Chapter Thirty-Three: "Call The Angels"

The path was twisted and often unclear, but with Celes in the lead they made their way quickly to the ridge that Relm had spoken of. It was indeed a circular rim to what appeared to be a giant dried-up lake: the Crater. It was much larger than any of them had imagined, as the opposite edge nearly touched the darkening horizon. Night was quickly falling.

They started into the Crater’s interior, being careful not to fall down the steep slope. The winds had grown fierce, dangerously so. Often times they were forced to stop in order to avoid the whipping gusts. But they kept going without fear. There wasn’t any room for that now.

When they reached the bottom of the Crater Celes stopped. The wind blew her hair about in a crazy dance as she stood silently. Gradually the wind began to calm, until there was none at all. Then she continued on, forcing the others to follow.

"This ground is really weird," Lucca said, pausing to tap it with her toe. It wasn’t rock at all; it was something smooth and slightly curved, covered with a thick layer of ice. "And look over that way; they’re like stalagmites, but this isn’t a cave. How bizarre."

"We’re not inside the Crater," said Glenn, his eyes scanning every inch of the land surrounding them. "This is one of the Weapons."

"What?"

"He’s right." Celes came to a stop once more, turning to face them. Her eyes held the same pure white glow as Cloud’s, but hers were even more intense. "When Lavos first attempted to destroy this planet the three Weapons covered and sealed him within this very crater."

Lucca bent down to investigate further. "I can’t see anything through the ice. It must be at least several feet thick."

Sabin turned his gaze ahead of them. "Something’s coming," he reported.

"It’s Sephiroth." Cloud made his way to the front of the group. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to rage and scream and cry all at once, but he felt as if he’d grown too weak to try. He didn’t care anymore. "He’s waiting for me. He wants me to go with him."

Before he could move at all Tifa snatched his arm. "Don’t go," she pleaded, trying to pull him back. "Cloud, you don’t have to. Fight it, please."

"I’m tired of fighting. I have to end it." He started for the figure that waited unseen in the mist.

"Cloud, please—"

"You’re not going anywhere," Sabin told him firmly, getting in Cloud’s way. "I’m sick of you constantly f***ing things up for the rest of us because you’re too damn weak to face yourself. Now cool your head—you’re staying put."

Cloud glared at him calmly. Something came over him—he knew what he had to do, and this man was an obstacle. "Is that all you have to say?"

His eyes narrowed. "Maybe."

"Then get out of my way." He grabbed Sabin by the throat and flung him into their group, surprising everyone with his one-armed strength. As they were struggling to regain their senses he made his way again toward the figure of the waiting man. Glenn and Cid tried to detain him but were also thrown back with flawless ease. "Stay away from me!" Cloud shouted, his eyes blazing.

"It’s time," Celes murmured. A wicked smile spread serpent-like across her face. "Soon. But…I am still missing something." Her eyes, alive and powerful, sought out Locke, who was facing off with the others against Cloud. "I need another Angel."

"He must come willingly," Sephiroth’s voice reminded her. "Otherwise, he will be no good."

Her grin deepened. "He will."

Locke started as the general took his hand, pulling him—not harshly—away from the others. "Celes—" He tried to face her, but a flash of light rendered him blind in a moment. Instantly he stopped moving in reaction to the attack. "What’s going on?" he demanded; he could hear sounds of any angry struggle going on, and he was uneasy not being able to see. "Celes, what are you—"

"Hush."

Glenn turned back just in time to see another flash of light, and he cursed at the swell of invisible power that accompanied it. Both Locke and Celes collapsed onto the rough ice. He abandoned his stance in front of Cloud to kneel at his friend’s side, who was shuddering violently. "Locke," he hissed, shaking him. "Don’t listen to her. You can’t—"

"I can’t see," the treasure hunter said, his hands waving frantically in front of his face. "I…I can’t see. I can’t hear." His breath was quick and gasping. "Please—help—I can’t—"

"Glenn…" Cid retreated behind Sabin as Sephiroth came slowly from the mist. "Ya mind getting your ass back here quick?"

Locke stopped thrashing, and his friend uttered several more curses. "Lost him. Damn it, hold on, Locke."

Lucca and Nadia joined him. "Go help the others," Lucca told him. "We’ll stay with him."

Sephiroth’s eyes flashed, and an explosion of ice sent everyone scattering. In the distraction Cloud moved quickly to the fallen general and lifted her in his arms to safety. He stood back, cradling the woman as his companion fended off Sabin and Glenn’s attacks without problem. By now some part of him reasoned that his mind was not his own, and there was no going back.

He’d made another decision.

Locke glanced about him. He was in a place without light but it wasn’t dark; he felt, saw, nor heard anything, and yet he knew he wasn’t alone. He could sense stimuli beyond the comprehension of his body--strangely pleasant sensations, as they radiated around him, through him, creeping everywhere with perfect freedom.

"Locke."

"Celes?" He struggled to find her in the expanse of empty space, but discovered nothing. "Where are you?"

"Everywhere." He flinched as something flared in his left hand. "I want you to be my Angel."

"What?"

"My Angel." Still he was unsuccessful in locating the source of her voice. "You protect me better than anyone; let me give you something in return."

Locke inhaled sharply as the feelings intensified. It was like warm arms and tender lips, things he remembered from a long time ago in another place. His skin was hot. "What are you doing?" he asked, trying to escape even as the invasion of his senses wasn’t painful or unpleasant. It was his own reaction that startled him; he welcomed what was happening. "Where am I and what’s happening to me?"

"Don’t you enjoy it?"

He tried to respond but a flash of intense heat startled him and took his breath away. Every muscle and nerve in his body grew tight. An emptiness formed within him—or rather, he noticed it for the first time. It was a deep, unavoidable loneliness. Instinct cried out; he longed for another body to be near his, another heartbeat whose pulse he could depend on and follow. For a moment he was given these things in the form of a memory: burning sweat and the feel of cool satin sheets. When he was alone again his desire heightened.

"I can make you feel like that." Celes’s voice rang seductively sweet in his ears. "I am everything you’ll ever need. You’ll live in pure ecstasy always. Isn’t that what you want?"

"I…" Even as he fought to object the images overpowered his arguments. It had been so long since he’d felt anything like that: desperation and fear deeper and more fulfilling than any joy, lost in a turbulent storm of passion and tears. He missed the warmth and the comfort.

"That’s it." Hands touched his face, pulling him deeper into the strange, body-less realm. "Come with me, Locke. I’ll take care of you."

But then Locke paused as the sensations were punctuated by a vision of blood. He quickly doused the anxiety but it returned even faster, disturbing the gentle atmosphere. "What is it?" the general’s silken voice drifted to him. "Are you afraid of me? You needn’t be."

"No…this isn’t’ right." The visions came again: dark, dusty rocks littered with rotting corpses. His flesh crawled. "You’re not looking for an Angel, are you? This…"

"Of course I am, and I choose you." He could see her in his mind—her shiny eyes and smiling lips. She looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. "I want you, Locke. I want you to be at my side forever. I won’t leave you like that other did."

He felt a wave of discontent. "That…other…?"

"Yes. I promise I won’t abandon you."

"A…" His heart began to pound. "…abandon?"

"Of course."

"This isn’t right." Locke struggled against the invitations, even as part of him complained violently. "You can’t…I’m not that easily manipulated, am I? I…" He tried to rally the determination inside himself. "I won’t do this. You can’t make me."

"Don’t you—"

"No—no more." With great effort he recoiled, separating from her intoxicating presence. "I won’t join you. Rachael. Rachael, help me!" He erected her image in his mind, depending on the memories as a stable force in this strange world.

Celes’s manner became instantly hostile. "Don’t ever mention that name."

"Rachael…" He knew he could trust her—all his faith, all his strength he placed in her. "I love Rachael, not you. I love only Rachael!"

The world shattered, or so it seemed to him, as the shifting of strength forced him back to his body in an instant. A moment passed before he regained his senses. Someone was touching his face, and in fear he slapped the hand away. "Locke, it’s us," a woman’s voice told him. "Relax. Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Locke blinked several times, and shapes began to solidify in his sight. "Nadia?" His hand rose in front of his face; it trembled spastically, and he studied it with a look of mystified horror.

"Locke?" Glenn shook him harshly. "What happened? What did you do?"

"Celes." The treasure hunter tried to sit up, but found he was too weak to do so. "Where is she?"

"She’s right here." His voice was strained and cold. "Watching us."

"How dare you reject me," the woman snarled, Cloud and Sephiroth standing at her side. "I thought you had feelings for this woman. So then why…" Her eyes burned with betrayal. "How dare you."

Sephiroth touched her arm. "Forget the man. He is unworthy." His gaze then reached Cloud. "It is time to call the Angels, Father."

"Not yet," the general interjected. "I want a third."

A strange sound rose then out of the harsh winds—propellers—and everyone looked up as the majestic shape of the Highwind came into view. It was beginning to descend. "What the hell is Shin-ra doing here?" Lucca demanded.

"There." Celes smiled grimly. "It's against my better judgement, but there I will find my willing host. I will find my Angel." She leapt into the air and kept going, startling them all as she soared quickly to meet the approaching ship. Cloud and Sephiroth did not hesitate to follow.

"Cloud!" Tifa wasn’t fast enough to reach him before he rose beyond her grasp.

"It’s too late for him," Glenn told her, pulling the woman back. "You can’t help him now."

"So this is the Promised Land," mused Rufus, staring out the main window of the cockpit. He surveyed the barren crater doubtfully. "I was expecting something a bit more…impressive than this."

"Maybe there’s something underneath," suggested Scarlet. "This can’t be what we’ve been looking for all this time."

Standing beside them, Hojo’s thin lips lifted in a faint smile. His dark eyes searched the tiny shadows and crevasses of the space below them, but he seemed pleased rather than disappointed. "You are correct," he said, almost awestruck. "Many secrets lie in this place. The beauty has not yet surfaced."

Rufus cocked an eye—he’d never heard the Professor refer to anything as "beautiful" before, and it made him curious. Before he could reply, one of the bridge technicians spoke up. "Sir," he reported, "the winds have increased dramatically."

"If they get any worse," Daryl added at the helm, "I’ll have to pull out." The ship shifted a moment. "Mr. President, something’s approaching."

Hojo edged closer to the glass, placing his fingers on its smooth surface. He didn’t need any radar or monitor to know what was coming—he could feel the power coming toward him. A moment later General Celes appeared in the viewing window, and even though Rufus and Scarlet backed away Hojo stood still. Cloud came next, and then Sephiroth. The scientist stared at the tall man for what seemed like a long time. His grin deepened, and he murmured, "You’ve done well, Son."

This caught Rufus’s attention. "What was that?"

Celes’s eyes gleamed, and she ascended out of view with her companions close behind. Hojo appeared to wake from a trance as she moved quickly from the window. Before he could be questioned, however, he turned and dashed from the bridge. The trio—they’d come for him, to give him the power he’d always searched for. Pushing the limits of his muscles and heart he sprinted down the corridor and scrambled up the stairs that led to the upper deck. By the time he reached the top he was out of breath and his entire chest pounded angrily at the exercise. The cold arctic wind whipped violently at his hair and white lab coat. He struggled to compose himself despite his excitement. "I’m here!" he shouted, looking about. "You called me!"

"Yes, I did." Celes’s boots tapped lightly on the deck as she landed and strode toward him. When her hand took his he was subjected to the same fire of heated desire that she’d used to tempt Locke. She needn’t have used such an unnecessary tactic, as he’d dedicated his life to Jenova long before she had. "I want you to be my Angel. I will forgive your past mistakes; I will heal your withered body. You will exist with me eternally."

His body fingers tightened around hers. "I’ve waited thirty years for this, and you still must ask?"

"The power you have sought will be yours." The pair lifted into the sky once more, joining those that already awaited them. Sephiroth removed the black sphere from his coat and handed it to Cloud. "You are our Father," he said. "Call the Angels, and our master."

Cloud did not hesitate in taking the Black Materia and lifting it over his head. He closed his eyes as the immense strength of the icon washed over him, like a warm wave, and he powered it with his own life energy. The ball began to spew beams of deep crimson and black lightening.

Lucca stared down at her boots, surprised to find a tiny pool of water gathering by her toes. "Uh, guys," she said warily. "The ice is melting."

"Mr. President," the technician reported, "I’m detecting a massive increase in energy below the surface. I don’t suggest landing."

He moved to the display. "What the hell’s going on?" He waved to several soldiers at the bridge exit. "Find Professor Hojo. Bring him back here."

"He’s gone, sir. He, uh, flew away."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Sir," the technician spoke up yet again, "the monitor shows there are people down there. A lot of them." He began to lift off the names the computer showed. "Fuji, Figaro, Lockheart, Cole, Rannel, Shin-ra, Highwind, and—" He paused. "And a doll, sir."

Daryl’s attention was drawn immediately. "What? My brother’s down there?"

"God damn, this ain’t good," Cid muttered. He took a step out of the puddles and a spider web of cracks spread out from his boots. He hissed several curses. "We gotta haul ass outta here, right?"

Tifa bit her lip, staring up at he four figures that hovered far above. "We can’t go without Cloud."

"I told you, it’s too late," Glenn snarled, taking her arm. "You’ve lost him—he’s an Angel. We’ll retreat for now."

She struggled against him. "But we can’t—"

"He’s gone." His voice was so loud in her ear that she jumped in surprise. "Forget him, Tifa. He’s not even human now."

Sephiroth watched as the sheet of ice splintered and cracked, then his eyes fell on Cloud. The youngest of the four had stopped feeding his power into the sphere, and was now concentrating on keeping control of the massive amount of energy emanating from his clasped hands. The skill he used was amazing—Sephiroth had never seen anyone who could handle so much raw force, and do it well. The boy was perfect, and his ability unfathomable. He grinned darkly in satisfaction.

"The surface is continuing to deteriorate," the reports continued. "The energy massing is too much for our sensors; I’m shutting them off. We can’t stay here much longer, sir." He stopped, staring at his monitor in disbelief. "Wait—we’re descending!"

"What?" Rufus turned to his captain. "Are you doing this?"

Daryl’s eyes met his for only a moment. "That’s my brother down there, sir. If the ice busts up while they’re on it, they don’t stand a chance."

"You go down there and we don’t stand a chance!" Scarlet exclaimed. "Take us back up."

"I can’t do that, Ma’am." She pressed a button on the controls. "Wedge, get the ladders ready," she said through the intercom. "There are eight people down there we’ve gotta rescue—I want’em all accounted for."

"Yes, Captain."

Rufus considered his options. He leveled his shotgun at the woman, and in a low voice said, "If you keep this up, consider yourself laid off."

"Shoot the only goddamned pilot," Daryl snapped back, "and consider yourself seriously f***ed."

He cursed, turning to the first officer. "Can you fly this thing?" he demanded.

The officer met his leader’s eyes with a look of fear. "N-No, sir."

Rufus lowered the gun. "Damnit."

"The Highwind’s coming down," Lucca said in amazement. "Their ladders are down—they’re coming to pick us up!"

"Gotta be Daryl… Shit, I love that girl!" Cid waved them all forward. "C’mon, let’s get the hell out of here!" Finally the ship was low enough, and Cid directed everyone to the Highwind’s ladders. "There’s two more on the other side---hurry or we’re all gonna be shit."

Lucca and Nadia started up on one side, Tifa and Sabin on the other. Glenn followed with Locke draped over his shoulder—the treasure hunter had yet to regain full control of his body. After a moment of consideration Cait Sith leapt onto Cid’s shoulder, leaving the moogle doll behind, as its weight was already pulling it down into the ice field’s cracks. Finally Cid boarded as well, scrambling up onto the deck. The ship began to ascend once more.

"Get us out of here!" Rufus shouted, knuckles whitening as he gripped his rifle.

Daryl cursed and adjusted the control. "Yes sir."

Everyone averted their eyes as an explosion of intense white light erupted from the crater, followed by the high-pitched cry of some super-natural beast. A moment later all sound was lost in the crash of ice and rock as the being that had laid for so long beneath the ice’s surface rose to life and broke free of its frozen prison. As the Highwind struggled to regain altitude the beast freed itself and rose into the air, wings beating miniature hurricanes across the deck. Its speed quickly overtook the air ship, and in moments it was far ahead, a dark spot on the distant skyline.

The light cleared. Another form became visible: an enormous mound of bluish-purple flesh, thick tentacles stretching far across the entire diameter of the crater. Slowly it began to drag itself out and toward the distant ocean. It grumbled and moaned as it pulled itself along.

But that which drew the attention of the airship spectators was what lay beneath, revealed as the two creatures escaped from the earth’s wound. At first it only appeared to be a hump of jagged earth covered in protruding stalagmites. But then the mound shifted and turned in the confines of the crater. Something was alive in the mass of steel-like flesh and sharpened spines, nearly as large as Midgar itself. It began to crawl lethargically out of the pit.

"That’s him." Glenn stood at the edge of the rail, every muscle in his body straining and tense as the living mountain attempted to gain its freedom. His golden eyes were dulled with the failure of his tasks. "Lavos…forgive me, Cyrus." He felt his consciousness slipping as the beast’s massive energy swarmed over him, attacking and penetrating his very cells. "I…could not…"

The man collapsed, and Tifa—as she was the closest—quickly moved to pulled him away from the deck’s edge. As soon as they were far enough away she turned back, her eyes, stinging from the wind, searching the expanse of sky. She could no longer see Cloud, or any of the Angels. The only things visible were the creature in the air, torrents of wind echoing from its wings; the creature pulling itself toward the sea; and the creature that was Lavos, an evil beyond worded description, pointing itself in the direction of Midgar. Near the bottom of its gigantic shell was a triple-pronged beak that served as its mouth, and as it broke through the crater wall the jaws gaped wide in a long, bone-chilling scream.

Lying on the deck, Locke shuddered. The cry echoed painfully through his mind as well as his ears. But as he still could not move he was unable to see the demon, and instinct reasoned that, in the same, he could not escape. He was trapped in the gusting wind and the harsh ice. The beast’s wail captured him in shear terror, stole his breath from his already weak and gasping lungs. Finally overcome by his own fatigue the man allowed himself to be dragged into a deep, lightless realm, where not even the roar of an immortal evil could reach him.

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