Dawn of a New Era (VII Rebirth)

Chapter 4: Dawn of a New Era is the fourth chapter in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Cloud Strife's party ventures into Junon.
==Story==
Cloud Strife and his party made it through the Mythril Mines to Junon Region on their trail of robed men who appear to be headed to Junon and seeking to cross the sea. A condor, a massive raptor that lives on an island off the coast of Junon Region, swoops down and grabs one of the robed men. Cloud and friends make their way to a chocobo farm where they help the local chocobo-keeper and get access to ride a cliff-crossing variety of a chocobo, making passage across the region easy.
They make their way to Junon where the local mayor, a woman named Rhonda, clocks them as the wanted members of Avalanche for whose capture large rewards are being given out. Rhonda is no fan of Shinra Electric Power Company, however, as Shinra's mako reactor has resulted in an ecological catastrophe across the coastal region and destroyed the locals' old way of life, forcing them to live in the shadow of Shinra's massive fortress and mako cannon. Rhonda gives them passage with a plan of profiting off this turn of event somehow.
Down at the water front a teen-aged girl gets into trouble when a sea monster capsizes her rowboat. Rhonda and Priscilla help carry her on land when she washes up while Cloud's party drive the monster away. Afterward, Rhonda asks Cloud's help in resuscitating the girl, but as he is about to begin chest compressions she regains consciousness and accuses Cloud of attempting to feel her up. She learns Cloud was the one who helped destroy the sea monster, and she introduces herself as Yuffie Kisaragi, a ninja from Wutai and marvels at Cloud's friends Barret Wallace and Tifa Lockhart being members of the infamous "splinter cell" of Avalanche responsible for bombing Midgar's mako reactors. After she runs off, making clear she yet wants to make their acquaintance, Barret wonders what she is after.
They are invited to stay at the local inn for free, and make plans for finding a way to Shinra's fortress despite the local elevator being tightly monitored, as Rufus Shinra is slated to arrive to partake in an inauguration parade for being made president of the Shinra Company. Cloud hears an unfamiliar voice conversing with Aerith Gainsborough in her room, but finds it was only Red XIII. Barret is still wondering what Yuffie is after, and Cloud has a chance to suggest she wants Barret's autograph or wants to join Avalanche herself. Cloud apologizes to Tifa about doubting her personhood back in Kalm, and Tifa talks about her childhood friend Emilio, but Cloud catches on that it is a test to see if he remembers.
The next morning Yuffie makes her proper introduction to the party and reveals she is on a mission to hunt for materia for her homeland, the rebel government that is looking to renew hostilities with Shinra. However, Rufus's visit to Junon would be a prime opportunity to assassinate him and so she has been hired to carry out this task. The party considers her too young and reckless and Yuffie goes for her mission alone. A SOLDIER member causes commotion by driving into town with his motorcycle: Roche on a supposed mission to capture Aerith following after a tip off from Rhonda (who planned to use the bounty to arrange a ninja to assassinate Rufus), but his real goal is to have a rematch against Cloud whom he considers his fated rival. Roche departs after issuing his challenge, and Priscilla, a local girl, knows a way to get topside without needing to use Shinra's elevator. Cloud rides a dolphin to the cargo lift that he can use to bring everyone to Shinra's airport up top where they glimpse at the Highwind stationed there.
The plan is to find disguises to pose as infantry soldiers to get close to Rufus, as Barret agrees with Yuffie's line of thinking that Rufus could make for an easy assassination target during this time. Numerous infantry units are swarming into Junon, and in his Junon office, Rufus is approached by a mysterious robed figure: a ghost from Rufus's past, Glenn Lodbrok, now an emissary of Wutai supposedly sent by Viceroy Sarruf. Rufus is wary, considering their history. Glenn mocks the new Shinra president's surprise at his apparent survival, stating that Rufus had indeed killed him during their last encounter. Glenn seeks assurances that Rufus intends to honor President Shinra's arrangement with Viceroy Sarruf to procure the magnus materia by going to war with Wutai. When Rufus refuses, Glenn mocks his obsession with finding the promised land and agitates for renewed war between Shinra and Wutai as a means to restore the planet's lifestream. As Glenn leaves, Rufus decides to fire the mako cannon in a ceremonial display that would effectively end the ceasefire.
Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith decide to disguise as infantry soldiers while Barret and Red XIII must find their own ways of disguising themselves. Cloud takes charge as he used to work for the Shinra military and still remembers the basics. They get caught and mistaken as late-comers, and Cloud is put in charge of Midgar's Seventh Infantry and needs to round up his troops for the parade, his goal to perform so well he will win a personal commendation from the new president himself. Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith find everyone, running into Rude and Elena at the Upper Junon city: Rude is at the bald club where "mopheads" (people who have hair) are unwelcome, and Elena is drinking at the bar. Red XIII is blending in at the crowds by pretending to be a dog, and Barret has found himself a sailor outfit to pose as a dock worker.
The parade starts and Rufus rolls in on a white converter while Tseng keeps track of Cloud's party's moves, well aware they have infiltrated the ceremonies. Cloud leads the display for Seventh Infantry, and even if Roche's motorcycling unit also puts up an impressive show, Seventh Infantry win commendation and Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith are brought before Rufus, who reveals he knows their identities and that was why they were called up. Rufus wants to make a pact: he will let Avalanche go un-apprehended if they promise to stay away from Midgar and to "deal with" Sephiroth. Cloud initially finds the deal appealing, but Rufus is suddenly attacked by a disguised ninja from the rooftops: Yuffie. The assassination attempt fails when Heidegger takes a hit instead and is injured, but Rufus believes Cloud's party was behind it. Chaos breaks out, Rufus being led to safety while every soldier scampers to hunt for the mystery assassin. Cloud blends into the chaos under the guide that he is also hunting for the assassin, when in fact he is trying to make his way to the ferry that is to leave for Costa del Sol. Seventh Infantry soldiers follow their "captain" unaware of Cloud's underlying motives, and Cloud ends up brought to an arena where Roche awaits him, ready for another one-on-one showdown between them. Cloud emerges victorious, destroying Roche's bike, and Roche lets him leave, pleased of the thrill of battle and looking forward to their next rematch.
Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith, and Red XIII make it to the ferry, Shinra-8, and Yuffie stows away disguised as a robed man, all of whom are swarming to come aboard. The captain is baffled at the events but lets Cloud and others to come along as "winners" of the president's commendation. As the ferry pulls out, Kyrie Canaan runs after it, having missed her chance to board.
==Quests==
*The Fortress
*Under a Steel Sky
*Fact-Finding
*Turning In
*Trouble Brewing
*Washed Ashore
*Twilight in a Sunless Town
*Respite
**A Stranger’s Voice
*Well-Earned Rest
*Friends Together Again
*Priscilla’s Plan
*Ready to Fly
*Dolphin Show
*The Shiplift
*Linking Up
*Infiltration
*In Search of Lost Robes
*Fatigues
*Out of the Civvies
**Hello, Old Friend
*Rain on His Parade
*The Seventh Infantry
*No “I” in “Team”
*Time to Pay, Shinra
**Ninja Ops
*Hue and Cry
*Junon Harbor
*Friends Await
*The Back Door
Category:Chapters in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth