Fire_Emblem776
05-28-2005, 11:27 PM
After fiishing the game i had many questions that remaind unaswerd. and i found this so revealing! it answerd all for me. It had the whole time line /plot break down and all thierys for me.this will answer all abouy 7 that you wonderd. So if you are reading this that shame on you! you are about t spoil the greatat game ever!!
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/file/final_fantasy_vii_plot.txt
and if ya to lasy then here we go
FF VII time line
===============================================================================
******************** 1) EVENTS PRIOR TO THE GAME - TIMELINE *******************
===============================================================================
- Over 2000 years ago.
An interstellar race known as the Cetra arrives on the Planet. They are on a
quest for the Promised Land. The Planet is an ideal location as it contains
the Lifestream, pure magical energy drawn from every living thing on the
Planet. There is already humanoid life on the Planet and the Cetra settle in
tribes amongst them.
- Approx 2000 years ago.
Jenova arrives. He/She is known as the "Calamity from the Skies". It lands at
the north of the Planet and Cetra who have settled in a place called
"Knowlespole" go and investigate. Jenova appears disguised as a Cetra,
promising peace, but infects the Knowlespole Cetra with a terrible virus that
mutates and destroys them. Jenova then moves across the Plant infecting and
destroying the Cetra tribes.
Jenova's landing caused a huge wound in the Planet and the Lifestream gathers
there at what becomes known as the Great North Cave to repair the Planet. Five
Huge Robotic Weapons of increasing power are created by the Planet to kill
Jenova (WEAPON, DIAMOND WEAPON,ULTIMATE WEAPON, RUBY WEAPON and EMERALD
WEAPON), but before they can be used, a few surviving Cetra manage to defeat
Jenova (now in permanent female form) and seal her in rock.
The Weapons go into hibernation and the few surviving Cetra disperse amongst
the Human population.
- Over the next 2000 years.
The people of the Planet grow more sophisticated. The centre of commerce,
government and power is centralised mainly in a large city called Midgar. This
city becomes more populated over the years. A commercial weapons manufacturing
company called Shinra figure out a way to draw power from the Lifestream in the
form of pure Mako. Mako is used by everyone as a source for materia and magic,
but Shinra create huge reactors that suck Mako from the Planet. This allows
Midgar to become a huge, sprawling and prosperous city. However the speed of
Midgars technological change is not matched by its democratic changes and
Shinra finally take over the running of the government and form their own
military wing and secret police force to keep a hold on power.
To keep a charade of democracy, a mayor is elected to run Midgar, but he/she is
merely a puppet in the pay of Shinra. Shinra develop an elite armed force
called SOLDIER, where promising soldiers are treated with Mako to enhance their
abilities. They also create the Turks, a shadowy collection of assassins,
spies and undercover thugs to carry out less obvious empire building on the
companies behalf.
Over the last 50-odd years of Midgars history, it has become place of two
extremes. Wealth, luxury and power fuelled by the Mako reactors are the lot of
those who live high above the ground on Midgars raised Plate structure.
Poverty, deprivation and oppression are endemic in the under-city, making life
a constant struggle for those who live in the slums under the Plates of the
Higher Midgar.
57 years ago
- Vincent Valentine born. At some point in the next twenty years he joins the
Turks.
48 years ago
- Nanaki (Red XIII) born in Cosmo Canyon. He is one of the few remaining of
his species. At some point during Nanaki's growing up, the Canyon was attacked
by a vicious tribe know as the Gi. Nanaki's mother was killed. Seto, Nanaki's
father fought off the Gi, but was turned to stone in the process. Nanaki is
never told the truth as to where his father went and grows up believing Seto
abandoned the Canyon to the Gi like a coward. Nanaki's species is very long
lived and has some connections to the Ancients. This may explain why Hojo took
an interest in Nanaki many years later.
33 years ago
- Barret is born in Corel. Corel at that time is a prosperous town built on the
coal mining industry. Coal still being the principal source of fuel for places
outside of Midgar at this time.
32 years ago
- Cid Highwind born.
31 years ago
- Professor Gast while excavating in Mount Nibel, finds Jenova inert in a
2000-year-old geological stratum. He takes Jenova to Nibelheim, where he
begins to research her origins and powers. At this point he believes her to be
an Ancient/Cetra. Shinra become very interested in his work and offer him
money and assistance to carry on.
30 years ago.
- The Jenova Project is started. The goal Shinra are aiming for is the
creation of humans with the powers of the Ancients. It is not clear if Gast
knew of this, but Hojo the scientist sent to assist by Shinra most certainly
did.
Gast and Hojo start experimenting on Jenova. These are conducted in the
basement laboratory of Nibelheim Mansion. A young female scientist called
Lucrecia and a young Turk called Vincent (sent to keep an eye on things) are
also present.
As the experiments progress, Vincent falls in love with Lucrecia. However she
is in love with Hojo and declines Vincent's proposal of marriage. Lucrecia
becomes pregnant by Hojo. Hojo, having no luck using full-grown humans and
creatures in his Jenova experiments, decides to use his unborn child instead.
He injects Lucrecia and the baby with Jenova cells. Lucrecia becomes very sick
and upon delivering the baby, finally becomes altered beyond recovery.
Vincent in a rage confronts Hojo. But he is incapacitated by Hojo and subject
to more Jenova treatments. He becomes another twisted monster like the rejects
being stored in pods at the Nibelheim Mako Plant.
Hojo then stores Jenova in the Mako Plant and takes his perfect newborn baby
son away to Midgar and Shinra headquarters where he can be raised and observed
as he grows. The boy is named Sephiroth and he is never told who his parents
are.
At some point Professor Gast left the project, most likely after Hojo began his
warped experiments on live people. Realising he had no way of stopping the
Shinra scientist he decided to get away before Shinra decided he is no longer
useful.
Vincent awakes to find Lucrecia and Hojo gone and the experiments at Nibelheim
Mansion over. In despair he seals himself up in a coffin in the basement and
sleeps for the next 30 years. Lucrecia, having new powers courtesy of the
Jenova cells also goes into seclusion in a Waterfall Cave.
28-24 years ago.
Professor Gast travels the planet. He is possibly looking for more information
on the Ancients/Cetra. He visits Bugenhagen at Cosmo Canyon during his travels
and gives him scientific equipment. At some point along the way he meets
Ifalna, one of the last Ancients on the Planet. They fall in love and retire
to Icicle Lodge on the Northern Continent. Gast does not officially leave
Shinra, but he does not tell them of his whereabouts.
22 Years ago
- Aeris is born to Professor Gast and Ilfalna. Soon after her birth Hojo
finally tracks Gast down. He tries to take Aeris and Ifalna away for his
experiments. Gast and Ifalna resist. Gast is killed and Ifalna and Aeris are
captured.
21 years ago
- Cloud born in Nibelheim. He grows up a lonely and isolated child; constantly
frustrated by his inability to allow himself to be the person he wants to
really be.
20 years ago
- Tifa born in Nibelheim. She is out-going and lively and has a lot of
friends. Although she and Cloud are close in age and distance they don't spend
much time together as children.
Approx 16 years ago
- Shinra go to war abroad with the town of Wutai. The fierce pride of the
leader Godo has kept Shinras influence out of the town, but they are quickly
crushed and Wutai has to become a tourist town to carry on and survive. Somehow
during this time, Ifalna escapes from Shinra Headquarters Laboratory with Aeris
and gets as far as Sector 7 station in Midgar. Here, exhausted and wounded she
hands Aeris over to Elmyra Gainsborough and then dies. During their first
meeting Elmyra's husband is killed far away and this is sensed by Aeris.
Elmyra adopts Aeris and raises her. Aeris grows up showing strange intuitive
powers and an affinity with nature. She keeps about her person a small white
pearl of materia that her dead mother left for her. This is actually the
materia for summoning Holy. But Aeris is not aware of its power. As she grows
up, Tseng the leader of the Turks pesters her. He wants to take her back to
Shinra Headquarters, but Aeris manages to avoid Shinra every time.
Sephiroth is also proving to be a hugely capable and talented young soldier
with abilities and powers that far outstrip his peers. His conduct during this
time of war earns him a hero's reputation even though he is still in his teens
and he continues to rise though the ranks of SOLDIER.
During the War, Shinra keep investing in new military research and formulated a
space program. An experienced young pilot called Cid Highwind was destined to
fly Shinras rocket into space. Cid has already proved himself worthy with the
Sea Plane the Tiny Bronco and the Highwind airship. But his dream was crushed
when the launch was aborted due to technical problems. After the War with
Wutai finished, Shinra decided its Mako business was more profitable than war
and Space exploration and the Space program was dropped.
16 years ago
- Yuffie born in Wutai.
12 Years ago
- Tifa's Mother dies. An upset and confused Tifa believes her Mother has gone
to Mount Nibel and sets off to find her. Cloud follows to make sure she stays
safe but Tifa is injured in a fall. Tifa's father arrives and blames Cloud for
leading her astray. Cloud, distressed at being wrongly blamed and angry at his
inability to save Tifa, decides that one day he will become as strong and
capable as the Legendary Sephiroth and resolves to join SOLDIER when he is old
enough.
- After Tifa recovers, her and Cloud become a little closer. She hears of his
plans to join SOLDIER, at the same time she starts training under martial arts
master Zangan perfecting her hand-to-hand combat skills.
9 years ago
- Zack leaves his home in Gongaga and joins SOLDIER; he easily makes the grade
and gets to serve under the command of Sephiroth.
7 years ago
- While stationed in Midgar, Zack meets and dates Aeris. He writes to his
parents about her during this time.
- Cloud leaves Nibelheim, but fails to get into SOLDIER. He becomes an
ordinary Shinra soldier and cuts off all contact with his hometown and old
friends; so ashamed is he that he failed again.
5 years ago
- Reports of monsters disrupting life for the workers at the Mt. Nibel Mako
reactor results in Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud being sent to Nibelheim to
investigate. On reaching Nibelheim Cloud keeps his identity hidden from Tifa
and the other townspeople. He cannot bear to be seen as just an "ordinary"
solider.
Tifa takes the party to the Mako reactor. Tifa and Cloud stay outside. Inside,
Sephiroth discovers Jenova's body and sees all the mutated "failed" experiments
of Hojo's. He begins to realise his origins may be similar and becomes upset.
Zack is disbelieving at first, but when one of the mutated humans falls out of
a pod he also begins to be concerned. The party return to Nibelheim Mansion.
Sephiroth finds all the notes of Jenova Project in the basement of the Mansion.
He is aware of Professor Gasts initialisation of the project but has not been
told how Gast died or Hojo's full involvement in his creation. Later in the
night Zack goes to speak to Sephiroth and finds Sephiroth a changed man.
Sephiroth has discovered Gasts notes he made at Icicle Lodge about the
Ancients. He now believes he is descended from the Ancients and regards normal
humans as traitors who abandoned the Cetra to a terrible disaster. However he
does not seem to accept Jenova is the cause of that disaster. He rants and
raves at Zack before leaving quickly to see Jenova whom he refers to as
"Mother".
Zack follows him outside and sees the whole village in flames. Many people are
dead or dying, a Shinra Soldier (Cloud) tends to his dying mother. Sephiroth
heads for the reactor with several townsfolk in hot pursuit. Tifa and Zack
chase after him, Cloud following behind.
At the reactor Tifa discovers her father's body. Sephiroth has killed him. As
Sephiroth moves towards the Pod with Jenova in it, Zack tries to attack him but
is batted away. Tifa picks up Sephiroth's discarded sword and attacks him, but
he takes the sword back and cuts her down. Cloud arrives to witness this and
he tenderly moves Tifa into a more comfortable position before confronting
Sephiroth.
Sephiroth opens the pod and tries to free Jenova. As Cloud approaches
Sephiroth tells Jenova he has come to reclaim the Planet for her. Cloud stabs
Sephiroth then returns to tend to Tifa. Injured, Sephiroth can only take
Jenova's head with him, he leaves the pod room, walking past Cloud. Cloud
follows him onto the bridge above the Life stream running far below at the
bottom of the reactor. Sephiroth stabs Cloud though the chest, but Cloud keeps
a hold of the sword and uses it to flip Sephiroth and Jenova's head into the
bottom of the Mako reactor. Cloud then passes out.
- In the immediate aftermath, Zangan (Tifa's tutor) arrives at the reactor and
takes the wounded Tifa to Midgar. Here she sets up a bar called "Seventh
Heaven" in the sector 7 slums when she has recovered.
- Cloud, Zack and the surviving residents of Nibelheim are gathered up and used
by Hojo to create clones of Sephiroth now they believe the original is dead.
- Far from dead, Sephiroth washes through the Life stream until he ends up at
the Great North Cave. Having assimilated the knowledge of the Ancients while
in there he begins to formulate a plan to turn himself into a God. This
involves summoning a Meteor to cause a big enough wound on the planets surface
to make the Life stream rush to one place, where he can absorb it all. Over
the next 5 years he experiments with controlling the Sephiroth clones remotely
and projecting himself psychically. His physical body however remains in the
Great North Cave for the duration of the game.
- Shinra cover up the incident at Nibelheim and repopulate the town with
Shinra staff. Experiments carry on at the Mansion, but Jenova is moved to
Shinra Headquarters (now minus her head), for safekeeping. After the cloning
project proves to be a failure, Hojo moves back to Midgar permanently and
carries on research there. At some point he captures Nanaki for a series of
unknown tests and names him Red XIII.
4 years ago to present day
- Shinra persuade the people of Corel to accept the building of a Mako reactor.
Barret, seeing that coal has no future, pleads Shinras case. His best friend
Dyne opposes it, but Barret talks him round. One day Barret and Dyne come back
from a trip out of town and find Shinra burning down Corel.
They discover that Shinra have blamed several explosions at the new reactor on
sabotage by Corel Townsfolk. Barret and Dyne are both severely injured in the
fighting. Dyne falls over a cliff and Barret believes him dead. Barret goes
back to Corel to be with his now dead wife Myrna. He sees Dynes wife Eleanor
is also dead but Dynes daughter Marlene isn't. He decides to take Marlene and
flee to Midgar.
Barret has his useless arm replaced with a gun, he also hears of a similarly
injured man who has a gun arm and surmises Dyne is still alive. But he cannot
find him. Dyne remains at Corel, the desert overtakes the town and a huge
Entertainment Complex called the Gold Saucer is built above it. Corel becomes
the Gold Saucer Prison town. Dynes mind disintegrates and all those who come
into contact with him as he carries on as the Boss of Corel Prison fear him.
Meanwhile the remaining survivors of Corel move northwards and settle in the
devastated North Corel, which has also lost its income from the shut down Mako
Reactor. They live near the Ropeway station that leads to the Gold Saucer.
They eek out a miserable existence selling junk to travellers going to the Gold
Saucer.
- Barret, swearing revenge on Shinra decides to start targeting their reactors
in Midgar. He hooks up with Tifa (who is also harbouring anger towards Shinra)
and uses the basement of her bar as a centre of operations for his
environmental terrorist group AVALANCHE.
- At sometime close to the present day, Zack and Cloud escape the Shinra
Mansion. Cloud is nearly catatonic from Mako and Jenova treatments. Zack
dresses him in a spare SOLDIER uniform and they manage to get to the mountains
near Midgar before Shinra catches up with them. On their journeys Zack tells
Cloud all about his life in SOLDIER and what happened when he was alone with
Sephiroth. Cloud is still too confused and messed up to respond, but Zack
takes care of him.
When Shinra find them Zack is shot dead. Cloud is left alive, as he is
considered no threat. However Cloud manages to pick up Zacks sword and make it
to Sector 7 railway station in Midgar where Tifa finds him still confused. As
he gets better Clouds mind takes Zacks experiences and mixes them with his own,
setting up the split personality that would allow Sephiroth such control over
him.
Remembering Zack's idea that they become mercenaries, that's what he tells Tifa
he is now and she decides to hire him to help AVALANCHE blow up the Mako
reactors. It is here that the actual game begins...
[NOTE: I have explained in the FAQ later in this guide how I came to construct
that timeline. Hopefully this description of the game's actual events will
make it clearer as well]
===============================================================================
*************************** 2) THE STORY OF THE GAME **************************
===============================================================================
1) ASSAULT ON REACTOR ONE
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The game begins with Cloud meeting Jessie, Biggs, Wedge and Barret at the
entrance of Midgar's Mako reactor No.1 after hijacking a train to get there.
Barret is suspicious of Cloud as he doesn't trust someone one who used to work
for Shinra. Jessie and the others are just grateful to have Clouds fighting
expertise on their side. Barret explains that the Mako reactors are sucking
the life out of the planet, which is why they must be destroyed. Cloud says he
doesn't care; he's only in it for the money. Cloud follows Jessie into the
reactor and goes deeper inside. Together with Barret they fight their way to
the entrance of the reactor core. Just as they begin to lay explosive charges,
Cloud clutches his head and a mysterious voice rings in his head.
Then an alarm goes off and the reactor's self defence goes into overdrive.
Cloud and Barret fight off a robotic guard scorpion. The fight has cost them
time and they now have ten minutes to evacuate before the explosives goes off.
On the way back though Cloud discovers Jessie has got stuck, he frees her and
they make their way to the outside. As they escape the bombs goes off and
Reactor No. 1 is put out of commission. AVALANCHE has scored their first major
strike against Shinra, now its time to get to safety.
Barret tells the gang to split up and meet at Sector 8 railway station. As
Cloud gets moving he sees a beautiful young woman selling flowers. She stops
him and asks about the explosion and Cloud buys a flower from her. Then he
hurries off only to be confronted buy many Shinra Soldiers. He is surrounded,
but escapes buy leaping off a railway bridge onto a passing train. In an
amazing stroke of luck, it's the same train that the rest of AVALANCHE have got
on. He climbs inside and everyone except Barret are happy to see him. Barret
chews him out for his reckless behaviour.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) SECTOR SEVEN SLUMS - MEETING TIFA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rest of the journey passes uneventfully, Jessie explains to Cloud how she
faked Ids for them so they could pass through Shinra's security checkpoints
with out being detected. She also gives Cloud a lesson on the Midgar rail
system and the structure of the city itself.
Soon they are back at the Sector 7 slums and head to the bar "Seventh Heaven"
which is run by Cloud's childhood friend Tifa. In the bar Cloud has a fight
with Barret over the money he is owed. He prepares to leave but Tifa intervenes
and persuades him to come on another mission. There is a flashback to the
young Tifa and Cloud where she first makes him promise to come back and be a
hero and rescue her. It is also where Cloud states he wants to be in SOLDIER
and be like Sephiroth. After Cloud agrees to stay on and take out the Sector 5
Mako Reactor, Tifa is also to come along this time.
The next day the board the train to sector 5, but a security alert forces them
to abandon the train early. They use an underground subway to access the
reactor. Deeper in the reactor core, Cloud has another spasm. He sees Tifa as
a young girl standing over the dead body of her father in a similar reactor,
she accuses Sephiroth of killing him. She picks up Sephiroth's discarded sword
and runs into the reactor core. Cloud snaps out of the flashback. They plant
the bomb at the core then begin to leave, but are stopped by Shinra Soldiers.
The President of Shinra appears. He insults them then sets his new weapon
Airbuster on them. Then he leaves. They defeat Airbuster but it explodes
taking out the walkway and Cloud plunges into the city below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) SECTOR 5 - MEETING AERIS, RESCUING TIFA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He awakes in the Sector 5 slums, inside a Church. Here he meets Aeris the
flower girl again. She asks him to be her bodyguard and he agrees. Then Reno
and Rude of the Turks turn up and begin to chase them. Cloud and Aeris escape
up into the top of the church and then over the slum rooftops. They reach
Aeris house where she introduces Elmyra, her adoptive mother. Aeris says
she'll show Cloud back to sector seven the next day. She goes up to bed, and
Elmyra asks Cloud if he could sneak out without Aeris knowing. But when Cloud
does leave, Aeris is waiting for him at the entrance to sector six.
They take a break at a deserted playground and from here see Tifa in a Chocobo
carriage going into Wall Market. They follow her there and find she has gone
to Don Corneo's place. So after running a few errands they get Cloud dressed
as a lady and get into Don Corneo's brothel. Cloud is lucky enough to be
picked to be his date for the night. As he keeps Corneo talking, Tifa and
Aeris break away from their captors and come up to "rescue" Cloud. They then
threaten Corneo and he tells them that Shinra are going to break the plate
above sector seven and literally bury AVALANCHE. Then he opens a trapdoor and
drops them in the sewers where the fight off Aps.
(There is a short cut to the Shinra Headquarters where we see Reeve (Cait Sith)
butting heads with Heidegger about the plan to destroy Sector 7. Reeve is
against it, so the President gives him a few days off, so they can carry on
without Reeve objecting)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) CONFRONTING RENO, AERIS IS TAKEN BY SHINRA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tifa, Cloud and Aeris make their way through the Train Graveyard. At the other
end they find AVALANCHE fighting with Shinra on the sector seven pillar.
Jessie, Biggs and Wedge are killed. Aeris takes Marlene to safety. Tifa and
Cloud go up to help. At the top they fight Reno of the Turks, but cannot
disarm the bombs he has set. Then they see Aeris in the helicopter, she has
been captured! They escape the exploding pillar and plate on a wire they use
to swing down from. They end up in the sector 6 playground and Barret becomes
more resolved to wipe Shinra out. Cloud also hears Sephiroth's voice telling
him that he, Sephiroth is the rightful heir of the planet - an Ancient.
They then head back to Aeris house only to find that although Marlene is safe,
Aeris is now prisoner in Shinra's Headquarters. Elmyra tells them about how
she found Aeris and Ifalna 15 years ago and that Aeris is an Ancient. They
head to Wall Market and climb up a wire onto the top plate. They then make
there way up to the final few floors of Shinra Headquarters. Up there they
meet the Mayor, who tells them he has no power, he just looks after Shinra's
paperwork.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) INFILTRATING SHINRA, CAPTURE AND ESCAPE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further up they listen in on a conference with several top executives and Hojo
in attendance. They say they plan not to rebuild sector 7, but instigate a
neo-Midgar programme, which is linked to the Ancients and the ideal of the
Promised Land. Hojo says he has been running tests on Aeris, but it would take
to long to run full tests and says he plans to breed from her to make tougher
subjects. They follow Hojo upstairs and Cloud is aghast to find a pod with a
headless Jenova inside it. They then rescue Aeris from Hojo and meet the lion
like creature Red XIII. But their attempt to escape is foiled by the Turks and
they are taken before President Shinra. He tells them that Aeris is an Ancient
and they plan to use her to find the Promised Land, where they can build a new
Midgar in a Mako rich environment. He then sends them to be locked up.
In the cell, Aeris reflects on the Promised Land and tells Tifa that she can
hear voices from the planet and her mother sometimes, but she herself doesn't
know where the Promised Land is. After that they go to sleep. When they awake
their doors are unlocked and all the guards dead. They follow a trail of blood
and find Jenova is missing from the pod she was in. They carry on further and
find President Shinra dead with Sephiroth's sword stuck through him. They meet
up with a terrified Palmer who says Sephiroth was ranting about not letting
"us" (humans) have the Promised Land. Then Rufus the Presidents son turns up.
Cloud stays and fights him, Tifa guards the escape route and Barret, Red XIII
and Aeris go down in the lift and fight off the 100 Gunner.
They reach the bottom, bickering like mad and Tifa greets them. They all hop
into a three-wheel van and accompanied by Cloud on a motorbike they roar off.
Shinra bikers chase them to the end of the motorway, then they fight the huge
Motorball. After this they drop down from the incomplete road and exit
Midgar's City walls. They are now out in the field and separate into two
groups.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) LEAVING MIDGAR, CLOUD FLASHBACK IN KALM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They meet up in the nearby Village Kalm. They get a room and Cloud tells the
group his story of the events in Nibelheim five years ago. However at this
point in time he is using Zack memories. The first clue that this Cloud was at
Nibelheim all along though can be found in the very first scene. There is an
ordinary soldier suffering from motion sickness, Zack/Cloud says he never
suffers from it, yet later we find out he does (when he talks to Yuffie on the
Airship). Anyway, he basically narrates the story as told in the chronology
above. Tifa is quiet while he talks about it. His flashback to seeing his
mother is oddly broken up and he recalls his father dying when he was young.
His flashback ends as he confronts Sephiroth in the Jenova Chamber.
The group then decide to follow Sephiroth and find out what he is planning to
do with Jenova. They set off for the Mythril Mine. After stopping by Chocobo
Bill's farm to learn how to catch Chocobo's they cross the marshes and find
evidence that Sephiroth had been through. A giant serpent, the Midgar Zolom is
impaled on a tree. They enter the Mines and meet up with Tseng and Rude and
new recruit to the Turks, Elena. She lets slip that they are also chasing
Sephiroth and they are headed for Junon Harbour. So our heroes head for Junon
next.
At the run down town of Junon they help rescue a girl from a monster called
Bottomswell. That night Cloud has a dream where he puzzles over why he did not
see Tifa socially during the time he was in Nibelheim. When he awakes he uses
the jumping skill of Mr. Dolphin to leap up into the main town of Junon
Harbour. Here he disguises himself as a Shinra Soldier and snoops about the
town. After having to partake in a televised parade in Rufus's honour, he
ends up in front of Rufus and Heideigger and does a little display with some
other soldiers. During his time in Junon, Cloud finds out that Shinra have an
Airship prepared, they are using another called the Gelnika, Sephiroth has been
seen in Junon but cannot be found and finally that Hojo left a letter of
resignation and disappeared from Midgar.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) JUNON PORT, FOLLOWING SEPHIROTH BY BOAT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cloud boards the boat headed for the other continent and soon discovers
everyone else is aboard. But they can't relax long, Sephiroth is loose on board
and kills a lot of people. They fight Jenova: BIRTH in the hold and actually
get a glimpse of Sephiroth. The defeated pat of Jenova disappears and they are
left pondering further what Sephiroths plan is. They then disembark on the
Costa Del Sol. Here they find Hojo sunning himself on the beach, but he
refuses to be forthcoming about anything so they leave and head for North
Corel. On the way they are told a black-cloaked man has passed that way
earlier.
They reach North Corel, where Barret is given an unfriendly reception. The
populous also speak of seeing a tattoo on the black clad figure. After hearing
Barrets story of how Shinra betrayed the people of Corel (see pre-game
Chronology) they board the ropeway and travel to the Gold Saucer.
Inside Barret stomps off. Cloud is approached by Dio the complex manager and
asked if he knows what "Black materia" is. When Cloud demurs, he says a
black-cloaked man had been through earlier asking about it. Wandering around,
he is confronted by the bizarre Cait Sith. A small grey cat that rides a giant
stuffed moogle. Cait Sith tries to tell his fortune and decides to tag along
to see if any of them come true (though actually it's cos he is Reeve...).
Then they find murdered employees and hear reports that a man with a gun for an
arm has done it. Dio appears and dumps them all down into Corel Prison.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) COREL PRISON, DYNE, ESCAPE VIA CHOCOBO RACING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Down here they find an emotional and angry Barret. Asking around they discover
that another gun-armed man called Dyne runs the place and it was him who shot
everyone. Barret confronts Dyne, and after fighting him tells him that
Marlene, Dynes daughter is still alive. Dyne though decides he can't go on
living as the twisted, angry man he has become and entrusts Marlene to Barret
forever. Then he kills himself. Barret then threatens a few people until
Cloud is accepted as a Chocobo jockey (the only way out of the prison). Cloud
wins the race and when it's over everyone is set free. Dio realised they were
not to blame and gives them a buggy as compensation.
