City of the Ancients - Aeris's Prayer

Cloud and the others take Bugenhagen into the City of the Ancients and to one of the chambers.

Cloud
Are you getting something?

Bugenhagen
Yes...... exactly...
...give me a moment.

Bugenhagen floats up to the structure in the center of the room. Cloud joins him.

Bugenhagen
The knowledge of the Ancients swirling around here is telling me one thing.
The planet's in a crisis...
A crisis beyond human power or endless time.
It says, when the time comes, we must search for 'Holy'.

Cloud
Holy?

Bugenhagen
Holy... the ultimate White Magic. Magic that might stand against Meteor. Perhaps our last hope to save the planet from Meteor.
If a soul seeking Holy reaches the planet, it will appear.
Ho Ho Hooo.
Meteor, Weapon, everything will disappear.
Perhaps, even ourselves.

Cloud
Even us!?

Bugenhagen
It is up to the planet to decide.
What is best for the planet. What is bad for the planet.
All that is bad will disappear. That is all.
Ho Ho Hooo.
I wonder which we humans are?

Cloud
Search for Holy... How do we do it?

Bugenhagen
Speak to the planet.
Get the White Materia... This will bond the Planet to humans.
Then speak to the planet.
If our wish reaches the planet, the White Materia will begin to glow a pale green.

Cloud
...This is the end.
Aeris had the White Materia...
But when Aeris died, it fell from the altar...
That's why...... this is the end.

Bugenhagen
Ho Ho Hooo!
Ho Ho Hooo!
Ho Ho Hooo!
Look at this!

Cloud
!?

Bugenhagen
Ancient's writing.

Cloud
Can you read it?

Bugenhagen
I can't even make it out!!

Cloud
This's no time for jokes...

Bugenhagen
I'm not an Ancient. I can't read this thing!
I may be old, but my eyes aren't completely bad yet. Look closely below the writing.

Cloud
There's something written in chalk......... (even sunlight can't reach)...... (Key)

Bugenhagen
It was probably written by a scientist who's been here... He probably used all his energy to make out these two words.

Cloud
Key......? To what?

Bugenhagen
I don't know... But, it probably has something to do with our riddle.
The riddle... then it must have something to do with Aeris.

Cloud
So this note points to where the key is?

Bugenhagen
Probably...
Use these words as clues and go find the key.
I'll continue to figure out the Ancients' writing.

Cloud
A place (Even sunlight won't reach) is where the (key) is, right?

Bugenhagen
When you find the key, or when you can't go any further, come back here.
Maybe I'll understand more from the writing and get some new information for you.

Cloud nods and leaves the city to look for the key.

Searching in the submarine, they find it in an underwater tunnel near the entrance to Lucrecia's cave.

Cloud
Do you think it's......?

...analysis completed...
...exact date of origin cannot be determined...
...estimated to be several thousand years old...

Cloud
Key of the Ancients...

Received Key Item "Key to Ancients"!

They return to the City of the Ancients.

Bugenhagen
Oh! You've found it!
That Music Box over there. We'll put the key in it.
I'll go use the key. You all wait here.
And watch closely what happens.
Ho Ho Hooo!

He puts the key in the music box, a tune plays, and a waterfall crashes down on the center structure.

Bugenhagen
Now, go inside. Hope may be inside... Or......

Cloud goes to look.

Bugenhagen
This was just a screen to project an image!
Look! Look at the image projected on the screen of the water!

They watch as the screen shows the White Materia at Aeris's death. In the water, it is glowing a pale green.

Cloud
...It's glowing.

Bugenhagen
Ho Ho Hooo!! It's pale green!!

Cloud
...Aeris. Aeris has already prayed for Holy.
...After I gave up the Black Materia to Sephiroth...... Aeris' words came into my dreams...
She said, she was the only one who could stop Sephiroth...... And to do that, there was a secret here...
That was Holy...... That's why, she had the White Materia. Aeris knew about here... and what she had to do.
Aeris has left us great hope. But, it cost her her life... her future...
I'm sorry... Aeris. I should have figured this out sooner.
...You left us without saying a word...... It was all so sudden, so I couldn't think...
That's why it took so long for me to find out... But, Aeris... I understand now.
Aeris... I'll do the rest.

Vincent
!? ...you mean WE.

Cid
The big gift the flower girl left for us... it'd be sad if we didn't finish it!

Cloud looks at his companions and nods.

Cloud
Thank you... Aeris.
Aeris' voice has already reached the Planet. Just look at the glow of the White Materia.
But...... how about Holy? How come Holy isn't moving?
Why?

Bugenhagen
Something's getting in its way.

Cloud
......Him......
He's the only one that could do it.
...Sephiroth. Where are you?

Cloud turns to go, and his PHS rings.

Cloud
What the?

Cait Sith
whisper... whisper... (sorry I was a little surprised).

Cloud
What happened?

Cait Sith
You remember when the Junon Cannon disappeared? Actually, Rufus moved it.

Cloud
Moved it? That big thing......? Where...? Why?

Cait Sith
Rufus wants to destroy Sephiroth with it.
That cannon operates on Huge Materia. But the Huge Materia has already been used in the Rocket Plan.
So since the cannon's useless right now, he decided to move it.
To a place where Materia... no, where Mako is gathered...

Cloud
And, where is that!?


Cut to Midgar, where the Sister Ray has been moved. At Shinra Headquarters...

Rufus
......That's why, Reeve. It's your job to adjust the reactor's output.

Reeve
I see......

Scarlet
Hah, hah, hah! Don't worry about adjusting it, Reeve.
Once you open it up all the way everything will go full speed!

Heidegger
Gya hah, hah, hah! The President's sure done it this time!
If we can only defeat Sephiroth, the idea that Meteor will also disappear is based on different objectives!

Scarlet
Please remember, Mr. President...
It was my idea to fire Mako reactor powered shells.

Rufus
Will the shells really reach the far northern border?

Scarlet
Ah, hah hah!
Of course!
But Mr. President, please do not call it a Mako cannon.
This new weapon will be called......
The Sister Ray!


Back to Cloud, outside Bone Village.

Cloud
............?
Wh, what the...!?

Back on the Highwind...

Cid
What's wrong!?

Crew Member
It's a strange signal!

Cid
From where?

Crew Member (turning towards Cait Sith)
It's coming from this... person (?)

Cait Sith
Wow!
Hey!
That was a surprise, the controls went crazy.
This ain't good...
Weapon came out of the sea and is heading straight for Midgar.

Cloud
The new weapon should stop him, right?

Cait Sith
I don't know if it's ready or not...

Barret
Hey! What's gonna happen to Marlene!?

Cait Sith
Doncha worry none, Marlene's in a safe place. She's with Aeris' mama.
Barret!!
What was that scratching just now!?
As long as Marlene is safe, who cares what else happens, right?
I been itchin' to say this to ya fer a while now!
When ya blew the Midgar No. 1 up, how many folks d'ya think died?

Barret
...that was for the life of the planet. Ya gotta expect a few casualties.

Cait Sith
A few? Whaddya mean 'a few'? What may be a few to y'all is everythin' to them who died......
Protect the planet. Hah! Y'all sure sound good!
Ain't no one that'd go against ya. So ya think ya can do whatever y'all want?

Barret
I don't wanna hear that from no one in Shinra...

Cait Sith
......nuthin' I can do 'bout that...

Cloud
Stop it!

Tifa
Cait Sith...... Barret, he knows what he did.
What we did in Midgar can't be forgotten no matter what the reason.

She turns to Barret.

Right? We haven't forgotten, right?

She turns back to Cait Sith.

I know you.
You can't quit the company because you're worried about the people in Midgar, right?
......Cloud?

Cloud
OK! Let's go! We'll beat Weapon ourselves!

Cid
Hey Cloud......
You think we can win against that monster? We got a chance of winnin', right?

Cloud
How would I know?
But that's no reason for us to just let him go!
We're goin' to Midgar and fight Weapon! Come on, let's move!

Barret
That damn Weapon... He's one big *&$*&%$...
Even Midgar's gonna be in trouble.

Tifa
Whether you love it or hate it...
You just can't bring yourself to leave Midgar, can you?

Nanaki
Midgar...
I hated the fact I was caught by Hojo and taken back to the lab where they did all kinds of experiments on me...
But because of that I was able to meet you all...
People you meet... others you don't...... strange isn't it?

Cait Sith
Cloud, you do your best now, hear!?
I know y'all can't forgive the Shinra, but them poor folks in Midgar ain't done a bit wrong!

Vincent
......we still can't seem to get near Sephiroth...

Cid
That reminds me, there was a test rocket that landed in the Slums of Midgar long ago.
I remember I was relieved when I heard it never blew up.

Yuffie
Are you waiting for Cloud?
He's flying right now, so you can't get him.
Were you going to force me into the submarine right now?
Quit it! If you want to go, then just leave me behind.
............ooooooh. What're you talking about? I......

Bugenhagen
Traveling is wonderful, isn't it?......

Learner Pilot (L13)
Cloud! I'm going!

Cloud
- Okay
- Excuse me, but could you wait?

Cloud and the others head for Midgar.


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