'Father and daughter'

Yuffie : (points to the slumbering creature) What's this?

Godo : That's Salamander. It's also the reason we need that materia you've got.

Yuffie : (dubious) You had me kidnapped to use my materia for some gigantic gecko?

Godo : (growls) I didn't order your kidnapping. That was just you being in the wrong place and time.

Yuffie : (thinks) Well, that's true, but... (aloud) What's my materia got to do with this... Salamander, then?

[Godo takes a moment to motion the other ninja away. They immediately comply, leaving father and daughter alone in the chamber.]

Godo : Salamander's been like a... pet project of ours. When Utai was under ShinRa's heels, we had to find a way to get at them.

Yuffie : (impatiently) Yes, yes. I know. So we went out and got as many materia as we could.

Godo : Don't interrupt. It's rude. (continues) Anyway, aside from collecting the materia available out there, we also tried to cultivate our own.

Yuffie : 'Cultivate'? (incredulous) You mean... you made this thing? (points to Salamander)

Godo : Umm, not quite. We weren't very successful in making any usable materia. (thinks) Actually, we failed dismally to make any materia at all. (aloud) By chance, we discovered Salamander's stone during its growing process in this chamber. To put a long story short, we decided to modify it a little.

Yuffie : (sceptical) Never knew you could do that.

Godo : It was an experiment. We were desperate, and we took the plunge. Fed it as much magic as we could. We, er, 'tweaked' its growth towards a more... Salamander-ish outcome, you might say.

Yuffie : (looks at Salamander) That's some 'tweak', dad. How'd you do that?

Godo : You don't need to know that now. (sees Yuffie's frown) Trust me on this.

Yuffie : (huffs) So, what's my materia for, then?

Godo : (uncomfortable) Our experiment turned out well. Things were going fine until Meteor arrived. When the asteroid came close to hitting the earth, and then everything happening with the Lifestream... Salamander spontaneously activated itself. We don't really know why, but the summon didn't quite work out. Instead of doing anything, the beastie just went into some sort of deep sleep.

Yuffie : (thinks) That kinda reminds me of myself recently... (pauses) The materia...?

[She throws a glance at the new materia lodged in her weapon, still in Godo's grasp. The stone is as dormant as ever. Godo keeps talking, not taking any notice of her introspection.]

Godo : We tried everything we could to wake Salamander up. Then we tried to put it back into the stone. Nothing worked. Frankly, it was a pain. But, since you and your friends had already put a stop to ShinRa and all, well, we didn't really need its powers for the time being, so we decided to let it lie for a while until we got a better idea.

Yuffie : When are you gonna get to the point, old man?

Godo : Don't be rude to your father. It's not proper. (continues) About a couple of weeks after everything settled down, we noticed that Salamander was becoming larger. And a little more... er, restless. It also kept getting a lot hotter.

Yuffie : Hmph. That explains why this place feels like an oven.

Godo : (nods) That pool of lava it's lying in wasn't there at all when Salamander first came out, you know. Anyway, it went on like this despite our efforts to control or understand it. When things got even worse, especially during the last few weeks, we asked the oracle, and she told us about the other new materia that were coming up. Since our normal materia didn't seem to affect Salamander, I decided to send our people out to collect all the new materia they could find.

Yuffie : (eyes gleaming) And how many of those did you find?

Godo : Two. (scowls) But they're not for you to take! Besides, both of them were unusable.

Yuffie : Unusable how?

Godo : I'm not really sure of the proper term... but I guess you could call them dead.

Yuffie : Like mine?

Godo : (shakes his head) No. The ones we found degraded back into Mako soon after we brought them here. (shrugs) Guess they weren't quite ready to be born yet. We have their Mako kept aside in a safe place.

Yuffie : Geez, you talk like they were alive or something.

Godo : (eyes her carefully) Have you ever looked into a materia? I mean, not just looking as far as its magic, but really looking into it.

[The younger ninja looks at him in confusion.]

Godo : (sighs) Never mind. You're obviously not ready enough to do that.

Yuffie : What's that supposed to mean, old man?!

[A low rumble trembles the entire cavern. The body of Salamander stirs in its pool of molten rock for a moment before it settles down.]

Yuffie : (eyes wide) Whoa... It's moved again!

Godo : That's what I just told you: it's getting restless.

Yuffie : (thinks; aloud) Does that mean it's gonna wake up?

Godo : We're not sure, but we're not taking any chances. We have to put this thing back into its stone soon, anyway. You've noticed how hot it's been outside of this mountain.

Yuffie : (guiltily) Um, kinda. Yeah.

[Godo covers his face with his hands.]

Godo : My own daughter... so unobservant! (glowers at her) I've trained you better than that.

Yuffie : Shut up! The only thing your stupid training exercises ever do is give me nightmares!

Godo : You don't apply yourself enough, you insolent girl! (laments) I'm so ashamed. The daughter of the clan head -- my daughter -- carrying herself like some buffoon.

Yuffie : Huh. Like you're one to talk.

=========================

'Folly'

[Tifa creeps up to the entrance. Her progress through to the cave Ioz told her about had been undetected for the most part. The one occasion when she had been spotted was resolved quickly and the ninja in question safely stashed away in a dark niche.
[She waits for several moments there, idly wondering if Da Chao is some sort of dormant volcano for the heat she feels emanating through the rocks. She runs a hand though her damp hair.]

Tifa : (thinks) Utai the tourist resort... This isn't the kind of vacation experience I'd want. I'll need a vacation from this kind of vacation.

[She frowns, hearing voices echoing from beyond the doorway. Both are instantly recognisable. Licking her lips, she inches closer to the opening, straining to overhear their conversation.
[Despite her caution and her overall silence, she's still no ninja, and thus is no match for the stealth of those trained since infancy in the art of the unseen. The only warning she gets that alerts her to the fact that she's not alone is a sudden prickly sensation in the back of her neck. Whirling, she has barely enough time to duck the incoming staff that is aimed for her head. Rolling on the ground, she curses herself for her inattentiveness even as she prepares to face off against the three ninja spreading themselves around her.
[The one with the staff gives her a smile, appreciative of her quick reflexes, and steps in closer with one of his comrades. The four foot-long staff comes in once again, forcing Tifa to dance away. As she dodges, the other ninja attacks with bare fists. She intercepts his punch with a sure two-handed clamp, twists the captured arm and moves behind him, holding him in a painful lock. Another silent warning from her danger sense, and she turns along with her captive, using him as a shield to absorb the blow from his friend's weapon. The ninja cries out as the staff hits and he goes limp, causing the one who had struck him to freeze in momentary shock. Tifa roughly shoves the unconscious ninja into the staff-wielder and turns to finally face the third ninja. However, the tingling sensation of magic signals the fact that she had already taken too long in dealing with the other two.]

Ninja #3 : Thunder!

[Instantly, the woman is bathed in stream of lightning. Her limbs lock and spasm, as if she's undergoing some intense epileptic seizure. Even her jaws refuse to work, denying her the chance to cry out in pain. The spell lasts for all of a few seconds, but it is still more than enough to bring her down. By the time she hits the rocky floor, she's too numb to even register the impact.
[Consciousness fights on to keep the upper hand. Through her blurred vision, she can make out the sight of two pairs of booted feet coming up to her.]

Ninja #1 : Bloody hell. Where does a delinquent like Yuffie find friends like her...?

Ninja #3 : How's Goro?

Ninja #1: Out cold. (pauses) Sorry, Gray. I didn't mean to...

Gray : Then learn from it. (sighs) Keep an eye on her. I'm going to inform Master Godo about this. If Lockhart is here, it's safe to say that the rest of Yuffie's friends will be along soon.

[Gray leaves, and the other carefully props Tifa up. She groans.]

Ninja #1: (grudgingly) So you're still awake. You're lucky Gray only used the low level spell on you.

[Tifa tries to speak, but nothing issues forth from her mouth. The ninja seems to understand her distress, though, and helps her up. To her surprise, he seems oddly sympathetic to her condition.]

Tifa : (rasps) W-why...?

Ninja #1 : Why am I helping you? (smiles slightly) One fighter to another. Ninja aren't totally without warrior's honour, after all. Take it easy. You should be able to move in a short while.

=========================

'Omen III'

[The glares the two exchange are broken only by Gray's silent entry. The man, only slightly on edge for walking in on this Kisaragi family moment, cautiously makes his way to Godo and whispers something in his ear. Godo nods and exhales slowly, reining in his patience.]

Godo : (to Yuffie) In any case, you're here now to help us out.

Yuffie : (narrows her eyes) How do you mean?

Godo : You can use your materia now and put Salamander back in its place.

Yuffie : What?! You're still not listening to me, are you? I can't do anything with that materia!

Godo : Not according to Gray's reports. He said you activated the materia while you were traveling to Utai.

Yuffie : (baffled) When did I do that?

Godo : When you were trying to run away from them.

Yuffie : (wails) But I didn't do anything to turn it on!

Godo : (shrugs) It doesn't matter. What's important is that it worked for you.

Yuffie : There's no way I'm gonna agree to your stupid idea, dad.

Godo : Don't talk back to your father like that, girl. I can make you agree.

Yuffie : (snidely) Oh, sure. What're you going to do -- lock me up my room again?

[Godo gestures to Gray. He leaves the hall for a moment, only to return with one of the other ninja he was with earlier, as well as a dazed Tifa in tow.]

Yuffie : Tifa?!

Tifa : (embarrassed) Sorry about this...

Godo : If you don't want your friend to get hurt, you'll agree. Yes?

Yuffie : You won't hurt her, dad. You're too soft.

Godo : You know what, Yuffie? You're right. I can't hurt her in good conscience. But... Well, I might just send her out to Salamander with that materia of yours.

Yuffie : Y-you can't! She won't know how to use the stone!

Godo : And you won't use it, either. I've got nothing to lose by sending her out, do I?

[Yuffie stands, indecisive, as everyone waits. Behind them, Salamander grumbles and twitches in its sleep.]

Yuffie : (thinks) What do I do? I can't control that stupid stone any more than dad or Tifa can. If I go and fail, I could be cooked. But if I don't go...

[Yuffie looks to Tifa, helplessly. The other woman looks nervous and sympathetic at the same time, clearly not relishing the thought of having to face the slumbering entity alone, but knowing that she might not have a choice in the matter.]

Yuffie : (thinks) Just like at Midgar. I went through all that tiresome experience of traveling with those two yahoos and end up halfway across the world in an almost exact same situation. Whichever deity responsible for my fate must be some kinda two-bit hack.

Godo : Well?

[Yuffie begins to respond, but is suddenly interrupted by the entrance of Cloud, Barret and Cid into the chamber. Upon seeing the detained Tifa, Barret directs his gun arm at Godo.]

Barret : Let 'er go, old freak.

Yuffie : (thinks; petulantly) Geez, I'm here, too, remember...?

Godo : Go ahead and shoot me if you want, Wallace. We're not letting any of these girls go until we finish things here.

Barret : (grins) Don't think I won't do it.

Godo : Kill me, and you'll have to go through the rest of my men.

[Salamander gives another rumble, momentarily drawing everyone's attention to it.]

Godo : ... not to mention that big beast over there.

