Life Finds a Way

Chapter 83

Clarissa opened her eyes and nearly turned back with a frown when nothing happened, but her eyes caught on a flash from above. She didn't even think as she went around the statue and stopped at the base of the giant growth behind it. She realized that she was looking at an ancient gnarled tree that had somehow grown down here in the darkness before it succumbed to time and became fossilized where it stood. As much as she knew it should have been impossible, the sight in front of her was awe inspiring. With thoughts of how miraculous this whole setup was she reached out and touched the ancient tree.

As soon as her hand made contact, a wind started to blow in. She looked around and realized there was nowhere for it to come from, but that didn't stop the fact that it continued to increase until the dust around them was stirred and Genesis' coat was flapping wildly. She still didn't remove her hand as she looked back to the other two. They were both wearing expressions between concern and awe.

Clarissa looked back and finally noticed the materia above her had started to glow as well. As the air seemed to thicken she noticed that she could hear multiple voices. It was like the first time she ever held a materia, only hundreds of times more intense. As the volume continued to grow she heard one voice that cut through them all. It was Minerva's voice. She was so happy to finally hear the Goddess again that she nearly missed what was being said. When she finally understood, she stood in shock for a moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and opened all the blocks she usually kept in place to keep from being swept away by the power of the planet.

As soon as she opened herself to the voices coursing around her the materia blazed brightly and the bright glow of the lifestream filled the room. Clarissa felt like she was going to be swept away by the sheer volume of power that was coursing from the materia, through her and out into the room around her. She suddenly found that she was finally grounded by a strong pair of arms that grasped her tightly. She felt as if they were the only thing keeping her from being swept up in the tide of power around her.

She couldn't see who it was, but she didn't need to. She could feel Genesis surrounding her and keeping her in one piece. She could feel his fear, not for himself, but for her. She also felt a burning, raging, larger than life feeling that screamed her name. She could feel the very essence, the passion, the drive, the pain, the love for life, that made up the man that held her as if both their lives depended on his grip.

Time seemed to stretch and twist as they stood there together, as he helped her channel the force of the planet. When she nearly felt as if she were one with the voices they finally started to ebb. She came back to her body and it felt foreign. She finally opened her eyes and nearly fell over. It was only Genesis' arms around her that kept her upright. She still felt attached to everything around her and it was disorienting.

After a few moments she was finally able to stand alone, and she took a few steps toward the middle of the room. Her eyes had landed on the form of a woman standing there. When she realized it was Minerva it took all her self-control not to run up and throw her arms around the Goddess. She couldn't conceal her grin though as she walked up to her. Genesis was still supporting her partially and Angeal had moved to join them as well.

When all three of them stood side-by-side, Minerva turned to them with a soft smile. "Thank you, child. If you had not been able to handle the cleansing forces, my influence would have been blocked completely. The Calamity used my link with you to quieten my influence in the world." The Goddess then looked over her shoulder to smile at Genesis. "My Knight, it is thanks to you that my champion was able to succeed. You have my gratitude as well."

Clarissa looked back over her shoulder to see a reverent look on his face. He was enraptured. She smiled at the sight before she turned back to Minerva. Her voice cracked slightly when she spoke. "I am glad we were able to reach you. Does this mean you know what happened?"