The quiet hum of conversation filled the small house, a comforting sound that slowly but surely started to chip away at Arthur's exhaustion.
He watched his friends, a strange mix of heroes and rebels, as they brainstormed.
Yuffie was practically vibrating with excitement, her ideas a wild flurry of explosions and grand thefts.
Tifa, ever the strategist, reined in the chaos, her logical mind sifting through possibilities.
Aerith, with her gentle wisdom, offered insights that touched on the deeper currents of their world.
Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge, the unsung heroes of Avalanche, were already putting their practical skills to work.
"Decoys,"
Tifa mused, tapping a finger on the map.
"We need something that looks real enough to fool Shinra's elite, but safe enough not to harm anyone."
Yuffie snapped her fingers.
"Holograms! Like, super-duper realistic ones! We could make a whole army of fake us, charging at the train!"
Biggs, who had been quietly sketching on a scrap of paper, looked up.
"Holograms are tricky, Yuffie. They need a strong power source, and they're easy to disrupt."
"But,"
Jessie interjected,
"What if we used something physical? Something that looks like a high-tech vehicle, something fast and flashy? Shinra would definitely chase after a new piece of Avalanche tech."
Arthur's mind, still a little foggy but growing clearer by the minute, latched onto Jessie's idea.
A physical decoy. Something that would move, something that would look like a real threat.
And then, an idea, a crazy, impossible idea, began to form.
He'd been holding back, afraid to reveal the full extent of his abilities.
But now, seeing the desperation in their eyes, the sheer scale of the challenge before them, he knew it was time.
He took a deep breath.
"I… I might be able to create something."
Everyone turned to him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
"You can create things?"
Yuffie asked, her eyes wide.
"Like, out of thin air? Like magic?"
Arthur managed a small smile.
"Not exactly out of thin air. More like… pulling energy from the Lifestream and giving it form. It's a bit like materia, but… on a much larger scale."
He still wasn't sure how to explain it fully, how to articulate the strange, intuitive way his magic worked.
It wasn't like casting spells from a book; it was more like willing something into being, guided by a deep connection to the planet's energy.
Aerith, ever attuned to the nuances of the Lifestream, looked at him with understanding.
"He's right,"
She said, her voice soft but firm.
"Arthur's connection is unique. He can manifest the planet's energy in ways I haven't seen before."
Tifa's brow furrowed in thought.
"So, you could make… a fake train? Or a fake weapon?"
"More than that,"
Arthur said, his voice gaining strength as the ideas solidified in his mind.
"I could create a vehicle. Something fast, something that looks like it could carry a whole team. And it wouldn't just be a decoy. It would be… a distraction."
Jessie's eyes lit up.
"A vehicle? What kind of vehicle?"
Arthur closed his eyes for a moment, letting the Lifestream flow through him, feeling the subtle currents of energy that hummed beneath the city.
He pictured something sleek, powerful, something that would make Shinra's commanders tear their hair out trying to catch it.
"Something that looks like a high-speed combat motorcycle,"
He finally said, opening his eyes.
"But larger. Built for more than one person. And it wouldn't be just for show. It would move. It would evade. It would be… a conjuration."
A conjuration . The word hung in the air, a whisper of something impossible.
"A conjuration motorcycle?"
Yuffie practically shrieked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"That's awesome! Can it fly? Can it shoot lasers? Can it have, like, a giant ninja star launcher?"
Arthur chuckled.
"Not quite a ninja star launcher, Yuffie. But it would be incredibly fast. And it would be able to mimic the energy signatures of our own devices, making it seem like a real, tangible threat."
Wedge, who had been nervously chewing on his lip, finally spoke up.
"But… how long would it last? And how far could it go?"
"That's the trick,"
Arthur explained.
"It would be tied to my own energy. I can sustain it for a limited time, and it won't be able to engage in actual combat. But it will be able to move at incredible speeds, to dodge and weave, to make Shinra believe they're chasing a real, fully operational Avalanche vehicle."
Tifa, always practical, laid out the next set of questions.
"So, we'd send this conjuration motorcycle towards the train, make it look like we're attacking, and then while Shinra's distracted, we slip out on foot?"
"Exactly,"
Arthur confirmed.
"The conjuration will be designed to draw as much attention as possible. It will be fast enough to outrun most Shinra vehicles, forcing them to commit their most valuable resources – their fastest bikes, their toughest soldiers – to the chase. It will lead them on a merry chase away from our real escape route."
"And when it runs out of energy?"
Biggs asked.
"It will simply… dissipate," Arthur replied. "Leaving no trace. Shinra will be left chasing ghosts, wondering what just happened, while we're long gone."
The silence that followed was different from before.
This wasn't the tension of unspoken questions, but the quiet hum of minds working, processing the sheer audacity of Arthur's proposal.
Jessie was the first to break it.
"That's… insane. And brilliant! If you can really do that, Arthur, it's our best shot."
"It's risky,"
Tifa cautioned, her eyes still scanning the map, but now with a newfound glint of hope.
"It will drain you, Arthur. And if something goes wrong, if they figure out it's a decoy too soon…"
"Then we adapt,"
Arthur said, his voice firm. He felt a surge of resolve.
He had faced down a spiritual storm.
Creating a conjuration motorcycle, while daunting, felt like a tangible challenge, something he could focus his newfound strength on.
"I've been holding back. But now… now is not the time for holding back. I will make this work."
Aerith reached out and placed a hand on his arm, a comforting touch that sent a subtle wave of renewed energy through him.
"We're with you, Arthur. All of us."
The next few hours were a whirlwind of planning.
Cloudia, who had been silently observing and tinkering with her device, now offered her expertise on Shinra's surveillance systems and patrol routes.
Her analytical mind, combined with her intimate knowledge of the reactors and their security protocols, proved invaluable.
She suggested specific timing for the conjuration 's appearance, aiming to hit a shift change in Shinra's security, maximizing the chaos.
Jessie and Biggs worked with Arthur, helping him visualize the conjuration motorcycle, discussing its appearance, its "engine" sounds, even the subtle energy signatures it would need to convincingly mimic.
They talked about its "route," designing a path that would lead Shinra forces on a long, arduous chase through the more desolate parts of the city's outskirts, far away from their intended escape route.
Yuffie, though disappointed about the lack of laser guns, was thrilled by the idea of a "super-duper fast ghost bike."
She insisted it needed a cool name.
"How about… the Conjuration Rider! Or… the Shadow Streak! Or… the Mako Mirage!"
Tifa, meanwhile, meticulously charted their on-foot escape route. She calculated distances, identified potential hiding spots, and planned for contingencies.
"It'll be a twenty-four-hour trek, maybe more, to get clear of Midgar's outer perimeter,"
She warned.
"We'll need supplies, and we'll need to move fast and quietly."
Wedge, ever the optimist, was already gathering extra water bottles and ration bars.
"I can carry the heavy stuff!"
He declared, flexing his surprisingly strong arms.
As the plans solidified, a new kind of energy filled the small house. It wasn't the frantic energy of fear, but the focused, determined energy of hope.
They were no longer just reacting to Shinra's moves; they were proactively creating their own opportunity, using Arthur's unique abilities to turn the tables.
Arthur sat in the center of the room, listening to their chatter, feeling the ebb and flow of their collective energy.
He closed his eyes again, picturing the conjuration motorcycle in his mind.
He wasn't just creating a diversion; he was creating a symbol. A symbol of their defiance. A symbol of their hope.
He focused on the Lifestream, reaching deep within himself, feeling the vast, swirling ocean of the planet's lifeblood.
He imagined the motorcycle, not as a machine, but as a pure manifestation of energy, sleek and powerful, an ethereal whisper of speed and freedom.
He felt a familiar pull, a draining sensation, but this time, it was different. It wasn't a burden; it was a purpose.
When he opened his eyes, he looked at his friends, each one a vital part of this impossible plan.
