(Cloud and the others arrive in the Gongaga area. Cloud approaches an intersection along the forest path leading to the town, then stops.)
Cloud
"Is someone there?"
(The camera pans over. Reno and Rude are standing in the road.)
Reno
"Hey, Rude. Who do
you like?"
(Rude turns away)
Reno
"What are you getting
so embarrassed about? Come on? Who do you like?"
Rude
"...........Tifa."
Reno
"Hmmmm......."
"That's a tough one."
"But, poor Elena.
She.... you......"
Rude
"No, she likes Tseng."
Reno
"I never knew that!
But Tseng likes that Ancient..."
(The camera pans back over to show Cloud.)
Cloud
"What are they talking
about?)
(Elena enters, coming up behind Cloud.)
Elena
"It's so stupid!"
"They always talk
about who they like or don't like. But Tseng is different."
"Ah! Oh no!"
(She runs over to Reno and Rude)
Elena
"They're here! They're
really here!"
Reno
"Hmm... Then it's
time..."
"Rude... Don't go
easy on them even though they're girls."
Rude
"...Don't worry, I'll
do my job."
Elena
"Then, we're counting
on you. I'll report to Tseng!"
(She runs off)
Reno
"It's been a while."
"Payback time for
what you did in Sector 7."
<CHOICE>
Sector 7?
Out of our way
***Cloud
Sector 7?
Reno
"That's sad."
***Cloud
Out of our way
Reno
"I don't like being
taken for a fool."
<//>
Rude
"That's as far as
you go."
(Boss battle with Reno and Rude)
Aerith
"...How could they
know we were coming here?"
Cloud
"They followed us......
But there weren't any signs of it. Then, that means......"
Tifa
"A spy!? ...No way."
(Cloud turns away and looks up)
Cloud
"I don't even want
to think that there's a spy...."
(He turns)
Cloud
"I trust everyone."
(Cloud goes up one path to a reactor in the distance. The surrounding area is littered with massive chunks of steel debris, and the reactor itself stands in ruins, as if blown apart.)
Cloud
"A ruined reactor."
(A helicopter lands near the entrance, and Scarlet and Tseng get out of it.)
Cloud
"It's Scarlet, Head
of Shinra Weapon Development."
(He hides behind the reactor. Scarlet and Tseng approach. Scarlet pokes around in the rubble.)
Scarlet
".....Hmph! This isn't
any good either."
"You only get junky
materia from junky reactors."
(She walks back over to Tseng)
Scarlet
"This reactor's a
failure."
"What I'm looking
for is big, large, huge materia. You seen any?"
Tseng
"No, I haven't seen
it. I'll get on it right away."
Scarlet
"Please. We could
make the ultimate weapon if we only had some."
Tseng
"I just can't wait."
Scarlet
"With Hojo gone, the
Weapon Development's been getting a bigger budget."
Tseng
"I envy them."
Scarlet
"But, even if we make
the perfect weapon, could that stupid Heidegger ever use it?"
Tseng
"....."
Scarlet
"Oh... sorry! I forgot
Heidegger was your boss! Ha ha ha!"
Tseng
"....."
Scarlet
"Let's go!"
(They leave.)
Cloud
"...Big, large, huge
materia?"
"An ultimate weapon?
The perfect weapon?"
"Just what are the
Shinra up to...?"
(The camera pans down to show Scarlet and Tseng getting into the helicopter, which takes off. Cloud grabs the materia Scarlet passed up, Titan, and heads back to the intersection and down the other path. It leads to Gongaga town. As Cloud enters, the camera pans up to show the ruined reactor we already visited.)
Cloud
"A ruined reactor...."
People in Gongaga
"............."
"Three years ago when the reactor exploded, my husband...."
"Huh..... did you want something?"
<CHOICE>
Buy accessories?
Hear a story?
Nothing in particular
***Cloud
Buy accessories?
(Sells accessories)
***Cloud
Hear a story?
"People can live without the Shinra's Mako Reactors."
***Cloud
Nothing in particular
"They sell the weapons
on the second floor. Climb up the pole to get there."
<//>
"...You want something?"
<CHOICE>
Buy weapons?
Hear a story?
Nothing in particular
***Cloud
Buy weapons?
(Sells weapons)
***Cloud
Hear a story?
"Shinra built the reactor, without even thinking about the town's safety. And, this is the result."