Cid : &#(#*! What the hell is that?

Godo : We call it Salamander, and it's probably in the process of waking up. We have to get it under control before it destroys this entire area.

Cloud : That... It's a summon! (eyes narrowed) How did you get a summoned entity to manifest itself like this?

Godo : You've too much faith in my abilities, boy. I'm flattered, but I didn't do this. Meteor and Lifestream did. We just want to subdue it so that it won't kill all of us if or when it decides to open its eyes.

Cid : 'Subdue'... That $&#*in' lizard-thing back there? Why d'you wanna do a fool thing like that?!

Godo : Never you mind. All that matters is that I have this..., (brings up Yuffie's shuriken with the materia still embedded) ... Yuffie, and -- since my daughter has so far proven uncooperative -- her friend. (points to Tifa)

Cloud : (fumes) Godo. If you harm --

[Salamander suddenly gives a full-blown roar, stunning everyone with its sheer volume. The reverberations across the entire cavernous hall effectively stops the discussion. As one, the group turns to look at the fiery thing. To their horror, the entity is wide awake now, and seems to be surveying the people before it with a calculating eye.]

Godo : Damnit! It's awake?!

Cid : Well, put it back to sleep, then.

[The old ninja starts a retort, breaking off when he catches sight of Salamander sluggishly levering itself out of the molten pool with a forepaw the size of a long boat. A collective 'eep' is emitted from the especially attentive group and they slowly begin backing away.]

Godo : Yuffie! You have to use your materia!

Yuffie : Are you nuts?!

Godo : (snaps) Shut up and quit whining, girl! If you don't do it, we'll die!

Tifa : Duck!

[The father-daughter duo pause a moment to see what Tifa had been yelling about and immediately dive to the ground with everybody else. A bright tongue of flame and near-liquid rock lances through the air from Salamander's mouth, cooking the spot they had previously occupied into cinders.]

Barret : Ow! *@&$(%&!! Bloody hell!

Tifa : Barret, you okay?

Barret : Yeah. Damned lizard-breath caught a bit of my arm, is all. (grimaces) Stings like hell.

Cid : (from behind) It's gonna do more than that if you two don't stop yakking and get a move on!

[They scramble to their feet. Salamander growls and draws another breath.]

Cloud : Scatter! Don't give it a clear target!

[Like rats suddenly confronted by a big and hungry cat, they take off in every direction. A bellow from the angered Salamander shakes the whole cavern once more, sending more than a few of the fleeing humans stumbling. It spits out more flame and lava, trying its best to nail each scurrying target, but so far only managing to singe clothing and hair.
[Yuffie ducks behind a large rock and finds Godo already there. He's huddled into a ball, clutching tightly at her shuriken and muttering beneath his breath.]

Yuffie : What do you think you're doing, old man?

Godo : (hisses) If you'd agreed to try the materia earlier like I asked, we probably wouldn't be in this mess.

Yuffie : (mad) Don't try to pin this one on me, you old fossil! You shouldn't have been messing about with a summon like that in the first place!

[Her father bares his teeth in frustration. He shakes the weapon angrily.]

Godo : Damnit, this stone just has to work! (concentrates hard) Work!

[Yuffie shakes her head and peers from behind her rock. She sees the others scrambling frantically. A quick look in the direction of the entrance shows that it has been blasted and partially melted shut; a tumble of rock and debris cover most of the crude doorway but leaves a small hole -- too small for anyone to fit through in a hurry.
[Off to the other side of the cavern, Cid invokes a massive deluge of water to rain atop the still struggling Salamander. Even this powerful spell is not enough to momentarily relieve the stifling heat of the cavern, let alone seriously hurt the summoned entity. The pilot barely manages to dodge the tongues of retaliatory flame.
[She pulls back into her hiding place.]

Yuffie : Dad, where's Leviathan?

Godo : What?

Yuffie : Leviathan! Where is it?

Godo : Right here. (brings up an arm bracer) It won't work. Not even Leviathan's strong enough.

Yuffie : Have you tried it?

Godo : Of course we have! We used it the first chance we got, but it didn't do much beyond puffing up a lot of steam.

Yuffie : You didn't use enough magic--

Godo : (snaps) We used all the magic we could, girl, and it didn't do squat! Salamander seems to be protected from normal magic.

[Yuffie hears a shout from Cloud, and quickly gets up to look. The former Soldier seems to be pressed up against the wall of the cavern, trying to avoid getting hit from a blast of hot lava. Gray and the other ninja are huddled up beside him, rapidly casting walls of ice to shield them from the worst of Salamander's fury.
[Elsewhere, Barret and Tifa are doing their best to hit at Salamander with their array of materia. To Yuffie's eyes, nothing seems to work well enough. She screws her eyes shut, taking a deep breath.]

Yuffie : All right, dad. You win. Give me my shuriken.

Godo : (hopefully) That's the ol' Kisaragi spirit!

Yuffie : (snaps) Just give it here, old man!

[She grabs the weapon roughly from his hands. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she carefully eases herself out and dashes closer towards Salamander.
[The beast is faced away from her, its attention caught by a large hail of bullets from Barret's gun. The large man swears profusely as the summon only blinks in minor annoyance at his attack.
[Yuffie comes in as close as she dares. The heat emanating from Salamander is almost crushing. Already, her entire body is soaked with perspiration. Beads of the moisture streak down her face and into her eyes, blurring her vision. Catching the fiery glow of Salamander, the light sheen of sweat gives her face a strange and vivid red complexion. She runs a hand through her damp bangs, nervously pushing them back, wanting more than anything to be able to turn away and leave.]

Yuffie : (thinks) It's now or never. (looks down at materia) I wish it were never... (aloud) You've been nothing but trouble for me, but right now, I really, really need you to work. (concentrates)

[Across the hall, both Cid and Gray invoke their spells simultaneously; the Blizzard and Water magics combine to arc towards the wary Salamander. It opens its mouth and lets out a sibilant hiss, then starts to glow brighter. Yuffie shrinks away, barely managing to stop herself from running back to where Godo is watching. The temperature of the entire hall skyrockets, sending everyone reeling. The spells are simply wasted away long before they even manage to touch Salamander's skin.]

Yuffie : (straining; eyes tightly shut) Come on, you stupid rock... wake up. (yells) Da Chao damn you, wake up!

[Salamander turns to her with a grunt.]

Tifa : Yuffie, look out!

[Without bothering to find out exactly why Tifa had yelled, Yuffie breaks off her efforts and immediately dives off to one side. She narrowly avoids getting caught in one of Salamander's incinerating attacks. Rolling to lessen the impact, she finally risks a moment to look up and sees only a hot, fiery column of molten rock coming her way.]

Yuffie : Aw, shi-- oof!

[She has the breath knocked out of her, the result of another body impacting with hers. Her feet seem to have lifted off the ground somehow. Thick folds of dark hair swirl prominently in her vision and she belatedly realises that Tifa had tackled her away from Salamander's attack. Their dive ends abruptly a moment later when the ninja lands her butt painfullly on the hard rocky floor with Tifa on top of her.]

Tifa : You okay?

Yuffie : (wheezing) Geez, you're heavy...

[Tifa's expression vies between surprise, bemusement and royally ticked off. Without another word, she rolls away to one side, apparently deciding to get back at Yuffie some other time. Her hand darts back and yanks the young ninja to her feet by her shirt collar.]

Tifa : Get moving!

Yuffie : I know that... Ow! You don't have to drag me, y'know!

[As if she doesn't hear, Tifa practically tows her along and then lobs Yuffie behind some cover. The martial artist joins her on the ground a millisecond later. Their rest is scant, however, as a hot field envelopes their hiding place before they even have a chance to draw two breaths.]

Yuffie : (thinks) This is it!

[It is as if they had been plunged straight into the heart of a volcano. The tremendous heat of Salamander's lava washes over them, threatening to burn them right down to their bones. The two huddled figures can only cry out as the pain quickly reaches unbearable levels.
[In an instant, the searing sensations are gone, replaced instead by sharp, bone-chilling freeze. The transition between extremes leaves both women gasping and disoriented, but alive.]

Yuffie : Wh--?

[She opens her eyes. Instead of lava and rock, all she can see is a ceiling of clean, white ice above her.]

Tifa : (wondrous) Ice... They saved us. (shakes her head) This won't protect us for long.

[Indeed, even as they speak, there is a gaping hole in the walls, allowing a thin rivulet of lava to begin seeping through. They have enough of a window to catch sight of Cloud invoking another spell before the hole is sealed shut once more.]

Yuffie : (takes a deep breath) How long do you think he can keep this up?

Tifa : Not long. We have to get out of here while we can. (kneels) Get ready to run.

[Yuffie nods and sits up beside her. She finally gets the chance to take a good look at her companion in a long while.]

Yuffie : (smiles slightly) You have ice in your hair.

Tifa : (throws her a quick look) You have a hell of a sunburn. (winks)

[She takes a moment, then unleashes a single punch into the wall farthest away from Salamander. It cracks and breaks into large chunks that explode outward like deadly hailstones.]

Tifa : Go!

[Yuffie takes off, skipping over molten puddles before breaking away and diving behind some safer cover. Tifa slides in to a halt beside her at almost the same time. Behind them, their little icy igloo holds its own against the heat of the lava around it for several moments before collapsing on itself into a hissing, steaming pile.]

Tifa : (gasping) That was close.

Yuffie : (nods) I thought dad's recklessness would never be able to top that stupid underwater training stunt, but this thing with Salamander really takes the cake.

Tifa : (peers over the rocks) I overheard a bit of it before they brought me in. So this is why he wanted your new materia, huh?

Yuffie : That's what he says the oracle told him to do, but I wouldn't put too much faith in that. (holds up her shuriken) Nobody seems to be able to activate this dumb thing, anyway. Useless piece of...

[Tifa has a strange look on her face as she contemplates the materia. Yuffie's tirade trickles to a halt as she notices.]

Yuffie : What is it?

Tifa : It's... (shakes her head) Nothing. Just a stray thought.

Yuffie : (pauses) They sure are making a lot of noise out there. (shivers) All that magic they're throwing around keeps giving me tingles.

Tifa : (chuckles nervously) Tickles, doesn't it?

Yuffie : Huh. It it weren't for the fact that we're gonna die soon, I'd be yukking it up right now. (fidgets) We can't hang around here all day, Tifa.

Tifa : I agree. Do you have any summons on you?

Yuffie : None. Dad took all my other materia away. What about you?

Tifa : Nothing that'll help us very much. We'll just have to find Godo, then. I'm sure he's got some nice materia on hand. Come on.

[After making sure the way is clear, they dash out from their temporary hideaway, crouched low. As they move, Yuffie tugs at Tifa's arm.]

Yuffie : Dad's over this way.

[They find Godo still behind the same gathering of rocks, surreptitiously casting the occasional protective spell. His face lights up upon catching sight of them.]

Godo : (relieved) Yuffie!You're safe!

Yuffie : No thanks to you. Crazy old goat.

Godo : Is that any way to speak to your father?

Tifa : Family reunions can come later, you two. Godo, we need to put Salamander down. Can you help?

Godo : Sure, but what can we do? Only that new materia can --

Tifa : (cuts in) Are you sure?

Godo : Well... pretty sure. Our strongest spells didn't work even when that beast was asleep, so when the oracle suggested we look for other new materia, we assumed that the only thing that can neutralise the new spells were other new spells.

Yuffie : What did you expect my materia to do, anyway?

Godo : I'm not sure. (bitterly) We were hoping to find out once you'd activated it.

Yuffie : So you just sent me out like that? You coulda killed me!

Godo : (shrugs guiltily) It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Yuffie : (roars) What did you say?!

Godo : (backpedals hurriedly) I meant about the sending you out part, not the other one!

[Yuffie's hardly consoled. With a low growl, she stalks closer towards her father, her very posture a promise to him of a lot of pain to come.
[Tifa puts a restraining hand on her shoulder and the young ninja reluctantly subsides to a slow boil after a while.]

Tifa : (to Godo) Do you have any summons?

[Godo shakes his head, already anticipating her next question.]

Godo : (wearily) Leviathan, but like I told Yuffie earlier, it won't work.

Tifa : Try.

Godo : But...

[The rest of his words are drowned out by a deafening roar from the giant lizard which leaves their ears ringing.]

Yuffie : (hands over her ears) Just do it, willya? Anything's better than sitting around here!

[Godo slumps and mutters something but brings up his bracer. In one of its slots glitters a red orb. He concentrates and the materia starts to glow.]

Godo : (softly) Dragon of the seas. Come forth the tempest of your fury.

[Tifa keeps an eye out on Salamander as Godo pours in wave after wave of magical energy into Leviathan's stone. The red materia is now almost too painful to look at directly and Yuffie turns away.
[Soon, an undulating line of magic marks Leviathan's entry into the world. Yuffie and Tifa watch closely as Leviathan takes its final form. Unseen ripples of magic spread outward from the sea serpent, now barely noticed by their overworked and magic-numbed senses. Rearing its head back, the living body of ocean emits a call of challenge that even Salamander can't ignore, and brings forth a tidal wave of water that literally explodes from within the walls of the mountain. It sweeps ferociously towards the unmoving, glaring fire-lizard.
[Salamander draws itself up defiantly, its glowing aura increasing by a hundredfold. Just like before, everyone feels the whole place becoming hotter by the moment. Yuffie glances back to check on her father: he is obviously straining with the effort to maintain Leviathan's attack.
[Salamander's aura intensifies in the face of the encroaching offensive. When the edges of the glowing field touch the crashing wave, it flares with a brightness that rivals the sun, forcing all who watch to avert their eyes. A loud explosion pushes them down into the ground as millions of gallons of water are blown away into so much thick clouds of steam. Godo cries out, his concentration wavering madly.
[After a moment, Tifa levers herself up from the ground to see. Amidst the dense clouds, she can just barely make out the forms of both summons. Leviathan isn't looking very well and almost seems to be reeling just as Godo is. By contrast, Salamander is a lot easier to pick out: its glowing shell marks the beast out quite distinctly. Through the fog, it takes on an eerie red hue. Opening its mouth, the fire-lizard blasts out a burning stream of flame towards its helpless foe. Tifa grimaces and braces herself for Leviathan's demise.
[Behind her, Godo gives a slight groan and passes out.]

Yuffie : Dad! (rushes over)

[As the head of the Kisaragi clan hits the ground, the materia held tighly in his grasp winks out. Leviathan vanishes with a suddenness that leaves everyone startled. Its exit is just in the nick of time; Salamander's attack passes cleanly through empty space, having no other effect than to melt the rocky wall beyond.]

Tifa : (to Yuffie) How is he?

Yuffie : (cradling Godo's head) Out cold, I think. Not dead. (slaps his face gently) Dad? Dad, wake up.

[Godo's eyes flutter open.]

Godo : (rasps) Stop... Stop hitting... me...

[Yuffie allows herself a faint sigh of relief. Unsteadily, Godo tries to sit up.]

Yuffie : (helps him up) Are you all right?

Godo : (clutches at his head; groans) Oooh, I'm going to be feeling this for weeks...

Tifa : (softly) That was beautifully done, Godo. You saved Leviathan just in time.

Godo : (glares owlishly at her) What the hell are you talking about? (winces) I hope you're convinced now. I don't want to have to prove my point to you again.

Yuffie : (throws Tifa a look) It was a good try, dad. (frustrated) It's just too strong and it's got that damned firewall around it.

Tifa : (nods) We've got to put the field out. I think Leviathan can put Salamander down. We just have to make sure that the attack actually hits.

Yuffie : (dubiously) That's it? Knock out the field, then kick its butt?

Tifa : Not really knock it out, but I think if we can distract Salamander, it may not be able to put up its defenses in time to stop us from hitting it. (shrugs) It's not much of a plan, but it's all I can think of at the moment.

Yuffie : What kind of a distraction would it take?

Tifa : I have an idea.

Yuffie : Is it a good one?

[Tifa shrugs again.]

Yuffie : (slumps) Oh. One of those kinds, huh? (sighs) So, what're you gonna do?

Tifa : (murmurs) Put my faith in bad luck.

Yuffie : Huh?

Tifa : I'm sure it'll work. (thinks) Kinda sure, anyway. (aloud) You stay down here, okay? But get ready to run if you need to.

Yuffie : Wait a second! Where're you going?

[Tifa doesn't answer her and instead turns to Godo, who's still cradling his aching head in his hands.]

Tifa : (gently) Forgive me, Godo, but I'm going to have to ask you to bring Leviathan back.

Godo : Are you mad? What's that going to accomplish?

Tifa : (smiles tightly) Time it right and I'll bet that it will put Salamander in its place. (to Yuffie) Try and help him. (pauses) And don't do anything stupid.

Yuffie : Tifa?

Tifa : Don't worry. (holds up a gloved fist) I have this.

Yuffie : (shouts) What? Are you serious --?

[The martial artist doesn't stay behind long enough to hear the rest of the question. She sprints out on a straight course for Salamander. Yuffie starts to follow with her name on her lips, but reins herself back violently. Teeth gritted, she whirls to face Godo.]

Yuffie : Get a move on, dad.

[Tifa runs. It takes all of her willpower to prevent her feet from changing course and taking her to the exit... or what's left of it. As she goes, her left hand snakes over to undo the glove on her right. As if somehow understanding her intentions, the ill-omened materia comes to life.
[Salamander roars and moves, rocking the entire cavernous hall like a storm-tossed boat in a hurricane. Quick reflexes save Tifa from falling. Debris begin to rain down from the ceiling, several coming dangerously close to clocking her on the head, but she frantically weaves in and out in a strange running dance, windmilling to a stop on more than one occasion to avoid getting squashed, while still maintaining her approach. Salamander turns and finally catches sight of her.
[For a moment, she thinks she could almost make out an expression of surprise on the giant beast's face, as if it can't believe that she is actually trying to come closer. It slams a gigantic forepaw onto the floor of the cavern, creating enough of a miniature earthquake to vault Tifa a foot or two off the ground.
[She lands clumsily this time. Failing to regain her footing, she pitches forward. With speed born from near-panic, she pushes her hands out in front of her, just succeeding in preventing her face from bashing into the ground. She looks up.
[Salamander regards her with some mild curiosity. Its head cocked to one side and eyes blinking in a slow, deliberate manner, it takes its time to snake its head in closer towards her. Slowly, unable to break its gaze, Tifa rises to her feet, but otherwise stays put. Slamander's stare, though not as hypnotising as she might imagine, is still riveting, nonetheless. The heat coming off its approaching head is incredible, but not even the extreme temperature is enough to shake the effect of the stare.
[She swallows thickly as it comes closer, her eyes wide and uncannily aware of every little detail of Salamander's visage. From its huge, chocobo-sized eyes to the tufts of featherlike protrudances on the back of its head; the thousands of tiny scales that line the edges of its chin, shimmering like rippling pools of rainbow-coloured water; the smell of its exhaled breath that reminds her of Nibelheim's tragedy and, simultaneously, of quiet summer afternoons spent reclining in the shade of trees while the scent of warm, fresh grass enveloped her.]

Tifa : (awed; softly) Holy... it's beautiful...

[A blast of sub-zero winds assail them momentarily and the tip of Salamander's snout suddenly sprouts an ice cap. The shock is enough to jar the both of them from their mutual scrutinies.
[With an abruptness that belies its bulk, the summoned creature whips its head about; twisting its neck in an S-curve to locate the instigator of this recent humiliation even as Tifa stumbles back a couple of steps, gulping. Thankfully, Salamander draws away from her, bellowing furiously and spitting flame at Barret and Cloud. Its attacks don't let up even when the two men take off running like maniacs.]

Yuffie : (yells) Tifa! Move!

[Shaking away the cobwebs from her distracted mind, she recalls what she'd wanted to do by running out here. The Salamander summon which had only recently been so intent on her is now more concerned with putting an end to the other irksome humans in the cavern. Even though she is not on the receiving end of the lava streams, the fierce heat generated by them is still enough to make her feel like she's slowly being cooked alive.]

Tifa : (thinks) Gotta snap out of this... (grasps her glove) I really hope this works.

[For a couple of minutes, she works at the straps of her glove. To her consternation, her hands are shaking too much to do any good.
[Cid sees her standing there and lets fly a torrent of expletives in her direction.]

Cid : What the *@(%^#$ are you waitin' for?!

[Barret, the only one equipped to carry out an offensive on the fire-lizard without really putting himself at extreme risk, pumps out a steady flow of hot lead at Salamander. Cloud wisely doesn't bother coming in close enough to use his gigantic sword and instead concentrates his efforts on casting spell after spell. His work is aided periodically by Gray and the other surviving ninja, but it's apparent that everyone cannot keep this pace up for long.
[Tifa bares her teeth in frustration. She hates having to lose a good weapon like this, but circumstances don't really allow for any other quick action. Taking a firm grip on the stubborn glove, she pulls and strains with every ounce of her strength. After a brief resistance, the leather and metal buckles finally give way. With tortured groaning and ripping sounds, they reluctantly relinquish their hold. In exactly the same instant, her materia flares again.
[As if sensing something amiss, Slamander turns its attention on her once again. This time, there is no trace of curiosity in its eyes, only malevolence. It opens its mouth.
[Galvanised now, Tifa launches herself into one final sprint for Salamander. As she nears, the great mouth with its lines of impressive teeth widens and she winds her arm back. Calling up a prayer to every deity she can think of, she pitches her glove -- along with its angrily blazing materia -- right into the gaping maw. Salamander doesn't even need to swallow; they disappear down its throat with as much grandeur and effect as a speck of dust.
[The martial artist, meanwhile, skids to a halt, spins about, and now scrambles to put as much distance between herself and the summon. Her tired legs don't seem to be cooperating much this time and each step seems to take forever, a perception that's especially reinforced by the feeling of Salamander's glare drilling into her back.]

Yuffie : (waves her on) Come on! Move yer butt!

[Exhaustion turns the mere act of breathing into a chore for Tifa and her whole body feels like it's trying to move against a deep pool of water. The heat, anxiety, and the strain of her close proximity to Salamander have now all but sapped her strength. Inevitably, she stumbles and falls.
[Yuffie surges to her feet and rushes over. Tifa, still grounded, lifts her head and throws a look over her shoulder. And freezes as she locks gazes with Salamander once again.]

Yuffie : (running; snarls) Damnit... (louder) Tifa, get up!

[To her dismay, Tifa seems to have gone back to whatever dreamland state that had gripped her minutes earlier. The woman remains on the ground even as Salamander visibly draws breath. Yuffie forces herself to run faster toward her friend even though she knows that she can't possibly make it in time, resolutely ignoring the fact that her course of actions would put her in just as much danger as her friend.
[Surprisingly, the attack never comes. Yuffie's pace falters for a second, confused. From the look on Salamander's face, the summon is similarly puzzled. With a sound that begins as a rumbling roar of death and destruction, but ends like something trapped between a hiccup and a cough, all that emerges from the beast's mouth is a relatively tiny puft of flame that dissipates by the time it reaches the floored martial artist, not even powerful enough to scorch an eyebrow.
[Salamander grunts and heaves repeatedly but nothing else (impressive or otherwise) happens. It claws angrily at its snout as if it were trying to dislodge some Salamander-sized tick that had made itself at home there. As the fire-lizard snarls, Yuffie finally arrives as Tifa's side.
[The woman is staring with amazement at the scene before her.]

Yuffie : Tifa!

Tifa : (slowly) I... can't believe it... it actually worked...?

Yuffie : (exasperated) Wake up, you $*#(ing idiot! You gotta get outta here!

Tifa : (startled) Yuffie?

Yuffie : Cripes, you got rocks in your head, or what? (hefts her up)

[Tifa manages to stand, albeit shakily. They stagger away, Yuffie supporting her. After several steps, Tifa stumbles again.]

Tifa : (grimaces) Sorry...

Yuffie : Just get up, don't apologise. (as they move) You really are hopeless sometimes, y'know?

Tifa : Its eyes were... (shakes her head) Can't think straight.

Yuffie : (panting) Right now, I wish you'd try walking straight.

[Behind them, Salamander's thrashing has become more desperate and the red aura surrounding it intensifies with its distress. The summon literally throws itself all over the place in its frenzy. Shaking its head in a performance reminiscent of a bucking horse and not even noticing as it strikes itself against the walls and floor, it cries out like a hurt child. It's almost impossible to move coherently through the tossing and shaking this causes.]

Yuffie : (falls down) Dad, what're you waiting for?

[Predictably, everything starts falling down. Debris ranging from grains of sand to huge carriage-sized rocks are shaken loose and tumble all over the place, sending everyone in their path scurrying for cover. Out in the open and unable to keep on their feet for more than a few seconds at a time, Tifa and Yuffie can only pull themselves along the floor and hope for the best.
[Salamander's keening wail rises to a crescendo, but it is abruptly cut off when a rain of rocks crash down upon its snout, driving the entire head several feet into the ground with an impact that almost jars Yuffie's teeth loose. The fiery aura around it flickers, then fades like an expired lightbulb.
[On cue, Leviathan bursts into the scene, placing itself between Salamander and the two struggling figures close by. This time, the water summon is unimpeded. As the huge swells of water rush toward the dazed Salamander, both martial artist and ninja decide that discretion would be the safer option to take.
[The duo are no further than a few more metres when flame and ocean meet. As before, the brunt of the wave is transformed into an explosion of moist air, but the rest of the water is quick to pile in. Salamander's struggling churns the waters into fierce, choppy heights, like mountains in their own right. The backlash begins to wash over to every corner of the hall.]

Yuffie : Oh, shit! Run away!

[The ninja grabs Tifa's arm in a deathlike grip and pulls her along. She needn't have bothered; the mere sight of a tidal wave heading over in their direction is enough to inspire even the weakest of muscles to react, and Yuffie is startled to find herself outpaced by her companion after only a few steps. Even at their fastest, though, the wave quickly gains on them.
[Frigid arctic winds swirl thoughout the cavern, heralding the entry of Shiva. The eight metre-tall avatar of winter extends an outstretched hand and proceeds to freeze everything around without delay. The oppressive heat of the cavern is pushed back forcefully by the bitter cold. Muscles cramp tight, dropping Tifa and Yuffie heavily to the ground. A blizzard-like gale envelopes them, strong enough to send them both tumbling along the rocky ground for a couple of feet whilst freezing the very beads of sweat on their skin. Still caught in a maelstrom of Leviathan's doing, Salamander is utterly helpless to defend against Shiva. The fire-lizard vanishes from sight amidst the clash of elements.
[When the two remaining summons vanish, all is finally quiet.
[After a minute or two, Tifa opens her eyes, amazed to find that she's alive. She slowly sits up, sending flakes of ice falling from her body. Her feet are lightly hampered by ice, which she is able to break easily. Beneath her, she can make out a two inch-thick layer of frozen water, part of which is moulded in the shape of her own body. She takes a longer look around. The whole cavern has almost wall-to-wall ice carpeting, most of them still bearing the contours of the mountains and valleys of huge waves, frozen before they had the time to level out.
[Yuffie begins to stir beside her.]

Tifa : (shakily) Hey, Yuffie, you okay?

[The girl sits up. Teeth chattering violently, she can only squeeze out a series of esses in reply.]

Tifa : I'll take that as a yes.

[They try to stand, Tifa groaning when her acquirement of bodily aches and scars remind her of their presence.]

Yuffie : I-It's almost t-too q-... (sneezes) ... too q-quiet, now.

Tifa : (shivers) I wonder where everyone is...

Yuffie : (starts) Dad!

