Tseng’s Prophecy, ? Revolution
by Sly

Tseng sighed, looking out the window of the hotel room in the Golden Saucer area, thinking of Aeris, Cloud and Tifa, who had been captured by the bitch named Scarlet. Tseng closed his eyes and turned from the windows to the other Turks, Elena, Rude and Reno. He was about to say something when the door opened and Jason Thull stood there. "Tseng," he said. "There’s a PHS call for you. Somebody who sounds like the person in charge of Shinra," he said. "Its on the television as well."

Tseng stepped quickly out of the room and looked at the TV screen, where Scarlet’s face was. It had the usual smirk on it. "We’re just waiting for Tseng to pick up the phone, now," she said in her usual, annoying tone that made Tseng want to puke.

"This is Tseng," he said, the PHS clutched tightly in his hand.

Scarlet’s face lit up. "Ah," she said. "So, you’ve finally decided to come and answer the phone, eh?" she said with a little chuckle.

"Where are they?" Tseng demanded.

Scarlet pursed her lips and then broke into a grin. "Now, Tseng; why would a person like me tell a terrorist like you about the whereabouts of your now imprisoned friends?" she asked.

"Terrorist!" exclaimed Tseng.

Scarlet smiled. "Yes," she said. "Oh, and this time? Don’t try the intrusion scheme. It won’t work," she said. "Bye."

The TV and the PHS disconnected.

"Shit…" said Tseng slapping the PHS phone closed as the others looked to him. "What’re ya’ll looking at me for?" he asked.

Cid spoke up. "Without Cloud, Tifa and Aeris…you’re the only one with leadership experience."

"Oh, great," muttered Tseng.

Everyone was silent.

"Okay," Tseng said, rolling his eyes. "Let’s get to work. Cid, get your crew to bring up schematics on the entire Midgar City, specifics on the Shinra Building. Kyle, do you have any friends inside the Shinra Organization who might join you?"

Kyle Fox nodded. "A few," he said.

"Jason, gather some of your strongest and teach them how to use swords, daggers and guns," Tseng commanded. "Same thing for Red and Jason with the people from Cosmo Canyon and Kalm," he said. "Let’s get to work."

***

Scarlet turned back to her new support staff, consisting of Charles and Kalmman. "How do you think I hit them?" she asked.

"Pretty well," said Charles.

"Very well," Kalmman said, doing his best to outshine Charles as he always did, and no matter what Charles did, Kalmman always succeeded with making the other look bad. "No doubt, though, that they will be mounting a rescue operation for their comrades. And their comrades themselves are incredibly dangerous."

Scarlet nodded. "Yes, I know," she said, toying with her well painted fingernails. She then looked at her two aides. "How are the prisoners doing currently?" she asked.

"Very well," Kalmman said. "They aren’t adapting to these cells as they had to the others so quickly," he said. "Thanks to my designs, they will be forced to stay on a constant awareness. In fact, I’m not sure they could even tell that they were in a prison cell."

Scarlet nodded. "Very good," she said.

***

Cloud Strife groaned, sitting up. His blue-black clothing was tattered and torn from fighting off various wild animals. He had been separated from Aeris Gainsborough and Tifa Lockheart in the first rush, when a group of wild tigers had attacked them. Cloud could only pray that they were okay, much less alive.

"What the hell," he muttered and stepped forward, when a barely audible crack in the bushes sounded behind him. Cloud froze in his tracks, his white knuckles clutching the hilt of his Ultima Weapon close. Another crack. He whirled just as a black haired figure in the same tattered clothes and same sword as Cloud leapt out of the bushes, sacking him hard to the floor. Cloud flipped the man off him and came up into a defensive crouch, as did the other. "Who are you?" Cloud demanded.

"Who’re you?" snarled the man. There was something familiar about him…a man who had helped him before.

Cloud straightened, feeling strangely comfortable with this man. "My name’s Cloud," he said. "Cloud Strife."

The man with black hair’s features softened. "Cloud?"

"Yes," Cloud said.

"Its me," the man said. "Zack."

