Black, darkness.
No light, sound or smell, but it felt like I had just woken up. Strange, because I couldn't remember anything; just black, like an obsidian wall. After that, flashes. A face, red hair, shouting. Nothing connected though. I drifted between what I thought must have been paralysis and unconsciousness. Another flash, this time a face framed by black hair, eyes wide with worry and shock. I remember wondering who she was, and where I was, and then I drifted back into unconsciousness.
When I woke up, I screamed in pain. It felt like something was eating away at the skin on my back and wrists. I vaguely remember someone yelling from the floor below me, and footsteps running down the hall. By the time the door opened, I had already passed out again.
I woke up on my stomach, my back uncovered. I tried to turn over, but a warm hand stopped me.
"Yo, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Male voice, smooth, but rough at the same time. I had no idea who he was, so I asked the two most obvious questions.
"Why, who are you, and where am I?" Okay, make that three.
"Umm, okay, you're on your stomach because you have a psychotic case of Geostigma, so the less pressure the better. You also have no top on." He said it like it was nothing, but it sure had an effect on me. I bolted upright, covering my chest with the blanket.
"Holy! That was fast, yo." He looked shocked; good.
"Where am I?" I demanded, looking around.
I was in a small room, with white walls and one window. There was a mirror on the wall next to the one bed, which I was in. I noticed from the corner of my eye that the guy was slouched against the wall across the room. I make a point of not looking directly at people until I know their name.
"You're in one of the extra rooms above 7th Heaven. You're in Midgar." Okay, Midgar, I knew this place. I recognized it.
I was distracted. "7th Heaven… You mean Tifa LockHeart's place?" I knew Tifa from a long time ago. We used to be inseparable, always looking out for each other, but then something happened. I just couldn't remember what.
"Umm, yeah," The guy said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "She found you a couple days ago. Said something you being childhood friends?"
"Not exactly childhood, but yeah, I guess. You still haven't told me your name, though."
"It's Reno." He stated. I looked him straight in the eye. Reno. I recognized him, but the last time I saw him we were all so young. It wasn't the same Reno I used to know, but he had the same wild red hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a white dress shirt, untucked under a black jacket and black pants, typical Turk uniform, except his wasn't as polished. His eyes were the same bright aqua, though.
"Aww, look who grew up!" I grinned, remembering the times Reno had said how he wanted to be a Turk when he grew up. He never used to stick to anything, though, so I always teased him.
He winced, "Ouch, thanks." I stuck my tongue out. "At least you remember me. Do you want some clothes or something? I can ask Tifa if she has any." I guess he noticed how tightly I had the blanket wrapped around me. "She'd probably be happy to see you awake."
"Thanks Reno."
Reno grinned "Yo! S'okay, she'd come up anyways though, so I thought I'd let you think you had some control." He walked out the door, with the same cocky swagger he'd had as a kid.
"Gee, thanks." I mumbled. I had no clear memories, but I knew Tifa, and until I either moved out, or got rid of the Geostigma, she would be treating me like the little seven year-old from thirteen years ago. I was always the weaker one, so Tifa would always stand up for me.
"CELERE!!! You're awake!!!" Screamed Tifa. It was typical of her, but I still jumped ten feet in the air.
"I brought you some clothes, Reno said you wanted them." She was still just as hyper, but she calmed down pretty quickly when she took a good look at me.
"You've changed," She said, staring at my face.
"What? And you haven't?" I stated, grinning.
Tifa's face softened "That's not what I meant, but you're right. Any who, I made you some clothes. They're not very fancy, but I know you'll want to be able to fight, so, yeah. I hope you still like purple."
She tossed a lump of fabric on the bed in front of me. I stared at it. "What about my-"
"Geostigma? Don't worry; I'll help you put them on."
"Thanks, Tiffs!" I was happy to see my friend, but not exactly excited for what would happen after I had the clothes on.
"I'm gonna have to go downstairs, aren't I?" I asked, wincing as I pulled the top over my head.
"Here." Tifa pulled the fabric away from my skin and down. "Yep, they're all waiting for us. Here's a brush, do something about your hair." After handing me a brush she started doing up all the zippers. This was all done with my back to the mirror. After I was done, she told me to close my eyes and turn around.
"Shift a bit to the left, yes, that's right. Okay, you can look now!" She sounded really excited, so I opened my eyes immediately.
"Whoa! Tiffs, you made this?" I was wearing a black halter top with loops on the back, and a pair of dark purple capris covered in pockets. The black belt had a sheath for a tanto, a double edged Japanese dagger.
"That's not all, you also have a jacket." She handed it to me, and I put it on. It was black leather, with no sleeves and a large collar that folded down, revealing my shoulders. I turned around, pretending not to see the Geostigma creeping across my back. There were two scabbards slung across each other on my back.
Tifa noticed the stare. "You didn't think I'd forget your weapons, did you?" She grinned.
"Where are they?" I asked. I never went anywhere without my two katanas, or my tanto.
"Umm, you might want to fix your part first." Tifa sounded nervous, so I did what she asked. I turned to the mirror, and fixed my part, brushing my bangs to the right. Having not seen my own face in a mirror for years, I wasn't prepared for what I saw.
"My eyes… changed colour?"
"That's not all. You have cat's eyes, and the blue is the kind you see with exposure to Mako energy."
"Mako eyes?" I had the same colour eyes as those of a SOLDIER. "So that's what you meant when you said I'd changed. I have no idea how it happened…Oh well."
She grinned "You're right. Oh well. Ready to go downstairs?"
I looked at my pale, bare feet. "No shoes?"
"Whoops! My bad, here you go!" Tiffs tossed me a pair of black combat boots and socks. I zipped my feet in, then asked, "Do the scabbards come off the jacket? I'm kinda warm and my back's still raw."
"You don't need them. Those loops on your shirt can hold those things with out getting cut." She took my jacket off, being careful not to rub against my back or shoulders.
"Thanks. Now where are my blades?" I rolled my shoulders, stretching my muscles.
"They're downstairs, I had them sharpened."
"Oh, thanks, they needed it!" There was some thing else…but…
"Aren't you going to ask about Aka Tora? I didn't think you'd forget."
"Omigod! Aka Tora! Do you have her?! Agh, I knew I was forgetting something!" Aka Tora is Japanese for Bloody Tiger. She's my pride and joy, and Cid Highwind is the only person (other than me) that I trust her with. She's the only way for me to get around, and I love her like a sister. The most intricate piece of machinery I own, she's red, black and silver, outfitted with the best accessories I could find. Goes from a motorcycle to an all-terrain board, to what ever I need.
"Yep, she was pretty dusty, so I had Cid clean her." Tiffs was looking like she would explode any second now, so I sighed. "Fine, let's go."
"Yay!" She said, jumping up and down. "Don't worry; once you see them all you'll remember them!"
"Joy." Let's get this over with.
"Cheer up!"
"JOY!" I said with more 'enthusiasm', my voice dripping sarcasm.
"As good as it'll get, I guess." Tifa said, rolling her eyes. "C'mon, let's go." She pulled me downstairs.