyes and then his piercing gaze rested on Elfie.

"Harbingers…" She said, slowly. "Not sure…"

"Whatever they are, they're full of Jenova," Cloud answered his own query.

"Could it be?" Elfie gazed up at Veld.

Veld's face tightened with abrupt worry. "It must be."

"You know," Denzel eyed him.

"Perhaps, but still," Veld hesitated. "It's possible they are sick Cetras."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned sick Cetras," Denzel replied.

Now Cloud understood why they seemed similar to the Remnants and yet different. "They have been corrupted by Jenova?"

"Correct," Veld said.

Evil Cetras. How could things have gotten so bad for that sad race of people? Cloud didn't really know how it could be or why, but that didn't seem important compared to everything else going on. "And how does this help them awake Jenova?"

Veld and Elfie shared sudden worried glances. Elfie finally replied, "So it is possible…"

"What is?" Cloud barked.

"If the life-stream becomes polluted." Elfie's voice faltered and she took a deep breath. "From the use of these sick Cetras, Jenova will overcome the planet from the inside and enable Jenova to manifest," she explained, staring him straight in the eye with her solemn gaze, making sure he understood what was going to happen and what was at stake if Deepground weren't stopped.

Cloud, Denzel and Nanaki stared at her for moments, a mix of shock and horror. Denzel finally cried, "But…" he watched Veld carefully, "you mean, they're sucking life out of people, making them into Jenova and putting all that crap into the planet's life-stream to make it more like Jenova? That's… that'll be fatal for the planet." His mouth hung open in disbelief. "Our Planet."

"That's the short of it." Veld nodded with a grimace.

Cloud recalled the reborn Sephiroth speaking a similar thing a few years ago and the purpose of the geostigma. The evidence was in the life-stream he had witnessed recently. Black twisted tendrils spiraled through the green, and in some parts it was a cloying opaque black. Even in the ethereal Midgar, it seemed Jenova had taken up residence. Its presence was strong, almost overpowering. That's where Tifa was, right then. A terrible weight suddenly landed on his chest, and he felt he couldn't breath. He mumbled, "That's what they're doing…"

"How do you know this?" Nanaki asked Veld.

"The scientist who created it was aware of the dangers," Veld explained, "And after discovering the effects of the Chaos project and how it was abused, he didn't want anyone to use it in conjunction with that. In the end he destroyed it, or so he thought."

Denzel stepped up to Cloud and said, "Those people in the tanks?"

"What people?" Veld directed at Denzel. He loomed over the teenager, and his question wasn't going to be brushed aside.

"Ah…" Denzel stammered, suddenly unsure what he should be saying.

Cloud took a long breath and tried to make sense of the information. It was too late to be hiding anything. Saving Denzel from responding, Cloud said, "It's possible we saw this experiment in action, although on a small scale."

"It's not a surprise to learn," Veld said, "I assume that was in Deepground."

"They're really doing it…" Elfie clutched her knees to her chest and her voice was a faint murmur.

"They are," Cloud said, "And this awakening is going to happen soon."

"And I assume we don't know where…" Veld said, and even he looked pressured.

"No," Cloud answered.

"Something that's been on my mind," Veld began, "Tifa has not been used as bait to lure you otherwise they would have left an indication of their whereabouts." He eyed him with shrewd insight. "It's her they wanted, not you?"

His comment hit a raw anxious nerve, and his invasive remark cut into his confidence more than the talk about the planet being destroyed. Cloud was out in the middle of no-where, and no-where nearer to Tifa or even knowing where she was. For all he knew right then she might not even be alive. His jaw clenched in building anger and grief at his helplessness. "It's her."

"I see. Perhaps I understand something now." Veld's brow furrowed into concerned lines. "But would Weiss be interested in such things?"

Cloud muttered, "Maybe not him, but someone else…" and that someone else was alive. He knew for certain now.

Denzel stepped forward, his hands forming fists, and his voice was unusually abrasive as he stared between Veld and Cloud. "But, how the hell do we stop this?"

Cloud sympathized with his frustration and wished he could be so vocal with his own wrath. Regardless, he attempted remaining calm. "First we need to find them and disable their operations and them. But healing the planet… I know that the white materia is capable of it." He rubbed his neck, suddenly feeling the strain of his recent combat.

"And the key you were looking for." Veld's dangling grey lock of hair fell over his eye as he studied the ground.

"Oh, that key does have a use?" Denzel said.

"The Harbinger said it was a myth." Cloud added.

"No, it was real," Veld stated. "But we don't know where it is."

