Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Ice ❯ One Last Chance ( Chapter 22 )

~~~ meanwhile

**** Change in time

 

Chapter 22: One Last Chance

 

After retrieving the fourth and final Huge Materia from the submarine at the bottom of the ocean and dropping Shera off at Rocket Town, the group made their way to Cosmo Canyon.

 

Bugenhagen was more than surprised at the appearance of his grandson. However, at least his intuition and insight was enough to know who Nanaki was in the first place.

 

“Ho Ho Hooo. If you ever are in need of my wisdom, you are always welcome here,” Bugenhagen said, welcoming the friends into his home.

 

“Yeah, that is why we came,” Cloud muttered.

 

“And Nanaki, my how you've changed. Not even the ancient texts prepared me for this,” the old sage commented, floating over to get a look at his adopted grandson.

 

Nanaki blushed furiously. “I do not know why this happened.”

 

“He was even able to call up Phoenix on his own,” piped up Yuffie suddenly appearing at Nanaki's side, gently placing a hand on his arm. Ever since the battle the two had been nearly inseparable.

 

“Is that so?” the old man questioned, turning to look at his adopted grandson once more. “Then you have indeed grown powerful.”

 

“Yes, well. Now is not the time to discuss me,” Nanaki interjected uncomfortably, leaning into the ninja's touch. “We have more pressing matters.”

 

“Yes, yes, of course.” Bugenhagen nodded. “We will talk later then.”

 

“We came because of Meteor and well, we weren't sure what to do with these either,” Cloud said, gesturing to the four Huge Materia that Barret was keeping in his pack.

 

“What to do?” the old man mused aloud as he led them to the living area where they could all sit comfortably. “Have you lost your way?” he questioned as he looked to each and every one of the friends. “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…” His gaze settled on Vincent who was leaning up against the wall. The dark-headed man looked away, uncomfortable underneath the penetrating gaze of the older man.

 

“That's easy enough to say…” the leader snorted. “But I can't remember a thing.”

 

“It must be there,” Bugenhagen urged. “Look harder!”

 

Each member of the group quieted as they sought to understand what it was that the wise grandfather was trying to tell them.

 

“Something buried…” Reeve murmured, looking down at the floor. “Or something forgotten?”

 

“Do you see it? What it is that you are searching for?”

 

“Nope,” Barret declared with finality. “Not a thing. Naw. Can't come up with a damn thing.”

 

“I don't get this!! It makes no sense!!” huffed Yuffie, crossing her arms over her chest. The ninja settled back into her seat on the couch and proceeded to observe everyone else, somehow finding herself paying close attention to the recently transformed Nanaki.

 

Cloud sighed and furrowed his brow. “I… remember Aeris a lot. No…” he shook his head, eyes clouding with sorrow slightly. “Not that. I haven't remembered because I haven't forgotten.”

 

“None of us have, Cloud,” Cid added in. “It is like you said, she ain't died.”

 

The old sage quietly watched them talk, hoping that they would understand what he was trying to teach them.

 

“Yes.” Cloud nodded. “Aeris has always been there. Right by our side… she was so close, we couldn't see her. What Aeris did… the words she left behind…”

 

“The easy acceptance and gentleness…” the ex-Turk added in a low tone. He was given strange looks by many a member of the crew, but he ignored them.

 

“I thought of her as well,” Reeve said, amber eyes glinting. “How she once talked of Holy…”

 

“As did I…” Nanaki also stated. “Hojo had his eye on both of us as experiments and yet, she always had a laugh to offer…”

 

“She said that she was the only one who could stop Meteor,” the pilot added in.

 

“But she is gone…” the dark-skinned man said fiercely. “Does that mean that there is no hope?”

 

“Is it impossible for us to carry on… what Aeris tried to accomplish?” murmured Nanaki.

 

“None of us have any Ancient blood in us, if that is what you mean.” Yuffie shrugged, her hand still on Nanaki's arm.

 

“Why did she ever leave in the first place? Why did she go off alone?” questioned Vincent. “There had to have been a reason as to why she went to that place.”

 

“That's it!!” Cloud exclaimed suddenly, startling everyone.

 

“What's it?” the Captain questioned, completely confused.

 

“We don't understand anything about what she knew. Why DID she face Sephiroth without running away?”

 

“It has to have something to do with that place!” Reeve insisted, coming to a conclusion.

 

“Oh?” Bugenhagen questioned raising an eyebrow. “What place? Perhaps I will have you take me there…”

 

“It is the City of the Ancients,” the blond leader answered.

 

“You are going to come with us?” Nanaki questioned with surprise, eyeing his grandfather.

 

“What's so shocking about that?” asked Bugenhagen. “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.” To enunciate his point, the older man gave a great stretch of his muscles, bones popping as he did so with a huge grin on his face.

 

“It must be the Planet,” Nanaki insisted. “The Planet is calling you!”

 

“Yeah, hoo boy, the Planet calling…. right,” Cid muttered in clear disbelief. That was far too much for him to wrap his mind around.

 

The old sage laughed. “Then let's go, but first, you wanted somewhere to place the Huge Materia?”

Cloud nodded in response and gestured towards Barret. The dark-skinned man brought the four larger balls of Materia forward.

 

“We can put them in the observatory.”

 

* * *

 

On board the Highwind, Bugenhagen was laughing joyously as he looked around the airship. “Hm, hmm, hmm!! Smells like machinery. I love this smell!”

 

“Damn right!!” Cid added in, slapping the grandfather on the back. “Best damn smell in the world!!”

 

“Of course, I also love the smell of nature too, hm? Is the deck up there?”

 

Cid nodded. “Feel free to roam. Can't say no to a man who loves the machinery!!”

 

“Ho, ho, ho!! Then I'll be on the deck just passing the time. I can feel the workings of the Planet in the wind. I also feel the greatness of man's wisdom and the knowledge in the smell of machinery. Well, bye for now.”

 

“Wait, grandfather,” Nanaki exclaimed, coming up beside the old sage. “I will go with you. I need to talk about things.”

 

The elder man nodded and floated up to the deck, Nanaki following him up to the deck.

 

“So, you are going to have to tell me exactly when this happened, not that I disapprove of the changes,” Bugenhagen asked now that they were standing alone on the deck.

 

Nanaki sighed as he leaned on the railing to look at the landscape beneath them rushing by. “It happened in the battle against Scorpios. I was trying to save Yuffie and was angry because I didn't have enough power. The next thing I know my whole body starts to glow, I feel a tingle, there is a big flash, and I am in this body with this weapon. Yuffie was injured and Reeve was close to death. I knew I needed Phoenix, but Reeve had her. I whispered something in my despair and called the summon by her true name; I don't know how I knew it. She came.”

 

“Did you know that the amulet was the result of a peace treaty between the Wutaians and your clan years and years ago?” Bugenhagen asked suddenly.

 

“How would I know that? Besides, what has that to do with anything?”

 

“Apparently it is the cause for your transformation, though I do not understand exactly how or why it works.”

 

“I'll bet it has to do with you becoming more powerful,” came Yuffie's voice from the doorway of the deck. The ninja looked a little green and was stumbling a bit in the airship's movement, but her voice was steady and strong.

 

“Yuffie! Are you all right?” the former lion wolf asked with concern, moving to her side.

 

She gulped loudly. “I will be okay, once the ground stops trying to say `hello'. I hate flying!”

 

The red-head chuckled. “The fresh air should do you some good then.”

 

“Ho, ho, ho!” The old man laughed. “Come sit by the railing, it might help some.”

 

Yuffie nodded slowly, and Nanaki helped her to the railing. The two of them leaned against the cold metal and relaxed. It wouldn't really be a long wait until they arrived at the City of the Ancients.

 

“You were saying about the amulet…” said Nanaki, gesturing towards his grandfather.

”I overheard the part about it being connected with a peace treaty, but why were the Wutaians and Nanaki's clan fighting in the first place?” the little ninja questioned, sighing as the former lion wolf started to rub her back.

 

Bugenhagen waved his hand in dismissal. “Petty differences and racial arguments, nothing worth mentioning. But the amulet was made by the highest ranking monk of Dao-Chao and the strongest spiritual chieftain of Nanaki's clan. It was a collaborative effort made to ensure that peace would always exist between the two races.”

 

“Wow,” Yuffie said, her eyes shining. “That is so cool. What else do you know about our history?”

 

The elderly sage laughed as he settled into a comfortable position, opening his mouth to begin his stories.

 

~ ~ ~

Cid walked out of the cockpit once the Highwind was successfully in the air. He had one goal in mind, to find a certain dark-haired gunman. After the friends had been picked up at the crash site, the pilot hadn't really have a chance to talk to Vincent. He tried to talk to him while they were retrieving the Huge Materia and before they arrived at Cosmo Canyon, but the dark-haired gunman was hiding. The Captain couldn't even find him.

 

He didn't understand why the ex-Turk was acting all aloof all of the sudden. Not that promises had been made or anything but still… he wanted to know where the gunman was.

 

So at the current moment, he knew he had a few hours before the Highwind would make it to the Ancient's city. That would be plenty enough time to find Vincent and perhaps have a little fun in the meantime. Just thinking of the gunman's soft skin and lips made the pilot feel a little uncomfortable in his not-so-loose pants.

 

The Captain checked all the usual places, starting first with Vincent's room. It was dark underneath the door and no one answered his continual knocking. Cid gave up there and next checked the deck where the gunman was known to haunt. Instead he found Bugenhagen delightfully explaining history to a captive audience of two. The blond wasn't sure how they managed to stay awake, just five minutes of listening to the grandfather drone on and on and Cid thought he needed a nap.

 

The common room was surprisingly empty despite the relative early hours of the day and frankly, Cid was out of places to look. He had even checked his own bedroom, but the gunman wasn't there either. Hmph.

 

Wandering down the hallway, and pondering where else the elusive gunman could have gotten, the pilot accidentally ran into Reeve. Apparently the ex-executive had also been deeply thinking about something.

 

“Sorry, Reeve,” Cid muttered, running a hand through his hair as he reached for a cigarette. “Say, you haven't seen Vincent have you?”

 

“Umm… no, sorry,” Reeve said, though he appeared a bit distracted. “Why don't you call his PHS?”

 

“Doesn't have one,” answered Cid evenly. “He's been a bit out of it…”

 

“Ah,” said Reeve in understanding.

 

Cid lit up a cigarette and eyed the ex-executive for a minute. He seemed a bit more disheveled than usual, and his normally unshakable exterior seemed a bit… well… shaken.

 

“So uh, where you heading?” the Captain asked.

 

The ex-ShinRa shrugged. “I don't know. The common room, maybe?”

 

Cid gestured towards the hall with his head as he took off towards the common room, happily sucking on a cigarette. “C'mon. I will buy you a coffee or sumthin'.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The two men walked in silence for a moment, just enjoying the low thrum of the engines of the airship. It was a comforting sound, ensuring that the airship was still running smoothly.

 

“You know, Cid,” Reeve began slowly. “I haven't seen you smoking in a long time…”

 

The pilot paused for a moment, remembering the reason why he had cut back on smoking. A certain dark-haired gunman had lectured him on cancer, lung disease, and yellowed-teeth until his ears felt like they were going to bleed.

 

“Eh? Well, it is a nasty habit,” Cid answered vaguely, trailing off.

 

“Sometimes a necessary one though, in the stress of living in this world,” the ex-executive commented.

 

Cid looked back at the other man, who was a few steps behind him. They locked eyes, amber meeting blue. Wordlessly, Cid reached for another cigarette and handed it to the dark-headed man. He offered Reeve a light and the ex-executive lit up gratefully.

 

“I've never smoked before, you know,” Reeve commented absentmindedly.

 

“Why start now?” Cid questioned as they continued on their way to the common room.

 

The ex-executive shrugged. “Just felt like I needed one. Thanks.”

 

“I hear ya.” The Captain pushed open the swinging door and entered the common room. It was as empty as it was twenty minutes ago when he had come in the first time. Gesturing Reeve towards a table, Cid dug into his pockets for some change so that he could put it into the coffee machine. Pretty soon he had two steaming mugs of Café Mocha ready for drinking… well… after they cooled anyways.

 

“Wanna talk about it?” the pilot asked as he took a seat, turning the chair backwards so that he could lean on the back.

 

Reeve took a drag on the cigarette, delighting in the nicotine rush as it lasted longer than it used to. “You going to tell me why you're looking for Vincent?” He eyed the pilot.

 

The blond shrugged. “I have to talk to him about something, no big deal. Now what about you…”

 

“I've pretty much always worked for ShinRa you know. Started in the military at a young age, was recognized for my talents and drafted into intelligence. I was one of the youngest investigators that they had, and one of the best, if I do say so myself.” Reeve took a cautious sip of his coffee; it was good, albeit a bit hot.

 

“And not the least bit modest,” Cid joked, raising an eyebrow.

 

The dark-haired man shrugged. “Why bother with modesty when it is the truth? Besides, that isn't even the point. After working in intelligence, I managed to climb my way to the top until I eventually became Head of Urban Development. The higher ups were excited by my early designs of robotic helpers that would eventually become variations of Cait Sith. I had hoped I could do some good there, once I finally learned of the corruptness in the company that I idolized. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Then things got… complicated.”

 

“Complicated?” the Captain repeated quizzically.

 

“Yes. A terrorist group called AVALANCHE started to rise against ShinRa, and then dead generals started coming back to life,” said Reeve sarcastically. He bit his lip when he realized he was snapping at Cid for no reason and calmed his voice. “Little by little a resistance was developing against ShinRa, and the President didn't like it one bit. Rufus is even more ruthless than his father, only more cunning and cruel. The president was a bastard, but Rufus… he is cold and calculating, using whatever means necessary to get what he wants.”

 

Cid only nodded to show that he was listening as he attempted to digest what Reeve was telling him.

 

“You have to understand, I never wanted to spy on your group or betray you either. I actually liked you. It seemed your cause was just and true, not based on greed and power like ShinRa. But they used him against me… threatening to hurt him.” Reeve looked up and locked eyes with Cid, ensuring the pilot that he was speaking from his heart. “I am telling you because I believe that you know exactly what I mean. We all have secrets to protect.”

 

Cid nodded slowly. Yet, inside he was shivering with fright. Whether or not the other man knew about Kyle or Vincent was a mystery, but either way… he knew he had found a friend in the ex-executive.

 

“I'm not going to ask that you tell me who `he' is because I certainly ain't going to divulge any names either, but am I right to say he is a part of ShinRa as well?”

 

Reeve sighed and rubbed his temples. “Yes, and now we stand on opposite sides of the field and I am at a loss what to do. I cannot fight him… I will not fight him, and he still doesn't know about the threats.”

 

“It's probably better that he doesn't,” the blond muttered. “Sometimes they tend to get cranky if they find out you were trying to protect `em.”

 

“Hai, I agree.” Reeve nodded as he drank solidly from his coffee. It had cooled down enough that he could really taste the chocolate in the drink now. “He is actually the one that smokes…” he added as more of an afterthought.

 

“At least you don't have to worry about chasing after him,” the pilot commented. “Sometimes they can be as slippery as an eel.”

 

“Ah, but the fun is in the catching.” Amber eyes sparkled as if remembering a past time.

 

“Right you are,” Cid commented. He stood up and stretched, quickly draining the last of his cup. He crushed the Styrofoam in his hand and tossed it near the wastebasket, easily missing the can by several feet. “Well, guess I'd better go see how off course we are with that moron flying.”

 

Reeve got to his feet as well, walking over to put his cup in the trash and bending down to pick up Cid's missed projectile. “You aren't going to continue searching for Vincent?”

 

“Nah,” said the blond, heading for the door. “I think I'll chase after him a bit later.”

 

Reeve smiled. “Good luck.”

 

“Eh?” called back Cid, voice floating in from the hallway. “Won't need it. But hey, if it's there, I ain't letting it go.”

 

The ex-ShinRa couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He knew that Cid wasn't talking about finding Vincent either. Despite the fact that the man knew nothing about waxing philosophical and giving enigmatic answers like the dark-haired gunman, he had a certain honesty about him that made his advice just as worthwhile.

 

He flipped his hand and let one of his throwing knives slide easily into place. He twirled it about his fingers as he went off to find Cloud. He wanted to go on the next mission. Reeve was tired of sitting in the airship waiting for his life to catch up to him. After all, he was fighting for two, now wasn't he?

 

* * *

 

The airship touched ground directly outside the Ancient City. Cloud, Nanaki and Reeve took Bugenhagen inside so that the older man could perhaps help them understand what happened.

 

The elderly sage paused at the three-way split to the roads, as if he were listening to something. He tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes, sighing softly.

 

“Are you getting something?” questioned Cloud. He ignored the shushing noise that Nanaki gave him. He was leader dammit…

 

“… give me a moment,” Bugenhagen responded, breathing deeply. There was so much sorrow on the air… sorrow and regret. The city was full of emotion and history; it was almost too much to take in at once. Finally, he felt he was ready to move on and followed the group as they took the left most path.

 

After a few minutes of walking, they found themselves in the room with the strange apparatus. The old man immediately felt something and nearly starting bouncing with glee.

 

“The knowledge of the Ancients swirling around here is telling me one thing. The Planet is in a crisis… A crisis beyond human power or endless time. It says, when the time comes, we must search for `Holy'.”

 

“Holy?” the leader asked, struggling to remember if he had heard that before.

 

“Holy…” Bugenhagen confirmed. “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. Ho ho hoooo.” The grandfather shook his head. “Meteor, Weapon, everything will disappear. Perhaps, even ourselves.”

 

“Even us?” Reeve exclaimed with surprise. His thoughts instantly traveled to those he loved.

 

“It is up to the Planet to decide. All that is bad will disappear. That is all. Whether or not we are considered good or bad is not up to us.”

 

“Holy…” Reeve murmured. “Wasn't that-“

 

“Search for Holy…” interrupted Cloud. “How do we do it?”

 

“Speak to the Planet. Get the White Materia… if our wish reaches the Planet, the materia will let us know.”

 

Cloud hung his head. Aeris had the white materia… and she had thought it had no use.

 

“But… Aeris had the white materia,” the ex-executive spoke up. “Didn't she?”

 

“And it fell from the altar when Sephiroth attacked…” Nanaki trailed off.

 

“It's all over…” Cloud sighed.

 

The old sage shook his head. Their hope was so fragile. He looked over the strange formation again. “Ho, ho, ho, look at this!”

 

“What is it?” asked Cloud dully.

 

“Ancients' writing. However I cannot even make it out!!”

 

“That is not funny,” Reeve murmured.

 

“I am not an Ancient. I can't read this thing. Look closely below the writing however.”

 

Cloud bent down at examined the words carved into the stone. “There's something written in chalk above the words. … `key'…. `in the music box'.”

 

“It was probably written by a scientist, who has been here before. Perhaps that was all he could transcribe before losing his life.”

 

“Key?” Nanaki wrinkled his nose in confusion. “To what?”

 

“I don't know,” Bugenhagen answered, shaking his head. “But, it probably has something to do with our riddle.”

 

“Where can we find this key?” Reeve asked with interest, his hope mounting.

 

The leader shook his head, then peered at the stone again. “There is something else written here. `Find the key'… `where light does not embrace'…Where do you think that means?”

 

“A cave or something similar?” Nanaki said.

 

“But we've been everywhere on this planet. Where else could we have possibly not searched?” Cloud questioned.

 

“Underwater…” Reeve spoke up as he considered the problem. “We have the submarine, and - in deep waters - the light doesn't shine at all.”

 

“There you have it… the answer.” The old man laughed.

 

* * *

 

“What about Deep Man's Island,” piped up the exuberant ninja. All eyes turned in her direction. They were all back on board the airship and Cloud had just finished explaining to the others what was going on and what they were about to do.

 

“What is it?” questioned Cloud, looking down at the elated Yuffie with a frown. “I have never heard of it.”

 

“It's on the southern tip of Wutai,” answered the ninja, nodding fiercely. “I am pretty sure there was an underground tunnel that led beneath the ocean there.”

 

“It's worth checking out,” responded Reeve thoughtfully with a shrug. “It certainly fits the requirements.”

 

“Wutai is the one place we have yet to search,” pointed out Nanaki.

 

“And I can take you there,” exclaimed Yuffie excitedly. “The `key' or whatever it is will probably be there.”

 

“There you have it! Ho, ho, ho!” boomed Bugenhagen, clapping both the dark-haired ninja and the blond swordsman on the back. “On to Wutai it is then.”

 

“Wait a minute!” declared Cid holding up his hand. All eyes turned towards him. “What if instead of gallivanting off towards the brat's pretend island, some of us take the submarine as well. We can do all the searching in half the time.”

 

“No!” defied Yuffie loudly. “I… I mean, Deep Man's Island is really dangerous and we'll need everyone's materia… uh, help in order to traverse the peril.”

 

Cloud eyed her suspiciously. “I highly doubt that it is necessary that the seven of us are necessary to take on a dark tunnel twisting beneath the depths of the ocean.” Suddenly the blond went a little white as he realized exactly what that journey would entail. Not that he minded going under water, or under ground, or even tight places. But when the three sketchy situations were combined it left him feeling just a bit edgy. Not to mention how entirely dark it would be and probably fraught with monsters. Not his idea of an easy time.

 

“Fine,” he acquiesced. “We will all go.”

 

“Trust me Cloud,” nodded the brown-eyed girl. “You won't regret it.”

 

* * *

Fear not and don't get confused. The Wutai part has not yet been written but takes place between this chapter and the next. However, it is not important to the plot and can be missed with no repercussions.