The Terran Rangers/Final Fantasy VII, Heather Ray [desktop ebook reader txt] 📗

calming down. "Anyway, ya better call that drunken pilot on the PHS. Cait Sith practically shoved it up his butt to make him take it along with him. Just in case he needed some help."

"I'll give him a call then," Cloud said, pulling a black cellular phone from his pocket, "Tifa, Yuffie, Barrett...why don't you show our guests the ropes?"

Barrett frowned. "What the hell do I look like? A friggin' tour-guide?!"

"Nah, you're just a big ole' stick in the mud," Yuffie said dismissively, hopping down the stairs. Zack, Billy, and Tifa followed her through the middle level of the ship.

"Red XIII and Cait Sith should be on the bridge," Tifa said, "and Vincent should be hanging around here somewhere."

"This is an incredible vessel," Billy commented. "It must be able to go at incredible speeds to cover the entire planet in a matter of hours."

"Unless Midgar is a really small planet," Zack commented wryly.

"Small compared to what?" Yuffie inquired. Zack shrugged.

"Nothing," he answered. "Never mind."

After descending several flights of stairs, the quartet arrived on the main level of the Highwind. On the deck, a group of officers all dressed in similar blue uniforms manned their stations, while a large white marshmallow-shaped creature stood, with a small black cat sitting on its head. The cat continued to bellow orders at the officers with his megaphone, causing them to scurry about the bridge urgently. At the railing along the edge of the bridge, a large red wolf-like creature lay on its stomach, its face gazing up at the purple meteor that lit up the afternoon sky.

"Cait Sith!" Yuffie shouted at the marshmallow creature. "Why are you bossing those guys around?"

"They need to learn efficiency," the black cat replied, smoothing its whiskers, "Cid asked me to make sure these guys are properly drilled until we get back into the air. So, how was the supply run?"

"Good," Tifa answered. "We picked up some tents and elixers. I think Cloud just needed to take a little break."

"Hmm," Cait Sith squeaked, his feline eyes passing Yuffie and Tifa to the two strangers behind them, "and I see you picked up some cabin boys too."

"No, we're just hitching a ride to see Bugenhagen," Billy said.

"Right," Zack affirmed, "we're not manual laborers."

"Well, welcome aboard," he greeted, the long arm of the marshmallow body stretching forward, "I'm Cait Sith."

Zack stared at the arm for a moment, and then hesitantly shook its hand. Billy then did the same.

"I know what you're thinking," Cait Sith said, "you're wondering what the heck kind of life form I am."

"Well..." Zack conceded.

"Ah, I get it all the time! I'm an artificial intelligence, operated by remote control."

"So the marshmallow is the robot, and the cat is alive?" Zack asked.

"No, the 'marshmallow'

, as you call it, is something of a vehicle for the cat, which is the actual brain of the machine. But I'm really a human being, as a matter of fact."

"Really?" Billy marveled. "Then, where is your real body? Or is your mind somehow preserved inside this structure."

"No," Tifa sighed, "he has a completely intact body. However, he doesn't want to risk his life on this mission, so instead he plays hero through this remote robot."

"And he won't tell us who he really is," Yuffie added.

Cait Sith shrugged. "Hey, what's wrong with a little mystery in life? Besides, I can do my duties to help you guys without you knowing who I am. So don't worry about it."

Cait Sith then turned to Zack and Billy again. "So, where are you from?"

Zack grinned. "What's wrong with a little mystery in life?" he repeated. Cait Sith smiled in amusement.

"Suit yourselves," he said, turning back to the command station he was sitting at earlier.

"And what's that?" Billy asked, pointing to the red wolf on the deck. "Is he someone's pet?"

"Actually, that's Red XIII, an important addition to our little band," Tifa clarified. "He's older, and wiser, than any of us, and he's actually Bugenhagen's grandson."

"So Bugenhagen's a wolf?" Zack asked in surprise.

"No, he's human," Yuffie answered, "Red is his adoptive grandson. He raised him, after his parents died trying to defend Cosmo Canyon."

"Hey guys!" Cloud called, walking onto the bridge, "Cid's back! All senior crew members to the conference room. Pilot, set a course for Cosmo Canyon, as fast as this thing can carry us."

"You got it, Sir!" the pilot called, taking his station at the steering wheel. The ship shook slightly as it rose off the grassy field, hovering about a thousand feet in the air. Then, it lurched forward, and sailed through the clear skies. Billy and Zack watched the scenery fly by in awe, as Cait Sith, Tifa, Yuffie, and Red XIII made their way into the interior of the ship. Yuffie then turned around, and whistled at the awestruck visitors.

"Hey boys!" she shouted. "You'd better join us for the meeting! We're gonna figure out a plan of action!"

Billy nodded, and he and Zack hurried to join Yuffie by the gate. They entered the interior of the ship, and walked into a large conference room, with a sentry posted at the door, and a long table, with Cloud seated at the head, and Red XIII sitting on the floor beside him. Seated at chairs were Tifa, Cait Sith, Barrett, and an unfamiliar tall, slender man with a two-day old beard, matted platinum blonde hair, and pilot's goggles on his forehead. He gnawed on a cigar, and propped his feet on the table, his boots stained with mud. In the shaded corner stood another stranger, his body wrapped in a red cape, with long black hair, haunted red eyes, and a scarf covering his neck and chin. Yuffie sat down beside Cloud on the opposite side of Tifa, and Zack and Billy sat next to her. The two unfamiliar men, as well as Red XIII, looked at them strangely.