Shelke, Cissnei and Deneh approached them without a sound.

Elfie attempted standing again to meet them. Cringing with pain, she became breathless.

Veld turned to her, his eyes burning with irritation. "Stay there."

She glared back despite needing to heed his words.

Veld directed at Cissnei, "Any trouble?"

"A few strays here and there, nothing worth talking to." Cissnei stretched her arms above her head. "The enemy has been done and dusted."

Denzel stared at her and Elfie with amazement. "You really did it. Wiped out a city."

"You sound surprised." Cissnei frowned at him.

"Yeah, and we're still alive." Elfie nodded to Cloud and a smile tugged on her lips. "You did incredibly well."

"Yeah, and I hate to say." Cissnei's eyes widened and she looked at Cloud with astonishment. "The damage out there is massive, and it's all over the place. A trail of death and destruction."

"I'd expect nothing less from someone with the abilities of a 1st Class Soldier," Veld's statement was plain without any guile.

Cloud squinted at him with a dark frown forming. The former Head Turk knew better than most, Cloud had never made Soldier. It seemed pointless remarking on it, and he wondered why the man would even say it. "It had to be done. I wasn't the only one fighting here."

"True," Veld released a small smile, and he looked at Elfie still incapacitated. "Getting your health back, Kiddo?"

Elfie grunted in response and scowled at them, but her annoyed stare stayed on Veld.

"More to the point," Shelke directed to Cloud, "there are no hardware systems here. I could only do a moderate search and I have found no captives or any information on their base. We could perhaps do a more in-depth investigation. It may take time."

"That's disappointing." Cloud sighed. "But, I don't think there's going to be anything and we could be wasting time."

"Where's Cait?" Denzel skimmed the courtyard.

"That insane animal was springing around," Cissnei said, "he seems to be a law to himself."

"I believe he is collecting… items." Shelke shrugged.

"Whatever he's doing-" Cloud replied with heat in his voice. If he had to, he'd leave the robotic cat behind, except he was a sure line to Reeve. "- we should leave soon. We've got word they've been using the track. There's a train we can use."

"Shelke, can you drive a train?" Denzel asked her.

Her blue eyes stared through him and she remained quiet, as if attempting to recall her own memories on the topic.

Elfie spoke, and her voice had become stronger. "I can."

"Good." Cloud nodded. "How long do you need?" He said to Veld, and he tried to conceal his impatience.

Veld studied Elfie with a critical eye. "She would have been ready ten minutes ago, although she wouldn't have been able to walk."

With the aid of the wall, she stood. "I can walk." She flicked Veld's offered arm away. "Driving a train does not require a lot of physical prowess."

"If you are all ready, let us depart," Nanaki stood. "I will lead you."

"Hopefully we'll see Cait on the way," Denzel remarked. "If not, he'll have to catch up on that pet of his."

Description
FFVII
The Fate of the Planet

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Emotive themes
Setting: 3 years after DoC
Rating: M
Status: WIP
OCs: 25%
Disclaimer: All related Final Fantasy VII names and characters are copyrighted © by Square Enix. However, this story and the OCs are ALL mine. Thank you.

THE FATE OF THE PLANET

Over four and a half years ago…

Cloud entered the kitchen by the garage door. He bypassed Tifa busy on the phone behind the counter and walked through the empty tavern and upstairs. 7th Heaven was strangely still without Denzel and Marlene. Even when the kids were playing quietly there was a happy hum in the air, but he had to admit the peace was a welcomed retreat.

All the way home and even now, the familiar weight of the sword on his back was bringing back somber memories. It still didn’t really feel like his despite using it more than its predecessors. He went into his old room and was about to shut the door. His hand on the knob, he stopped. Closing it would only provoke suspicion and make it look like he was hiding away. He didn't want to close himself off anymore.

Tifa would have heard Fenrir and seen him come in; she would be up soon. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to her. He just didn't think he'd be able to talk about what he was doing or why. He wasn't sure he wanted to be confronted with those memories. Not verbally at least.

He pulled the sword from his holster and laid it across the bed and dragged over his box of cleaning materials; oil, cloths and various sandpaper sheets. He had been putting this off for weeks, ever since he came back to live. The desire was there, but he lacked the mental courage to carry it through. But the longer he left it, the harder it was to do. It was now or never. And with the kids gone for a while, he was free to work on it without prying eyes and innocent questions that would only make him think about stuff. Now that he and Tifa had confessed their feelings to each other, there was stability in his mind, and he was at peace to reflect on his past with more insight. Not that it wiped away those regrets or sadness, it just helped him look at things in a new way. Tifa took the edge off the remorse and gave him hope for the future.

