Faithless Memories

Up Mount Nibel

Chapter 79

It was an hour later that they finally managed to get high enough to see the man-made valley the reactor was nestled in. What they found had Kris immediately on her feet. They couldn't see many details, but that was because there were multiple globes of darkness surrounding the building. It wasn't until they were hovering directly over the entrance of the valley that they saw a group of five people fighting several monstrosities.

Kris felt her heart skip a beat as she realized what must have happened. Jenova was still alive because the men never made it inside the reactor. She wanted to scream when they got low enough to see at least Rufus, Veld, and Tseng were flagging. Even Sephiroth and Genesis were not at their fighting peak. They must have been at it all night long.

When Zack and Vincent looked like they were about to jump down, she grabbed her brother's arm. "Take me with you!"

Both men gave her a glare. Zack's voice was hard when he answered. "No! And don't ask again. It's too dangerous down there. Plus, the jump could hurt both of you. Just stay here for now. At least until we help them fight off those monsters. Then we can see if Reno can let you down easy."

Kris growled, but he ignored her. She realized that there was no way she was getting down yet, but there was one other thing that needed to be dealt with. She yelled before they jumped. "Fine, but beware of the shadows. Only Vincent has a chance of defeating them. Anyone else will be erased."

They both stared at her for a moment, but they gave her a nod. That was something, at least. She watched from the doorway as they immediately went to join the others. There were no questions asked, as the additional fighting power was a blessing to the tired men.

Thankfully, the addition of the others made the rest of the battle pass quickly. When the last monster fell to a simultaneous blow from both Genesis and Zack, Kris immediately turned to the front and yelled. "Let me down!"

She couldn't hear him grumble, but she did see his mouth moving and had no doubt that he was cursing her stubbornness. Still, it had already been agreed upon, so he lowered to the point that she could easily climb down the ladder. Well, as easy as it would be for any pregnant woman. It was much more harrowing than she expected it to be. Especially as she had grown used to the idea of having a child. Each day was one more that had her falling in love without trying.

All those thoughts were erased when she was plucked from the ladder before she ever made it to the ground. She instantly found herself being cradled by a scowling Genesis. "What are you doing! Why are you here?"

He then turned to Zack and the strange man that had arrived with him. He barely noted the odd look Veld was giving the man as he was immediately yelling. "Why did you allow her to come with you!"

Kris grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "Because I told them that if we didn't come, then I was going to sneak out. I had a feeling something had happened, and I'm glad I came. Those shadows are deadly to anyone other than Vincent. I'm not sure why the Tsviets are here, but you have no idea what you are facing."

Genesis did not look convinced, and his voice showed it. "We are facing Hojo and some of the things that madman created. I do not know why he is here, but we have already fought several waves of those things."

Kris suddenly felt clammy all over. Hojo was the last thing she expected, and the worst possible person for them to run into. He was a manipulative madman at best. Along with the Tsviets, it was a disaster waiting to happen. She had no doubt the Deepground Soldiers were the ones responsible for the globes.

Genesis must have realized that Kris was not alright, as he finally lowered his voice. "Everything will work out. I refuse to let anything happen to you."