***

Tseng groaned, his head in his hands and he grabbed the bottle of beer, chugging down a healthy amount of it. "I hate being the leader," he mumbled as he took another healthy gulp. Kyle and Jason had been working all day as well, and now, the three men were chilling out on the aft flight deck drinking some beers. "Its so damned annoying with everyone asking me what to do."

"I know the feeling," Jason and Kyle said at the same time.

Tseng glanced at them then looked at the clouds whipping by. "Three lives, and ours, are in my hands," he said, taking another gulp. "When it was just Reno, Rude and even Elena and I, I could handle it…but now…it just seems to be getting crazy."

Kyle nodded. "I know the feeling," he said again.

"Shut up," Jason said, taking a gulp from his beer.

"Anyway," Tseng said, pulling another one from the case. "I’ll leave the rest of the planning to tomorrow. I just need to relax right now," he said, leaning back in his chair and massaging his temple with one hand as he drank from his new bottle of beer with the other. "I hope they’re okay," he said.

"Who doesn’t?" Jason asked.

***

"How far to Midgar, Jerry?" Cid Highwind asked as he puffed on a cigarette, looking out the main viewport as Jerry, the ship’s pilot, was working the ship with his co-pilot, Davie.

Jerry looked up. "Two days away, Sir," he said. "Our transmitter beacon on Cloud went out a few minutes ago," he said.

"Damn," Cid hissed.

Davie looked up. "May I make a suggestion, Sir?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cid replied, taking a drag of his cigarette and blowing a small plume of smoke into the air.

Davie nodded. "If we can make a makeshift connection to the damaged transmission beacon, he’d be able to hear us, but we’d have a bad connection to hearing him."

"We could still hear him, though?" Cid asked.

Davie nodded. "If I make it right, yeah," he said.

Cid snapped his fingers. "Get to work on it," he said.

***

Zack walked with Cloud into a small forest area with a fire in the center, a tent off to the side. It was like a tiny village with only one house. Cloud sighed, back with a person. "I must’ve found your friends," he said, pointing to Tifa Lockheart, sitting on the other side of the village.

"Tifa!" Cloud cried and ran forward, kissing her quickly, but he looked around quickly. "Where’s Aeris?"

"Here," Aeris replied, coming out of the tent, mud staining her clothes. "We had an encounter with some wild beasts and Zack here, saved us," she said.

Cloud nodded. "I remember you, Zack. We were in the same regiment of Soldier," he said. "You saved my life at Nibelheim."

"True," said Zack.

"I thought they shot you," Cloud said.

Zack grimaced. "They did," he said. "But President Shinra used Restore Materia to get some information out of me. When I wouldn’t talk, they threw me in here and I’ve been here ever since. How is Shinra, anyway?" he asked.

"Shinra is dead," said Cloud.

Zack smiled. "All right," he said. "Then who’s running Shinra Incorporated?"

"Right now?" Cloud asked. "Reeve was for a while after Rufus’s death," Cloud said. "But now Scarlet is running things. Heidegger and Palmer are dead as well," he said.

Zack nodded. "Rufus is dead?"

"Not anymore. He’s on our side now, anyways," Tifa chimed in.

"So what do we do?" asked Aeris.

Zack shrugged. "Well, we have to find a way out of here, that’s for sure."

***

Tseng stood in front of the assembled army. They had arrived at Fort Condor for weapons and backup support, so they had redirected their course from Midgar. Cid had flown off to Rocket Town to get some supplies for the Mark III Highwind. "Okay, people," he said. "We are rebelling against Shinra Incorporated."

Mutters came from the group, but other then that, no one said anything.

"You are the warriors who have volunteered for this. You may die, you may lose those close to you, but you will die doing what’s right," Jason Thull said, coming up beside Tseng. Jason was much better at giving speeches. "You are the proud Soldiers, and this time tomorrow: We attack Shinra Headquarters in Midgar City."

More mutters.

"All yours, Tseng," Jason said, stepping back.

Tseng nodded. "Thank you," he said. "You are all armed. You will be taking separate modes of transportation." He looked around, pausing for effect. "We are attacking the Shinra, and they are weak in the ground forces, so that is where we must strike. Our aerial attack should keep them occupied long enough."

Jason stepped up. "You will show no mercy," he said.

