Alternate Earth: Season Two

by A. Nonymous III esq

After the grand finale of the first season, Rachel and Laura return back home, but with little expectance the entire crew would be here. As difficult as it was living in the FF7 world, can the Cloud, Tifa, and the rest survive normal living to us,that is?

1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1: Laura's Departure

Note: Because people are crabby, I removed the notes that are in chat script. Bleh. Anyway, Squaresoft owns FF7, and Laura is owned by LadyTifa26. There. Happiness abound. (Anyone notice how weird has formatted this? Why is it all separated? I liked it better as the book format! ::sobs:: All that work down the drain. . )

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"C. . .Cloud?" Rachel looked straight at Cloud, and he responded with a cheerful smile. "CLOUD!" She ran up an hugged him, while Tifa tried to ignore it.

"Seems you remember us well enough. . .", Tifa remarked.

"TIIIIIFAAAAAAA!" Rachel moved over to her, and gave her a bear hug.

"ER. . .Rachel?", asked Tifa.

"Yes?", Rachel responded.

"What in God's good name are you doing?!"

"I MISSED YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!", Rachel said. "WAKING UP AND NOT BEING YELLED AT BY SOMEONE IS SO EMPTY!"

"Laura?" Vincent was waiting for her.

"Vincent. . ."Her eyebrows were arched in surprise, and a touch of disbelief. "Vincent!" She ran into his arms, and he smiled while embracing her.

"Don't get too comfy, now. . ." Cid strolled over to the group.

"CIIIIIIIIID!" Rachel was about to hug him.

"WHOA!", said Cid. "CID DOESN'T TAKE HUGS!"

"BUT HE TAKES GLOMPS!"

"AHHHHH!"

". . Kiako?" Rachel saw Cid, squirming on the ground to get Kiako off of him.

"Wow. . ." It was Konoshi. "This is your school?"

"Uh. . ." Rachel and Laura were looking at them. "Since when did all of you guys get here?"

"Actually, a while ago. . .", Tifa said. "Apparently, it seems we got broken off at some point, but we all found each other just a few days ago. I just woke up yesterday. . .In the middle of a forest, really." She looked a little embarrassed. "I can't believe I was out for so long. . ."

"Wait. . .", said Rachel. "WE all? That's just you, isn't it?"

"HIHI!" Chikara jumped out of nowhere.

"Actually. . .", said Aeris, stepping out. "We're ALL here. Even. . ."

"BROTHER!" Keily was hugging the guts out of Rufus.

"CAN'T YOU HEAR ME?!", shouted Rufus. "I'M NOT YOUR BROTHER!"

"BROTHER!", she shouted again.

"Oh dear Lord of the Planet. . .", he sighed.

"Some are back there. . .", said Cloud, pointing behind him. "We weren't scattered too far apart. I found Tifa only about a mile from where I landed, and Aeris-

"He bumped into me at an outdoor gardening expo. . .", she said with a nervous smile.

"But how did you find us?", asked Rachel.

"Well. . .", said Cloud.

"ME! MY BRILLIANCE!" It was Jessie.

"GLORY HOG!" Kiako shoved Jessie aside. "MY LAPTOP!"

"MY BRAINS!", shouted Jessie.

"MY HARD WORK!"

"MY DETERMINATION!"

"MY SKILL!"

"MY EXPERTISE!"

"MY GOD! SHUT UP!", shouted Cid, pulling those two apart from killing each other.

"CIDDY!" Kiako attached herself to Cid.

"DAMMIT. . ."

". . ." Russ, Rachel's brother, was standing right next to Rachel all of a sudden, and staring.

"Russ?", asked Rachel. "Russ? HELLLOOOOO!"

". . ." He was staring at Tifa.

"Rachel?", asked Tifa. "Is there something wrong with him? Is he okay?"

"HE'S FIIIIIIINE!", said Rachel, shoving him away. "RUSS!" She began talking to him as soon as she got far enough from them.

". . .Boobies.", he said , his eyes dilated.

"Yes, yes, boobies. . .", said Rachel, echoing him.

"Is that. . .Tifa?", he asked.

"NONSENSE!", Rachel said. "YOU SEE NOTHING! GET IN THE CAR!" Rachel escorted him to the car. "I am SO happy Mom and Dad couldn't come. . ."

"What's up with them?", asked Tifa.

"Er. . ." Laura broke out in nervous laughter. "Rachel's brother thinks you're super hot. He also thinks Aeris is pretty hot, too." Aeris went pink, while Tifa sighed into her gloved hand. "Come on, before all these girls spot Vincent and Cloud. . ."

"What now?", asked Reno, walking up to them.

"AND RENO! WHATEVER!", Laura said, moving them away. "LET'S GO! I'M DRIVING!"

"Where are we going?", asked Cloud.

"ANYWHERE BUT HERE!"

". . .Did you know her?", asked Russ, after a while during driving Rachel home.

"Yeah. . .", said Rachel, a little warily.

". . .Can I have her picture?", he then asked.

"No. . .", said Rachel in the same tone. "What are you gonna do? Show it to your friends? Or are you going to shove it in your sock drawer? Maybe tape it to the wall and pretend make-out with it?"

"NO!", Russ shouted, giving Rachel an odd look, but going a little red while doing it.

"Sure. . .", said Rachel. "Change the CD, at least. . ."

"DUH, DUH, DUH, DUH, DUH, DUH, DUH, DUH, DUH, DUH, DUUUUUUUUH!" While moving through the car, Cloud couldn't help but sing the chocobo song music.

"Cloud, what are you doing?", asked Laura.

"Well. . .", said Cloud, "Right now, we'd probably be riding a chocobo, but seeing as I presume your parents won't let you have one. . ."

"No. . .", said Laura. "In this world, there AREN'T any chocobos." He looked like his heart got stomped on, and then run over by a steamroller.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!", he screamed, as if in agony. "NOW WHAT DO I STYLE MY HAIR AFTER?!"

". . .Where are Mom and Dad?" Rachel arrived in the driveway of her house, noticing the SUV(mid-size. Don't think we're rich.) was gone.

"I dunno. . .", said Russ. "Probably killing the environment with that. . .that, THING." Curious thing about Russ. He loves almost anything military, which exhausts more fuel than anything, and he hates SUVs. Hmm. I suppose since we use jets for SOMETHING...

"Hey Rachel." Laura pulled up in the driveway. "I wasn't sure whether I should bring them home." They all piled out of the small car, trying to stand up.

"N-no chocobos. . .", Cloud said in a shock-induced trance.

"Wow.", said Rachel. "Of all people, I should be traumatized. I LOVE THE CHOCOBOS!"

"I know. . .", Laura grumbled. "Your top ten license plate messages would read. 'FFVII', 'CLOTIFAN', or 'CHOCOBO'."

"PRECISELY!", said Rachel. "AHAHAHAA!"
". . .Clotifan?", asked Tifa. "What's that?"

"IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!", Rachel said. "NOTHING AT ALL!" Tifa exchanged odd glances with Cloud, and shrugged. "So uh. . .This is my house." Everyone looked up to the two story house, a light mocha in color, nearly indistinguishable to white, with a red door, and red shutters, a newly painted garage door, and. . .What was up with the porch? "Eheh. . .Don't mind the porch. It's still being rebuilt."

"THIS is your HOUSE?", said Kiako. "Wow. . .Not bad. It's pretty okay."

"Different. . .", said Tifa.

"Well, that's because you've lived in like, a German-looking cottage since forever.", Rachel said. ". . .Russ?"

"IT'S TRUE!", Russ said, pointing his finger. "I KNEW IT!"

"Tifa?", asked Rachel.

"You sure?", said Tifa.

"He's my bro. I don't care."

"All right. . ." Tifa walked up to him, and. . .THONK! Russ was knocked out by her elbow hitting his nape. "Good?"

"Good.", Rachel said with a satisfactory smile. "He won't be up for a while."

"How do you know?", asked Laura.

"Tifa's pulled that move on me whenever I'm trying to do something she doesn't like."

"So, you've spent the past few months like that then?" Laura grinned widely as Rachel scowled and looked as if she were going to kill her for that remark.

"Can't. . .breathe. . ." Korus squirmed out of the car. In fact, some others were trying to pull out, too.

"Oops. . .", said Laura. "Seems as though fitting about 20 people into the back of my car was. . ."

"Stupid?", asked Tifa. "It was worse than the plane!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say so. . .", said Korus.

"That's because you're face was submerged in my CHEST.", Tifa grumbled.

"YEAH, ONE OF THE REASONS I COULDN'T BREATHE!", he said. "I don't regret it, though."

"Sure ya' don't. . .", Tifa said.

"Yep.", said Korus. "Kinda like being squeezed in between two pillows. . ." Tifa quietly sobbed.

"Why am I stuck with this accursed chest?", she asked.

"Accursed?", asked Rachel. "I wouldn't say that. . .Maybe too much of a blessing. . ."

"NO. . ." Rachel could hear Keily's voice behind her. "NO WAY. . .YOU CAN'T. . .ACK!"

"RACHEL!"

"AHHHHHHHH!" Rachel found herself lying flat on her back, being pinned by something on her chest. Something with short, red hair. . .Dear Lord. . . "Kiro, it's always wonderful to see you, AS LONG AS IT'S OFF MY PERSON!"

"But you have a cute person!", Kiro cooed, stroking Rachel's hair. "Wanna see MY person?"

"NO THANK YOU. . .", Rachel said, trying desperately to pull the girl off.

"OF COURSE YOU DO!", Kiro said, happily. She moved in and began whispering in Rachel's ear. "I know you missed me. . ."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

"Kiro, get off of her. . .", Cloud sighed, pulling her off.

"Oh fine. . .", said Kiro, crossing her arms together. "But that means I'm doing YOU, later."

"Back on Rachel.", he said quickly.

"YAY!"

"OFF. . .", Tifa warned. Kiro backed away. There was no greater law, than The Law of Tifa.

"Thanks. . .", Rachel said, getting back to her feet. "I don't know how you guys really got here, or how I can house all of you, but it's really great to see you. . ."

"Yeah. Great to see you too, Rachel." Christina walked over.

"You?", asked Rachel. "You got here, too?"

"Yeah.", said Christina flatly. "Sure can feel the love in this driveway. . ."

"YEP!", Kiro agreed. "'CAUSE RACHEL'S HERE AND SHE LOVES ME!"

". . .Vincent? Please, shoot me. . .", Rachel sighed.

"Christina was also found just yesterday.", Cloud said. "Somewhere near Tifa. I think we really all did land in the general area, except one person."

"Who's that?", asked Laura.

"Sephiroth." Surka was leaning against Laura's car, looking deadly serious. "I haven't seen him at all."

"Mind you, but. . .", whispered Cloud. "I think she likes him. . ."