They cross the desert and make their way round to Cosmo Canyon, where the buggy
breaks down. They go into the canyon and Red XIII reveals that this is his
home. They meet up with Red XIII's grandfather a man called Bugenhagen who has
an Observatory at the top of the Canyon. Red XIII also reveals his real name
as Nanaki. As they talk to people at the Canyon they find that this place is a
centre for the study of the Planet. Nanaki tells the group that his race were
the protectors of the Canyon and his mother was killed many years ago when the
Canyon was attacked by the Gi Tribe. He detests his father whom he blames for
running away and allowing his mother to die. They all then go up to
Bugenhagen's Observatory.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9) COMSMO CANYON, BUGENHAGEN EXPLAINS THE LIFESTREAM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bugenhagen has a large model of the planet. He tells them that the planet may
die soon as he has been hearing its cries of pain getting louder. Bugenhagen
explains that everything in the Universe is linked. When a person or any
living things dies their body may rot away but their soul returns to the
planet. These spirits merge into one, a life-force that covers the planet -
this is called the "Lifestream". This Lifestream is full of Spirit Energy that
infuses all new life and merges back together when that life is over. It not
only makes people, animals and birds but Planets as well, if that Spirit Energy
is drained, then the Planet will die. This is why Mako manufacturing is so
destructive. The Spirit Energy is extracted from the Lifestream, compressed and
turned into Mako. The energy is lost and without it the Planet will crumble and
die.
Bugenhagen then talks to Aeris in private, when she rejoins the group by Cosmo
Candle she is a little upset. She is brooding about being the last Cetra and
if she can save the planet. Barret finds a new impetus in the canyon after
remembering he promised he would take Jessie, Biggs and Wedge there when they
had beaten Shinra. Tifa is also pensive, the flames remind her of the events in
Nibelheim, but she can't bring herself to talk to Cloud about it. Nanaki also
speaks of his anger at his father.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10) CAVE OF GI. NANAKI LEARNS THE TRUTH
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bugenhagen comes down and tells Nanaki it is time he new the truth about his
Father. He, Nanaki and Cloud enter the sealed up cave of the Gi. The Gi tribe
were the creatures who attacked Cosmo Canyon many years before.
The cave is filled with their vengeful spirits,
which could not return to the Lifestream. They fight the ghost of the tribe
leader - Gi Nattack. After this they find the petrified body of Nanaki's
father - Seto. Now Nanaki knows the truth, his father died a hero's death
defending the canyon. Bugenhagen tells Nanaki that he must continue to travel
with Cloud, to give the Planet every chance of survival. As he resolves to be a
hero like his father tears roll down Seto's stone cheeks...
Nanaki rejoins the group and they carry on the Tifa and Cloud's hometown -
Nibelheim.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11) RETURN TO NIBELHEIM, WHAT IS THE "REUNION"?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When they arrive both Tifa and Cloud are aghast to find the place
is unchanged. It should have been ruined or at least shown some signs of the
devastation Sephiroth wrecked on the place. They ask around and no one will
acknowledge the events of five years ago. They accuse Cloud of lying and
saying terrible things. Cloud and Tifa cannot remember who any of these people
are. There is even someone living in Cloud's mothers house, but it is not his
mother. They find several black-cloaked figures on the outskirts of the town.
They are tattooed and speak Sephiroth's name and about becoming one with him.
They speak of the "Reunion". They tell him Sephiroth is in the Mansion. So
they go inside to look for him.
Cloud confronts Sephiroth in the laboratory. Sephiroth seems to speaking
riddles, he calls Jenova the "Calamity from the Skies" and Cloud demands to
know if that means she is not an Ancient. Sephiroth asks Cloud if he is coming
to the Reunion, then tells him he has no right to participate. Then he flies
away leaving Cloud frustrated and confused. They have no option but to get in
the buggy and carry on North.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12) ROCKET TOWN - MEET CID HIGHWIND
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They roll up next in a place called Rocket Town, so called because a big rusty
old rocket (No. 26) sits in the middle of the place. Asking around they
discover that Sephiroth has passed though. They also find out that there is a
pilot in town called the "Captain". A man who was destined to be the first man
in space as part of Shinra's now abandoned space program. They got to the
Captains house and see there is a small plane there called the "Tiny Bronco"
they decide to ask if they can use it. They meet Shera, the Captains assistant
who tells them that Rufus is on his way to discuss reopening the Space program.
Then the Captain arrives and introduces himself as Cid. Cid then tells them
about Shinra's Space program, how he blames Shera for messing up the launch of
No. 26 and how Shinra changed from weapons manufacturer to Mako producers.
Cid refuses to allow them to borrow the Tiny Bronco. Just then Palmer then
Rufus turn up and demand to use it as well. There is a fracas between Palmer
and our heroes and somehow they all climb aboard the Tiny Bronco and escape.
Unfortunately they tail gets shot out, so the plane ditches in the sea.
Luckily it can still be used as a boat. Cid decides to join them as he is fed
up with Shinra and living in Rocket Town. Cid tells them that Rufus was chasing
Sephiroth to the Temple of the Ancients. So they decide to try and find it
before Shinra does. By lucky coincidence they land up on a small island where a
trader lives. He tells them he sold an item called the Keystone to the manager
of the Gold Saucer, this Keystone being the item that will unlock the Temple of
Ancients. Apparently this Temple contains something called Ultimate Destruction
Magic.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13) GOLD SAUCER, WHAT IS THE BLACK MATERIA? CAIT SITHS BETRAYAL
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So off they go to the Gold Saucer where Dio agrees to lend the Keystone to
them. The cable car is broken so they spend the night in the Ghost Hotel. They
try and make sense of the story so far. They surmise that Sephiroth is
searching for the Promised Land but also something called Black Materia. They
also think that the tattooed clones are something to do with Sephiroth. Nanaki
is worried, he has a 13 tattoo and is scared he might go mad like the pathetic
clones they have seen so far. Later that night Aeris and Cloud go out on a
date. After taking part in a play they ride around the saucer on a monorail.
Aeris tells Cloud how much he was like "him", Zack. She also says she wants to
meet "Cloud". This confuses him, "I'm right here" he says...
Later still Cait Sith reveals himself to be a Shinra spy. He takes the
keystone and delivers it to Shinra. But he decides to stay with the group,
saying he is troubled by his conscious. With a bit of blackmail, he is
accepted to stay. He also knows how to get to the Temple of Ancients, so the
next day they pilot the Tiny Bronco eastwards to get there.
When they arrive they find more clones lurching around the place. Aeris and
Cloud get inside and find Tseng lying wounded. He has been injured by
Sephiroth and is rambling about how the Promised Land is not what Rufus and the
others think it will be, he hands the Keystone to Cloud. He then falls
unconscious. Cloud puts the Keystone on the Altar and they descend into a maze
like structure of buildings. They chase a Lagomorph around the place until
they finally catch it. Aeris says it's a spirit body of an Ancient, one that's
lost the ability to talk over so many years. She is led to a pool of wisdom
where the Ancients show her Sephiroth and Tseng's encounter. Sephiroth tells
Tseng he plans to merge with the planet and become a god and the way to do it
lies in the Temple. Then he stabs Tseng.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14) TEMPLE OF ANCIENTS - SEPHIROTH REVEALS HIS PLAN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They carry on deeper into the Temple where they meet Sephiroth. He informs
them he plans to inflict a huge wound on the Planet and absorb the life energy
that will gather there to heal it. He points to a mural on the wall and says
it depicts the means to do this, by summoning a huge meteor. He then rushes at
Cloud and disappears. Cloud begins to freak out, he splits into two mentally.
He struggles to regain control and he becomes one again. After a fight with a
Temple Guardian, they discover a small model of the Temple. It is labelled
"Black Materia". Shaking the model causes the room to shake, they realise the
model IS the Temple. Solving each puzzle will shrink the Temple down into a
piece of Black material, but will crush the person inside as well. They decide
they need to keep the Black Materia out of Sephiroth's hands, and Cait Sith
volunteers his stuffed body for the task.
They trust him and depart, fighting Demon Gate on the way. Cait Sith solves
the puzzles and the Temple reduces down into a small piece of Black Materia
sitting in the hole where the Temple was. They pick up the material and comment
that no one can use it alone to summon Meteor. But then Sephiroth appears and
informs them that his years travelling in the Lifestream have given him the
knowledge and power to use the materia. Cloud then convulses and splits in two
again. One stays standing still, the other lurches towards Sephiroth and hands
him the Black Materia. He then collapses. Sephiroth laughs then departs.
Aeris goes over to Cloud but he begins to attack her. Just this moment Cait
Sith (mk.2) and the rest of the gang show up. Tifa yells at him and he passes
out.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15) AERIS LEAVES, THEY FOLLOW HER TO THE FORGOTTEN CITY. TRAGEDY
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cloud dreams - he speaks to Aeris in a beautiful forest. She tells him she is
going to handle Sephiroth alone. She then fades from view and Sephiroth
appears and tells Cloud "we" must stop her soon. Then Cloud awakens in the Inn
at Gongaga. The others tell him Aeris has gone. Cloud says he knows, and he
knows she has gone to the City of the Ancients. He is paranoid about
continuing, knowing he could betray them to Sephiroth, but Barret and Tifa talk
him round. They take the Tiny Bronco north to Bone Village, where the
archaeologists digging there tell them they saw Aeris enter the Sleeping
Forest, which leads to the Forgotten City of the Ancients. They acquire the
Lunar Harp and make their way through the Sleeping Forest to the deserted
Forgotten City.
They search though the beautiful coral like structures and get deeper into the
city. They finally discover a small shrine by a pool of water and Aeris knelt
in prayer beside it. Cloud leaps over to her and draws his sword, he is being
compelled by Sephiroth to kill her, but Tifa snaps him out of it. But before
they can do anything, Sephiroth descends out of nowhere and runs his sword
though Aeris, killing her. She slowly falls to the ground; a small pearl of
white materia falls from her body and bounces down into the water. Cloud
cradles her dead body while Sephiroth informs him that his job is nearly done
and now he will head north to the Promised Land. Cloud rages at him, but
Sephiroth forces them to fight another part of Jenova (LIFE). Then he tells
Cloud he (Cloud) cannot feel hurt, loss or pain as he is merely a puppet. Then
he disappears. Cloud takes Aeris's body out into the deeper water and lets it
drift down to a peaceful resting place...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16) SEPHIROTH MUST PAY! TIME TO SCALE THE GREAT CLACIER
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They all get together and listen as Cloud tells them he is determined to defeat
Sephiroth, now more than ever. But he needs them to stop him from doing
something terrible. They all agree and decide to go north to Icicle Inn. There
they find evidence of Professor Gast's research (see secret scenes and pre-game
chronology). They discover they need to scale the Great Glacier. Then Elena
(from the Turks) shows up and blames them for killing Tseng, giving Cloud a
good punch up as payback. When Cloud comes round, they borrow some snowboards
and off they all go.
They arrive at the bottom of the Great Glacier and explore the frozen wastes
until they find a small house at the bottom of the Glacial Cliff. Inside a man
called Holzoff tells them that many hundreds of years ago something fell from
the sky in the nearby area. They stay the night and scale the cliff the next
day. They soon find themselves inside a huge crater. They follow the twisting
pathways to the centre of the crater, coming across dying clones as they do so.
The scene changes to the deck of an airship. Rufus, Hojo, Scarlet and
Heidegger are aboard. They are descending into the crater that Rufus decides
is the Promised Land as it is so Mako rich. Hojo muses to himself about the
Reunion.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17) AT THE CRATER. CLOUD BELIEVES HE IS A FAILED CLONE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to our heroes, they have made it to the centre of the Crater. Sephiroth
is killing some more clones and when they confront him he decides his current
body has "outlived its usefulness" and disappears. He gets into Cloud's head
and tells him its time for the Reunion. They then battle Jenova: DEATH. Cloud
figures out that a powerful will is at work in the area. He then hands the
Black Materia to Nanaki for safekeeping. Leaving Nanaki, Barret and Cait Sith
behind he, Tifa and Cid carry on.
Sephiroth bombards Tifa and Cloud with images of Nibelheim five years ago, but
the true events with Zack. Cloud dismisses this as a lie to undermine him, but
Tifa is uncertain. Cloud demand to know why Sephiroth is doing this. Sephiroth
calls him a failed experiment; a clone made by Hojo of Jenova cells and Mako
whose "real" self was destined to obey Sephiroth, which is why he gave him the
Black Materia. Not even worthy of a number tattoo.
Sephiroth picks up on Tifa's doubts about Cloud. She cannot explain how he and
Cloud share a common childhood memory of Nibelheim, yet she never saw him five
years ago. Sephiroth says "Cloud" was created when he met up with Tifa in
Midgar, the Jenova allowed him to shape himself around her memories of a boy
name Cloud. Cloud stick to his guns, saying Sephiroth is lying. Then he tries
to remember how he came to join SOLDIER and he can't. He collapses at this
revelation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18) CLOUD HANDS OVER THE BLACK MATERIA TO SEPHIROTHS REAL FORM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The scene shifts back to Rufus and Hojo who have walked into the central cave.
Rufus is convinced it's the Promised Land. Hojo disagrees. They feel a rumble
and a huge eye blinks at them. Hojo states that it is WEAPON, created to
protect the planet. Meanwhile Sephiroth tricks Nanaki into following the others
deeper into the cave. Cloud then arrives in the cave and warns Rufus and the
others to leave. Nanaki shows up and Cloud asks him for the Black Materia.
Cloud is now obeying Sephiroth. He apologises to everyone. Hojo is gleeful
that his theory about Jenova cells reuniting has been proven, but then
disgusted that only the failure made it. Cloud rise up into the ceiling and
broods about how he was being summoned by Sephiroth not chasing him. He then
hands the Black Materia to the cocooned body of the real Sephiroth. The whole
cave begins to rumble and come apart. Rufus, Hojo and the rest make for the
Airship, escaping just in time. WEAPON rises up out of the crater and seals it
with an energy barrier. Everyone but Cloud makes it out OK.
Tifa dreams - she is meeting Cloud at the sector 7 railway station. She
remembers being uncomfortable about his memories, how he knew some stuff he
shouldn't and how he forgot other stuff he should. How she wanted him to join
AVALANCHE so she could keep an eye on him.. She awakens to find that she and
Barret are locked up back in Junon Harbour. Barret explains that she has been
out cold for seven days, in that time WEAPON is tearing the place up and
Sephiroth has summoned a huge meteor that is hanging ominously in the sky.
