Going After Sephiroth

Going After Sephiroth is the eleventh chapter in Final Fantasy VII, and the second chapter of the second act, "Pursuit". Cloud Strife, Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough, and Red XIII leave Kalm to pursue Sephiroth, leading them to the Mythril Mine.
== Walkthrough ==
=== Crossing marsh to Mythril Mine ===
After leaving Kalm, the next destination is the Mythril Mine, and the party must travel southeast through a canyon to proceed. As before, while traveling through the Midgar Area on the way, learning Matra Magic from the Custom Sweeper for the Enemy Skill Materia is extremely valuable if not already learned.
At the end of the canyon, the party will reach the Grasslands Area, where the Chocobo Farm can be found in the distance. Travel to the Chocobo Farm and talk to one of the Chocobos in pens on the outside. Answering "Wark" to them will award the party with the Choco/Mog Materia, a Summon Materia that can damage all enemies on use. Next, enter the stables at the back and talk to Choco Billy, who sells a Chocobo Lure Materia for 2,000 gil. After purchasing it, he will sell greens that make it easier to catch a Chocobo; as higher-level greens are not necessary at this stage, it is best to buy Gysahl Greens. In the house on the left, Cloud can talk to Choco Bill and also use the beds as an inn for 200 gil.
Around the Chocobo Farm, there are a few more abilities to learn for the Enemy Skill Materia, though neither skill is essential and both can be learned later in the game. The Mu enemy teaches the L4 Suicide skill, and if a level 16 Chocobo appears on the map (with either two Elfadunks or two Levrikons), giving it Mimett Greens (the most expensive green bought from the farm) and using the L4 Suicide on it teaches Chocobuckle. Chocobuckle skill is more of a curiosity than a useful ability.
To reach the Mythril Mine, located west of the Chocobo Farm, the party must cross the marshes, which are patrolled by the Midgar Zolom. This enemy is extremely powerful at this stage, and will likely kill party members at this point in one hit unless the party is leveled up significantly. Therefore, it is easiest to catch a Chocobo to evade the Midgar Zolom. To do this, equip the Chocobo Lure on at least one party member and run along the tracks until a Chocobo appears in a random encounter. Feed the Chocobo the Gysahl Greens by using the Item command and using Gysahl Greens on the Chocobo, defeat nearby enemies without harming the Chocobo (as dealing damage will cause them to flee), and Cloud will be riding the Chocobo on the world map.
=== Mythril Mine ===
After crossing the marshes, the party will find a Midgar Zolom impaled, after which they must progress forward to enter the Mythril Mine. This is a short dungeon with four types of enemies. Most of these enemies are fairly weak, and can be defeated by using Matra Magic from Enemy Skill, by pairing either Ice or Lightning Materia with All to defeat the groups at once, or by simply attacking them. The Ark Dragon teaches the Enemy Skill Flame Thrower, and Ethers can be stolen from them. The Grand Glove for Tifa, her best weapon at this stage, can be stolen from the Madouge.
From the entrance, head east to reach a screen where an Ether can be found on the ground, and up the stairs, a treasure chest contains a Tent. On the same screen to the west of the staircase are vines leading up to a cliff, where Long Range Materia can be found; this can be useful for melee physical attackers, such as Cloud or Tifa, in allowing them to stay in the back row and hit otherwise unreachable targets. After obtaining items, head left back to the first area, and continue left along the main path, before taking a quick detour right for a Mind Source. Return to the main path to eventually head west.
On reaching the west path, the party will encounter the Turks for a scene with some dialogue. After it ends, head north to a small screen an Elixir is found in a treasure chest, and a Hi-Potion is found on the floor to its right. Return to the previous scene and head left, up a set of vines, to exit the Mythril Mine.
=== Sidequests ===
After leaving Mythril Mine, the party arrives in the Junon Area. Here, a variety of sidequests can be completed, including recruiting Yuffie and visiting Fort Condor. Yuffie is recruited by fighting the Mystery Ninja in one of the forests, and then answering dialogue options correctly. If recruited, it is also advisable to steal the Boomerang from Formula, another enemy fought in the same area where she is found.
Fort Condor is an optional location that requires completing a real-time strategy minigame, Condor War. Doing so is an investment in time and gil, but rewards various items and weapons. Simply agreeing to help gives access to a free inn along with some Materia available for purchase. The first reward from the minigame is a Magic Comb for Red XIII.
When ready to proceed, the next quest, "The Stowaway Strategy", begins by traveling to Junon, found northwest on the coastline.
== Citations ==
Category:Chapters in Final Fantasy VII