"AND JUST WHERE'VE YOU BEEN, HUH?!", shouted Tifa in his ear, a little irritated at how slow he was.

"Hey, calm down. . .", he said with a sheepish smile. "She'll find him. . .I won't like it, but she'll find him. . ."

"Er. . ." A few people from up the street were looking at the collaboration of people in the driveway. "I think we should go somewhere. . .", Rachel suggested. "Look, we all need to get sorted out here. Laura and I will answer questions inside the house, all right?" They nodded. "Great. . ."

"So. . .No random battles? Like, no monsters?", asked Cloud.

"Nope.", said Laura. "No monsters."

"No chocobos.", said Tifa.

"Nada.", Rachel said.

"More than ten towns in the world?"

"Yes."

"Flying airships are more common?"

"Much more common."

"No materia?"

"No materia. . .", Rachel sighed. "Although. . ." She had never tested this out. "Yuffie?"

"Way ahead of ya'.", Yuffie said, pulling out a green materia. "And. . ."

"WOOOH!" All of a sudden, Rachel felt really cold, and noticed her feet were frozen. "YUFFIE, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO USE IT ON ME?!"

"Easy.", Yuffie said casually. "You're expendable."

"So, materia works here, eh?", asked B.T. "Looks like I'm still in business. . .If only I had MY MATERIA. . ."

"No toting weapons.", Laura continued.

"You may have to dress differently, but that's all up to you. . ."

"You'll need jobs."

"And a place to stay. There are townhouses and apartments right across the road, so don't worry."

"Jobs?", asked Tifa. "Oh, how wonderful. . .Like, what kind of jobs?"

"You'll find something to suit you.", Rachel said.

"Why can't WE explain anything?", asked Kiako. "We're from the real world, too!"

"Yes, I forgot about that. . .", said Rachel. "But you're not from around here."

"Definitely.", Holly said.

"British!", said Jessie, chiming in.

"Here, here.", said Andariel, sighing and putting down her guns. "Man, I really liked toting these things around. . ."

"Anyway. . .", Rachel continued. "Any good explanations to how we all landed here, BUT Sephiroth?"

"I DO!", said Lucrecia. Her arm rocketing into the air, raising her hand.

"You always do.", Rachel said.

"Yes, but what would you do without me?", Lucrecia asked. "I'll give you the info."

"Here we go again. . ." They were all seated in the living room beside the large double pane windows that faced the driveway.

"All right. . .", Lucrecia said. "The deal here is that the Planet here took up energy again, this time, in Gongaga. Surka, can you explain what you were doing there?"

"We were summoned there, by the Planet.", she said. "Hey! STOP NUDGING ME!" She was yelling at Condrugon. "I WON AGAINST YOU, FAIR AND SQUARE!"

"YOU MADE ME LOSE HIS BOUNTY!", Condrugon yelled back at her. "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH GIL HIS HEAD WAS WORTH?!"

"Please Surka, just ignore him for now. . .", said Lucrecia.

"I can't quite tell you why. . .", Surka continued, "but the Planet wanted us to be there, and we went to see the Planet."

"Who took you there?"

"Zack, Gast, and Ifalna."

"It figures. . .", Aeris sighed, rolling her eyes.

"It explains one thing. . .", Lucrecia said. "You see, the 'hole' in the Planet had not fully closed. This 'hole' as I explained before, is where the Planet extracts energy. Am I correct, Aeris?" She nodded. "So, after the immense damage and energy being focused around the battle, the Planet, along with Zack's help, had torn open that hole. Zack was summoning great energy that tore the rift in dimensions between them, and with everything going on, the Planet needed a vast amount of energy. And well, the hole was open, and instead of taking the time to open another hole, it took this already open one. When it took you guys in, it must've. . .Let's say, 'remembered' who you were. Rachel must've appeared in her room, because to drop off people on the surface of our world, it must determine whether you are energy, or a by-product of what it had taken in. Recognizing you again on your by-product nature, it had returned you to your starting point. And as for us, in our world, never have been taken through the Planet's energy streams before, it had dropped us off where it has been most convenient. And in the case of Sephiroth. . ." Surka was looking up at her. "He was taken somewhere else, most likely because the rift changed routes. Does anybody remember anything?"

"I do.", said Cloud. "After I was taken up, Sephiroth's body came up, too."

"The last piece of the puzzle.", she said. "He was the last one to come up, so the Planet switched energy paths."

"Why would it?", asked Laura.

"Because, I figure that there was already far too many people occupying that system at once, so in order to send him, it had to place him in another energy path."

"Oh, LOVELY. . .", Surka muttered, her eyes still pinched in an angry squint. "Have any idea where he is now?"

"None.", Lucrecia said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's as unpredictable as the paths that led all of you guys to that weird Amazon island, and everywhere else."

"Exactly.", said Mike.

"What? Where did you wind up?", asked Kami.

"Er. . ." He took on a nervous expression and began twiddling his thumbs. ". . .Garbage dumpster." Kami and the rest were staring at him blankly, while he still twiddled his thumbs.

". . . .HA HA!", Kami laughed, pointing his finger. Mike scowled, and shoved him off the sofa. "OW!"

"Dumbass. . ."

"Well, erm. . ." Aeris was blushing this time. "I er. . ."

"What?", asked Rachel.

"Before Cloud found me, around where Tifa was, I actually uh. . .was awake somewhere, and er. . ."

"What?", asked Cloud.

"Um. . .Some guy found me, and. . .He owns a web cam/free er. . ."

"Stop right there.", said Rachel. "We get the point."

"AERIS!", Cloud shouted, recoiling in the sofa corner. "Y-YOU DIDN'T-

"Naaaah. . .", said Aeris. "I beat the crap out of him before he could do a thing." Cloud gave a sigh of relief and his posture slackened.

"Mail. . ." Laura came walking in shuffling through a small pile of mail.

"First of all. . .", said Rachel. "Laura, when did you go outside? Next of all, WHY ARE YOU SHUFFLING THROUGH MY MAIL!"

"Remember?", asked Laura. "The family I'm staying with had to visit their grandmother in a hospital somewhere in Montana, and I'm bunking with you for a week."

". . .When did this happen?", asked Rachel.

"Yesterday. Your parents told you countless times. There are sticky notes everywhere. I SPENT THE NIGHT, DUMMY!"

". . .Oh. But that doesn't explain the mail!", Rachel argued.

"I changed the mail address to here for a while."

". . .I KNEW THAT!", Rachel said stubbornly, folding her arms.

"Yeah. . .", Laura said, rolling her eyes. "Bill, bill, bill, bill, crap, junk, garbage, trash, bill, coupon, LETTER!" Laura snatched it, and looked at the recipient. "AND IT'S FOR ME! SOMEONE LOVES ME!"

"And thy name is Angelo. . .", Rachel said, muttering.

"Who now?", asked Vincent.

"Oh, Laura's boyfr-MMPPPH!" Laura covered her mouth.

"NOTHING!", she said, a shade of scarlet.

"Um. . .All right. . .", said Vincent, a little suspiciously.

"Okay. . ." Laura tore open the letter. "It's a notice. . ."

"Heheheheheheh. . ." Rachel pocketed a letter that Laura didn't see.

"GIMME." Laura shoved Rachel over, and took the letter.

"D'OH!"

"Okay, the notice says. . .", Laura unfolded it, and began to read it. Everyone just exchanged unsure glances during the silence. She blinked a couple times after having read the letter, handed it to Rachel, and began marching up the stairs. Rachel watched her as she did so, and then picked up the letter to read.

"Laura Cruz,

A mistake has been made in the process of your long-term exchange student status. Instead of being recalled at the end of this summer, as was discussed and put down in our records, we ask you to return to Guam in two days. Enclosed is one flight ticket, and a flight schedule is recorded on it, but the schedule is: 1. The plane, flight No. 825 leaves BWI airport at 9:45 AM, on Monday. 2. You switch over to plane 745 in San Jose. 3. And then, the one in San Jose takes you over to your final destination of Guam. See you back here!

The Department of Schools and Education"

"Eeyowch.", said Keily, looking over Rachel's shoulder, reading the letter.

"What?", asked Vincent. "What? What's it say? What's wrong with Laura?" He peered anxiously, trying to catch a glimpse of the letter.

"Um. . .Here ya' go, dude.", Rachel said, dreading his reaction. "I'll uh. . .I'll go find Laura." She hopped out of her seat on the chair, and like a flood, everyone came in, to fill her gap and read the letter. Running up the stairs, she came into her bedroom, and found the closet open of her messy bedroom, with. . .Clothes being flung out?
". . .Laura? ACK!" When Rachel moved her head in front of the closet, a shirt collided with her face.

"Hey Rachel.", said Laura, as casually enough as if nothing happened. "Gotta get unpacked, ya' know."

"Uh. . ." There was a little uneasiness in Rachel's voice as she looked inwards. "You know, you don't need to get packed up right now. . .You could do that tomorrow. You just graduated today, ya' know!"

"Yeah, I know.", said Laura. "And to think, I skipped all the graduation parties because everyone showed up all of a sudden, and now, I'm the one who has to go. Ironic thing life is, huh?" She continued packing, and throwing around items.

"First of all. . .," said Rachel, after having jeans hit her face, "Why did you put your clothes into MY closet?! Next of all, you're just responding to shock. You don't know what to do, so this is all you're doing. Laura? Laura?! LAURA?!"

"WHAT?!" She spun around, looking teary eyed. "Are you just going to remind me that of everyone, I have to leave?! Once all my friends come back, I have to go?! Those two weeks without them left me as withdrawn as you, but I tried to be a little happier as I went along with it! And then. . .And then they did come back, and I didn't think it could really happen, but it's true, and. . .Now I have to go." She finished in a somewhat quiet voice, and she sat down on the bed. Rachel, has never, EVER been good at these situations. She looked over at Laura, and watched for a moment, before sitting beside her.

"You uh. . ." Rachel had a sound of definite tension as she spoke. "You have one day left, you know! You could um. . ."

"But then, eventually I'll have to go.", said Laura. "No thanks. I think having more fun will just make it more difficult, right? Just. . .leave me alone for a little bit, all right?" She cheered up with a smile despite the still watery eyes, and Rachel sighed, and got off the bed. Rachel figured Laura was just being happy for her sake, but she couldn't deny what she wished for having no proof to charge false judgment, and so, she left and closed the door.

"VINCENT!" Rachel heard a shout from the first floor.

"Oh dear. . ." Everyone was looking at Vincent, fainted dead outright on the ground. "Call a doctor.", said Kyoko.

"Aeris?", asked Keily, in reply to Kyoko.

"HEY!", Aeris shouted. "I'M NOT A DOCTOR!"

"You have to go to SCHOOL for that, dearie.", said Tifa, stretching back, relaxing now on the couch.

"What's Vincent doing? He's funny.", said Rachel, trotting down the stairs.

"He's doing nothing. . .", Sky sighed. "Where's Laura?"

"Upstairs. I uh. . .She'll be all right.", Rachel said, covering for her. "Lay Vampy man back, he'll snap out of it."

"What do we do now?", asked Cloud.

"My parents aren't back, thank God. . .", Rachel sighed. "And Russ is still unconscious out front. . .All right, here's what we're gonna do."

"OH YEAH! I ROCK!", said Cloud. They were crowded on yet another sofa and all around it, with Rachel in the center, and a PS2 controller in hand.

"No, you don't.", said Yuffie. "I'M WAY COOLER!"

"Shut up.", said Rachel. "Tifa's the best." Everyone stared at her. "IN THE GAME I MEAN!" You guessed it. She was playing Final Fantasy VII in front of all of them. "She's mean in reality."

"Shut UP!", said Tifa, knocking Rachel on the shoulder.

"OW!" Rachel was rubbing it briskly.

"I only hit you lightly.", said Tifa.

"Yeah, but if you noticed, one attack of your in the game does about 8,000 damage.", Rachel grumbled, still rubbing it. "I don't even know how many hit points I had in...I dunno, FF-land. What is the name of your world?"

"It's-!" A plane flew overhead.

"Oh. Interesting, yet pretty.", Rachel said, not looking away from the screen.

"When do we kill Sephiroth?", asked Cloud eagerly.

"HEY!", shouted Surka, leering at him.

"Oh, fine. . .", Cloud sighed. Rachel was completely cheery though.

"Tifa's my favorite character, but I love ALL the FF7 characters! Like Cloud, and Yuffie, and Barret, and Aeris. . ."

"Who would you say is your second favorite character?", asked Cloud, knowing his name would be mentioned.

"Yuffie.", said Rachel, still playing. Cloud sighed and his head drooped in exasperation. "BUT I LIKE CLOTIs THE MOST!"

"What now?", asked both Cloud and Tifa at the same time.

"Nothing!", Rachel said quickly. Again, Tifa and Cloud exchanged odd looks, shrugged, and resumed watching.

"Hmm. . .", said Lucrecia, watching. "What a strange phenomenon. . .We're here, but THERE. . ."

"DOWN IN FRONT!", called Yuffie, annoyed by Lucrecia's head right up to the television screen. "CAN'T SEE PAST YOUR EGGHEAD!"

"Egghead?", asked Lucrecia. "My head isn't shaped like an egg! Oh. . .YOU MEAN I'M SMART! WHY, THANK YOU!" She still hadn't moved.

"HEEEEYYYYYY! I SAID, 'DOWN IN FRONT'!", Yuffie called again.

"Sorry. . ." Lucrecia backed off.

"Wanna see something?", asked Rachel. "Okeedokee. . ." She flew the Highwind, and took a chocobo to the large, circular waterfall near Nibelheim, the one that mirrored the one around Junon. She stepped off the chocobo, and went under the waterfall.

"Ooooooooh. . .", they all went, or at least all the FF7 characters.

"My, my, THAT looks familiar. . .", said Konoshi, looking over at Surka, who was laughing nervously. "DIVERTING ME WITH YOUR CHEAP GIL, EH?! WHY I OUGHTTA-

"SHUT UP!", said Rachel, with everyone looking at the screen.

"THIS is how I get my limit? THIS is how I remember Lucrecia?! Why. . .WHY. . .Why, that's awfully familiar.", said Vincent, now awake. "Odd. Didn't I see you Lucrecia, earlier under the waterfall?"

"Hmm. . ." Lucrecia was recalling. ". . .I FORGET!" He fell over with a thud. "Oh Vincent, of all people, you know best I don't have total recollection of my memories!" He sighed.

"What else, huh?", asked Kristi.

"I know. . .", said Rachel, with a wide grin, looking over at Cloud and Tifa. "Let's review their most famous moments. . ."

"What?", asked Cloud.

"What the-?!", asked Yuffie.

"WHAT?!", asked Tifa, turning a shade of scarlet, her face burning to ash.

"CLOTI MOMENTS!", Rachel shouted happily. "Don't worry, there are only about three I saved on here. . .Stop one! The childhood promise!"

"Dear LORD. . .", went Tifa, hiding her face in her hands. "I SHOULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW. . ."

"Not until I show the world!", said Rachel.

"DEAR LORD!"

Laura was finished packing. Having left the suitcase she had brought from staying over in Rachel's room, it seemed almost everything was in order, save for some items left at the house of the family she had really stayed with. She sighed, a strange mingling of pride of completion, and disappointment of departure. Sighing, she sat atop the bed again. Her head slowly swung to the left of her, and took in a glimpse of the suitcase left there.

About a year left over here, to study in the U.S. as a senior in high school rather than stay in the territory of Guam. It looked as if sometimes going home is harder than leaving, once you've grown to love somewhere else. Of course as expected, it wasn't really bad going home. People were waiting for her. Friends, family, and a boyfriend who had waited patiently enough until her return. They were all there. Everyone. Maybe, it wasn't that bad.

But it was, leaving everyone behind here. All the friends she had made in the past few months. Well. . .Also one love interest. . .Still, he was included amongst the rest of them.