Rufus shows up and tells them they are to be executed to make the people feel
better. They are being blamed for all the calamity Sephiroth has caused.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19) WEAPON IS UNLEASHED. TIFA IS TO BE EXECUTED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tifa is put in the gas chamber. As Scarlet locks her in WEAPON attacks. Using
this as a diversion a disguised Cait Sith incapacitates Scarlet and frees
Barret. Rufus is throwing everything he has at WEAPON but still it attacks.
Scarlet recovers and locks Barret and Cait Sith out of the room where the gas
chamber is. Luckily the guard dropped the key in the confusion and Tifa
manages to let herself out. Rufus fires Junon's huge cannon at WEAPON, which
retaliates by tearing a hole in the side of the harbour. Tifa is able to climb
up and is chased down the barrel of the Sister Ray by Scarlet. They have a slap
fight. Tifa then runs to the end of the cannon and leaps off, only to grab a
ladder coming out of the side of the Shinra Airship (the Highwind). Cid is in
control and Cait Sith, Barret and Nanaki are also safe and well.
Tifa tries to think of what to do next, but she is very despondent. She wants
to see Cloud again. Nanaki thinks that Cloud may have washed into the
Lifestream. He says there are places where the Lifestream gushes up through
cracks in the Ocean floor. So they head to one of these places, Mideel.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20) A CRIPPLED CLOUD IS FOUND AT MIDEEL. TIFA STAYS TO CARE FOR HIM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sure enough, in an AMAZING stroke of luck they find Cloud at Mideel. He washed
up on the shore about a week before, but he is a wreck. He has been poisoned
by Mako and is a drooling, shuddering shell. Sat in a wheelchair he can only
jerk his head and mumble broken words. Gutted, Tifa lays her head on his knee
and cries. Outside the clinic, the Doctor tells Barret and Cid that Cloud has
had so much knowledge drenched Mako forced inside him that he has literally
shut down mentally. Tifa decided she wants to stay with Cloud, Barret asks her
is she is sure its him and not Sephiroth's shadow. She is adamant. So the
others return to the Highwind and try to think of what to do next.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21) THE OTHERS QUEST FOR THE HUGA MATERIA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once aboard, Cait Sith lets them eavesdrop on a Shinra meeting. They plan to
destroy Meteor by collecting Huge Materia from Mako reactors all over the
planet. These are massive chunks of compressed Mako, which they will somehow
ram into the meteor. They have collected it from Nibelheim and are planning to
get some more from Fort Condor and North Corel. So Barret decides they must
get this Huge Materia and they duly elect Cid leader. First they head for the
reactor near North Corel. There they arrive too late to stop them loading the
Materia onto a train. The manage to hijack the train though prevent it
smashing though North Corel, they also acquire the Huge Materia.
They then head for Fort Condor. This is place where the inhabitants protect a
massive Phoenix that nests at the top in the abandoned reactor. They fight off
Shinra's attack and witness the hatching of the new Phoenix. They collect the
second Huge Materia and go back to the airship. They decide to go and check up
on Cloud and Tifa back in Mideel.
Back in Mideel and Cloud is still a clod. At that moment Ultimate Weapon
appears and attacks. Barret, Cid and Nanaki fight it, but in the process the
Lifestream begins to boil up. It bursts up out of the ground taking most of
Mideel with it. Tifa and Cloud don't make it out in time and both plunge into
the shining green depths...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22) FINDING THE REAL CLOUD, TIFA UNRAVELS HIS TORMENTED MIND
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now we enter a mixture of Cloud and Tifa's minds. Tifa find herself in a black
expanse. Weird screeching noises surround her, she tries to run but gets
nowhere. She collapses, pleading for Cloud to help her and spirals away into
darkness... to come around on a strange platform suspended in the middle of
space. Three paths lead off the platform, by each sits a Cloud. A fourth Cloud
hangs over the area, transparent, clutching his head in pain.
She approaches the first Cloud and they walk together, back to Nibelheim of
five years ago. Finally Tifa tells Cloud that this memory is wrong, she never
saw him that day. She waited for him, but he never showed up. Zack replaces
Cloud and they come back to the platform with three Clouds. Cloud asks her if
she is sure that young man was not him and she says yes. He remembers his
promise to her when they were small, was it just a lie? They revisit that
memory. Tifa ponders Sephiroth's assertion that she helped make Cloud from her
own memories. But she thinks it is too real to be imagined, he must be
remembering it. She says she believes he is the real Cloud from Nibelheim, but
he does not. He has to find the truth himself. They arrive back again at the
platform.
She gets him to talk about memories only he could have known, not ones he could
have got from her. He remembers the day Tifa's mum died and how Tifa went into
Mt. Nibel and how he followed and got blamed for Tifa having an accident. How
he wanted to be strong so Tifa would notice him. Frustrated by his inability
to fit in, he starts to look down on the people around him. Except for Tifa.
This memory proves to Tifa that he wasn't made five years ago, that they are
getting closer to discovering the truth.
They both agree to revisit Nibelheim and this time events unfold in Clouds head
as they actually happened. He reveals he was there all along as one of the
ordinary soldiers, too ashamed to admit he never made the grade. He remembers
stabbing Sephiroth and knocking him into the Lifestream. Now he has faced the
truth of his own past he combines back into one Cloud. Finally he is the real
Cloud again.. With this coming to terms done with, he and Tifa exit the
Lifestream and return to the normal world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22) CLOUD IS RESTORED. THE MATERIA BOMB MUST BE DISARMED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They all reunite back on the ship and Cloud apologises to everyone. They then
decide to go to Junon and the Underwater Reactor to try and swipe the last Huge
Materia. They go to Junon and travel down into a deep underwater reactor.
There they fight Reno and take control of a submarine. This they use to blow
up the submarine carrying the Huge Materia. They then go back to Junon and
spot another Shinra airship flying off towards Rocket Town. They get in the
Highwind and give chase.
Once in Rocket Town they discover that the plan is to load the Huge Materia
into Rocket no. 26 and pilot it into meteor. A huge Materia bomb. Cid decides
to take over the rocket. Cloud pleads with him, saying they have to retrieve
the Materia, but Cid says he believes science can save them from Meteor and
pushes Cloud aside. The argument is cut short by Palmer launching the Rocket
with them inside it of it. Luckily there is an escape pod, so once Cid has got
over his joy at being in space they retrieve the materia and go to the pod. On
the way the faulty tank blows up injuring Cid. Cid realises he has wrongly
blamed Shera all these years, when she was right about it being broken. Right
on cue, Shera appears and helps get Cid into the pod. They get away and the
Rocket smashes into Meteor. Parts break off, but it is not enough and Meteor
carries on plunging towards the planets surface.
Aboard the Highwind, the gang wonder if they were wrong to interfere with
Shinra's plan. But Cid gives a rousing speech about how they should be the
Planet's protectors. They hear a scream from the Planet and decide to go and
see Bugenhagen for advice on what to do next. They go and see him, he asks
them to look into their hearts for the way. Cloud and the others all think of
Aeris and decide she is still the key to defeating Sephiroth. They decide to
return to the Forgotten Capital with Bugenhagen in tow. On the way they share
memories of Aeris. Cait Sith tells them that he (as Reeve) had informed Elmyra
of her death. They soon arrive back at the Capitol and take Bugenhagen to the
Shrine where she was killed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23) BUGEHAGEN IN THE FORGOTTEN CITY - SEPHIROTH MUST BE KILLED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bugenhagen figures out that the power needed to defeat Sephiroth and Meteor is
"Holy". They realise they need the White Materia to summon Holy, but are
unsure how to get it or use it. Bugenhagen says they need to find the Key to
the Ancients to help him figure out what they should do next. So Cloud and the
others leave him and go and look for it.. Would you believe it, they manage to
find it using the submarine lurking on the bottom of the sea. They return with
it to Bugenhagen and place it in the music box. A secret cave is revealed.
They enter and Aeris's death is replayed. They realise that Aeris had already
prayed for Holy. Holy is summoned, but Sephiroth is blocking it. The only way
to release the power of Holy is to kill Sephiroth.
They return to the Airship where Cait Sith informs them that the Junon Cannon
has been moved to Shinra headquarters, where it is going to be fired at
Sephiroth's energy barrier. Back at headquarters, Scarlet informs them that the
cannon will fire Mako shells and is to be called the Sister Ray. Then feedback
hits Cait Sith as Weapon rises out of the sea and commences attack upon Midgar.
They decide to fly back there and try and defeat Weapon. Barret and Cait Sith
then have a big fight over the morality of Barret's terrorist actions. Cait
Sith also says he can't quit Shinra now, even though he wants to. In his
position he can do more good where he is, than as another enemy of Shinra.
As they head for Midgar, the Sister ray fires at Weapon, knocking it backwards.
It retaliates with a barrage of energy blasts. The Highwind pitches in firing
at Weapon as well. The huge energy blast from the Sister ray cuts through
Weapon and carries on focused at the energy barrier around the Great North
Cave, which is manages to dissipate. Weapon is dead, but unfortunately his
energy blasts hit Midgar with full force. Rufus is killed in the ensuing
explosions. Now the barrier is gone, our heroes fly over the crater.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24) THE CRATER CAN BE REACHED, BUT MIDGAR IS IN PERIL FROM HOJO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But before they can go inside they hear via Cait Sith that energy is still
being supplied to the Sister Ray. It's overloading and the explosion it will
create will destroy Midgar. Reeve takes control and discovers that Hojo is
sending power to the cannon. He can't stop him as Reeve, so Cloud and the
others decided to go and stop Hojo. Reeve tells Scarlet and Heidegger to stay
out of their way. But they decide Reeve's time is up and call two guards to
kick him out of the building. They intend to stop Hojo themselves using their
new weapon the Proud Clod.
Cloud and the others parachute into the Midgar slums, Cait Sith warns them
Heidegger is out for their blood. They slip into a storm drain and find
themselves in a maze of pipes then an underground railway. There they meet
Reno, Rude and Elena and call a truce. Reno sees no point in fighting anymore
and the Turks slope off. They climb back out onto Midgars streets near a large
tower, there they face off against the Proud Clod and kill Scarlet and
Heidegger. They then ascend the tower and confront Hojo at the top.
Hojo has completely lost it and is ranting about sending more power to his son,
Sephiroth. He abuses Cloud as a failure and tells them he has injected himself
with Jenova Cells. He then mutates, so they kill him and shut down the energy
feed. They are left to reflect on the bombshell that Sephiroth was Hojo's son.
Then they go back to the Highwind and realise they now have to go to the
centre of the North Cave and kill Sephiroth. Cloud tells them they have seven
days to defeat Sephiroth before meteor falls and tells them to go and see their
loved ones. They all go their separate ways.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25) THE FINAL NIGHT. CLOUD AND TIFA ALONE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tifa and Cloud sit on the edge of the crater and reflect that they both have
nothing except each other now. They speak of how in the darkest moments they
heard each other voices. Cloud mumbles that he always had so much he wanted to
say to her, but no they are alone he can't think of anything. Tifa says gently
to him: "Cloud... Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're
thinking..." Night falls.
Next day, Tifa awakens next to Cloud and they had back up to the airship. At
first they think they are alone, but the rest of the gang are waiting for them.
All fired up they head for the North Cave and to Sephiroth.
They fight their way down through a series of eerie caves. Finally they find
the entrance to the middle of the crater. Half of the group stay behind to
fight off the monsters, Cloud and the others drop down into the green,
sparkling centre of the crater. As they leap across to the middle, they face
even tougher battles, culminating in the fearsome Jenova: SYNTHESIS. After
defeating her, the crystal structure they are stood upon breaks up and they go
rushing into blackness.
Cloud falls towards a glowing white sphere, Holy. He lands on a suspended
stone platform, along with the others. Sephiroth appears in front of the white
sphere of energy and forces them all up into the air. He torments them with
rings of energy, but somehow they break free and challenge him. He appears to
them as the huge mutated "Bizzaro" Sephiroth. They defeat that form, but a new
form appears. "Safer" Sephiroth, a large, one-winged almost angel like figure
now fights them. They defeat him and with the final blow his body breaks apart
in a burst of light and energy.
They make it back to the lip of the crater and rest. They ponder what will
happen next. Suddenly Cloud convulses and hears Sephiroth in his head. He
travels back into his mind and in a terrible rage destroys Sephiroth with his
ultimate attack, the Omnislash. Sephiroth looks almost surprised as he finally
dies for good. Surrounded by green Lifestream energy, Cloud sees it pooling
and joining into a column of pure Holy energy. A female hand reaches out to
him, he smiles..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25) SEPHIROTH IS DEAD. BUT METEOR STILL CRASHES DOWN...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tifa grabs him at him as he sits on a ledge in the crater, everything crumbling
around him. He is to far away and she topples over the edge. Cloud grabs her
and Cait Sith pulls them both up onto safe ground. The Highwind appears just in
time and they climb aboard. Now all they can do is watch and see if Holy does
the trick. Back in Kalm, Marlene senses something and immediately thinks of
Aeris. Now we see Midgar, Meteor has almost reached the surface, blasts of
energy destroy first the upper plates then crash down into the slums.
Then Holy appears, a point of white light gathering force and aimed directly at
Meteor. A huge hole opens up in Meteor, just the size of Midgar. As the power
of Holy hits Meteor, red energy pours down onto Midgar pummelling it. Shocked,
Cloud and the others observe that Holy is having the opposite effect. Then they
see first one, then two, then hundreds of pinpricks of green light appear all
over the Planets surface. They rush towards the column of Holy light. They all
combine in a huge mass of energy, the Lifestream, Holy, Meteor and Midgar. As
Meteor begins to dissolve, the scene pulls out to reveal Aeris, surrounded by
green light, smiling at you, the way she does at the beginning of the story...
500 years later...
Nanaki is running through a sandy red valley, two cubs trying to keep pace with
him. He is much older now and his mane has grey hairs, but his tattoo is still
visible. He stops on a plateau and howls. In the distance we see Midgar, now
nothing more than a ruin, ablaze with flowers.