Oil first, followed by the coarse grade. The decay was broad spread. Cleaning the blade was a longtime coming. For someone who knew how to look after a weapon, Cloud really had let it go. How did he let it get so bad? But he knew why to some degree. He had been beyond looking after things, including himself. How could he hope to look after anything or anyone else? Lacking any ability to act rationally, his life was directionless and without hope. In fact, he was so mired in sadness, he had no idea what was occurring around him or to the people in his life.

He had sunk into the bowels of depression without realizing it and without any way out. The geostigma topped off his despair. When the voice of Jenova started, he came dangerously close to losing control of his senses, and so bad, he was fearful of what he might be led to do. He couldn't face people, especially Tifa, Marlene and Denzel. Once he left, he went from Zack's grave, to Aeris' church, to listening to Tifa's voice mail, like a haunted ghost bound by Jenova.

More rust came off on the paper. He continued scraping.

Tifa peeked in through the half open door. "Hey."

Cloud glanced up from the sword across his lap and just as quick his eyes went back to the job at hand. "Hey." He sensed his face become a wall to his emotions. Like a bad habit he was becoming aware of.

Tifa took a moment, obviously spying the sword. "I see you're busy. We can talk later." She pulled the door, but left it ajar.

"Tifa." Cloud didn't want her walking away from him, no matter how difficult it was to talk.

She came back, pushing the door, tentatively, and approached him. "That brings back memories." Her voice was a bare murmur.

"Yeah…" He remembered; fighting monsters and Shinra, fighting Sephiroth and killing him, more than once. Protecting everyone. Remembering a unique and heroic man, and his friend. The token of a legacy. A grave on a hill. "Good memories?" Right then he needed to hear the up-side. Tifa was good like that.

"Mmm," She sat on the floor by his knee, and Cloud shifted the sword down on his lap so she was near the hilt and not the sharp edge. "Some of the best memories." She gave a spontaneous chuckle of fondness for some undisclosed memory. "It saved us a number of times."

"Saved me more than I can count." Whenever he used it, it came through for him and on those times it was the embodiment of Zack's presence. As if Zack was the sword. No wonder it never felt like it belonged to Cloud.

Tifa scratched at a bump of corrosion. "I remember when I first saw it." Her remark was flippant but there was significance in the memory attached to it.

"Same here."

"I remember saying, 'That sword look's so heavy. Don't you get sore arms?'" She smiled at the blade, and shook her head at her naiveté.

"What did he say?" Cloud gazed at her face, casting his mind back to when she was that perky teenager.

Her hand ran through her hair at the back of her head, and she appeared thoughtful. "He said something about being a 1st Class Soldier, and of course he could lift it! And he said, 'How do you get to ask questions like that?!'"

"And what did you say?" Cloud smiled at her, warmed by the recollection.

"Um, 'if I want to know, I'm going to ask.'" She folded her arms across her chest and mimicked herself. Smiling, she blushed and lowered her face to study the grooves on the steel.

Cloud remembered Tifa being like that, but then she changed, and she wasn't as bold to voice her opinion. It was comforting she knew Zack and he relished the shared memories. He went back to oiling the blade. "Zack wouldn't have minded."

She watched him in silence and finally she spoke, her voice hesitant. "I'm glad you've still got it."

Cloud nodded, admiring the emerging silver.

"When you brought back the fusion blade, I thought maybe you had sold it," she said with care, perhaps worried she would offend him with her doubts. "I should have asked you, but…"

He stopped rubbing and stared at her downcast eyes.

She continued, "…I couldn't."

He sighed. What would he have said anyway? He had left it as a marker for Zack's grave? Even though Zack had willed him the sword as the symbol of his legacy. The guilt was rising in his mind and the shame. He had let the sword deteriorate, much like his life and relationships. "Did you want to?"

"Yes," she said with a short gasp. "That and much more. But... I guess things change, huh?"

"I really didn't give you much of a chance." He had shut her out, assuming it was for the best. Little did he know, she needed him for her own healing and he needed her for his.

"Maybe. Maybe I should have tried harder." Tifa's dark eyes skimmed his and she went back to the sword between them.

Cloud put his hand out to touch her shortened hair, but stopped, realizing his hand was oily from the cloth. He touched the stray wisps, saddened he couldn't have voiced how much he liked her hair long.

She went on, "It's a beautiful sword, and I think it's more than that."

"You're right." So much more he couldn't continue bearing it due to his heartache.

"It's like something that's been there from the beginning. It knows… things. It's witnessed more of history than us." Her cheeks tinged at the candid remark.