He was still an outsider in many ways, but in this moment, he was their anchor, their unexpected advantage.
He was Arthur, and he was ready to show them just what he could do.
"Alright,"
He said, his voice steady and clear, cutting through the planning murmurs.
"Let's make some noise. Let's show Shinra what happens when you try to cage the wind."
The night before their escape, the air in the small house was thick with anticipation.
Sleep was a luxury none of them could afford. Final checks were made, bags were packed with essentials, and quiet goodbyes were exchanged between Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge, who would remain behind in Midgar to continue their work with Avalanche's cell.
Their parting was somber but resolute; they knew the risks.
Arthur spent the hours leading up to their departure in quiet meditation, his focus entirely on the conjuration.
He drew on the Lifestream, not in a violent surge, but in a steady, controlled flow, shaping the energy, giving it form and substance in his mind.
He visualized every curve of the chassis, the roar of its non-existent engine, the way it would shimmer as it moved at impossible speeds.
It was more than just a mental exercise; he was weaving reality from pure energy, a complex tapestry of illusion and conviction.
As dawn approached, a pale sliver of light filtering through the grimy windows, it was time.
Cloudia, with a series of quick commands on her device, confirmed the optimal window. Shinra's patrols were shifting, creating a brief, exploitable gap.
"Now, Arthur,"
Tifa said, her voice low but firm.
"It's time."
Arthur nodded, taking a deep breath. He walked to the center of the room, his friends gathered around him, their faces a mixture of apprehension and unwavering trust.
He closed his eyes, extending his hands, feeling the familiar hum of the Lifestream surge through him.
He pushed the energy outward, slowly at first, then with increasing power.
A faint shimmer appeared in the air before them, like heat rising from asphalt. It expanded, taking on a ghostly luminescence.
Then, with a soft, almost inaudible hum, it began to solidify.
A sleek, dark form began to emerge, coalescing from the shimmering energy.
It was a motorcycle, larger and more robust than any standard model, with an aerodynamic design that spoke of incredible speed.
Its "wheels" spun silently, and a faint, electric blue glow pulsed from what would be its engine.
It looked real, incredibly real, yet it had an ethereal quality, as if it was barely tethered to their reality.
Yuffie gasped, her eyes wide with unadulterated awe.
"It's… it's beautiful!"
Tifa stared, her practical mind struggling to reconcile what her eyes were seeing with what she knew to be possible.
"Incredible,"
She murmured.
Aerith simply smiled, a knowing look on her face. She had felt the power, the pure, untainted energy of the Lifestream flowing through Arthur.
Arthur opened his eyes, sweat beading on his forehead, but a fierce satisfaction gleaming in his gaze.
The conjuration motorcycle hovered silently before them, a perfect, luminous replica of his will.
Arthur then conjured up more than ten motorcycles.
"They are ready,"
He said, his voice a little hoarse from the exertion.
"They will respond to my mental commands. I can guide it, make it appear to be driven by an unseen hand."
"Then let's do this,"
Tifa said, her resolve hardening.
"Cloudia, initiate the signal for the train."
Cloudia nodded, her fingers flying across her device.
"Signal confirmed. The Shinra cargo train, Route 7, will be leaving Sector 5 in fifteen minutes. Its trajectory will take it past the designated diversion point in thirty minutes."
"Perfect,"
Arthur said. He closed his eyes again, connecting with the conjuration.
He sent it a single, powerful command: Go.
With a silent, almost imperceptible surge of energy, the conjuration motorcycles zipped forward, phasing through the wall of the small house as if it were never there.
They heard no crash, no sound of breaking glass. It was gone, a silent specter on its mission.
Arthur swayed slightly, the effort of manifesting and controlling the conjuration already taking its toll.
Aerith was by his side instantly, her hand on his arm, sending her gentle healing energy.
"It's working,"
Arthur whispered, a faint smile on his lips.
"I can feel it. They are moving fast. Shinra will be scrambling."
...
Little Spoiler: Arthur had met Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Happy. The first time they met was something Erza and Natsu would never forget.
...
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