THE END
wow that was a lot!!
more than the anima theroy of FFX :love:
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/file/final_fantasy_vii_plot.txt
and if ya to lasy then here we go
FF VII time line
===============================================================================
******************** 1) EVENTS PRIOR TO THE GAME - TIMELINE *******************
===============================================================================
- Over 2000 years ago.
An interstellar race known as the Cetra arrives on the Planet. They are on a
quest for the Promised Land. The Planet is an ideal location as it contains
the Lifestream, pure magical energy drawn from every living thing on the
Planet. There is already humanoid life on the Planet and the Cetra settle in
tribes amongst them.
- Approx 2000 years ago.
Jenova arrives. He/She is known as the "Calamity from the Skies". It lands at
the north of the Planet and Cetra who have settled in a place called
"Knowlespole" go and investigate. Jenova appears disguised as a Cetra,
promising peace, but infects the Knowlespole Cetra with a terrible virus that
mutates and destroys them. Jenova then moves across the Plant infecting and
destroying the Cetra tribes.
Jenova's landing caused a huge wound in the Planet and the Lifestream gathers
there at what becomes known as the Great North Cave to repair the Planet. Five
Huge Robotic Weapons of increasing power are created by the Planet to kill
Jenova (WEAPON, DIAMOND WEAPON,ULTIMATE WEAPON, RUBY WEAPON and EMERALD
WEAPON), but before they can be used, a few surviving Cetra manage to defeat
Jenova (now in permanent female form) and seal her in rock.
The Weapons go into hibernation and the few surviving Cetra disperse amongst
the Human population.
- Over the next 2000 years.
The people of the Planet grow more sophisticated. The centre of commerce,
government and power is centralised mainly in a large city called Midgar. This
city becomes more populated over the years. A commercial weapons manufacturing
company called Shinra figure out a way to draw power from the Lifestream in the
form of pure Mako. Mako is used by everyone as a source for materia and magic,
but Shinra create huge reactors that suck Mako from the Planet. This allows
Midgar to become a huge, sprawling and prosperous city. However the speed of
Midgars technological change is not matched by its democratic changes and
Shinra finally take over the running of the government and form their own
military wing and secret police force to keep a hold on power.
To keep a charade of democracy, a mayor is elected to run Midgar, but he/she is
merely a puppet in the pay of Shinra. Shinra develop an elite armed force
called SOLDIER, where promising soldiers are treated with Mako to enhance their
abilities. They also create the Turks, a shadowy collection of assassins,
spies and undercover thugs to carry out less obvious empire building on the
companies behalf.
Over the last 50-odd years of Midgars history, it has become place of two
extremes. Wealth, luxury and power fuelled by the Mako reactors are the lot of
those who live high above the ground on Midgars raised Plate structure.
Poverty, deprivation and oppression are endemic in the under-city, making life
a constant struggle for those who live in the slums under the Plates of the
Higher Midgar.
57 years ago
- Vincent Valentine born. At some point in the next twenty years he joins the
Turks.
48 years ago
- Nanaki (Red XIII) born in Cosmo Canyon. He is one of the few remaining of
his species. At some point during Nanaki's growing up, the Canyon was attacked
by a vicious tribe know as the Gi. Nanaki's mother was killed. Seto, Nanaki's
father fought off the Gi, but was turned to stone in the process. Nanaki is
never told the truth as to where his father went and grows up believing Seto
abandoned the Canyon to the Gi like a coward. Nanaki's species is very long
lived and has some connections to the Ancients. This may explain why Hojo took
an interest in Nanaki many years later.
33 years ago
- Barret is born in Corel. Corel at that time is a prosperous town built on the
coal mining industry. Coal still being the principal source of fuel for places
outside of Midgar at this time.
32 years ago
- Cid Highwind born.
31 years ago
- Professor Gast while excavating in Mount Nibel, finds Jenova inert in a
2000-year-old geological stratum. He takes Jenova to Nibelheim, where he
begins to research her origins and powers. At this point he believes her to be
an Ancient/Cetra. Shinra become very interested in his work and offer him
money and assistance to carry on.
30 years ago.
- The Jenova Project is started. The goal Shinra are aiming for is the
creation of humans with the powers of the Ancients. It is not clear if Gast
knew of this, but Hojo the scientist sent to assist by Shinra most certainly
did.
Gast and Hojo start experimenting on Jenova. These are conducted in the
basement laboratory of Nibelheim Mansion. A young female scientist called
Lucrecia and a young Turk called Vincent (sent to keep an eye on things) are
also present.
As the experiments progress, Vincent falls in love with Lucrecia. However she
is in love with Hojo and declines Vincent's proposal of marriage. Lucrecia
becomes pregnant by Hojo. Hojo, having no luck using full-grown humans and
creatures in his Jenova experiments, decides to use his unborn child instead.
He injects Lucrecia and the baby with Jenova cells. Lucrecia becomes very sick
and upon delivering the baby, finally becomes altered beyond recovery.
Vincent in a rage confronts Hojo. But he is incapacitated by Hojo and subject
to more Jenova treatments. He becomes another twisted monster like the rejects
being stored in pods at the Nibelheim Mako Plant.
Hojo then stores Jenova in the Mako Plant and takes his perfect newborn baby
son away to Midgar and Shinra headquarters where he can be raised and observed
as he grows. The boy is named Sephiroth and he is never told who his parents
are.
At some point Professor Gast left the project, most likely after Hojo began his
warped experiments on live people. Realising he had no way of stopping the
Shinra scientist he decided to get away before Shinra decided he is no longer
useful.
Vincent awakes to find Lucrecia and Hojo gone and the experiments at Nibelheim
Mansion over. In despair he seals himself up in a coffin in the basement and
sleeps for the next 30 years. Lucrecia, having new powers courtesy of the
Jenova cells also goes into seclusion in a Waterfall Cave.
28-24 years ago.
Professor Gast travels the planet. He is possibly looking for more information
on the Ancients/Cetra. He visits Bugenhagen at Cosmo Canyon during his travels
and gives him scientific equipment. At some point along the way he meets
Ifalna, one of the last Ancients on the Planet. They fall in love and retire
to Icicle Lodge on the Northern Continent. Gast does not officially leave
Shinra, but he does not tell them of his whereabouts.
22 Years ago
- Aeris is born to Professor Gast and Ilfalna. Soon after her birth Hojo
finally tracks Gast down. He tries to take Aeris and Ifalna away for his
experiments. Gast and Ifalna resist. Gast is killed and Ifalna and Aeris are
captured.
21 years ago
- Cloud born in Nibelheim. He grows up a lonely and isolated child; constantly
frustrated by his inability to allow himself to be the person he wants to
really be.
20 years ago
- Tifa born in Nibelheim. She is out-going and lively and has a lot of
friends. Although she and Cloud are close in age and distance they don't spend
much time together as children.
Approx 16 years ago
- Shinra go to war abroad with the town of Wutai. The fierce pride of the
leader Godo has kept Shinras influence out of the town, but they are quickly
crushed and Wutai has to become a tourist town to carry on and survive. Somehow
during this time, Ifalna escapes from Shinra Headquarters Laboratory with Aeris
and gets as far as Sector 7 station in Midgar. Here, exhausted and wounded she
hands Aeris over to Elmyra Gainsborough and then dies. During their first
meeting Elmyra's husband is killed far away and this is sensed by Aeris.
Elmyra adopts Aeris and raises her. Aeris grows up showing strange intuitive
powers and an affinity with nature. She keeps about her person a small white
pearl of materia that her dead mother left for her. This is actually the
materia for summoning Holy. But Aeris is not aware of its power. As she grows
up, Tseng the leader of the Turks pesters her. He wants to take her back to
Shinra Headquarters, but Aeris manages to avoid Shinra every time.
Sephiroth is also proving to be a hugely capable and talented young soldier
with abilities and powers that far outstrip his peers. His conduct during this
time of war earns him a hero's reputation even though he is still in his teens
and he continues to rise though the ranks of SOLDIER.
During the War, Shinra keep investing in new military research and formulated a
space program. An experienced young pilot called Cid Highwind was destined to
fly Shinras rocket into space. Cid has already proved himself worthy with the
Sea Plane the Tiny Bronco and the Highwind airship. But his dream was crushed
when the launch was aborted due to technical problems. After the War with
Wutai finished, Shinra decided its Mako business was more profitable than war
and Space exploration and the Space program was dropped.
16 years ago
- Yuffie born in Wutai.
12 Years ago
- Tifa's Mother dies. An upset and confused Tifa believes her Mother has gone
to Mount Nibel and sets off to find her. Cloud follows to make sure she stays
safe but Tifa is injured in a fall. Tifa's father arrives and blames Cloud for
leading her astray. Cloud, distressed at being wrongly blamed and angry at his
inability to save Tifa, decides that one day he will become as strong and
capable as the Legendary Sephiroth and resolves to join SOLDIER when he is old
enough.
- After Tifa recovers, her and Cloud become a little closer. She hears of his
plans to join SOLDIER, at the same time she starts training under martial arts
master Zangan perfecting her hand-to-hand combat skills.
9 years ago
- Zack leaves his home in Gongaga and joins SOLDIER; he easily makes the grade
and gets to serve under the command of Sephiroth.
7 years ago
- While stationed in Midgar, Zack meets and dates Aeris. He writes to his
parents about her during this time.
- Cloud leaves Nibelheim, but fails to get into SOLDIER. He becomes an
ordinary Shinra soldier and cuts off all contact with his hometown and old
friends; so ashamed is he that he failed again.
5 years ago
- Reports of monsters disrupting life for the workers at the Mt. Nibel Mako
reactor results in Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud being sent to Nibelheim to
investigate. On reaching Nibelheim Cloud keeps his identity hidden from Tifa
and the other townspeople. He cannot bear to be seen as just an "ordinary"
solider.
Tifa takes the party to the Mako reactor. Tifa and Cloud stay outside. Inside,
Sephiroth discovers Jenova's body and sees all the mutated "failed" experiments
of Hojo's. He begins to realise his origins may be similar and becomes upset.
Zack is disbelieving at first, but when one of the mutated humans falls out of
a pod he also begins to be concerned. The party return to Nibelheim Mansion.
Sephiroth finds all the notes of Jenova Project in the basement of the Mansion.
He is aware of Professor Gasts initialisation of the project but has not been
told how Gast died or Hojo's full involvement in his creation. Later in the
night Zack goes to speak to Sephiroth and finds Sephiroth a changed man.
Sephiroth has discovered Gasts notes he made at Icicle Lodge about the
Ancients. He now believes he is descended from the Ancients and regards normal
humans as traitors who abandoned the Cetra to a terrible disaster. However he
does not seem to accept Jenova is the cause of that disaster. He rants and
raves at Zack before leaving quickly to see Jenova whom he refers to as
"Mother".
Zack follows him outside and sees the whole village in flames. Many people are
dead or dying, a Shinra Soldier (Cloud) tends to his dying mother. Sephiroth
heads for the reactor with several townsfolk in hot pursuit. Tifa and Zack
chase after him, Cloud following behind.
At the reactor Tifa discovers her father's body. Sephiroth has killed him. As
Sephiroth moves towards the Pod with Jenova in it, Zack tries to attack him but
is batted away. Tifa picks up Sephiroth's discarded sword and attacks him, but
he takes the sword back and cuts her down. Cloud arrives to witness this and
he tenderly moves Tifa into a more comfortable position before confronting
Sephiroth.
Sephiroth opens the pod and tries to free Jenova. As Cloud approaches
Sephiroth tells Jenova he has come to reclaim the Planet for her. Cloud stabs
Sephiroth then returns to tend to Tifa. Injured, Sephiroth can only take
Jenova's head with him, he leaves the pod room, walking past Cloud. Cloud
follows him onto the bridge above the Life stream running far below at the
bottom of the reactor. Sephiroth stabs Cloud though the chest, but Cloud keeps
a hold of the sword and uses it to flip Sephiroth and Jenova's head into the
bottom of the Mako reactor. Cloud then passes out.
- In the immediate aftermath, Zangan (Tifa's tutor) arrives at the reactor and
takes the wounded Tifa to Midgar. Here she sets up a bar called "Seventh
Heaven" in the sector 7 slums when she has recovered.
- Cloud, Zack and the surviving residents of Nibelheim are gathered up and used
by Hojo to create clones of Sephiroth now they believe the original is dead.
- Far from dead, Sephiroth washes through the Life stream until he ends up at
the Great North Cave. Having assimilated the knowledge of the Ancients while
in there he begins to formulate a plan to turn himself into a God. This
involves summoning a Meteor to cause a big enough wound on the planets surface
to make the Life stream rush to one place, where he can absorb it all. Over
the next 5 years he experiments with controlling the Sephiroth clones remotely
and projecting himself psychically. His physical body however remains in the
Great North Cave for the duration of the game.
- Shinra cover up the incident at Nibelheim and repopulate the town with
Shinra staff. Experiments carry on at the Mansion, but Jenova is moved to
Shinra Headquarters (now minus her head), for safekeeping. After the cloning
project proves to be a failure, Hojo moves back to Midgar permanently and
carries on research there. At some point he captures Nanaki for a series of
unknown tests and names him Red XIII.
4 years ago to present day
- Shinra persuade the people of Corel to accept the building of a Mako reactor.
Barret, seeing that coal has no future, pleads Shinras case. His best friend
Dyne opposes it, but Barret talks him round. One day Barret and Dyne come back
from a trip out of town and find Shinra burning down Corel.
They discover that Shinra have blamed several explosions at the new reactor on
sabotage by Corel Townsfolk. Barret and Dyne are both severely injured in the
fighting. Dyne falls over a cliff and Barret believes him dead. Barret goes
back to Corel to be with his now dead wife Myrna. He sees Dynes wife Eleanor
is also dead but Dynes daughter Marlene isn't. He decides to take Marlene and
flee to Midgar.