"Don’t let any of them escape with their lives," Tseng said. "Remember; we’re also rescuing prisoners, no matter who they may be," he continued. "Cloud Strife, Aeris Gainsborough and Tifa Lockheart are on the tops of our lists right now."

Jason nodded. "So remember; show no mercy to Shinra, and release the hostages. Our bomb squad will blow the place sky high."

Reeve stepped out. "What effect will this have on Midgar?" he whispered to Tseng.

"I’m afraid I don’t know."

2

Rufus, Cid Highwind, Reno, Rude, Elena and Kyle Fox were hunched over plans for the Shinra Incorporated office complements of Reeve and Rufus. "So, our point of entry is here," Rufus said. He and Tseng would be commanding the ground team. "We go in, take out the guards and disable the security systems to allow the aerial strike to get in swiftly and silently without being noticed until their guns open up on them."

"That’s encouraging," Cid muttered, nervously smoking a cigarette as Barret Wallace stepped in, tightening his gun-arm. "Where’re you going?" he asked.

Barret grinned. "I wanna piece o’ the action, foo’," he said.

"Dammit, who’s here with me?"

Yuffie Kisargi came in. "You get the wonderful me as company, Cid!" she cried.

"Oh…dear God NO!" Cid cried in agony, the cigarette dropping from his mouth. Yuffie pouted and put her hands on her hips as Cid got back up, chuckling lightly. "Nothin’ personal, but I don’t much care for you as company."

"Just ‘cause I’m a brat doesn’t mean I can’t be fun!" Yuffie said angrily.

"Whatever," Reno piped up.

***

Cloud Strife chewed on the meat which Zack had given him from his reserves. Apparently, Zack had been here ever since after Nibelheim, and that was a long time. Cloud swallowed and put the meat on the makeshift plate. "So you’ve tried getting out?" he asked.

"This place doesn’t seem to end," Zack said.

Cloud looked around. "I’m willing to bet it does," he said. "Probably in the way we least expect it." He grunted, picking up the meat again and taking a bite.

"Don’t count all your options yet, Strife," came a cold, youthful voice from behind them. They all stood up, facing the figure in the shadows. Greg stepped into the light, illuminated by the dancing flames as Sephiroth had been at Nibelheim. "Because soon, you will have none save for death," Greg chuckled.

"Your dead," Cloud said.

Greg chuckled again, stepping up to Cloud. "That is obvious," he said. "I am a figment of your imagination. I’m not really here. I am long dead," he said and turned around, taking in the vast expanse of the jungle around them. "I am simply here because your subconscious thought about me."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" asked Zack.

"Ah," said Greg. "I remember you. Father told me all about you," he continued. "How you foiled him at Nibelheim along with you," he said, turning to Cloud. "Pathetic little brat. You stopped my father countless times," he sighed. "And now, he is dead. Save for one thing that can bring him back."

"What’s that?" Cloud asked shakily.

Greg stepped up and tapped Cloud’s forehead. "Your brain," he said. "You see, that’s the miracle of this place; anything your subconscious dreams of, is here automatically," he said with another chuckle.

"Is Zack just a figment of my imagination?" Cloud asked, worried for his friend.

Greg shook his head. "No, it doesn’t go that far. But you see," Greg said. "I want my Father here. Now."

"No," Cloud said.

"Why?" Greg asked coyly.

Cloud scoffed. "In case you didn’t notice," he said. "Your father was more of a menace then you are you dumb sack of shit," Cloud said. "He burnt down my home, nearly killed me, Zack and Tifa, actually did for a while kill Tseng and Aeris, and you destroyed three major towns; Cosmo Canyon, Kalm and Bone City."

"Point being?" asked Greg.

Cloud drew back his fist and punched Greg across his face, sending the man sprawling to the ground. The young mercenary stepped up and pressed his boot to Greg’s neck. "You’re not going anywhere, and neither is…" he trailed as Greg’s features changed and conformed to be those of Sephiroth. "God…" whispered Cloud.

Sephiroth stood up, removing Cloud’s foot from his neck. "God is not the right word," he said in his smooth voice. "Demigod maybe," he said, his features betraying nothing. "Cloud, long time no see. I believe it was…" Sephiroth looked as thoughtful as a dead man could.

"Since I killed you," Cloud said.

Sephiroth’s eyes blazed with anger. "You stopped my conquest, yes," he said.

"You had no conquest, and your son is almost worse then you are," Aeris said, as she, Tifa and Zack flanked their leader.

Sephiroth laughed. "Greg is like that, yes," he said. "I raised him well, didn’t I?" he turned back into Greg. "Yes, he certainly did," Greg said with a chuckle. "Cloud, you have a very strange subconscious."

"How does my subconscious do this?"

Greg chuckled. "Sorry, but I’m not in the department of giving away the secret of this fantastic voyage you have begun, Strife," he said. "I took the same voyage once, and Reeve brought me out of it."

"And this is how you repay him?" Cloud asked.

Greg shrugged. "I didn’t ask of any favors. I’m used to this place by now," he said. "Now, you are going to make two separations between reality and un-reality," he said. "Your going to separate both Sephiroth and I from un-reality into reality."

"No!" Cloud almost shouted.

Greg made a "tsk" sound and stepped up to Cloud. "Ah, but you have no choice," he said. "You see, your subconscious can create reality if you want it enough."

"But I don’t want it," Cloud said.

"The only way is from here…and I can do something that will make you want to say yes."

He moved lightning quick, whipping out his Massumune Blade and holding it to Tifa’s throat. "Do it," he said. "Or Ms. Lockheart here dies," he said with a loud chuckle, audible to all of them there.

Zack moved even faster, striking the blade out of Greg’s hand and taking him to the ground. Greg vanished. "What the…?" Zack asked, and Greg materialized behind them, his Massumune once more held to Tifa’s throat.

"Now," Greg said, the coy gone from his voice. "Do it!"

"Don’t, Cloud!" Tifa said.

Cloud grit his teeth. "I have no choice," he said. "I want you both alive! You hear me!? Sephiroth and Greg alive!" Cloud shouted, and winds whipped through the branches of the artificial jungle, knocking them all off their feet.

***

Tseng held his pistol tightly in his hands, looking at the others as he sat in the air vent above the room. Scarlet, Kalmman, and Charles and a few other representatives were sitting in the room below. Behind Tseng, Reno was listening to the radio chatter. He tapped Tseng on the shoulder. "Security is down," he said.

"Then let’s do it," Tseng said and punched the grate down, hitting Charles’s head with a hard smack. Charles crumpled in his chairs and shouts brought security guards in as the ventilation shaft broke and the crack squad of military SWAT Team members dropped down, guns blazing. Tseng put a pistol to Scarlet’s neck. "Hello," he said, bringing her under the table.

Scarlet growled. "Tseng," she hissed. "I should have known."

"Yes, you should have," he said and cocked the hammer of the gun. "Not much time before I kill you. I’ll let you live on one condition; tell me where Cloud, Aeris and Tifa are immediately or you die slowly and horribly," he said.

"You won’t," Scarlet teased.

Tseng cocked tightened his finger a bit on the trigger, seeing sweat mounting on Scarlet’s brow. "Oh? I’m trained to kill, you should know that best of all."

"Why should I tell you?" Scarlet asked.

Tseng shrugged. "Because I won’t kill you if you do."

"Bottom level, 4G Prison Cell 76. They’re inside the Subconscious Plains, so you’ll have to bring them out using code 4567-Alpha-Bravo," she said shakily.

Tseng nodded and brought her out, tossing her into Elena and Rude. "Take her to the prisoner convoy," he said coldly and the two took the struggling woman away. "Now, to find Aeris," Tseng whispered to himself and headed out of the room, running down the hall.

***

"Good God!" Zack cried as the winds whipped mercilessly across his makeshift camp, destroying the tents as Greg laughed like an idiot. "Can’t we stop this madness?" he shouted to be heard over the winds as leaves flew through the air. Cloud shrugged. "Dammit! We have to stop this now!" he said.

Greg walked up to them as if nothing were happening. "You can," he said. "But I can also kill Tifa, if I want."

"Don’t hurt her," Cloud rasped. "Please."

Greg nodded. "If this continues," he said. "I will spare her. You may not be so lucky, but she I shall spare. I may have…uses for her in the future," he said.

Zack shook his head. "You can’t bring back both Sephiroth and Greg!" he said to Cloud.

"But I have to safe Tifa!"

Suddenly, everything went black. Cloud, Zack, Aeris, Tifa and Greg were in a wide, black expanse. "Reverting back to reality," said an electronic voice.

"What?" Greg asked unbelievingly.

Cloud grinned. "Don’t you get it? You’ve been stopped."

"In which case," Greg said, tossing Cloud the Ultima Weapon, and Zack the Buster Sword. Greg morphed into two separate features: Sephiroth and Greg. "My Father and I shall fight you to the death you will create for yourselves."

Zack moved up. "Let’s do it," he said to Sephiroth.

"Killing you will be as easy as it was the first time," Sephiroth said coyly.

Cloud twirled his sword in his hand. "All right, Greg. Let’s finish this," he said and moved lightning quick, but Greg was equally fast, blocking his attack and kicking the mercenary in the stomach, following with an uppercut that made Cloud stumble back.

"Ha!" Greg shouted.

Cloud charged forward, hitting Greg in the midsection and the two tumbled to the ground, their swords clattering away. Cloud socked Greg in the face, and the younger man’s nose broke. Greg screamed and shot his hand out, clawing his fingers around Cloud’s neck and choking him. Cloud kneed Greg in the groin and rolled off, choking for breath.

Zack was outskilled in this battle, for Sephiroth had already struck a blow to the ex-Soldier’s side, and Zack was slowing down from loss of blood. Sephiroth cackled like the maniac he was and charged forward, blocking Zack’s attack and plunging the sword into Zack’s thigh.

Greg got up first, a little shaky as Cloud got back to his feet. Greg stumbled for his sword but Cloud hit him in the side, the two going to the ground again. They came back up and Greg put Cloud in a headlock, punching the mercenary in the face repeatedly. Cloud let out a cry of dismay and punched Greg hard in the spine, crumpling the man.

Cloud got back up, wiping blood from a split lip and kicking Greg hard in the stomach, then tackling him into the ground. He leapt onto him, dropping his knees into Greg’s gut, making the man puke horribly. Cloud climbed off as the man was wracked with spasms and finally stopped, dead.

Zack blocked an attack and spun on his sword, hitting his heel into Sephiroth’s jaw. The man toppled to the ground, his Massumune clattering away.

***

"Come on," Tseng said, looking at the four lifeless bodies in the chairs in front of them. "Computer, status," he said as Barret Wallace stepped in, kicking a Shinra Guard in the face.

"Bringing back to reality Protoform Tifa," said the computer, and the cap came off of Tifa Lockheart, she groaned as Barret scooped her up.

"Cloud…?" asked Tifa drowsily.

"Barret," Barret said. "I’m getting youse outta here," he said.

Tifa shook her head. "But Cloud…"

"Will be fine."

***

Zack groaned as Sephiroth kicked him where he had been stabbed, and Zack crumpled to his knees. He struck his fist out and punched though the man’s skin, his hands gripping the man’s guts. He ripped them out and Sephiroth screamed, blood running down his face and he exploded, showering Zack in gore.

"God," whispered Zack as he crumpled.

He felt hands pulling him to his feet, and shoulders put under his arms. "C’mon, Zack! Don’t die on me again! C’mon!" came Cloud’s voice, but with it, the echo that resembled fading consciousness. Zack blinked as everything started to turn white around him. He screamed as Aeris and Cloud did the same.

***

"C’mon! The explosives have been laced around the building! Cid can’t hold the air strike together much longer!" Kyle said, bursting into the room as Tseng scooped up Aeris. Cloud and the other man seemed energized, but the other man had been weakened. "Here! I’ll give him a hand," Kyle said as he and Cloud helped up the man. "Okay, let’s talk. Name, personal history."

"Huh?" Cloud asked.

"Not you. I’m just making sure this guy doesn’t die on us," Kyle said, nodding to the man.

"Name’s…Zack," the mercenary said. "Worked…for Soldier until Sephiroth…betrayed and…killed me. Revived…and put in machine," Zack uttered.

"Where’s Tseng?" Aeris asked.

"I’m here," Tseng said, hunching over her as Barret carried both her and Tifa. "Aeris, are you all right?" he asked, gently stroking her face.

"Yes," she said and gripped the back of his head, pulling him into a kiss. When they broke, Tseng felt a bit better, and Aeris looked better. "Okay. Let’s get moving."

***

"Die you sonsabitches!" shouted Jason Thull, running up with his SMG(Sub Machine Gun) in hand, firing at guards in front of the group. "C’mon! Ya want some!?" he shouted, firing at a squad coming down the stairs. He turned and fired at the descending elevator. "Here’s some!" he shouted again, turning to a door as it exploded and Shinra Shock Troopers came in. "Come an’ get it, baby!" he cried.

"Jason!" shouted Rude as he came up, pumping and firing his shotgun. "We can’t take much more of this! Where are they!?" he shouted angrily.

Jason keyed his comm. "Kyle, what’s your position?" he asked.

"We’re coming up the stairs! We’ll be on the main level where you are in a minute or two!" Kyle Fox’s voice came back over the communicator.

Jason fired again. "Yeah, well be careful ‘cause there’s a lot of gunfire up here!"

"The explosives are charged, Jason!" shouted Elena as she, Reno and the Bomb Team arrived. "Detonation in three minutes," she finished as she opened fire.

"Three minutes?!" Rude asked.

"Just shut up and hold the fort!"

***

"Dammit!" hollered Cid as he fired the lasers, taking down another of the Anti-Aircraft guns. "We can’t take much more of this! Shields are already down to forty-two percent! Weapons have been damaged and primary life support is gone!" he shouted into the communicator to Tseng.

"We’re almost out! Just about twenty seconds!" Tseng replied.

Cid looked up again and switched frequencies. "Red, Reeve; you ready to pick those troopers up, because they’re gonna be comin’ out in about five seconds!"

"Ready and waiting in the APC’s," said Reeve.

***

Jason shot down another trooper as several Armed Carriers came in, as at the same time the Rescue Party arrived. "C’mon! We got a minute-forty before the end of the world!" he shouted and opened the APC’s doors one at a time. "Everyone in! Move!" he shouted and started firing for cover.

Rufus jumped out of the Carrier. "Get in there!" he shouted and opened fire with his machine gun, taking down the Shinra Troopers who were coming to stop them. Jason made an extreme effort as Cloud, Zack, Kyle, Barret and Tseng ran into the carrier. "How many more!?" shouted Rufus.

"About five! Where are they!?" Jason asked.

"Dead," shouted Kyle. "Get in! We’ve got fifty seconds!"

Jason jumped in and slapped the switch, firing out at the troopers as the doors slowly closed. He ran to the front where Reeve was sitting at the controls. "Get us outta here now!" he ordered and Reeve gunned the engines, flying the group of APC’s out.

***

Kalmman groaned and looked up, blood running down his face and saw the literal wall of explosives in front of him. It ticked towards zero. "Oh shi—" he started.

Then they exploded.

***

Screams filled the APC’s as the Shinra Headquarters exploded behind them, a tremendous fireball of red and yellow rose into the sky, and the shockwaves slammed into the APC’s. Jason was thrown off his feet as it rocked, but Reeve miraculously kept control.

"We did it!" was Cloud’s shout.

Then, it turned into a steady roar of victory as people cheered, over the communicators, as debris tumbled towards the ground. What had been the pride of the Shinra Corporation was now gone. The major threat which had once threatened them was gone.

"Tseng?" Aeris asked.

Tseng, blood staining his shirt, but otherwise all right, looked over to her. "Mm?" he asked.

"I love you," she said.

Tseng smiled. "I thought so," he said.

They kissed. And kissed.

And kissed…

The End!

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Author’s Note: And so, Tseng’s Prophecy comes to a close with a kiss. Awww. But don’t get around to thinkin’ I’m all mushy, because there’s another Fanfic Comin’ right up! And yes, it will feature none other then: Tseng! So buckle your seat belts! I’ll try and make it better then TP was!

Sincerely,

Sly