"Okay, everyone," Cloud said, "we'll start with introductions. Red, Vincent, Cid, this is Zack and Billy. They're going with us to Cosmo Canyon, because they need to ask Bugenhagen about materia to save a friend of theirs."

"Touching," the man with the cigar muttered.

"Cid," Tifa muttered, "you could at least try to be civil."

"When hell freezes over," was his wry response.

"And Zack and Billy," Cloud continued. "This is Red XIII, Vincent, and Cid."

"Hello," Red said pleasantly, standing on all four legs and waving his tail as a gesture of greetings.

"Charmed," Vincent said flatly, not moving from his shadowy position. Both Billy and Zack felt an intense coldness exuding from Vincent, as well as an obnoxious air from Cid.

"Before we start," Yuffie said, leaning over the table at the chainsmoker, "why don't you fill us in on exactly where you've been all day?"

"I was bored to death sittin' on my butt all day, so I went exploring," Cid answered, taking a long puff from his cigar, "I figured I'd test out that Gold Chocobo we spent all that time and money on."

"Well, that sounds like a waste of time," Cait Sith huffed. "You should have stayed aboard the ship and supervised your crew yourself."

Cid glanced at Cait, and made an obscene gesture at him. Cait glowered at him, but didn't respond.

"Like I was sayin', before I was so rudely interrupted, I found a small island up north, completely surrounded by mountains," Cid continued, hefting his Venus Gospel lance, "and I found this."

Cid pulled a small red materia off his spear, and tossed it on the table. Cloud looked at Cid questioningly, and picked up the marble. His blue eyes widened with surprise when he looked into the shiny red stone.

"I...I don't believe it," he whispered, blinking, "I didn't think it really existed."

"What?" Tifa asked. "What is it?"

"Take a look," he answered, handing her the sphere. She gazed into the crystal, and her jaw dropped.

"The Knights of the Round summon materia?!" she exclaimed. Barrett whistled.

"Well I'll be damned," he muttered, a smirk on his face. Red XIII stood up, and looked at the crystal too.

"The most powerful summon in existence?" he asked. "But it's only a legend."

"Seein' is believin', kids," Cid said, leaning back smugly in his chair.

"What's Knights of the Round?" Zack asked impatiently.

"Its a summon, like the Leviathan I...demonstrated before," Yuffie said, "but this one is tons tougher."

"According to legend, it creates all thirteen mighty Knights of the Round Table, each one delivering a mighty single stroke on your opponent. The damage done by each attack is impressive, but add up the strength of all thirteen, and the attack is phenomenal," Vincent said from his station in the corner. "Truly a worthy addition to our arsenal."

"Good job, Cid," Cloud admitted, handing the sphere back to Cid. Cid waved it away.

"I ain't got no use for it," he muttered. "Y'know materia ain't my thing."

Yuffie smiled broadly, and opened her mouth to speak, but Cid held his hand to her before a word could escape her mouth.

"No," he answered, "I may be thick, but I'm not so dumb to give the mightiest summon materia in the flippin' universe to a back-stabbin' sneak thief like you."

Yuffie glared at him. "Hey! I gave back all the materia I ever stole from you guys!"

"Sure you did," Cid muttered, leaning comfortably in his chair. A yawn escaped his lips.

"So," Tifa sighed, "can we please get back to the briefing? Before Cid falls asleep."

"I'm awake," he muttered, his eyes already closed.

"Right," Cloud said, standing up. He walked over to the back wall, and pressed his hand against the plaque. The wall opened, and four large crystals, each about the size of the entire Zeo Crystal, appeared in the opening. They were four colors: yellow, red, blue, and green.

"What're those?" Billy asked.

"Yeah," Zack added, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"They're the Huge Materia," Cloud explained, "and Bugenhagen told us they'd be the key to stopping Meteor. Now that we have all four pieces, we can go to Cosmo Canyon, and give them to Bugenhagen. Hopefully, he'll know what to do with them."

"And Bugenhagen will know how to help Aisha?" Zack asked.

"We hope so," Tifa said.

Zack didn't find that answer to his liking. "You mean we may be wasting our time here? What if he can't help her then? We won't have time to try something else!"

Barrett rose to his feet, and glared at Zack furiously. "Who the hell do you think you are, Punk?! It ain't our problem you're friend's not feelin' her best! We have a whole flippin' planet to save! So shut up, or ship out!"

Billy glanced at Zack in surprise. No matter how frustrated Zack was with the situation, it wasn't like him to just explode out of anger. It was then he noticed the sweat glistening on Zack's face.

"Zack," he said, "I think you'd better lay down."

"I will not lay down!" he declared. "We have a job to do!"

Billy remained calm, his glance turning to Cloud. "Just how far are we from Cosmo Canyon?"

"About three hours," he responded. "Maybe a bit less."

"Then can Zack possibly lie down for the duration? I'm afraid he's not himself."

"What are you