Barret has his useless arm replaced with a gun, he also hears of a similarly
injured man who has a gun arm and surmises Dyne is still alive. But he cannot
find him. Dyne remains at Corel, the desert overtakes the town and a huge
Entertainment Complex called the Gold Saucer is built above it. Corel becomes
the Gold Saucer Prison town. Dynes mind disintegrates and all those who come
into contact with him as he carries on as the Boss of Corel Prison fear him.
Meanwhile the remaining survivors of Corel move northwards and settle in the
devastated North Corel, which has also lost its income from the shut down Mako
Reactor. They live near the Ropeway station that leads to the Gold Saucer.
They eek out a miserable existence selling junk to travellers going to the Gold
Saucer.
- Barret, swearing revenge on Shinra decides to start targeting their reactors
in Midgar. He hooks up with Tifa (who is also harbouring anger towards Shinra)
and uses the basement of her bar as a centre of operations for his
environmental terrorist group AVALANCHE.
- At sometime close to the present day, Zack and Cloud escape the Shinra
Mansion. Cloud is nearly catatonic from Mako and Jenova treatments. Zack
dresses him in a spare SOLDIER uniform and they manage to get to the mountains
near Midgar before Shinra catches up with them. On their journeys Zack tells
Cloud all about his life in SOLDIER and what happened when he was alone with
Sephiroth. Cloud is still too confused and messed up to respond, but Zack
takes care of him.
When Shinra find them Zack is shot dead. Cloud is left alive, as he is
considered no threat. However Cloud manages to pick up Zacks sword and make it
to Sector 7 railway station in Midgar where Tifa finds him still confused. As
he gets better Clouds mind takes Zacks experiences and mixes them with his own,
setting up the split personality that would allow Sephiroth such control over
him.
Remembering Zack's idea that they become mercenaries, that's what he tells Tifa
he is now and she decides to hire him to help AVALANCHE blow up the Mako
reactors. It is here that the actual game begins...
[NOTE: I have explained in the FAQ later in this guide how I came to construct
that timeline. Hopefully this description of the game's actual events will
make it clearer as well]
===============================================================================
*************************** 2) THE STORY OF THE GAME **************************
===============================================================================
1) ASSAULT ON REACTOR ONE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The game begins with Cloud meeting Jessie, Biggs, Wedge and Barret at the
entrance of Midgar's Mako reactor No.1 after hijacking a train to get there.
Barret is suspicious of Cloud as he doesn't trust someone one who used to work
for Shinra. Jessie and the others are just grateful to have Clouds fighting
expertise on their side. Barret explains that the Mako reactors are sucking
the life out of the planet, which is why they must be destroyed. Cloud says he
doesn't care; he's only in it for the money. Cloud follows Jessie into the
reactor and goes deeper inside. Together with Barret they fight their way to
the entrance of the reactor core. Just as they begin to lay explosive charges,
Cloud clutches his head and a mysterious voice rings in his head.
Then an alarm goes off and the reactor's self defence goes into overdrive.
Cloud and Barret fight off a robotic guard scorpion. The fight has cost them
time and they now have ten minutes to evacuate before the explosives goes off.
On the way back though Cloud discovers Jessie has got stuck, he frees her and
they make their way to the outside. As they escape the bombs goes off and
Reactor No. 1 is put out of commission. AVALANCHE has scored their first major
strike against Shinra, now its time to get to safety.
Barret tells the gang to split up and meet at Sector 8 railway station. As
Cloud gets moving he sees a beautiful young woman selling flowers. She stops
him and asks about the explosion and Cloud buys a flower from her. Then he
hurries off only to be confronted buy many Shinra Soldiers. He is surrounded,
but escapes buy leaping off a railway bridge onto a passing train. In an
amazing stroke of luck, it's the same train that the rest of AVALANCHE have got
on. He climbs inside and everyone except Barret are happy to see him. Barret
chews him out for his reckless behaviour.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) SECTOR SEVEN SLUMS - MEETING TIFA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rest of the journey passes uneventfully, Jessie explains to Cloud how she
faked Ids for them so they could pass through Shinra's security checkpoints
with out being detected. She also gives Cloud a lesson on the Midgar rail
system and the structure of the city itself.
Soon they are back at the Sector 7 slums and head to the bar "Seventh Heaven"
which is run by Cloud's childhood friend Tifa. In the bar Cloud has a fight
with Barret over the money he is owed. He prepares to leave but Tifa intervenes
and persuades him to come on another mission. There is a flashback to the
young Tifa and Cloud where she first makes him promise to come back and be a
hero and rescue her. It is also where Cloud states he wants to be in SOLDIER
and be like Sephiroth. After Cloud agrees to stay on and take out the Sector 5
Mako Reactor, Tifa is also to come along this time.
The next day the board the train to sector 5, but a security alert forces them
to abandon the train early. They use an underground subway to access the
reactor. Deeper in the reactor core, Cloud has another spasm. He sees Tifa as
a young girl standing over the dead body of her father in a similar reactor,
she accuses Sephiroth of killing him. She picks up Sephiroth's discarded sword
and runs into the reactor core. Cloud snaps out of the flashback. They plant
the bomb at the core then begin to leave, but are stopped by Shinra Soldiers.
The President of Shinra appears. He insults them then sets his new weapon
Airbuster on them. Then he leaves. They defeat Airbuster but it explodes
taking out the walkway and Cloud plunges into the city below.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) SECTOR 5 - MEETING AERIS, RESCUING TIFA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He awakes in the Sector 5 slums, inside a Church. Here he meets Aeris the
flower girl again. She asks him to be her bodyguard and he agrees. Then Reno
and Rude of the Turks turn up and begin to chase them. Cloud and Aeris escape
up into the top of the church and then over the slum rooftops. They reach
Aeris house where she introduces Elmyra, her adoptive mother. Aeris says
she'll show Cloud back to sector seven the next day. She goes up to bed, and
Elmyra asks Cloud if he could sneak out without Aeris knowing. But when Cloud
does leave, Aeris is waiting for him at the entrance to sector six.
They take a break at a deserted playground and from here see Tifa in a Chocobo
carriage going into Wall Market. They follow her there and find she has gone
to Don Corneo's place. So after running a few errands they get Cloud dressed
as a lady and get into Don Corneo's brothel. Cloud is lucky enough to be
picked to be his date for the night. As he keeps Corneo talking, Tifa and
Aeris break away from their captors and come up to "rescue" Cloud. They then
threaten Corneo and he tells them that Shinra are going to break the plate
above sector seven and literally bury AVALANCHE. Then he opens a trapdoor and
drops them in the sewers where the fight off Aps.
(There is a short cut to the Shinra Headquarters where we see Reeve (Cait Sith)
butting heads with Heidegger about the plan to destroy Sector 7. Reeve is
against it, so the President gives him a few days off, so they can carry on
without Reeve objecting)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) CONFRONTING RENO, AERIS IS TAKEN BY SHINRA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tifa, Cloud and Aeris make their way through the Train Graveyard. At the other
end they find AVALANCHE fighting with Shinra on the sector seven pillar.
Jessie, Biggs and Wedge are killed. Aeris takes Marlene to safety. Tifa and
Cloud go up to help. At the top they fight Reno of the Turks, but cannot
disarm the bombs he has set. Then they see Aeris in the helicopter, she has
been captured! They escape the exploding pillar and plate on a wire they use
to swing down from. They end up in the sector 6 playground and Barret becomes
more resolved to wipe Shinra out. Cloud also hears Sephiroth's voice telling
him that he, Sephiroth is the rightful heir of the planet - an Ancient.
They then head back to Aeris house only to find that although Marlene is safe,
Aeris is now prisoner in Shinra's Headquarters. Elmyra tells them about how
she found Aeris and Ifalna 15 years ago and that Aeris is an Ancient. They
head to Wall Market and climb up a wire onto the top plate. They then make
there way up to the final few floors of Shinra Headquarters. Up there they
meet the Mayor, who tells them he has no power, he just looks after Shinra's
paperwork.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) INFILTRATING SHINRA, CAPTURE AND ESCAPE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further up they listen in on a conference with several top executives and Hojo
in attendance. They say they plan not to rebuild sector 7, but instigate a
neo-Midgar programme, which is linked to the Ancients and the ideal of the
Promised Land. Hojo says he has been running tests on Aeris, but it would take
to long to run full tests and says he plans to breed from her to make tougher
subjects. They follow Hojo upstairs and Cloud is aghast to find a pod with a
headless Jenova inside it. They then rescue Aeris from Hojo and meet the lion
like creature Red XIII. But their attempt to escape is foiled by the Turks and
they are taken before President Shinra. He tells them that Aeris is an Ancient
and they plan to use her to find the Promised Land, where they can build a new
Midgar in a Mako rich environment. He then sends them to be locked up.
In the cell, Aeris reflects on the Promised Land and tells Tifa that she can
hear voices from the planet and her mother sometimes, but she herself doesn't
know where the Promised Land is. After that they go to sleep. When they awake
their doors are unlocked and all the guards dead. They follow a trail of blood
and find Jenova is missing from the pod she was in. They carry on further and
find President Shinra dead with Sephiroth's sword stuck through him. They meet
up with a terrified Palmer who says Sephiroth was ranting about not letting
"us" (humans) have the Promised Land. Then Rufus the Presidents son turns up.
Cloud stays and fights him, Tifa guards the escape route and Barret, Red XIII
and Aeris go down in the lift and fight off the 100 Gunner.
They reach the bottom, bickering like mad and Tifa greets them. They all hop
into a three-wheel van and accompanied by Cloud on a motorbike they roar off.
Shinra bikers chase them to the end of the motorway, then they fight the huge
Motorball. After this they drop down from the incomplete road and exit
Midgar's City walls. They are now out in the field and separate into two
groups.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) LEAVING MIDGAR, CLOUD FLASHBACK IN KALM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They meet up in the nearby Village Kalm. They get a room and Cloud tells the
group his story of the events in Nibelheim five years ago. However at this
point in time he is using Zack memories. The first clue that this Cloud was at
Nibelheim all along though can be found in the very first scene. There is an
ordinary soldier suffering from motion sickness, Zack/Cloud says he never
suffers from it, yet later we find out he does (when he talks to Yuffie on the
Airship). Anyway, he basically narrates the story as told in the chronology
above. Tifa is quiet while he talks about it. His flashback to seeing his
mother is oddly broken up and he recalls his father dying when he was young.
His flashback ends as he confronts Sephiroth in the Jenova Chamber.
The group then decide to follow Sephiroth and find out what he is planning to
do with Jenova. They set off for the Mythril Mine. After stopping by Chocobo
Bill's farm to learn how to catch Chocobo's they cross the marshes and find
evidence that Sephiroth had been through. A giant serpent, the Midgar Zolom is
impaled on a tree. They enter the Mines and meet up with Tseng and Rude and
new recruit to the Turks, Elena. She lets slip that they are also chasing
Sephiroth and they are headed for Junon Harbour. So our heroes head for Junon
next.
At the run down town of Junon they help rescue a girl from a monster called
Bottomswell. That night Cloud has a dream where he puzzles over why he did not
see Tifa socially during the time he was in Nibelheim. When he awakes he uses
the jumping skill of Mr. Dolphin to leap up into the main town of Junon
Harbour. Here he disguises himself as a Shinra Soldier and snoops about the
town. After having to partake in a televised parade in Rufus's honour, he
ends up in front of Rufus and Heideigger and does a little display with some
other soldiers. During his time in Junon, Cloud finds out that Shinra have an
Airship prepared, they are using another called the Gelnika, Sephiroth has been
seen in Junon but cannot be found and finally that Hojo left a letter of
resignation and disappeared from Midgar.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) JUNON PORT, FOLLOWING SEPHIROTH BY BOAT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cloud boards the boat headed for the other continent and soon discovers
everyone else is aboard. But they can't relax long, Sephiroth is loose on board
and kills a lot of people. They fight Jenova: BIRTH in the hold and actually
get a glimpse of Sephiroth. The defeated pat of Jenova disappears and they are
left pondering further what Sephiroths plan is. They then disembark on the
Costa Del Sol. Here they find Hojo sunning himself on the beach, but he
refuses to be forthcoming about anything so they leave and head for North
Corel. On the way they are told a black-cloaked man has passed that way
earlier.
They reach North Corel, where Barret is given an unfriendly reception. The
populous also speak of seeing a tattoo on the black clad figure. After hearing
Barrets story of how Shinra betrayed the people of Corel (see pre-game
Chronology) they board the ropeway and travel to the Gold Saucer.
Inside Barret stomps off. Cloud is approached by Dio the complex manager and
asked if he knows what "Black materia" is. When Cloud demurs, he says a
black-cloaked man had been through earlier asking about it. Wandering around,
he is confronted by the bizarre Cait Sith. A small grey cat that rides a giant
stuffed moogle. Cait Sith tries to tell his fortune and decides to tag along
to see if any of them come true (though actually it's cos he is Reeve...).
Then they find murdered employees and hear reports that a man with a gun for an
arm has done it. Dio appears and dumps them all down into Corel Prison.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) COREL PRISON, DYNE, ESCAPE VIA CHOCOBO RACING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Down here they find an emotional and angry Barret. Asking around they discover
that another gun-armed man called Dyne runs the place and it was him who shot
everyone. Barret confronts Dyne, and after fighting him tells him that
Marlene, Dynes daughter is still alive. Dyne though decides he can't go on
living as the twisted, angry man he has become and entrusts Marlene to Barret
forever. Then he kills himself. Barret then threatens a few people until
Cloud is accepted as a Chocobo jockey (the only way out of the prison). Cloud
wins the race and when it's over everyone is set free. Dio realised they were
not to blame and gives them a buggy as compensation.
They cross the desert and make their way round to Cosmo Canyon, where the buggy
breaks down. They go into the canyon and Red XIII reveals that this is his
home. They meet up with Red XIII's grandfather a man called Bugenhagen who has
an Observatory at the top of the Canyon. Red XIII also reveals his real name
as Nanaki. As they talk to people at the Canyon they find that this place is a
centre for the study of the Planet. Nanaki tells the group that his race were
the protectors of the Canyon and his mother was killed many years ago when the
Canyon was attacked by the Gi Tribe. He detests his father whom he blames for
running away and allowing his mother to die. They all then go up to
Bugenhagen's Observatory.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9) COMSMO CANYON, BUGENHAGEN EXPLAINS THE LIFESTREAM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bugenhagen has a large model of the planet. He tells them that the planet may
die soon as he has been hearing its cries of pain getting louder. Bugenhagen
explains that everything in the Universe is linked. When a person or any
living things dies their body may rot away but their soul returns to the
planet. These spirits merge into one, a life-force that covers the planet -
this is called the "Lifestream". This Lifestream is full of Spirit Energy that
infuses all new life and merges back together when that life is over. It not
only makes people, animals and birds but Planets as well, if that Spirit Energy
is drained, then the Planet will die. This is why Mako manufacturing is so
destructive. The Spirit Energy is extracted from the Lifestream, compressed and
turned into Mako. The energy is lost and without it the Planet will crumble and
die.
Bugenhagen then talks to Aeris in private, when she rejoins the group by Cosmo
Candle she is a little upset. She is brooding about being the last Cetra and
if she can save the planet. Barret finds a new impetus in the canyon after
remembering he promised he would take Jessie, Biggs and Wedge there when they
had beaten Shinra. Tifa is also pensive, the flames remind her of the events in
Nibelheim, but she can't bring herself to talk to Cloud about it. Nanaki also
speaks of his anger at his father.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10) CAVE OF GI. NANAKI LEARNS THE TRUTH
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bugenhagen comes down and tells Nanaki it is time he new the truth about his
Father. He, Nanaki and Cloud enter the sealed up cave of the Gi. The Gi tribe
were the creatures who attacked Cosmo Canyon many years before.
The cave is filled with their vengeful spirits,
which could not return to the Lifestream. They fight the ghost of the tribe
leader - Gi Nattack. After this they find the petrified body of Nanaki's
father - Seto. Now Nanaki knows the truth, his father died a hero's death
defending the canyon. Bugenhagen tells Nanaki that he must continue to travel
with Cloud, to give the Planet every chance of survival. As he resolves to be a
hero like his father tears roll down Seto's stone cheeks...
Nanaki rejoins the group and they carry on the Tifa and Cloud's hometown -
Nibelheim.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11) RETURN TO NIBELHEIM, WHAT IS THE "REUNION"?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When they arrive both Tifa and Cloud are aghast to find the place
is unchanged. It should have been ruined or at least shown some signs of the
devastation Sephiroth wrecked on the place. They ask around and no one will
acknowledge the events of five years ago. They accuse Cloud of lying and
saying terrible things. Cloud and Tifa cannot remember who any of these people
are. There is even someone living in Cloud's mothers house, but it is not his
mother. They find several black-cloaked figures on the outskirts of the town.
They are tattooed and speak Sephiroth's name and about becoming one with him.
They speak of the "Reunion". They tell him Sephiroth is in the Mansion. So
they go inside to look for him.
Cloud confronts Sephiroth in the laboratory. Sephiroth seems to speaking
riddles, he calls Jenova the "Calamity from the Skies" and Cloud demands to
know if that means she is not an Ancient. Sephiroth asks Cloud if he is coming
to the Reunion, then tells him he has no right to participate. Then he flies
away leaving Cloud frustrated and confused. They have no option but to get in
the buggy and carry on North.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12) ROCKET TOWN - MEET CID HIGHWIND
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They roll up next in a place called Rocket Town, so called because a big rusty
old rocket (No. 26) sits in the middle of the place. Asking around they
discover that Sephiroth has passed though. They also find out that there is a
pilot in town called the "Captain". A man who was destined to be the first man
in space as part of Shinra's now abandoned space program. They got to the
Captains house and see there is a small plane there called the "Tiny Bronco"
they decide to ask if they can use it. They meet Shera, the Captains assistant
who tells them that Rufus is on his way to discuss reopening the Space program.
Then the Captain arrives and introduces himself as Cid. Cid then tells them
about Shinra's Space program, how he blames Shera for messing up the launch of
No. 26 and how Shinra changed from weapons manufacturer to Mako producers.
Cid refuses to allow them to borrow the Tiny Bronco. Just then Palmer then
Rufus turn up and demand to use it as well. There is a fracas between Palmer
and our heroes and somehow they all climb aboard the Tiny Bronco and escape.
Unfortunately they tail gets shot out, so the plane ditches in the sea.
Luckily it can still be used as a boat. Cid decides to join them as he is fed
up with Shinra and living in Rocket Town. Cid tells them that Rufus was chasing
Sephiroth to the Temple of the Ancients. So they decide to try and find it
before Shinra does. By lucky coincidence they land up on a small island where a
trader lives. He tells them he sold an item called the Keystone to the manager
of the Gold Saucer, this Keystone being the item that will unlock the Temple of
Ancients. Apparently this Temple contains something called Ultimate Destruction
Magic.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13) GOLD SAUCER, WHAT IS THE BLACK MATERIA? CAIT SITHS BETRAYAL
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So off they go to the Gold Saucer where Dio agrees to lend the Keystone to
them. The cable car is broken so they spend the night in the Ghost Hotel. They
try and make sense of the story so far. They surmise that Sephiroth is
searching for the Promised Land but also something called Black Materia. They
also think that the tattooed clones are something to do with Sephiroth. Nanaki
is worried, he has a 13 tattoo and is scared he might go mad like the pathetic
clones they have seen so far. Later that night Aeris and Cloud go out on a
date. After taking part in a play they ride around the saucer on a monorail.
Aeris tells Cloud how much he was like "him", Zack. She also says she wants to
meet "Cloud". This confuses him, "I'm right here" he says...
Later still Cait Sith reveals himself to be a Shinra spy. He takes the
keystone and delivers it to Shinra. But he decides to stay with the group,
saying he is troubled by his conscious. With a bit of blackmail, he is
accepted to stay. He also knows how to get to the Temple of Ancients, so the
next day they pilot the Tiny Bronco eastwards to get there.
When they arrive they find more clones lurching around the place. Aeris and
Cloud get inside and find Tseng lying wounded. He has been injured by
Sephiroth and is rambling about how the Promised Land is not what Rufus and the
others think it will be, he hands the Keystone to Cloud. He then falls
unconscious. Cloud puts the Keystone on the Altar and they descend into a maze
like structure of buildings. They chase a Lagomorph around the place until
they finally catch it. Aeris says it's a spirit body of an Ancient, one that's
lost the ability to talk over so many years. She is led to a pool of wisdom
where the Ancients show her Sephiroth and Tseng's encounter. Sephiroth tells
Tseng he plans to merge with the planet and become a god and the way to do it
lies in the Temple. Then he stabs Tseng.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14) TEMPLE OF ANCIENTS - SEPHIROTH REVEALS HIS PLAN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They carry on deeper into the Temple where they meet Sephiroth. He informs
them he plans to inflict a huge wound on the Planet and absorb the life energy
that will gather there to heal it. He points to a mural on the wall and says
it depicts the means to do this, by summoning a huge meteor. He then rushes at
Cloud and disappears. Cloud begins to freak out, he splits into two mentally.
He struggles to regain control and he becomes one again. After a fight with a
Temple Guardian, they discover a small model of the Temple. It is labelled
"Black Materia". Shaking the model causes the room to shake, they realise the
model IS the Temple. Solving each puzzle will shrink the Temple down into a
piece of Black material, but will crush the person inside as well. They decide
they need to keep the Black Materia out of Sephiroth's hands, and Cait Sith
volunteers his stuffed body for the task.
They trust him and depart, fighting Demon Gate on the way. Cait Sith solves
the puzzles and the Temple reduces down into a small piece of Black Materia
sitting in the hole where the Temple was. They pick up the material and comment
that no one can use it alone to summon Meteor. But then Sephiroth appears and
informs them that his years travelling in the Lifestream have given him the
knowledge and power to use the materia. Cloud then convulses and splits in two
again. One stays standing still, the other lurches towards Sephiroth and hands
him the Black Materia. He then collapses. Sephiroth laughs then departs.
Aeris goes over to Cloud but he begins to attack her. Just this moment Cait
Sith (mk.2) and the rest of the gang show up. Tifa yells at him and he passes
out.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15) AERIS LEAVES, THEY FOLLOW HER TO THE FORGOTTEN CITY. TRAGEDY
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cloud dreams - he speaks to Aeris in a beautiful forest. She tells him she is
going to handle Sephiroth alone. She then fades from view and Sephiroth
appears and tells Cloud "we" must stop her soon. Then Cloud awakens in the Inn
at Gongaga. The others tell him Aeris has gone. Cloud says he knows, and he
knows she has gone to the City of the Ancients. He is paranoid about
continuing, knowing he could betray them to Sephiroth, but Barret and Tifa talk
him round. They take the Tiny Bronco north to Bone Village, where the
archaeologists digging there tell them they saw Aeris enter the Sleeping
Forest, which leads to the Forgotten City of the Ancients. They acquire the
Lunar Harp and make their way through the Sleeping Forest to the deserted
Forgotten City.
They search though the beautiful coral like structures and get deeper into the
city. They finally discover a small shrine by a pool of water and Aeris knelt
in prayer beside it. Cloud leaps over to her and draws his sword, he is being
compelled by Sephiroth to kill her, but Tifa snaps him out of it. But before
they can do anything, Sephiroth descends out of nowhere and runs his sword
though Aeris, killing her. She slowly falls to the ground; a small pearl of
white materia falls from her body and bounces down into the water. Cloud
cradles her dead body while Sephiroth informs him that his job is nearly done
and now he will head north to the Promised Land. Cloud rages at him, but
Sephiroth forces them to fight another part of Jenova (LIFE). Then he tells
Cloud he (Cloud) cannot feel hurt, loss or pain as he is merely a puppet. Then
he disappears. Cloud takes Aeris's body out into the deeper water and lets it
drift down to a peaceful resting place...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16) SEPHIROTH MUST PAY! TIME TO SCALE THE GREAT CLACIER
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They all get together and listen as Cloud tells them he is determined to defeat
Sephiroth, now more than ever. But he needs them to stop him from doing
something terrible. They all agree and decide to go north to Icicle Inn. There
they find evidence of Professor Gast's research (see secret scenes and pre-game
chronology). They discover they need to scale the Great Glacier. Then Elena
(from the Turks) shows up and blames them for killing Tseng, giving Cloud a
good punch up as payback. When Cloud comes round, they borrow some snowboards
and off they all go.
They arrive at the bottom of the Great Glacier and explore the frozen wastes
until they find a small house at the bottom of the Glacial Cliff. Inside a man
called Holzoff tells them that many hundreds of years ago something fell from
the sky in the nearby area. They stay the night and scale the cliff the next
day. They soon find themselves inside a huge crater. They follow the twisting
pathways to the centre of the crater, coming across dying clones as they do so.
The scene changes to the deck of an airship. Rufus, Hojo, Scarlet and
Heidegger are aboard. They are descending into the crater that Rufus decides
is the Promised Land as it is so Mako rich. Hojo muses to himself about the
Reunion.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17) AT THE CRATER. CLOUD BELIEVES HE IS A FAILED CLONE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to our heroes, they have made it to the centre of the Crater. Sephiroth
is killing some more clones and when they confront him he decides his current
body has "outlived its usefulness" and disappears. He gets into Cloud's head
and tells him its time for the Reunion. They then battle Jenova: DEATH. Cloud
figures out that a powerful will is at work in the area. He then hands the
Black Materia to Nanaki for safekeeping. Leaving Nanaki, Barret and Cait Sith
behind he, Tifa and Cid carry on.
Sephiroth bombards Tifa and Cloud with images of Nibelheim five years ago, but
the true events with Zack. Cloud dismisses this as a lie to undermine him, but
Tifa is uncertain. Cloud demand to know why Sephiroth is doing this. Sephiroth
calls him a failed experiment; a clone made by Hojo of Jenova cells and Mako
whose "real" self was destined to obey Sephiroth, which is why he gave him the
Black Materia. Not even worthy of a number tattoo.
Sephiroth picks up on Tifa's doubts about Cloud. She cannot explain how he and
Cloud share a common childhood memory of Nibelheim, yet she never saw him five
years ago. Sephiroth says "Cloud" was created when he met up with Tifa in
Midgar, the Jenova allowed him to shape himself around her memories of a boy
name Cloud. Cloud stick to his guns, saying Sephiroth is lying. Then he tries
to remember how he came to join SOLDIER and he can't. He collapses at this
revelation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18) CLOUD HANDS OVER THE BLACK MATERIA TO SEPHIROTHS REAL FORM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The scene shifts back to Rufus and Hojo who have walked into the central cave.
Rufus is convinced it's the Promised Land. Hojo disagrees. They feel a rumble
and a huge eye blinks at them. Hojo states that it is WEAPON, created to
protect the planet. Meanwhile Sephiroth tricks Nanaki into following the others
deeper into the cave. Cloud then arrives in the cave and warns Rufus and the
others to leave. Nanaki shows up and Cloud asks him for the Black Materia.
Cloud is now obeying Sephiroth. He apologises to everyone. Hojo is gleeful
that his theory about Jenova cells reuniting has been proven, but then
disgusted that only the failure made it. Cloud rise up into the ceiling and
broods about how he was being summoned by Sephiroth not chasing him. He then
hands the Black Materia to the cocooned body of the real Sephiroth. The whole
cave begins to rumble and come apart. Rufus, Hojo and the rest make for the
Airship, escaping just in time. WEAPON rises up out of the crater and seals it
with an energy barrier. Everyone but Cloud makes it out OK.
Tifa dreams - she is meeting Cloud at the sector 7 railway station. She
remembers being uncomfortable about his memories, how he knew some stuff he
shouldn't and how he forgot other stuff he should. How she wanted him to join
AVALANCHE so she could keep an eye on him.. She awakens to find that she and
Barret are locked up back in Junon Harbour. Barret explains that she has been
out cold for seven days, in that time WEAPON is tearing the place up and
Sephiroth has summoned a huge meteor that is hanging ominously in the sky.
Rufus shows up and tells them they are to be executed to make the people feel
better. They are being blamed for all the calamity Sephiroth has caused.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19) WEAPON IS UNLEASHED. TIFA IS TO BE EXECUTED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tifa is put in the gas chamber. As Scarlet locks her in WEAPON attacks. Using
this as a diversion a disguised Cait Sith incapacitates Scarlet and frees
Barret. Rufus is throwing everything he has at WEAPON but still it attacks.
Scarlet recovers and locks Barret and Cait Sith out of the room where the gas
chamber is. Luckily the guard dropped the key in the confusion and Tifa
manages to let herself out. Rufus fires Junon's huge cannon at WEAPON, which
retaliates by tearing a hole in the side of the harbour. Tifa is able to climb
up and is chased down the barrel of the Sister Ray by Scarlet. They have a slap
fight. Tifa then runs to the end of the cannon and leaps off, only to grab a
ladder coming out of the side of the Shinra Airship (the Highwind). Cid is in
control and Cait Sith, Barret and Nanaki are also safe and well.
Tifa tries to think of what to do next, but she is very despondent. She wants
to see Cloud again. Nanaki thinks that Cloud may have washed into the
Lifestream. He says there are places where the Lifestream gushes up through
cracks in the Ocean floor. So they head to one of these places, Mideel.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20) A CRIPPLED CLOUD IS FOUND AT MIDEEL. TIFA STAYS TO CARE FOR HIM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sure enough, in an AMAZING stroke of luck they find Cloud at Mideel. He washed
up on the shore about a week before, but he is a wreck. He has been poisoned
by Mako and is a drooling, shuddering shell. Sat in a wheelchair he can only
jerk his head and mumble broken words. Gutted, Tifa lays her head on his knee
and cries. Outside the clinic, the Doctor tells Barret and Cid that Cloud has
had so much knowledge drenched Mako forced inside him that he has literally
shut down mentally. Tifa decided she wants to stay with Cloud, Barret asks her
is she is sure its him and not Sephiroth's shadow. She is adamant. So the
others return to the Highwind and try to think of what to do next.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21) THE OTHERS QUEST FOR THE HUGA MATERIA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once aboard, Cait Sith lets them eavesdrop on a Shinra meeting. They plan to
destroy Meteor by collecting Huge Materia from Mako reactors all over the
planet. These are massive chunks of compressed Mako, which they will somehow
ram into the meteor. They have collected it from Nibelheim and are planning to
get some more from Fort Condor and North Corel. So Barret decides they must
get this Huge Materia and they duly elect Cid leader. First they head for the
reactor near North Corel. There they arrive too late to stop them loading the
Materia onto a train. The manage to hijack the train though prevent it
smashing though North Corel, they also acquire the Huge Materia.
They then head for Fort Condor. This is place where the inhabitants protect a
massive Phoenix that nests at the top in the abandoned reactor. They fight off
Shinra's attack and witness the hatching of the new Phoenix. They collect the
second Huge Materia and go back to the airship. They decide to go and check up
on Cloud and Tifa back in Mideel.
Back in Mideel and Cloud is still a clod. At that moment Ultimate Weapon
appears and attacks. Barret, Cid and Nanaki fight it, but in the process the
Lifestream begins to boil up. It bursts up out of the ground taking most of
Mideel with it. Tifa and Cloud don't make it out in time and both plunge into
the shining green depths...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22) FINDING THE REAL CLOUD, TIFA UNRAVELS HIS TORMENTED MIND
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now we enter a mixture of Cloud and Tifa's minds. Tifa find herself in a black
expanse. Weird screeching noises surround her, she tries to run but gets
nowhere. She collapses, pleading for Cloud to help her and spirals away into
darkness... to come around on a strange platform suspended in the middle of
space. Three paths lead off the platform, by each sits a Cloud. A fourth Cloud
hangs over the area, transparent, clutching his head in pain.
She approaches the first Cloud and they walk together, back to Nibelheim of
five years ago. Finally Tifa tells Cloud that this memory is wrong, she never
saw him that day. She waited for him, but he never showed up. Zack replaces
Cloud and they come back to the platform with three Clouds. Cloud asks her if
she is sure that young man was not him and she says yes. He remembers his
promise to her when they were small, was it just a lie? They revisit that
memory. Tifa ponders Sephiroth's assertion that she helped make Cloud from her
own memories. But she thinks it is too real to be imagined, he must be
remembering it. She says she believes he is the real Cloud from Nibelheim, but
he does not. He has to find the truth himself. They arrive back again at the
platform.
She gets him to talk about memories only he could have known, not ones he could
have got from her. He remembers the day Tifa's mum died and how Tifa went into
Mt. Nibel and how he followed and got blamed for Tifa having an accident. How
he wanted to be strong so Tifa would notice him. Frustrated by his inability
to fit in, he starts to look down on the people around him. Except for Tifa.
This memory proves to Tifa that he wasn't made five years ago, that they are
getting closer to discovering the truth.
They both agree to revisit Nibelheim and this time events unfold in Clouds head
as they actually happened. He reveals he was there all along as one of the
ordinary soldiers, too ashamed to admit he never made the grade. He remembers
stabbing Sephiroth and knocking him into the Lifestream. Now he has faced the
truth of his own past he combines back into one Cloud. Finally he is the real
Cloud again.. With this coming to terms done with, he and Tifa exit the
Lifestream and return to the normal world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22) CLOUD IS RESTORED. THE MATERIA BOMB MUST BE DISARMED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They all reunite back on the ship and Cloud apologises to everyone. They then
decide to go to Junon and the Underwater Reactor to try and swipe the last Huge
Materia. They go to Junon and travel down into a deep underwater reactor.
There they fight Reno and take control of a submarine. This they use to blow
up the submarine carrying the Huge Materia. They then go back to Junon and
spot another Shinra airship flying off towards Rocket Town. They get in the
Highwind and give chase.
Once in Rocket Town they discover that the plan is to load the Huge Materia
into Rocket no. 26 and pilot it into meteor. A huge Materia bomb. Cid decides
to take over the rocket. Cloud pleads with him, saying they have to retrieve
the Materia, but Cid says he believes science can save them from Meteor and
pushes Cloud aside. The argument is cut short by Palmer launching the Rocket
with them inside it of it. Luckily there is an escape pod, so once Cid has got
over his joy at being in space they retrieve the materia and go to the pod. On
the way the faulty tank blows up injuring Cid. Cid realises he has wrongly
blamed Shera all these years, when she was right about it being broken. Right
on cue, Shera appears and helps get Cid into the pod. They get away and the
Rocket smashes into Meteor. Parts break off, but it is not enough and Meteor
carries on plunging towards the planets surface.
Aboard the Highwind, the gang wonder if they were wrong to interfere with
Shinra's plan. But Cid gives a rousing speech about how they should be the
Planet's protectors. They hear a scream from the Planet and decide to go and
see Bugenhagen for advice on what to do next. They go and see him, he asks
them to look into their hearts for the way. Cloud and the others all think of
Aeris and decide she is still the key to defeating Sephiroth. They decide to
return to the Forgotten Capital with Bugenhagen in tow. On the way they share
memories of Aeris. Cait Sith tells them that he (as Reeve) had informed Elmyra
of her death. They soon arrive back at the Capitol and take Bugenhagen to the
Shrine where she was killed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23) BUGEHAGEN IN THE FORGOTTEN CITY - SEPHIROTH MUST BE KILLED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bugenhagen figures out that the power needed to defeat Sephiroth and Meteor is
"Holy". They realise they need the White Materia to summon Holy, but are
unsure how to get it or use it. Bugenhagen says they need to find the Key to
the Ancients to help him figure out what they should do next. So Cloud and the
others leave him and go and look for it.. Would you believe it, they manage to
find it using the submarine lurking on the bottom of the sea. They return with
it to Bugenhagen and place it in the music box. A secret cave is revealed.
They enter and Aeris's death is replayed. They realise that Aeris had already
prayed for Holy. Holy is summoned, but Sephiroth is blocking it. The only way
to release the power of Holy is to kill Sephiroth.
They return to the Airship where Cait Sith informs them that the Junon Cannon
has been moved to Shinra headquarters, where it is going to be fired at
Sephiroth's energy barrier. Back at headquarters, Scarlet informs them that the
cannon will fire Mako shells and is to be called the Sister Ray. Then feedback
hits Cait Sith as Weapon rises out of the sea and commences attack upon Midgar.
They decide to fly back there and try and defeat Weapon. Barret and Cait Sith
then have a big fight over the morality of Barret's terrorist actions. Cait
Sith also says he can't quit Shinra now, even though he wants to. In his
position he can do more good where he is, than as another enemy of Shinra.
As they head for Midgar, the Sister ray fires at Weapon, knocking it backwards.
It retaliates with a barrage of energy blasts. The Highwind pitches in firing
at Weapon as well. The huge energy blast from the Sister ray cuts through
Weapon and carries on focused at the energy barrier around the Great North
Cave, which is manages to dissipate. Weapon is dead, but unfortunately his
energy blasts hit Midgar with full force. Rufus is killed in the ensuing
explosions. Now the barrier is gone, our heroes fly over the crater.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24) THE CRATER CAN BE REACHED, BUT MIDGAR IS IN PERIL FROM HOJO
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But before they can go inside they hear via Cait Sith that energy is still
being supplied to the Sister Ray. It's overloading and the explosion it will
create will destroy Midgar. Reeve takes control and discovers that Hojo is
sending power to the cannon. He can't stop him as Reeve, so Cloud and the
others decided to go and stop Hojo. Reeve tells Scarlet and Heidegger to stay
out of their way. But they decide Reeve's time is up and call two guards to
kick him out of the building. They intend to stop Hojo themselves using their
new weapon the Proud Clod.
Cloud and the others parachute into the Midgar slums, Cait Sith warns them
Heidegger is out for their blood. They slip into a storm drain and find
themselves in a maze of pipes then an underground railway. There they meet
Reno, Rude and Elena and call a truce. Reno sees no point in fighting anymore
and the Turks slope off. They climb back out onto Midgars streets near a large
tower, there they face off against the Proud Clod and kill Scarlet and
Heidegger. They then ascend the tower and confront Hojo at the top.
Hojo has completely lost it and is ranting about sending more power to his son,
Sephiroth. He abuses Cloud as a failure and tells them he has injected himself
with Jenova Cells. He then mutates, so they kill him and shut down the energy
feed. They are left to reflect on the bombshell that Sephiroth was Hojo's son.
Then they go back to the Highwind and realise they now have to go to the
centre of the North Cave and kill Sephiroth. Cloud tells them they have seven
days to defeat Sephiroth before meteor falls and tells them to go and see their
loved ones. They all go their separate ways.
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25) THE FINAL NIGHT. CLOUD AND TIFA ALONE
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Tifa and Cloud sit on the edge of the crater and reflect that they both have
nothing except each other now. They speak of how in the darkest moments they
heard each other voices. Cloud mumbles that he always had so much he wanted to
say to her, but no they are alone he can't think of anything. Tifa says gently
to him: "Cloud... Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're
thinking..." Night falls.
Next day, Tifa awakens next to Cloud and they had back up to the airship. At
first they think they are alone, but the rest of the gang are waiting for them.
All fired up they head for the North Cave and to Sephiroth.
They fight their way down through a series of eerie caves. Finally they find
the entrance to the middle of the crater. Half of the group stay behind to
fight off the monsters, Cloud and the others drop down into the green,
sparkling centre of the crater. As they leap across to the middle, they face
even tougher battles, culminating in the fearsome Jenova: SYNTHESIS. After
defeating her, the crystal structure they are stood upon breaks up and they go
rushing into blackness.
Cloud falls towards a glowing white sphere, Holy. He lands on a suspended
stone platform, along with the others. Sephiroth appears in front of the white
sphere of energy and forces them all up into the air. He torments them with
rings of energy, but somehow they break free and challenge him. He appears to
them as the huge mutated "Bizzaro" Sephiroth. They defeat that form, but a new
form appears. "Safer" Sephiroth, a large, one-winged almost angel like figure
now fights them. They defeat him and with the final blow his body breaks apart
in a burst of light and energy.
They make it back to the lip of the crater and rest. They ponder what will
happen next. Suddenly Cloud convulses and hears Sephiroth in his head. He
travels back into his mind and in a terrible rage destroys Sephiroth with his
ultimate attack, the Omnislash. Sephiroth looks almost surprised as he finally
dies for good. Surrounded by green Lifestream energy, Cloud sees it pooling
and joining into a column of pure Holy energy. A female hand reaches out to
him, he smiles..
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25) SEPHIROTH IS DEAD. BUT METEOR STILL CRASHES DOWN...
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Tifa grabs him at him as he sits on a ledge in the crater, everything crumbling
around him. He is to far away and she topples over the edge. Cloud grabs her
and Cait Sith pulls them both up onto safe ground. The Highwind appears just in
time and they climb aboard. Now all they can do is watch and see if Holy does
the trick. Back in Kalm, Marlene senses something and immediately thinks of
Aeris. Now we see Midgar, Meteor has almost reached the surface, blasts of
energy destroy first the upper plates then crash down into the slums.
Then Holy appears, a point of white light gathering force and aimed directly at
Meteor. A huge hole opens up in Meteor, just the size of Midgar. As the power
of Holy hits Meteor, red energy pours down onto Midgar pummelling it. Shocked,
Cloud and the others observe that Holy is having the opposite effect. Then they
see first one, then two, then hundreds of pinpricks of green light appear all
over the Planets surface. They rush towards the column of Holy light. They all
combine in a huge mass of energy, the Lifestream, Holy, Meteor and Midgar. As
Meteor begins to dissolve, the scene pulls out to reveal Aeris, surrounded by
green light, smiling at you, the way she does at the beginning of the story...
500 years later...
Nanaki is running through a sandy red valley, two cubs trying to keep pace with
him. He is much older now and his mane has grey hairs, but his tattoo is still
visible. He stops on a plateau and howls. In the distance we see Midgar, now
nothing more than a ruin, ablaze with flowers.
THE END
wow that was a lot!!
more than the anima theroy of FFX :love: