(Cloud is inside the Shinra ship, en route to Costa Del Sol.)
People on the ship
"I'm workin' hard already,
and you still want me to do more?"
"The new President's
probably the same."
"He's just gonna order
us around anyway."
A soldier
"Umm.... It's me, Aerith."
Aerith
"Hey, Cloud. Did you
see the Airship at Junon?"
Cloud
"...I heard it was
big, but I didn't expect it to be THAT big."
Aerith
"That was REALLY something."
"Hey, do you think
I could get on it?"
<CHOICE>
I'll take you someday
I dunno...
***Cloud
I'll take you someday
Cloud
"...keep hoping."
Aerith
"Wow! I'm really looking
forward to it!"
"Let's ride the Airship
together, OK? Promise, promise me!"
***Cloud
I dunno...
Cloud
"It's a Shinra weapon.
We probably should've destroyed it."
Aerith
"...Hmm. But just
once, I'd like to ride it."
"Just once, I'd like
to ride that Airship."
<//>
"It won't do any good
trying to stop me!"
"All right! I'm going
to show the new President what I'm made of!"
"Hey, get to work!"
"Both the new President
Rufus and Heidegger are aboard this ship!"
"If we do good, we
could get promoted!"
A soldier
"Yes sir! Everything
quiet, sir!"
Tifa
"...But, you know
what? I really hate this uniform."
"Uniforms, soldiers,
war. I hate 'em all."
"They take away the
things and people you love..."
"I wish they'd all
disappear. Right, Cloud?"
<CHOICE>
Yeah.....
I don't know
***Cloud
Yeah.......
Tifa
"You're right!"
"Uh, yes sir, I'll
continue my watch sir! Hee hee...."
***Cloud
I don't know
Tifa
"...Cloud. Wearing
those clothes seems to have changed you a little."
"Does it remind you
of being in SOLDIER? I hope not..."
<//>
"Hey! What's wrong,
kid? You got no pep!"
"A seaman's gotta
have umph!"
<CHOICE>
I'm tired....
Something's missing
Leave me alone
***Cloud
I'm tired....
"I got just the perfect
this! 'Invisible Alpha'-- A super drink for seamen!"
"Just one'll rejuvenate
you! Only 250 gil!"
<CHOICE>
I'll take it
No thanks
***Cloud
I'll take it
"Thanks! This is a
necessity for a sailor."
"This is a must item
for a sailor! Ha ha ha!"
(HP/MP restored)
***Cloud
No thanks
"Hey! Seamen shouldn't
be so stingy!"
<//>
***Cloud
Something's missing...
"Ey ey! Whattaya mean, 'missin'!?" (sells items)
***Cloud
Leave me alone
<//>
"Oh man, we're almost
to Costa del Sol."
"When I get there,
I'm going to take a long overdue vacation. Maybe I'll go down to the beach
and get a tan..."
A soldier
"....... ...It's me.
Red XIII."
Red XIII
"I'm a little woozy,
but I shouldn't get caught."
"Humans only look
at appearances anyway."
"Anyway you look at
it, I'd say I make a fine human being."
"It's pretty hard
standing on two feet..."
(Cloud goes downstairs.)
Aerith
"Hey, Cloud, did you
see Barret?"
"I hope he's not doing
anything stupid..."
(Cloud goes back up to the deck, where he finds Barret, dressed like Popeye, peering in a bay window at Rufus and Heidegger.)
Barret
"Look, Cloud. It'
Rufus and Heidegger."
"They're this close
but we can't do a thing to 'em..."
"Ummmmmm..... Gmmmmmm....."
"How can he......
Goin' off laughin' like that?"
"Because of him, Biggs......
Wedge....... Jessie.....!"
"Gggggggh.... Ggggh.....!
Ggggggggghhh!!"
(He runs away and clenches his fists in anger)
Barret
"God!! I can't take
it anymore!"
"I'm gonna settle
things here and now...."
(A siren begins to sound.)
"Emergency alert! Reports
of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship.
Report when found!"
"I repeat. Suspicious
character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report
when found!"
Barret
"Damn, did they find
us?"
"Hey, that don't seem
like us. Do they mean.... Tifa and the others!?"
(He turns to Cloud)
Barret
"Get off your spikey
butt and let's go, Cloud!"
(They hurry to the main deck. Everyone is gathered there.)
Tifa
"Everyone all right!?"
Barret
"You all right!?"
Aerith
"Huh?"
Tifa
"Everyone's here...
right?"
Barret
"Hey, wait."
"You don't think that
suspicious character is...."
"Sephiroth!?"
Tifa
"Really!?"
Barret
"How the hell am I
supposed to know!?"
Cloud
"....Let's find out."
Red XIII
"It's the most logical
thing to do. Then, who's going to go?"
(The PLAYER chooses a party here- once again, I took Aerith and Tifa. Everyone is now in their normal clothes.)
Cloud
".....Sephiroth......."
"........All right,
let's go!"
(They travel down to the engine room. Dead or dying people are strewn all over.)
"....the Engine Room...
a suspicious..... character..."
"No... there's no
way.... that...... not a human..... That thing's not human....."
(In the engine room, they see a captain standing before a control panel.)
Cloud
"Is it........ Sephiroth?"
(The captain turns, slowly.... then falls over, dead.)
Cloud
"No... not Sephiroth!"
"........After a long sleep..."
(They all look around for the source of the voice.)
"...the time..."
"...time has.......
come....."
Aerith
"Look, Cloud!!"
(The figure of Sephiroth arises where the captain stood.)
Cloud
"Sephiroth! You're
alive!"
"........Who are you?"
Cloud
"You don't remember
me!? I'm Cloud!"
"Cloud..."
Cloud
"Sephiroth! What are
you thinking!? What are you doing!?"
"...the time..... is now......"
Cloud
"What are you saying!?
Be more..."
(The figure of Sephiroth rises, then crashes into Cloud and the others, sending them to the floor. It soars skyward.)
(Boss battle with Jenova-BIRTH)
(A pulsating limb of Jenova, leftover from the battle, lies on the floor.)
Tifa
"I've seen this somewhere...
before."
(Cloud bends)
Cloud
"...Jenova. The arm
of Jenova."
Aerith
"Jenova... With this
thing?"
(The arm vanishes.)
Cloud
"So it WAS Sephiroth."
Tifa
"He said something
about it being time for something."
Cloud
"......Time...is now?"
Aerith
"Hmmm... I don't get
it."
"Hey, Cloud. Can you
explain it to us?"
<CHOICE>
I'll try
Too much trouble
***Cloud
I'll try
Cloud
"I'll try, but don't
interrupt me while I"m explaining."
(He steps away)
Cloud
"Sephiroth went off
searching for the Promised Land, so he could become the ruler of the planet...
That was 5 years ago."
"Then Sephiroth came
back and killed President Shinra."
(He turns)
Cloud
"And then just now
all of us saw Sephiroth."
(He walks forward)
Cloud
"He was carrying Jenova
with him."
"...This much I do
know. He told me he wants to go to the Promised Land with his mother, Jenova."
"....I guess that's
about it."
<//>
(A voice comes over the intercom)
"Dock workers-- We will be docking in Costa del Sol in 5 minutes. Prepare for docking."
Aerith
"Maybe we shouldn't
stay in here anymore..."
(All leave but Cloud. He pauses at the doorway and turns back.)
Cloud
"Sephiroth..... is
alive..."
"The Promised Land....
Does it really exist...?"
(He leaves the engine room.)
phoenixgenesis@game-developer.com
Continue to Part 5 Scene 53