Reunited Friendship Chapter One
The Returning
By Crystal Bubble
Jenova had been beaten and all the members of AVALANCHE was very tired. Yes, they had been happy to have beaten Jenova, but their friend, the last remaining Cetra had paid with her life for this victory.
As the Highwind neared Kalm, Cloud felt sick in the stomach, Reeve had gotten Elmyra and Marlene out of Midgar just in time before the meteor struck. No one had told Elmyra that Aeris had died, Cloud would have the be the one that told her the sad news. He had also wondered what had happened to all the innocent Shinra workers, and what about The Turks?
"We have arrived at Kalm and the damn time right now is 1:38. Thank you for riding in my god damn ship and have a fucking nice day!" Cid suddenly announced over the speakers.
Tifa couldn't help smiling at Cid, "Oh Cid! Do stop the swearing when you see Marlene!"
"Ya! You try talkin' like that in front of Marlene and I'll get your damned ass kicked!" Barret joked as he looked out.
"Guys, let's go, Marlene, Reeve and Elmyra's waiting outside. I see them!" Tifa said excited, looking down at the town, waving at them.
Cloud climbed out first, without saying much. Everyone had noticed that he hasn't said much after Jenova's defeat, maybe because of Aeris' death. Her death had hit him the hardest. After all, he was the first in the group to meet her, except possibly Reeve. Shera went next. Cid had picked her up for the celebration party at Kalm after the battle. Barret then rushed down the ship and gave Marlene a big bear hug.
When Cloud had seen Elmyra, he walked over and everyone suddenly went quiet.
"Ms. Gainsborough...I'm...sorry..." Cloud lowered his head in shame.
Elmyra wiped a tear away, nodding understandingly. "She knew she was going to die, didn't she? She knew what she was doing though...It's no one's fault and you should not be blamed."
"I don't know if she knew or not...but...you knew?" Cloud looked at Elmyra.
"No...not until now. But the way you walked towards me and how Aeris didn't rush down. Cloud, it isn't your fault. Let's go over to my house for the celebration." Elmyra gave Cloud a small smile. "Oh right! I got a house in Kalm" Elmyra exclaimed.
"Oh yea Reeve, thanks man, for saving my daughter." Barret said.
"No problem." Reeve sighed, "Time to get Cait Sith charged up."
Everyone walked over the Elmyra's house with Marlene and Barret in the lead.
"Aeris.you told me not to blame Cloud before you died. I didn't... You knew you were going to die...didn't you? You were always so mysterious...but...you could've told me." Elmyra thought to herself quietly walking in the rear of the group while just noticing that her eyes were moist once again.
*****
"Cloud, are you okay?" Tifa looked at him, with concern. "You haven't talked since you fought Sephiroth."
"It's nothing...really. I'm just thinking." Cloud replied changing his position on the couch.
Yuffie walks up to Cloud, "Our fearless leader has finally spoken. You know, Tifa's right. Join in the fun." Yuffie smiled.
"Yea, if you don't come join in the fun, we'll all sit quietly with you doing nothing." Tifa said.
Cloud looked at both of them at the same time. "Oh all right...After all, we do deserve a break." He smiled and walked over to Barret, Cid and Reeve playing a game of cards.
"Where's that vampire anyways?" Cid asked.
"For the last hundredth time, I am not a vampire" replied a voice coming from the corner of the room.
"Well Vinny, tell me, what sleeps in a coffin for thirty years and does not die?"
Vincent said indifferently, "That doesn't automatically make me a vampire, does it? And never call me Vinny." Vincent's eyes bright red that made them all freaked out, they had to turn away. They would never be used to his blood red eyes.
"Hah! I win!" Barret yelled as he held up his hands to show that he didn't have anymore cards.
"What the fuck, Barret? Why weren't you waiting for me?!" Cid swore.
"Well...see...you were arguing with Vincent, so we left you alone." Reeve explained.
"Why you three little asses! You god damn left me argu-" Suddenly, a scream was heard outside the house. Cloud withdrew his sword and ran outside.
As they all reached outside, they saw four guys attacking a girl. The girl made him have a feeling, a strangely familiar feeling, just like when Aeris was here. Cloud put his sword away and punched a guy on the nose, Tifa punched another one in the stomach. All of a sudden, he heard a familiar voice say, "Finish those two off." Elena and Rude knocked them both out with the end of their guns.
Cloud looked in front of them and said, "Reno"
"Hey losers." Replied Reno as he smirked.
"Thank you..." The girl looked at AVALANCHE then at The Turks. She caught Reno's eye and Reno looked back. "Oh my god, that guys with the flaming red hair is so cute." She blushed as she thought to herself and thank that it was dark so nobody could've seen her face turn crimson.
"You're welcome." Cloud and Reno both said, both glaring at each other now.
"I'll be going now..." The girl walked back slowly.
