CHAPTER 33 - THE NORTHERN CAVE

When you're ready, descend the rope ladder and head into the cave. When you reach the path that spirals down into the cave, you'll notice a cave near the top. Know that you can take this passage and climb the cliff face immediately to the right to return to the Highwind. Open the first chest you pass to find the SAVE CRYSTAL and the second chest to find a GUARD SOURCE. In the next area, jump down the right and open the chests to find a GUARD SOURCE and a MIND SOURCE. Make your way up the left side and open the first two chests to find a MAGIC SOURCE and an ELIXIR. Climb up and open the chest in the upper-left corner to find a POWER SOURCE, pass behind the rock to the right to pick up an HP ABSORB MATERIA, and jump down to the next area.

Jump down and walk to the right to drop down below. Open the chest on the left to find a MIND SOURCE, jump up to the next level, and head all the way left. Jump down, enter the cave and open the chest to find a MEGALIXIR, and go back the way you came. Head left to drop down below and open the chest on the right to find a HERO DRINK. Enter the nearby cave and open the first chest you pass to find a GUARD SOURCE. As you proceed along the path, use the tunnel in the upper-right corner to reach the chest containing a POWER SOURCE and exit the cave in the upper-left corner. Head all the way right to drop down again, jump down to the next level, proceed through the cave, and make your way down to the next area.

The first time you reach the path below, you'll be prompted to split into two groups. Before you make your decision, there are a few things you should know. Each person you put in the group without Cloud will have a randomly-selected item from the path they took for you when you reach the bottom of the cave. The more people you send down the opposite path, the more items you'll get. What's more, if you head back through the opposite path after you reach the bottom of the cave and grab all the items before meeting the others at the edge of the pit, you'll still get the items from your allies. It's possible to get two of all the best items from whichever path Cloud's party doesn't take! Use this knowledge to choose which way you send each group.

The Right Path:
Proceed to the end of the spiraling path and climb down the stalactite to the path below. Open the chest to find the MYSTILE, grab the ELIXIR, and proceed to the next area. Open the chest on your left to find a SPEED SOURCE, open the chest on your right to find a TETRA ELEMENTAL, and open the two chests containing MEGALIXIRS in the upper-left and upper-right corners. Proceed to the next area and climb down the skeleton path to reach the bottom of the cave. (Enter the far-right cave if you want to explore the left path and you'll end up back at the bottom of the cave.)

The Left Path:
When you take the left path, your party will stop and ask which way they should go. Have everyone go "Up" and you'll find yourself at the edge of an eerie series of pools*. Jump down and head to the right, jump up to the rock, and open the chest at the left to find a MAGIC SOURCE. Head back the way you came and jump up to the path on the far left of the screen. Dive into the pool and you'll surface at the far-right path. Open the chest in the far-left corner to find a REMEDY and proceed to the next area. Head to the right on the circular path and open the chest to find a HERO DRINK. Head left and open the chest in the far-left corner to find a VACCINE. Pick up the SHIELD MATERIA on top of the nearby rock and dive into the pool to arrive near a chest containing an IMPERIAL GUARD. Dive off the near side of the rock to reach the path in the far-right corner and proceed to the next area. Make your way to the left and pick up the W-MAGIC MATERIA lying under the vegetation, grab the COUNTER MATERIA near the center of the glowing light, and go through the passage at the left to reach the bottom of the cave.

Open the nearby chest and enter the upper-right cave to reach the next area. Jump to the right and open the chest to find a TURBO ETHER. Head left and grab the MEGA ALL MATERIA as Cloud bounds past it (you may need to make several attempts) and open the chest to find a SPEED SOURCE. Make your way to the far-right corner and open the chest to find an X-POTION before proceeding to the next area. Make your way to the center of the area and open the chests along the way to find a VACCINE and a TURBO ETHER. Climb up and head into the next area. Head left and open the chest to find an X-POTION, jump to the far platform and open the chest to find a REMEDY, and head right and open the chest in the far-right corner to find an ELIXIR. Climb the stone steps on the left and enter the cave to reach the very first area of the left path. (If you wish to explore the right path, take the farthest path to return to the spot where the team split and head right to make your way back to the bottom of the cave.)