Cloud smoothed his hand over the symmetrical patterns with reverence. "Now, it can keep watching."

"Oh, you are going to use it?" She ran her fingers around the gold circular pattern at the hilt.

"No, it needs a new resting place." He wasn't sure where that was yet.

"It reminds me of all that time searching for Sephiroth and the black materia, and everything." She got up on her knees and looked down the length of the blade. "I feel I know it. I was always looking at this sword on your back, admiring the gleaming edge and the intricate patterns. And then I remembered Zack wore it." Her dark lashes shielded her averted gaze. "It gave me hope somehow that everything would work, and…" she stopped.

Cloud watched her with avid attention. She had never spoken so openly like this, or perhaps he had never been open to listening. He was mesmerized by how pretty she was kneeling at his feet. "And?"

Tifa flicked rust from between the golden pattern, distracting herself. "And… it gave Aeris hope too, because she remembered it."

"Yeah…" He remembered that later, but it was too late by then. Too late to share with her his time and memories of Zack, and his last moments with him. She would have appreciated it and been proud of Zack's actions, and maybe it would have helped with her own grief. He had let them both down, and it was one of his deepest regrets. "She knew it."

Biting her lip, Tifa placed her warm hand on his wrist. "Cloud…" her burgundy eyes sought him out with care.

He had come to realize that as soon as Aeris entered the life-stream she would have known all about Zack and what happened to him, he knew that now. After seeing them together he understood they had found peace with each other. They both knew so much more about it then he did.

He leaned in and kissed Tifa, lightly at first, with their hands on the sword between them. Their kiss deepened and he mouthed her lip, tasting her sweetness. Moving from her, he kissed her check and she smiled. Putting the past to rest was easier when he did it with her. "I think I know where I can put it," he whispered against her skin.

"The sword you mean?" She teased him with a coy smile.

"Mmm, yes…" he murmured, "you were thinking of something else…?"

She hung her wrist over his shoulder and her fingers played with his hair. "Maybe, but I think we should clean it first."

"You mean the sword?"

She pushed on his chest and chuckled. "You know!"

He grinned at her blushing. "You started it."

"But really," she said with seriousness, "I think Zack would be happy that you're looking after it."

"Yeah…" Cloud's eyes sparkled as he surveyed the whole blade, and envisioned it looking like brand new again. To Zack it symbolized everything important in life, and now to Cloud as well. "This sword meant a lot to him."

She gripped his hand and looked him in the eye with a firm gaze. "And now it means a lot to us too."

~ 7 ~

Apart from sporadic monster noises in the distance, the Cetra city was quiet. Wisps of smoke still hung in the muggy air caused by the combination of summoned elemental creatures in the assembly area. Cloud, Denzel and Nanaki descended the stairs of the tower with Denzel doing the talking and Nanaki the listening. Cloud meanwhile was lost in his thoughts as he savored the moments he had with Tifa. Their bittersweet meeting was weighing him down with longing. It made everything more painful. He couldn't explain why for sure, but the presence of the Buster sword in that evil environment gave him hope, and he was more than grateful for it. Like it always did, the sword reminded him of Zack.

"- it's so hard to believe." Denzel walked alongside Cloud.

Only half listening to his chatter, Cloud was shaken from his thoughts to consider his statement. It was even difficult for Cloud to believe and he had been there. But, they had spoken and touched. No doubt about it, it was her.

Nanaki replied, his head turning to eye the youngster. "The life-stream is a mysterious force, ultimately controlled by Gaia."

"It's incredible," Denzel muttered, more to himself. "But now we know a lot more about what we could be facing…"

"Yeah," Cloud finally voiced his vexation. "And we don't even know where we're going."

"True." Denzel paused. "But no, Tifa told you about the train. That's got to count for something?"

Denzel was right. It had to mean something and he had to hold onto that. Besides, there was little else to go on so far. He pulled his phone from his pocket and flicked it open. He dialed Reeve's speed number. It was dead. He tried Cid, but it was the same. Even Barret, but he'd be with Cid, hopefully that meant they were in Rocket town. He could do nothing to aid them. What was the use of being in charge if he didn't know what was going on?

"Are you ringing Vincent?" Denzel asked.

"Good idea." Cloud put Vincent's number in. At least it was ringing, but if he could get a connection with Vincent and not Reeve that did not bode well.

Someone answered, "Hello."

With all the background noise, Cloud could barely discern who it was. "Vincent?"

"Cloud?"

"I can't hear you. Can you hear me?"

"- a bad line-"

Vincent was actually yelling which was unusual for him. Cloud could hear a great rushing of wind and voices in the back, and Vincent's flat tone speaking of flying and Turks. "Did you say Turks?"

Indecipherable grumbling followed. "—travelling in— investigate—life-"

"Have you heard anything from Reeve?" Cloud shouted.

"No connect- out–" Whirling wind swept into the receiver "-noth—Rocket Town."

Was all Cloud could hear and it was not sounding like good news. "They were under attack."

Disjointed voices were shouting in the background, and through the mechanical rumbling, he heard Vincent, "- call when we land-"

"We?" Cloud asked not expecting an answer. "Okay." He snapped the phone shut.

"Where is Vincent?" Nanaki asked.

"The last I heard he was on the coast. Right now I think he's flying, somewhere. Sound's like he might be with the Turks. Strange for Vincent." Cloud followed Nanaki to the walkway leading off the great stairwell. "I don't think he could get through to Reeve either."

"I hope they're okay." Denzel's head lowered and he looked dejected.

"They'll have a fighting chance at least," Cloud told him, "About as much as us."

Denzel gave a rigid nod. "You're right."

"And we're getting an idea of what's ahead." Cloud didn't want to say it aloud, but the enemy seemed to be increasing with power the more information they gathered on them, and Cloud was charging right into it and taking everyone with him. He wished Barret and Cid were with him, or some of those WRO troops at least. "I wish we knew more though, to better prepare." But he shouldn't be surprised. It always seemed to be that way; following vague leads with only a handful of warriors and rushing into danger without knowing the best form of action. But now he knew without a doubt Genesis would be at the end, but more importantly, Tifa and the baby.

"Yeah…" Denzel mumbled.

"You'll be alright." Cloud sensed his trepidation, because he was feeling it himself, although probably for different reasons. "Stick with me and don't go off by yourself."

Denzel shook his head, and looked rueful. "It's not really that, it's… I wonder where Marlene is?"

"Yeah…" That was a concern and Cloud had pushed it from his thoughts, simply because he didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure splitting their team up to look for her was the best solution, but, could they really move forward without trying to search?

"You know what I think?" Denzel said quietly.

Despite the seriousness of their discussion, Cloud couldn't help but smile at him. "No, but you're going to tell me."

"Marlene is super smart and resourceful, although she probably can't kill anything to save herself…" Denzel looked away in thought. "If she stays low, she should be alright, plus she'll be able to see down here."

"And she could probably lecture a monster to death." There was humor in his words, but Cloud sighed with the burden of Marlene being alone out there. "I wish she had some materia. If I could contact Barret, I would ask him to come look for her."

After a moment of silence, Denzel said, "We only have so much time with Tifa, don't we?"

How did he know that? The kid was too smart for his own good. She had a couple of days, maybe only hours, if not less… Cloud gave a stiff nod and kept his eyes ahead. "Yep."

"We have to get Tifa," Denzel said with steely grit as if he had come to a personal decision. "Besides her being so important to us, she's carrying someone who will only make the planet's enemy more powerful."

His profound words helped Cloud's resolve as well. He was right, and even though it was the safety of the planet and its inhabitants, it was still Tifa. His Tifa, and he wanted her back. "I agree." And even if Tifa wasn't… he had to get the baby.

Nanaki walked along the balcony, his nose lowered to the stone. He looked up at Cloud and Denzel following behind. "Come, they aren't far."

~ 7 ~

Cissnei and Shelke walked out on the balcony plaza with Deneh padding quietly a few feet away. On orders from Veld, Cissnei was to secure the area, or more to the point, she was to clean up any loose ends. Looking out at the scene below, the place needed a whole lot of cleaning up, but not in the way Veld meant. Trails of black smoke drifted up from random spots, and bodies, including a variety of monsters, were scattered nearly everywhere.

While she was checking the city, Veld was watching over Elfie as she healed. Each time Elfie transformed into her metamorphose state, it took a toll on her body. The zirconiade was gone from her body, but it had left an imprint on her spirit energy, and she was paying the cost of that. Cissnei was worried for her, and she could only imagine how Veld felt. But then again, he did blow up whenever Elfie was careless with her health. As it was currently, there may not be any other option then going full force, but into what, who could say.

"Sooo," Cissnei cast a long and inquisitive gaze down at Shelke. "What do you think Deepground are up to?" It was worth asking. Some Turk traits never really disappeared. Shelke used to be one of them after all.

Shelke seemed unphased by her forward query. "Previously, they sought the annihilation of the planet and all its inhabitants." She wavered for a moment, "I can not see their current purposes diverging much from this desire."

"Ah…" Cissnei lowered her chin, and disbelief was in her voice. "That's broad and pretty ambitious to say the least."

"They must not be underestimated." Shelke told her with reproof in her tone.

"Maybe, but, surely you know abit more about them?" Cissnei stopped and faced her, wanting a concise answer.

Deneh also paused, listening to their conversation with curiosity.

Shelke regarded her; her navy-blue eyes piercing Cissnei's forthright stare. "They are without humanity or any mercy. Human life has no value to them, except what they can gain from it. They despise weakness and will do everything they can to rule over humans."

"Ooookay." Cissnei drew out her words in a heavy sigh. "I gathered most of that stuff."

She knew it already. She had seen them in action; had even come face to face with them. When they had started attacking towns on the planet, she and Veld had come across them in Wutai, where she was staying at the time. She found it incredible to think Shelke had been one of those blood thirsty demons. "I mean, can they still be effective?"

"The sole purpose of their existence and the reason for their creation was to be instruments of power." Shelke watched her with some confusion at her simple questioning.

"Yeah, alright." Cissnei sighed. "Stupid question. It's just they were mostly defeated, they shouldn't be that powerful anymore?"

"True, but." Shelke's brow raised in contemplation. "Cloud did mention Genesis Rhapsodos might be with them. He must add to their strength, and possibly he has his own agenda and he is using the Tsviets."

"Really?!" Cissnei could feel her eyes bulging with genuine shock, even though she tried to remain composed. "That bastard Soldier is still around?! That's news to me. Who would have thought it?"

"You know him?"

"Oh, yeah, kinda. Well, way back, but not in a friendly sense, more like colleagues from different departments." Cissnei folded her arms and considered that messed up time in her life. The best highs she had ever had wrecked by the worst lows. Lows she had never properly recovered from. "Holy Ifrit, imagine seeing that old face again! Can't say I look forward to that."

"He's a powerful foe?" Deneh asked her.

"You could say that. But the thing with Genesis, he went berserk and screwed a lot of people up."

"I see." Shelke nodded her understanding, and she reasoned, "I believe that was due to the Jenova cells implanted in his body which were slowly debilitating his thinking."

Cissnei didn't care for excuses. As far as she was concerned, he was a spoilt Soldier with too much power in his hands. "Ah, yeah, whatever. So," Suddenly tiring of the talk, she gazed around the courtyard. "How about I take the left. Shelke, you do the bottom level, and Deneh, you do the right? Sound cool?"

Deneh replied, "I can do that."

"Fine," Shelke said, curtly. "But I shall need to do an extended search of lower levels for information."

"Great, but I have a hunch you won't find anything." Cissnei continued, "There doesn't seem to be any power here."

"There is organic power," Shelke replied.

"I gather that's enough eh? Okay then, whatever you need to do." Cissnei grinned at Deneh first. "If you run into any trouble, give a roar." Her luminous eyes fell on Shelke. "And if I do, I'll give a yell, and Shelke, you can… you… do you even yell?"

Shelke kept her gaze cool, ignoring her blase attempt at humor. "If there is trouble, I will destroy my enemy."

Cissnei held back a chuckle. "Right, I'll take that as a, Shelke doesn't need help, cry." She went on, "We'll be fine, anyway. Alright, girl—s" she looked at Deneh in a questioning way. Or should she say feline? She just hoped she wasn't insulting her in some way. Talking animals were one of the oddest things she had come across, although not the strangest thing. "Back here in twenty. Hey, you don't have watches." She looked at her matt black watch with silver trim, under her sleeve. "Oh, look at that. 4.45. Am." She mumbled, "and nowhere near getting any sleep." Did she say that aloud?

"I have no need," Deneh's voice had a hint of mirth.

"Of sleep?" Now that would be handy.

"I have an inbuilt clock," Shelke said matter of factly.

"Ah, that really is weird, but for some reason not surprising," Cissnei remarked. Everything about Shelke was disconcerting. Like, how could someone like her be a Tsviet? And why did she end up looking like a kid? Did that mean she would never age? "Don't tell me, you don't need sleep either."

"My body has enhanced endurance—"

Cissnei put up her hand. "That's nice and all, and I do to some degree, but - Let's just go."

The girls separated without a sound to scout and secure the rest of the city.

~ 7 ~

Cloud, Denzel and Nanaki came into a partly concealed walled courtyard. Veld stood on guard, leaning his pistol against his shoulder and he watched them approach. Elfie sat against the wall, her body trembling and her face pale. She took short breathy gasps.

Cloud halted. "Where is Shelke?"

"Securing the area with Cissnei and Deneh," Veld replied. "Did you find out anything?"

"They're purging the planet," Cloud said. It was the same story as before with Deepground, but somehow this was different. "And it sound's more complicated than simply killing people. They're 'cleansing' them."

"Damn them!" Veld growled.

"What the hell is going on?" Cloud snapped at his unexpected and brash reaction. "What does the purification thing do to give them power?"

Elfie struggled up against the wall in an attempt to stand. "It's—"

Veld pointed at her and commanded, "You, sit!"

She fell back down and glared daggers at him.

Veld took a step nearer Cloud. "I tried to warn you."

Cloud watched him darkly. "Tell me again how bad it is."

Veld took a long breath and cast a glance at Elfie. She gave him an agreeing nod. He said, "In its original state, the experiment uses the Cetra as a conduit to restore the human, by accessing the life-stream. It brings complete restoration, mentally and physically, and supposedly even resurrection, provided it is carried out quickly enough."

"Wow!" Denzel breathed out with awe.

Veld added, "That was never tested."

"And?" Cloud said.

"But, if the restoration procedure is reversed, life force from the human is absorbed into the Cetra and contained, or dispersed into the life-stream via the Cetra."

"And the person dies?" Cloud contemplated the people in the tanks in Deepground city, and their decrepit appearance.

"Yes, and the Cetras would eventually die after a prolonged time," Veld told him.

"But," Cloud spoke his thoughts aloud, trying to figure out the complexities of the dilemma, "Weiss is up to something bigger than killing people. There must be more to it than Deepground wanting to erase people by this complicated setup."

"That's right," Veld said.

"Who are these Harbingers?" Cloud observed Veld's deep-set eyes and then his piercing gaze rested on Elfie.

"Harbingers…" She said, slowly. "Not sure…"

"Whatever they are, they're full of Jenova," Cloud answered his own query.

"Could it be?" Elfie gazed up at Veld.

Veld's face tightened with abrupt worry. "It must be."

"You know," Denzel eyed him.

"Perhaps, but still," Veld hesitated. "It's possible they are sick Cetras."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned sick Cetras," Denzel replied.

Now Cloud understood why they seemed similar to the Remnants and yet different. "They have been corrupted by Jenova?"

"Correct," Veld said.

Evil Cetras. How could things have gotten so bad for that sad race of people? Cloud didn't really know how it could be or why, but that didn't seem important compared to everything else going on. "And how does this help them awake Jenova?"

Veld and Elfie shared sudden worried glances. Elfie finally replied, "So it is possible…"

"What is?" Cloud barked.

"If the life-stream becomes polluted." Elfie's voice faltered and she took a deep breath. "From the use of these sick Cetras, Jenova will overcome the planet from the inside and enable Jenova to manifest," she explained, staring him straight in the eye with her solemn gaze, making sure he understood what was going to happen and what was at stake if Deepground weren't stopped.

Cloud, Denzel and Nanaki stared at her for moments, a mix of shock and horror. Denzel finally cried, "But…" he watched Veld carefully, "you mean, they're sucking life out of people, making them into Jenova and putting all that crap into the planet's life-stream to make it more like Jenova? That's… that'll be fatal for the planet." His mouth hung open in disbelief. "Our Planet."

"That's the short of it." Veld nodded with a grimace.

Cloud recalled the reborn Sephiroth speaking a similar thing a few years ago and the purpose of the geostigma. The evidence was in the life-stream he had witnessed recently. Black twisted tendrils spiraled through the green, and in some parts it was a cloying opaque black. Even in the ethereal Midgar, it seemed Jenova had taken up residence. Its presence was strong, almost overpowering. That's where Tifa was, right then. A terrible weight suddenly landed on his chest, and he felt he couldn't breath. He mumbled, "That's what they're doing…"

"How do you know this?" Nanaki asked Veld.

"The scientist who created it was aware of the dangers," Veld explained, "And after discovering the effects of the Chaos project and how it was abused, he didn't want anyone to use it in conjunction with that. In the end he destroyed it, or so he thought."

Denzel stepped up to Cloud and said, "Those people in the tanks?"

"What people?" Veld directed at Denzel. He loomed over the teenager, and his question wasn't going to be brushed aside.

"Ah…" Denzel stammered, suddenly unsure what he should be saying.

Cloud took a long breath and tried to make sense of the information. It was too late to be hiding anything. Saving Denzel from responding, Cloud said, "It's possible we saw this experiment in action, although on a small scale."