[She forces herself steady and lurches over to the jumble of rocks where Godo had been hiding behind. Tifa lets her go, scanning over the rest of the place for everyone else. Her eyes alight almost immediately on an enormous column of ice in the centre of the cavern where Salamander had been, extending upwards to touch the ceiling. Wafts of cold air rise lazily from the frozen structure. The silence is broken by the periodic cracking of setting ice.
[Tifa squints, taking a step closer. Through the clear, metres-thick pillar, she can make out the distorted image of Salamander, stuck in a posture of shock and bearing a reptilian's pained expression. She stares quietly at it, unable to stop her mind from playing through the recollections of her mesmerised wonder of its gaze. Her recollections of their brief silent exchange are, regretfully, already beginning to fade like a dream. To her surprise, her heart is heavy.]

Tifa : (thinks) I can't be feeling sorry for it, can I?

[Her train of thought is interrupted by the emergence of new voices. One by one, the others are coming up. To her relief, she picks out Cloud's voice amongst them. Gingerly treading over the slippery floor, she makes her way over in his general direction. She catches sight of his trademark spike of hair before anything else.
[Cloud heaves himself out of his mound of ice, staggering and windmilling his arms as he does so. Upon seeing Tifa's approach, he breaks out in a grateful smile.]

Cloud : Tifa! Thank Holy you're all right!

[He takes a step toward her, slips and does a splendid backwards dive back onto the ice.]

Tifa : Cloud!

[She starts to quicken her pace and ends up on the floor as well. A bark of laughter rings throughout the cavern.]

Cid : You two oughta charge admission for that.

[Tifa glares balefully at him, but the pilot blithely ignores it, puffing smugly away at his newly lit cigarette. He doesn't seem to be making an effort to get up and Tifa can see why: both his legs are buried in ice right up to his thighs. Her annoyance turns immediately to concern, but he waves it away.]

Barret : (just behind Cid) Yo, Tifa! You okay?

[She waves at him with a smile, then carefully stands again. The large man lumbers over to Cid, absently brushing away the ice that still covers his arms and head.]

Barret : (to Cid) Hey, need a hand?

Cid : (snorts) Naw, I'm just gonna sit here and melt myself out with a couple of smokes. (snaps) Whatdya think?!

Barret : (gamely) No need to get all riled up, man. Y'got any Fires on you?

[Cid replies in his usual way that leaves it clear that he doesn't.]

Barret : Oh, well. (to Tifa) You?

Tifa : None. Sorry.

Cloud : (treads over slowly) We'll have to dig him out, then.

Barret : (incredulous) With what? Our hands?

Tifa : Where's your sword, Cloud?

[Cloud points back to where he had just emerged. The pommel, the only visible and reachable part of his weapon, sticks out from the depths of the frozen surround.]

Cloud : (to Barret) I'm sure you'll think of something.

Cid : Well, think of it quick. I'm freezin' my ass off here.

[Barret sighs, then looks thoughtfully down at his gun arm.]

Cloud : (turns to Tifa) You scared me half to death out there.

Tifa : Believe me, the feeling was mutual. I'll never do that again.

Cloud : (mutters) Until the next Salamander, that is.

Tifa : (shivers) For Godo's sake, there'd better not be another Salamander.

Cloud : Where is he? And Yuffie?

[Tifa turns and gestures vaguely, indicating the Kisaragis' general direction. With a little effort, she can hear faint voices indicative of the usual type of familial bonding between father and daughter.]

Tifa : Sounds like they're doing okay, as usual.

Cloud : Better get over there before they end up killing each other, then. (moves slowly)

[Tifa chuckles wearily and follows. As they move, though, she suddenly remembers something.]

Tifa : Hey, Cloud.

Cloud : Hmm?

Tifa : Thanks for the ice just now. Your dome saved Yuffie and me just in time.

Cloud : Dome? Oh, you mean... That wasn't me.

[Tifa pauses, prompting Cloud to stop and look at her with some amusement.]

Tifa : It wasn't?

Cloud : Why so surprised? It's not like I hold a monopoly on heroic acts. (smiles wryly) You've got to thank Godo for that one.

Tifa : (blinks) Godo did that?

[Cloud nods.]

Tifa : (disbelief) Never thought he had it in him.

Cloud : Yeah. That was some nice timing, wasn't it? You don't get to be the father of a notorious materia hunter without learning a few things about materia magic, after all. (muses) I've never known anyone who could call up a spell that fast before.

[Her surprise beginning to wear off, they resume their cautious pace. The sounds of argument are getting louder.]

Tifa : And Shiva?

Cloud : Cid's personal touch. (looks around) A bit of an overkill, I'd say, but he figured that he might as well try something while you and Salamander were having that staring match. (pauses) What was that about, anyway?

Tifa : (shakes her head) I don't know. I just couldn't look away once I caught sight of its eyes. (ponders) You know, it probably didn't get any less than ten or fifteen metres away from me, but... at the time, it sure felt like Salamander was a lot closer.

Cloud : And that thing you threw into its mouth?

[She starts to reply, but holds herself back at the last moment, somehow reluctant to tell him just then.]

Tifa : (thinks) Not here, at any rate. At least, not while Godo and his bunch are in earshot.

[Cloud waits, frowning heavily at her silence, but catches sight of her expression.]

Tifa : (softly) I'll tell you a little later, Cloud. I promise.

Cloud : (reluctantly) Yeah. (voice hardening) Give me a warning the next time you're thinking of doing a stupid stunt like that again.

Tifa : Yes, Cloud.

Cloud : Two days in advance. (as an afterthought) Preferably in writing.

Tifa : (smiles) Sure, Cloud.

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Starting point | Part 9 | Epilogue