***Cloud
Nothing in particular
<//>
"Oh... you here to shop?"
<CHOICE>
Buy items?
Hear a story?
Nothing in particular
***Cloud
Buy items?
(Sells items)
***Cloud
Hear a story?
(A random choice of:)
"It's been a while
since the explosion, but you can still find pieces of it left all over
town."
"Shinra built the
reactor, without even thinking about the town's safety. And, this is the
result."
"One day, there was
a huge explosion. Many townspeople died in it..."
***Cloud
Nothing in particular
<//>
"This is Gongaga Village.
Many people died here in a Mako reactor explosion."
"The Shinra people
told us that everyone would be happy once the Reactor was built. But, all
it brought us was sadness..."
"Uh... need somethin'?"
<CHOICE>
Need a room?
Hear a story?
Nothing in particular
***Cloud
Need a room?
"It's 80 Gil a night."
***Cloud
Hear a story?
(A random choice of:)
"It's been a while
since the explosion, but you can still find pieces of it left all over
town."
"Shinra built the
reactor, without even thinking about the town's safety. And, this is the
result."
"One day, there was
a huge explosion. Many townspeople died in it..."
***Cloud
Nothing in particular
<//>
(Cloud enters a house near the southern edge of Gongaga. A man gets up from a chair inside.)
"You a traveller? Hey wait, that glare in your eye... you in SOLDIER?"
(A woman, presumably his wife, comes around the table)
"Oh you're right! Don't you know anything about our son?"
"His name is Zack."
"It's been close to 10 years since he left for the city, saying that he didn't want to live in the country..."
"He left saying he's going to join SOLDIER. You ever hear of a Zack in SOLDIER?"
Cloud
"Hmmm... I don't know."
(Aerith looks down)
Aerith
"Zack..."
"Young lady, you know him?"
"I remember he wrote us 6 or 7 years ago saying that he had a girlfriend. Could that have been you?"
(Cloud turns to Aerith)
Aerith
"That can't..."
(She turns and leaves the house)
Tifa
"Zack..."
(She follows Aerith)
Cloud
"What happened to
you two?"
(He follows them outside. Aerith is standing behind a house, facing a rock.)
Cloud
"Aerith..."
Aerith
"What a shock.....
I didn't know Zack was from this town."
Cloud
"You know him?"
(She turns to Cloud)
Aerith
"Didn't I tell you?
He was my first love."
Cloud
"............"
Aerith
"Zack.... SOLDIER
First Class. Same as Cloud."
Cloud
"Strange, there aren't
that many who make First Class, but I've never heard of him."
(She turns back to the rock)
Aerith
"That's all right.
It's all in the past now. I was just worried because I heard he's been
missing."
Cloud
"Missing?"
Aerith
"I think it was 5
years ago. He went out on a job, and never came back."
"He loved women, a
real lady's man. He probably found someone else..."
(She walks to Cloud)
Aerith
"Hey? What's wrong?"
<CHOICE>
Poor guy
(jealous... envious...)
***Cloud
Poor guy
Aerith
"I don't really mind
that I haven't heard from him. But I feel for his parents."
***Cloud
(jealous... envious...)
Aerith
"Are you... jealous?
Hmm? Hmmm? Are you, Cloud?"
(Cloud turns away)
Aerith
"I'm kidding. I'm
sorry."
<//>
Aerith
"Let's go, Cloud."
(Tifa is standing outside a building.)
Tifa
"Zack......"
Cloud
"Do you know him?"
Tifa
"N, no, I don't know
him!"
Cloud
"Your face tells me
differently."
Tifa
"I told you, I don't!"
Cloud
"A, all right."
(She turns away)
Tifa
"..........."
(She turns back)
Tifa
"That sounds just
like you, leaving town, and saying 'I'm joining SOLDIER!'."
Cloud
"There were a lot
of guys like that back then."
Tifa
"You must really be
something making it in SOLDIER out of a group like that."
"I really respect
you..."
<CHOICE>
I just got lucky
I worked hard for
it
***Cloud
I just got lucky
Tifa
"Don't be so humble!"
***Cloud
I worked hard for
it
Tifa
"Hard work pays off,
huh."
<//>
Tifa
"Cloud, thanks for
caring."
phoenixgenesis@game-developer.com
Continue to Part 8 Scene 65