Final Fantasy VII: Reborn Book Three: The Last Reckoning
By Samuel Gayton
After five years, the fragile peace is shattered as the evil of Jenova
is released upon the Planet. As Sephiroth returns from the Lifestream,
bent on bringing about the Apocalypse and the rebirth of his mother, Cloud
travels to the City of the Ancients in search of the woman he lost so long
ago.
Is he prepared to give up his friends, and ultimately his life, for
the Planet he has sworn to protect?
Chapter 1: Past Tense
“You cannot escape, Reeve. No one can.” Sephiroth
“Is this it?” Zanzer
“It has begun, then.” Military Commander
“Too many dreams lay upon your shoulders. Too many hopes rest upon your soul.” Aeris Gainsborough
Final Fantasy VII: Reborn Book Three: The Last Reckoning By Samuel Gayton
Chapter One: Past Tense
Highwind Wreckage 5:59
Barrett gritted his teeth. He was becoming a housewife. And the worst
thing was, he quite enjoyed it.
Grunting, he finished his breakfast and then went and checked on the
wounded Elites.
Yeah. He liked looking after people. But not half as much as he liked
beatin’ the crap out of ‘em.
He went to the Lower Deck to check on his men. Out of three that were
seriously wounded at the start, only one was left. The other two had died
quite soon after the crash, within a week at the most. There graves lay
a few miles away on a little hill filled with Lavender. He had made it
into a habit to visit them once a week.
Harris limped up to him grinning. But Barrett couldn’t help but wince
inwardly. With limited knowledge and not much medicine, Harris’ leg had
been amputated four months ago.He wouldn’t forget the man’s screams as
his limb was cut off under no anaesthetic.
“Hey!” said Barrett, trying to sound optimistic. “How yer holdin’ up,
Harris?”
The man chuckled. “Same as always, Barrett. I just wish they’d be back
soon.”
“Yeah.” Barrett snorted. “They takin’ an’ awful long time, eh?”
“You bet. And it’ll probably be another month before they get back.”
Barrett shrugged. “Oh, well. Don’t rush ‘em, I say.”
Harris nodded. “Me too. Better that they take longer than they end
up ruining the mission through rushing it.”
“Everyone had breakfast?” asked Barrett, changing the subject.
“Yep.” Harris’ expression turned serious. “Barrett, we haven’t got
a lot of supplies left.”
“How much?”
“Two weeks worth, I’d say. And most of the men here are injured so
they can’t go out hunting...”
“I know. But... we got two weeks, haven’t we? Maybe three if we stretch
if out a bit. And they’ll be back soon.”
“What makes you so sure.”
“Trust me. They’ll be back when you least expect it.”
A voice came form behind them. “Are we late, Barrett?”
Turning round, Barrett almost fell over in surprise. He struggled to
his feet as Cloud and the others laughed at him.
“Shit!” cursed Barrett. “Don’t sneak up on me like that: me broken
legs only jus’ healed. And what are you doin’ back, anyway?”
Vincent held up the small jar with Aeris’ tissue sample in it. “We
got it, Barrett. And now we just want to get back to Fort Condor.”
Barrett cheered and sent Harris off to start the preparations. “Great!
We were runnin’ out of supplies, y’see.”
Cid walked up to Barrett, shook his hand vigorously. “Barrett... thanks.
For takin’ care of the old girl.”
Barrett shrugged. “It was nothin’. An’ what are all these people doin’
here?” He pointed to the Elites from the Ecos Colisseum.
Red XIII growled. “Long story, Barrett.”
“I won’t ask. Jus’ glad to have some new recruits!”
He suddenly noticed something.
“Hey?” he cried. “Where the hell’s Reeve?”
-
City of the Ancients 5:56
Reeve turned around slowly, but knew what he was going to see anyway.
He figured it was his death.
Sephiroth stared at him venemously, and then at the scroched carcass’
of Priscilla and Godo. He spat on the floor next to Reeve.
“You scum should not have done that.”
Reeve tried to put on a brave face. “Sorry, Sephy: did I ruin yer plan?
Oops.”
Sephiroth drew his katana and pointed the long sword at Reeve’s face.
“Now, I shall kill you.”
Reeve laughed and turned his back on the man.
“You want me to fight you? Fat chance. I’m dead any way you look it
so I’ll be damned if I’m breakin’ a sweat.”
Sephiroth’s eyes widened in surprise, and then he put on a bemused
smile.
“You will not fight me?”
“Nope.”
“I presume that you think that I will be noble and spare your life
because of this, correct? You are very wrong in your judgement.”
“I know, Sephy, I know. You’d get just as much pleasure from stabbing
me in the back as you would slicing me open from the front. That’s jus’
the type of guy yer are.”
Sephiroth laughed. “It seems that you are all out of options. This
time, there will be no stuffed toy to take the blows for you. Get ready,
my friend. For pain as you’ve never imagined.”
At that moment Reeve darted away from Sephiroth just as the cloaked
man brought his sword down. Sephiroth shouted a curse as Reeve sped toward
the Lifestream.
“You can’t escape, Reeve. No one can.”
Reaching the ridge jutting over pool of energy, Reeve turned and smiled.
“My dear Sephiroth, I think you’ll find I can. And I will.”
He turned and jumped off the edge to the Lifestream below. Hitting
the swatery sublstance, Reeve could just about make out Sephiroth’s screams
of fury as his prey escaped him. He managed to smile.
The green clouded his vision and invaded his mind. Reeve sank into
unconciosness and knew no more.
-
Fort Condor Medical Wing 7:43
This was it. After months of waiting for Cloud, he had never come.
And now Tifa was going to die.
Nicholas watched from the observatory as the men in black came in with
the lethal injection. He wanted to be there... to tell her it would be
fine. But he couldn’t. Because they both knew the truth.
That it would not be fine.
He felt Zanzer’s hand fall heavily on his shoulder and he winced. The
tissue that had become corrupted with Jenova Cancer ruptured. Pain lanced
through his body, but he said nothing.
“What are you doing here?” said Zanzer.
Nicholas said nothing.
“Nick... you love her, don’t you?”
“Is it that obvious?”
Zanzer laughed. “As an old man you get to know these things.”
“I guess you’re right.”
The old man’s face softened slightly. “You know... Nicholas... that
it would never work between you...”
“I know. She loves Cloud. She really does.”
Zanzer was silent for a second, his face was pained. “I’m sorry son.”
“...thanks...” mumbled Nicholas.
“But Nick, what are you doing here?”
“I’m watching.”
“What?” cried Zanzer, almost laughing. “You’re going to let the one
you love just pass away? You’re not going to do anything? Nick, I hope
you don’t mind me saying this, but you are a fool.”
Nicholas whirled round angrily. “You think I don’t want to save her?
You think I just let this happen? Well I’ve tried, but there’s nothing!
There’s nothing I can do! The only one to save her is Cloud.”
Zanzer stood his ground. He didn’t even flinch at Nicholas’ rage. “Shut
up, boy. If you believe that, you’re a bigger fool than I thought. Get
out of here, then.”
Zanzer struck a nerve. Nicholas snapped out of his sorrow, turned to
face the man. “What do I do?”
“I don’t know, kid. But these men in black: they’re human, too. Don’t
forget that.”
Nicholas nodded and stormed out of the observatory. He hadn’t a plan,
just a desire to save a dying woman.
To give her one last shot at life.
-
“Stop right there!” he cried at the suited men.
One of them looked up.
“Excuse me?”
“I said stop. There’s been a mistake.”
The man snorted. “I’m sorry. There’s no mistake. This is patient 11101?
Tifa Lockheart, right?”
“Yes, but...”
“Well, then!” snapped the guard. “Get the hell out of here and let
us do our job!”
“But you don’t understand.” said Nicholas calmly. “This is a direct
order from General Hamilton. Tifa Lockheart’s life is to be spared.”
The suited man sighed. “I’m sorry, kid. I’ve heard that one before.
But it won’t work. I really am sorry, and I know you’ll hate me for this.
But believe me... it’s better than the consequences. Much, much better.”
Nicholas was silent.
“Now get lost.”
“My father and mother died when I was three.” said Nicholas softly.
“Two weeks ago I gave the personal order to execute my best friend. Anthony,
the closest thing to a brother I have, is missing and I presume he is dead.
Listen to me again: everyone dear to me are dead, and I have nothing but
her to lose. So I tell you again: her life is to be spared.”
The man shifted about uneasily. “Is that a threat, kid?”
The other four men drew their swords.
Nicholas smirked. “You think you can take me on? Just try. I am stronger
than you could possibly imagine.”
The guard laughed. “Your just asking to be kicked shitless. I tried
to be nice with you...”
“Stop.”
Nicholas looked up to see his salvation.
It was Cloud, and he was back.
-
The suited man dropped his sword with a clatter and stood to attention.
“Mr. Strife, sir.” he said crisply. “This-”
“I know.” said Cloud. “You did a good job. Now get out of here before
someone gets hurt.”
The man looked at him in surprise. “Sir?”
“I said get out of here. And, by the way, you are officially relieved
of your execution duties.”
“May I ask why, sir?” he asked, sounding relieved. One of his men cheered
quietly.
Cloud looked at Nicholas and grinned. “Because that man there is going
to make us a vaccine to the Cancer.”