"It's not a surprise to learn," Veld said, "I assume that was in Deepground."

"They're really doing it…" Elfie clutched her knees to her chest and her voice was a faint murmur.

"They are," Cloud said, "And this awakening is going to happen soon."

"And I assume we don't know where…" Veld said, and even he looked pressured.

"No," Cloud answered.

"Something that's been on my mind," Veld began, "Tifa has not been used as bait to lure you otherwise they would have left an indication of their whereabouts." He eyed him with shrewd insight. "It's her they wanted, not you?"

His comment hit a raw anxious nerve, and his invasive remark cut into his confidence more than the talk about the planet being destroyed. Cloud was out in the middle of no-where, and no-where nearer to Tifa or even knowing where she was. For all he knew right then she might not even be alive. His jaw clenched in building anger and grief at his helplessness. "It's her."

"I see. Perhaps I understand something now." Veld's brow furrowed into concerned lines. "But would Weiss be interested in such things?"

Cloud muttered, "Maybe not him, but someone else…" and that someone else was alive. He knew for certain now.

Denzel stepped forward, his hands forming fists, and his voice was unusually abrasive as he stared between Veld and Cloud. "But, how the hell do we stop this?"

Cloud sympathized with his frustration and wished he could be so vocal with his own wrath. Regardless, he attempted remaining calm. "First we need to find them and disable their operations and them. But healing the planet… I know that the white materia is capable of it." He rubbed his neck, suddenly feeling the strain of his recent combat.

"And the key you were looking for." Veld's dangling grey lock of hair fell over his eye as he studied the ground.

"Oh, that key does have a use?" Denzel said.

"The Harbinger said it was a myth." Cloud added.

"No, it was real," Veld stated. "But we don't know where it is."

Shelke, Cissnei and Deneh approached them without a sound.

Elfie attempted standing again to meet them. Cringing with pain, she became breathless.

Veld turned to her, his eyes burning with irritation. "Stay there."

She glared back despite needing to heed his words.

Veld directed at Cissnei, "Any trouble?"

"A few strays here and there, nothing worth talking to." Cissnei stretched her arms above her head. "The enemy has been done and dusted."

Denzel stared at her and Elfie with amazement. "You really did it. Wiped out a city."

"You sound surprised." Cissnei frowned at him.

"Yeah, and we're still alive." Elfie nodded to Cloud and a smile tugged on her lips. "You did incredibly well."

"Yeah, and I hate to say." Cissnei's eyes widened and she looked at Cloud with astonishment. "The damage out there is massive, and it's all over the place. A trail of death and destruction."

"I'd expect nothing less from someone with the abilities of a 1st Class Soldier," Veld's statement was plain without any guile.

Cloud squinted at him with a dark frown forming. The former Head Turk knew better than most, Cloud had never made Soldier. It seemed pointless remarking on it, and he wondered why the man would even say it. "It had to be done. I wasn't the only one fighting here."

"True," Veld released a small smile, and he looked at Elfie still incapacitated. "Getting your health back, Kiddo?"

Elfie grunted in response and scowled at them, but her annoyed stare stayed on Veld.

"More to the point," Shelke directed to Cloud, "there are no hardware systems here. I could only do a moderate search and I have found no captives or any information on their base. We could perhaps do a more in-depth investigation. It may take time."

"That's disappointing." Cloud sighed. "But, I don't think there's going to be anything and we could be wasting time."

"Where's Cait?" Denzel skimmed the courtyard.

"That insane animal was springing around," Cissnei said, "he seems to be a law to himself."

"I believe he is collecting… items." Shelke shrugged.

"Whatever he's doing-" Cloud replied with heat in his voice. If he had to, he'd leave the robotic cat behind, except he was a sure line to Reeve. "- we should leave soon. We've got word they've been using the track. There's a train we can use."

"Shelke, can you drive a train?" Denzel asked her.

Her blue eyes stared through him and she remained quiet, as if attempting to recall her own memories on the topic.

Elfie spoke, and her voice had become stronger. "I can."

"Good." Cloud nodded. "How long do you need?" He said to Veld, and he tried to conceal his impatience.

Veld studied Elfie with a critical eye. "She would have been ready ten minutes ago, although she wouldn't have been able to walk."

With the aid of the wall, she stood. "I can walk." She flicked Veld's offered arm away. "Driving a train does not require a lot of physical prowess."

"If you are all ready, let us depart," Nanaki stood. "I will lead you."

"Hopefully we'll see Cait on the way," Denzel remarked. "If not, he'll have to catch up on that pet of his."