"Are you sure? You can come to Ms.Gainsborough's house.I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Tifa said, concerned about the girl that didn't look a lot younger than her. She looked a bit older than Yuffie.
"...I don't want to start a fight between you guys..." She said quietly, looking at Reno and Cloud.
"Of course you won't start a fight between us. Right Reno? We're good buds." Cloud replied, wanting to puke at the last comment he said, but he wanted her to stay so badly. He felt something familiar about her. Too bad I can't see her too well in the dark.
"Yes, don't worry about us. We're good buddies." Reno was disgusted at what he had said. The girl thanked them both. All the AVALANCHE members and the other two Turks were shocked, but they didn't need a second to know what was going on.
Tifa and the others started back to Elmyra's house and Cloud bringing up the rear and whispering to Reno, "I was just saying that to get the girl to say."
"Duh...who'd be dumb enough to be buds with you?" Reno shot back.
"Come now then..."
"Huh? We're invited to that Ancient's adoptive mother's house too?"
"First of all, Aeris has a name. Second of all, I don't want her getting suspicious. Hurry up and get your ass in the house."
"What's your name?" Shera asked politely at the girl.
"My name's Akira." Akira replied shyly.
"I'm Cloud, she's Tifa, Barret, Red or Nanaki, Yuffie, Cid, Vincent, Reeve, Shera, Elmyra, Reno, Elena, Rude and that stuffed toy is Cait Sith, controlled by Reeve."
"Nice to meet you, Akira." Red replied.
"It talks!" Akira with her eyes opened wide, "What are you?"
"I am what you see." Red replied.
"So Akira, what were you doing by yourself out at night?" Elmyra asked.
"Well, you see...I'm on a quest..."
"What sort of quest?" Tifa asked, asking everyone's question.
"A quest to find the clear materia and Holy..." she replied quietly.
"WHAT?!" Everyone yelled in unison.
"Holy...the white materia."
"For what?" Cloud asked.
"To resurrect my mother."
"The white materia can resurrect human beings?" Elena asked curiously. "Then maybe I can resurrect Tseng."
"No, no...my mother wasn't human...she was half Cetra..." Akira explained.
"Then that must mean you're half Cetra too...and that must mean...your mother's Aeris...? I'm assuming." Cloud had finally known what had been so familiar about her, the hair colour of Aeris...only a bit of a different shade...Her smile was a different...It's like she's had a rough life or something...but her eyes, her eyes...green, the kind of green which were infused with Mako. And they didn't seem to glow or shine like Aeris'. But the shape of her face was certainly different. She didn't look too much like her.but a bit of similarity.
"How...did you know that?" asked Akira, she was dumbfounded.
"She was with us...before she died." Cloud winced at the memory going over and over in his mind. "But, if Aeris' your mother, she must've gotten you when she was about a few years old. How...?"
"I was born from inside of a tube...Hojo created me with Jenova cells and Cetra cells from Aeris, Hojo also infused me with little amount of Mako...but I have no idea who my real father is."
"We know where Holy is. But why do you need to resurrect Aeris?" Reeve asked.
"I have gotten a warning from the planet, something dangerous is going on and I need Aeris."
"Holy is where Aeris died, we can bring you there, but the clear materia, that we have no clue." Cloud replied.
"We can probably get the information of where the clear materia is from the library in Nibelheim, but do you know another name for the clear materia? We might also be able to figure out who's Akira's father with Hojo's notes." Reno said thoughtfully.
"Yes, it is known as Eternal."
"Cid, mind flying us to Nibelheim?" Cloud asked.
"No problem. Let's have a good rest tonight, then we'll start early tomorrow morning. No objections?" Cid looked around. "All right, night all." Cid headed out the door for the inn.
"Ms.Gainsborough, do you mind if Akina, Marlene, Shera, Tifa, Yuffie and Red stay here tonight? The others will go to the inn with me." Cloud asked.
"Not at all, I can fit another person." Elmyra replied.
"It's okay, we'll stay at the inn. Good night everyone." Cloud waved as he followed the others out the door. Before he closed the door, he heard Akina say something. "Good night Cloud and Reno, see you guys tomorrow."
"Reno, I take it you're staying with us?" Cloud questioned.
"No, what makes you think that?"
"Never mind then, I just thought Akina had wanted you to come."
"We might show up tomorrow." Reno and The Turks then walked towards the inn.
"Damn Cloud! You lettin' those three assholes come with us?" Barret yelled.
"But I have to agree, the more help we have, we can resurrect Aeris faster, and you heard what Akina said..." Cloud replied.
"Anyways, I think I can fit about another one in my house, so two will have to be in the inn." Reeve told them.
"All right, Barret and I can stay at the inn, Vincent, you can go to Reeve's house, you don't mind?"
"No, good night." Vincent replied and started towards Reeve's house.
The Returning
By Crystal Bubble
Jenova had been beaten and all the members of AVALANCHE was very tired. Yes, they had been happy to have beaten Jenova, but their friend, the last remaining Cetra had paid with her life for this victory.
As the Highwind neared Kalm, Cloud felt sick in the stomach, Reeve had gotten Elmyra and Marlene out of Midgar just in time before the meteor struck. No one had told Elmyra that Aeris had died, Cloud would have the be the one that told her the sad news. He had also wondered what had happened to all the innocent Shinra workers, and what about The Turks?
"We have arrived at Kalm and the damn time right now is 1:38. Thank you for riding in my god damn ship and have a fucking nice day!" Cid suddenly announced over the speakers.
Tifa couldn't help smiling at Cid, "Oh Cid! Do stop the swearing when you see Marlene!"
"Ya! You try talkin' like that in front of Marlene and I'll get your damned ass kicked!" Barret joked as he looked out.
"Guys, let's go, Marlene, Reeve and Elmyra's waiting outside. I see them!" Tifa said excited, looking down at the town, waving at them.
Cloud climbed out first, without saying much. Everyone had noticed that he hasn't said much after Jenova's defeat, maybe because of Aeris' death. Her death had hit him the hardest. After all, he was the first in the group to meet her, except possibly Reeve. Shera went next. Cid had picked her up for the celebration party at Kalm after the battle. Barret then rushed down the ship and gave Marlene a big bear hug.
When Cloud had seen Elmyra, he walked over and everyone suddenly went quiet.
"Ms. Gainsborough...I'm...sorry..." Cloud lowered his head in shame.
Elmyra wiped a tear away, nodding understandingly. "She knew she was going to die, didn't she? She knew what she was doing though...It's no one's fault and you should not be blamed."
"I don't know if she knew or not...but...you knew?" Cloud looked at Elmyra.
"No...not until now. But the way you walked towards me and how Aeris didn't rush down. Cloud, it isn't your fault. Let's go over to my house for the celebration." Elmyra gave Cloud a small smile. "Oh right! I got a house in Kalm" Elmyra exclaimed.
"Oh yea Reeve, thanks man, for saving my daughter." Barret said.
"No problem." Reeve sighed, "Time to get Cait Sith charged up."
Everyone walked over the Elmyra's house with Marlene and Barret in the lead.
"Aeris.you told me not to blame Cloud before you died. I didn't... You knew you were going to die...didn't you? You were always so mysterious...but...you could've told me." Elmyra thought to herself quietly walking in the rear of the group while just noticing that her eyes were moist once again.
*****
"Cloud, are you okay?" Tifa looked at him, with concern. "You haven't talked since you fought Sephiroth."
"It's nothing...really. I'm just thinking." Cloud replied changing his position on the couch.
Yuffie walks up to Cloud, "Our fearless leader has finally spoken. You know, Tifa's right. Join in the fun." Yuffie smiled.
"Yea, if you don't come join in the fun, we'll all sit quietly with you doing nothing." Tifa said.
Cloud looked at both of them at the same time. "Oh all right...After all, we do deserve a break." He smiled and walked over to Barret, Cid and Reeve playing a game of cards.
"Where's that vampire anyways?" Cid asked.
"For the last hundredth time, I am not a vampire" replied a voice coming from the corner of the room.
"Well Vinny, tell me, what sleeps in a coffin for thirty years and does not die?"
Vincent said indifferently, "That doesn't automatically make me a vampire, does it? And never call me Vinny." Vincent's eyes bright red that made them all freaked out, they had to turn away. They would never be used to his blood red eyes.
"Hah! I win!" Barret yelled as he held up his hands to show that he didn't have anymore cards.
"What the fuck, Barret? Why weren't you waiting for me?!" Cid swore.
"Well...see...you were arguing with Vincent, so we left you alone." Reeve explained.
"Why you three little asses! You god damn left me argu-" Suddenly, a scream was heard outside the house. Cloud withdrew his sword and ran outside.
As they all reached outside, they saw four guys attacking a girl. The girl made him have a feeling, a strangely familiar feeling, just like when Aeris was here. Cloud put his sword away and punched a guy on the nose, Tifa punched another one in the stomach. All of a sudden, he heard a familiar voice say, "Finish those two off." Elena and Rude knocked them both out with the end of their guns.
Cloud looked in front of them and said, "Reno"
"Hey losers." Replied Reno as he smirked.
"Thank you..." The girl looked at AVALANCHE then at The Turks. She caught Reno's eye and Reno looked back. "Oh my god, that guys with the flaming red hair is so cute." She blushed as she thought to herself and thank that it was dark so nobody could've seen her face turn crimson.
"You're welcome." Cloud and Reno both said, both glaring at each other now.
"I'll be going now..." The girl walked back slowly.
"Are you sure? You can come to Ms.Gainsborough's house.I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Tifa said, concerned about the girl that didn't look a lot younger than her. She looked a bit older than Yuffie.
"...I don't want to start a fight between you guys..." She said quietly, looking at Reno and Cloud.
"Of course you won't start a fight between us. Right Reno? We're good buds." Cloud replied, wanting to puke at the last comment he said, but he wanted her to stay so badly. He felt something familiar about her. Too bad I can't see her too well in the dark.
"Yes, don't worry about us. We're good buddies." Reno was disgusted at what he had said. The girl thanked them both. All the AVALANCHE members and the other two Turks were shocked, but they didn't need a second to know what was going on.
Tifa and the others started back to Elmyra's house and Cloud bringing up the rear and whispering to Reno, "I was just saying that to get the girl to say."
"Duh...who'd be dumb enough to be buds with you?" Reno shot back.
"Come now then..."
"Huh? We're invited to that Ancient's adoptive mother's house too?"
"First of all, Aeris has a name. Second of all, I don't want her getting suspicious. Hurry up and get your ass in the house."
"What's your name?" Shera asked politely at the girl.
"My name's Akira." Akira replied shyly.
"I'm Cloud, she's Tifa, Barret, Red or Nanaki, Yuffie, Cid, Vincent, Reeve, Shera, Elmyra, Reno, Elena, Rude and that stuffed toy is Cait Sith, controlled by Reeve."
"Nice to meet you, Akira." Red replied.
"It talks!" Akira with her eyes opened wide, "What are you?"
"I am what you see." Red replied.
"So Akira, what were you doing by yourself out at night?" Elmyra asked.
"Well, you see...I'm on a quest..."
"What sort of quest?" Tifa asked, asking everyone's question.
"A quest to find the clear materia and Holy..." she replied quietly.
"WHAT?!" Everyone yelled in unison.
"Holy...the white materia."
"For what?" Cloud asked.
"To resurrect my mother."
"The white materia can resurrect human beings?" Elena asked curiously. "Then maybe I can resurrect Tseng."
"No, no...my mother wasn't human...she was half Cetra..." Akira explained.
"Then that must mean you're half Cetra too...and that must mean...your mother's Aeris...? I'm assuming." Cloud had finally known what had been so familiar about her, the hair colour of Aeris...only a bit of a different shade...Her smile was a different...It's like she's had a rough life or something...but her eyes, her eyes...green, the kind of green which were infused with Mako. And they didn't seem to glow or shine like Aeris'. But the shape of her face was certainly different. She didn't look too much like her.but a bit of similarity.
"How...did you know that?" asked Akira, she was dumbfounded.
"She was with us...before she died." Cloud winced at the memory going over and over in his mind. "But, if Aeris' your mother, she must've gotten you when she was about a few years old. How...?"
"I was born from inside of a tube...Hojo created me with Jenova cells and Cetra cells from Aeris, Hojo also infused me with little amount of Mako...but I have no idea who my real father is."
"We know where Holy is. But why do you need to resurrect Aeris?" Reeve asked.
"I have gotten a warning from the planet, something dangerous is going on and I need Aeris."
"Holy is where Aeris died, we can bring you there, but the clear materia, that we have no clue." Cloud replied.
"We can probably get the information of where the clear materia is from the library in Nibelheim, but do you know another name for the clear materia? We might also be able to figure out who's Akira's father with Hojo's notes." Reno said thoughtfully.
"Yes, it is known as Eternal."
"Cid, mind flying us to Nibelheim?" Cloud asked.
"No problem. Let's have a good rest tonight, then we'll start early tomorrow morning. No objections?" Cid looked around. "All right, night all." Cid headed out the door for the inn.
"Ms.Gainsborough, do you mind if Akina, Marlene, Shera, Tifa, Yuffie and Red stay here tonight? The others will go to the inn with me." Cloud asked.
"Not at all, I can fit another person." Elmyra replied.
"It's okay, we'll stay at the inn. Good night everyone." Cloud waved as he followed the others out the door. Before he closed the door, he heard Akina say something. "Good night Cloud and Reno, see you guys tomorrow."
"Reno, I take it you're staying with us?" Cloud questioned.
"No, what makes you think that?"
"Never mind then, I just thought Akina had wanted you to come."
"We might show up tomorrow." Reno and The Turks then walked towards the inn.
"Damn Cloud! You lettin' those three assholes come with us?" Barret yelled.
"But I have to agree, the more help we have, we can resurrect Aeris faster, and you heard what Akina said..." Cloud replied.
"Anyways, I think I can fit about another one in my house, so two will have to be in the inn." Reeve told them.
"All right, Barret and I can stay at the inn, Vincent, you can go to Reeve's house, you don't mind?"
"No, good night." Vincent replied and started towards Reeve's house.