Though, knowingly, she picked up the suitcase, and opened the bedroom door, lugging it with the weight of the clothes, and a staying weight of insecurity. Of a sudden change. She went along, anyway. The only real constant, is change.

"AND THEN. . .", said Rachel, smiling almost sadistically at the screen, of Disk 2 when Cloud and Tifa fell asleep outside the Highwind after the rest had left to find a purpose to fight. Tifa, was redder than anything you've ever seen.

"Rachel, are you emotionally abusing Tifa?" Laura stepped into the living room.

"If she gets to physically abuse me, at least allow me this!", Rachel whined.

"AWWWWWWWWW!", Yuffie cooed mockingly. "LOOK AT 'EM!" Now, you couldn't quite tell if Tifa was red with anger or embarrassment.

"Rachel, come on, stop it. . .", Laura sighed.

"Awww. . .", said Rachel. "At least let me anger Tifa by showing her the Aeris date!"

"What?", asked Tifa.

"Hey, I wasn't surprised by the Tifa date. . .", said Aeris.

"The Yuffie date was. . .interesting.", said Keily.

"YUFFIE DATE ROCKS!", shouted Holly. They all stared at her. "Er. . .Hi?"

"Barret date was HILARIOUS. . .", said Sky. Barret muttered some curses under his breath. Holly was still muttering something about CloYus with a delirious smile.

"CloYu?", asked Cloud.

"I dunno.", Yuffie shrugged.

"So. . ." Vincent looked up to Laura.

"Yeah. . .", she said. "I gotta go." She sat into a small spot on the couch Nyow managed to make for her. "I got a day, ya' know?"

"But-

"NO. . .", Laura objected, knowing that Vincent would suggest doing something fun with everyone for a final day, as the rest would too suggest. "I don't want to. I don't want to make it any harder than it already is. . ." She reclined, and sighed.

"Er. . .Well then. . .", said Vincent. "What about-

"I'll go!", said Keily, walking out, with Holly following.

"Me, too.", said Sky.

"Coming.", said Nyow. "MOVE, KIRO. . ."

"AWWWW!", said Kiro, walking out with her.

"You know it.", said Jessie.

"Gone.", said Cloud. Cid and Barret followed.

"I should follow.", said Shera.

"Hungry.", said Mars. Stephen, Mike, Eternal, and Kami all left.

"Me go.", said Kristi.

"Following.", said Selena.

"You know where I'm going. . .", said Reno, his eyes fixated on Selena's ass.

"YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING. . .", said an irritated Andariel.

"Gotta make sure there's no blood on the carpets.", said B.T.

"EHEHEHEHEH. . .", said Rachel, watching.

"YOU COME, DUMMY.", said Tifa, dragging her out, followed by Aeris and Yuffie.

"HEY! HEEEEEYYY!", said Rachel, trying to cling onto the carpet. "LEGGO OF MY ANKLES!" Christina rolled her eyes, and began walking out.

"Leave 'em alone. . .", Tifa sighed. "Coming, Lu?"

"You betcha. . .", said Lucrecia, rolling her eyes with a tiny, hardly noticeable smile. "Go get 'em, tiger. . .", she mumbled.

"WHA?! HEY!", said Vincent. "Oh fine. . .Laura, are you sure about this?"

"Positive.", she replied, smiling back to him. "Worried?"

"WORRIED?! NOOOOOO, THIS IS LIKE METEOR CRASHING DOWN UPON OUR HEADS AND SMITING US ALL IN FLAMEY EVIL DOOM! OF COURSE I'M NOT WORRIED!"

"Uh. . .", said Laura, a little freaked out by that. "I just asked because you're Vincent. You don't-

"Have any feelings. Right. . .", he said, remembering his stereotype. "Just forget the stereotype for a second."

"One. Okay, second's gone.", she said.

"Be serious!", he said, then sighed. "Riiight. . .You've never really been serious. . .Do you want us to do ANYTHING? Like, help you pack, or give you a ride, or-

"I should think you give me a ride. That car isn't mine. It's the family I'm staying with's car. Be a bad thing if it just sits there in the airport parking lot for an eternity. . .Listen Vincent, I know you're concerned, but trying to have fun before I leave will just make it worse. You know, doing stuff like-

"Parties?", he guessed.

"Like-

"Clubbing?", he cut in again.

"LIKE-

"Drinking binges.", he said. "I KNOW ABOUT THE DRINKING BINGES. . ."

"I'M NOT AN ALCOHOLIC!", she shouted. "Although, I DO like those occasional drinking binges. . ."

"Seeeee?", he said. "I know Rachel has alcohol in this house. . ."

"How?"

"Cid and Reno found it." A cabinet in the kitchen was ajar, and there was loud laughing and burping, along with slurred speech coming from the next room.

"Ah. . .", said Laura. "Nice observation. But no, trust me, I require nothing. Just wait for the time I gotta leave, all right?" He sighed, and sat up onto the couch with her.

"Want I should come?", he asked.

"Er. . ." She had a nervous smile. "N-no thanks!" She remembered he had a certain BOYFRIEND ALREADY. . "I figure it may be best you stay here. But you know, I could always try and transfer to a college here when I get over there! I mean, I wanna try something in nursing, and they have a LOT of nursing colleges here. . .University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins, and you know there's that nursing deficit and-Hmm?!" Vincent leaned over, and offered her a kiss. When they parted, she had this skeptical look. "You did that just to shut me up, didn't you?"

"Worked for a bit, didn't it?", he asked, with a grin.

"Oh maybe. . .", she said, then kissed him again.

"OW! LAURAAAAA! TIFA'S PICKING ON ME AND-HOLY CRAP!" Rachel ran into the room after whining.
"ACK!", shouted Laura. Vincent was redder than his cloak.

"MORON. . .", said Christina, walking over to Rachel. "COME ON. . ." She pulled Rachel back into the other room. "And I don't even know what you're reactions all about. . .It's blatantly obvious. . .WHY DID YOU THINK WE LEFT THE ROOM?!"

"It's prettier in the other room?", guessed Rachel.

"NO!"

"Eheheh. . .We should've seen that one coming.", said Laura. "It's like perfect timing, every single time."

"LAAAAAUUUURAAAAAA!" It was Rachel again.

"Oh what is it, this time. . .?", asked Vincent.

"PARENTS ARE HOOOOME!"
"WHOOOAAA, CRAP!", shouted Laura, before grabbing Vincent's arm and dragging him up. "MOVE VAMPY BOY, MOVE!"

"HEEEEEYYY! WHY IS THAT MY OFFICIAL NICKNAME?! AND WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?!"

"IF THEY SEE YOU, WE DIE!", she yelled. "GO! MOVE!" They began running up the stairs, into Rachel's room.

"Nice to see ya'.", said Tifa, looking out from inside Rachel's closet, where they had already ran into first.

"What about me?!", asked Christina.

"YEAAAH!", said all the rest of the non-FF7 people. "WHAT ABOUT US?! WE'RE NOT SPECIAL?!"

"No, it's that if they see YOU, you look NORMAL. AND I CAN'T HIDE ALL YOU PEOPLE!", shouted Rachel.

"Damn small closet. . .", muttered Barret.

"Yeah Barret, well being this close to you isn't wonderful either.", said Cloud, under Barret's armpit.

"RED! YOU CAN BE UH. . .KEILY'S DOG!", shouted Rachel.

"DOG?! WHAT?!", asked Red. "DO I LOOK LIKE A DOG?!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARRREEE!", said Rachel. "JUST PLAY ALONG WITH IT!"

"DOGGY!", said Keily, holding onto Red's neck. "MINE!"

"ARRRRRGH!"

"RUFUS! YOU CAN BE KEILY'S BROTHER!"
"Huh? ACK!" Keily was also clinging onto him now. "OFF THE SUIT!"

"BROTHER!", she said, latched onto his side.

"Um. . .THE REST OF YOU ARE FRIENDS OF MINE!", Rachel declared.

"I get the bed.", said Kristi, lounging.

"Why IS she always lounging?!", asked Sky.

"Oh, there's a problem with you. . .", said Rachel, looking at Sky.

"What?"

"They're gonna wonder why I have a hooker in my bedroom. Especially a GIRL hooker.", Rachel said.

"HEY! I'M NOT A HOOKER!"
"RAAAAACHELLL! WE'RE HOME! HOW WAS THE GRADUATION?!" It was the voice of her parents.

"DAMMIT. . .COME ON, LAURA!" Rachel pulled on Laura's wrist, taking her out of the room.

"Did they find her brother's unconscious carcass outside?", asked Sky.

"AND WHY WAS YOUR BROTHER UNCONSCIOUS ON THE PAVEMENT?!", asked her mother.

"NO REASON!", said Rachel, downstairs. "HE LIKES SUNBATHING! YEAH! THAT'S IT! HE NEEDS A TAN!"

"Rachel, he IS tanned. And if anyone in here needs a tan, it's you! Do you know how much you've paled out since Fall?!"

"Er. . .A lot?"

"YES!"
"Her parents sound weird. . .", said Kristi. She snickered. "SELENA FELL ASLEEP ON A SUBWAY TRAIN!" She still couldn't get over that.

"WELL, YOU FELL ASLEEP ON A PARK BENCH!", Selena retorted. "YOU SHUT UP, YOU COMMON VAGRANT!"
"HEY!"
"SHHHH!", Tifa cautioned. "They can hear us!"

"I hafta go to the bathroom. . .", said Sky.

"SHUT UP!"

"Ugh. . .How do we find someplace for them to live, that they can PAY for?!", asked Rachel, walking up the stairs with Laura, finished with her parents interrogation.

"I dunno. . .Just the THOUGHT of Chikara living in her own apartment scares the bejeezus out of me. . .", said Laura. "Although, I should think B.T. and Selena would be fine. . ."

"Because they're OLDER and less HYPER. . .", said Rachel. ". . .Is it just me, or am I sounding like Tifa?"

"Yes."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!", Rachel screamed, clutching her hair. "NOT MEEEEE!"
"RACHEL, QUIET DOWN!", shouted her father. "What kind of child have I raised. . .?"

"You know, for school, if we just told them they were exchange students like me, they would get a family to live with like they did to me.", Laura suggested.

"School's OVER.", said Rachel. "That means we'll have to put up with them for the summer. . ."

"Oh. Wonderful. Well, that's your problem, not mine!", said Laura. "I'm leaving, remember? Eh?" She got a hug from Rachel as soon as they got to the upstairs hallway.

"MY LAURA!", Rachel shouted. "NO MOVE AWAY!"
"LEMME GOOOOOOO!", Laura shouted. "IT'S CREEEEEPYYYYYY!"
"MIIIIIIIIIINE!", Rachel protested.

"And everyone disagrees when I say you two have some weird bond.", said Tifa, stepping outside of Rachel's room. "Is the coast clear?"

"AHAAAAA!" Russ was right behind Rachel. "I KNEW IT!" He had a camera to take a picture.

"No.", said Rachel, shoving her brother back down.

"YAAAAAAAAAH!" He fell down the stairs, and made a loud THUD! He was unconscious again.

"Waffles, mommy. . .", he muttered.

"That works!", said Rachel.

"Rachel, what was that?" Her father came to the stairs. "DID YOU PUSH HIM DOWN?! Huh?" He looked up at Tifa, who had a sudden freaked out look for she was discovered yet AGAIN. . . "Rachel, why do you have guests in the house?!"

"Um. . .Surprise?", said Rachel, then she began laughing nervously. "The jig is up. . ."

"Quite a CROWD we have for dinner. . .", said her parents, a few hours later at the dinner table. Russ had a bandaged head, and was still staring at Tifa, who couldn't help but glance nervously over at him a few times.

"Um. . .Made a lot of friends?", said Rachel, making an excuse.

"Didn't know you were THIS popular, shrimp.", said Russ.

"DON'T CALL ME, 'SHRIMP'!", said Rachel, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Calm down. . .", said her father. "So, uh. . .What's your name? I never caught it."

"Tifa.", Tifa said. Russ nearly spat out his soda.

"AAAAAHHHH! I KNEW IT! YOU DO EXIST!", he said, with side eyes.

"Russ, calm down!", said their mother.

"Yeah. . .", said Aeris, laying down her fork. "We're uh, just friends of Rachel." Russ now turned to his sister.

"YOU HAVE FRIENDS FROM A VIDEOGAME?! AND HOT ONES AT THAT! WHO'S SHE?!" He pointed at Christina.

"Huh?", she asked.

"YEAH! SHE'S HOT! WHICH CHARACTER IS SHE?!" Christina was blushing, and Rachel was sobbing quietly into her plate.

"Um, got a place we can spend the night?", asked Tifa. "It's a little difficult to explain why we ALL need a place to stay, but-

"YOU SEE, IT WAS ALL THE AAAAALIIIEEENNNS!", shouted Rachel. "THEY TRIED TO ABDUCT THEM, BUT THEY RAN AWAY FIRST YOU SEE, BUT IN THE PROCESS THE ALIENS DESTROYED THEIR HOMES AND-

"SHUT UP, RACHEL. . .", Tifa grumbled.

"THE ANAL PRRRROOOOOOOBBBES!", Rachel shouted again.

"RACHEL!", Tifa hissed, trying to quiet her down.

"That's all right, I guess.", said Rachel's dad. "We can try and accommodate you if need be, and I'm sure we'll be able to make enough room. Feel free to help yourself to the fridge, by the way."

"HEY, WHAT'S THIS?!" Cloud pulled out something from the fridge.

"Cloud, why are you raiding it already?!", asked Tifa.

"C-Cloud?!", asked Russ, his eyes dilated. "Rachel, there is NO way you can try and persuade me that-

"HEHEHEH!", Rachel laughed, trying to cut him off. "He hit his head to many times. Mother, father, please ignore him.

"What's with the whole, 'mother, father', bit huh?!", asked Russ. "I know that-

"She's right.", said their father. "Russ, just take a nap. I'm sure you'll be fine when you wake up."

"NOOOO!", said Russ. "THEY'RE REAL! REAL I TELLS YA'! REEEAAAAAL!"

"Heheheh. . ." Rachel got up and began to usher him away.

"URP!" Late night. People on the couch. People keeping people away from the couch. Liiiiike. . .

"KIRO, GET AWAAAAAAAY! WHY DID I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY BED?!", shouted Rachel.

"Because I'm special.", said Tifa, walking downstairs. "And I have to share the bed too, ya' know."

"Yes, with clone child and Tree Girl.", said Rachel.

"I'M NOT CLONE CHILD!", said Christina, who followed Tifa down.

"AND I'M NOT TREE GIRL!", shouted Nyow, behind her.

"You're taller than Cloud, and you're TWELVE. Hihi, Tree Girl.", said Rachel. Nyow sobbed into the door of the fridge.

"Rachel, why do you keep sushi in the fridge?", asked Tifa, pulling out an ornate lacquered porcelain tray of sushi, complete with chopsticks, covered in plastic wrap.

"Because I make sushi, that's why.", Rachel replied.

"Oh, cute AND good with your hands. . .", said Kiro, climbing up again. "How perfectly lovely. . ."

"GET AWAY!"

"Hmmph.", said Tifa, inserting a piece of sushi into her mouth, and chewing. "Not bad. I suppose it's a good thing if I've eaten it and not died yet." Rachel growled. "All right, all right! I get it! You're a pretty fair chef!. . .THEN WHY DID YOU BURN DOWN THE KITCHEN ON THANKSGIVING?!"

"Because sushi is uncooked. Well, except for the rice.", said Rachel. "Of course, I do bake pastries, that being my forte for some reason, but I don't know how to cook a turkey. . ."

"Well, that explains a lot. . .I think. . .", said Tifa.

"Eeeeew. . .raw fiiiiiiish. . .", said Chikara, lying on the floor, changing channels on the television.

"Suit yourself.", said Tifa. She was about to take another piece, when the tray was gone. "HEY!"

"ALL RIGHT! SUSHI!", said Yuffie, upside down on a lamp fixture in some pajamas, holding the tray of sushi. "Hey, thish shtuff ain't bad!" She was talking with a full mouth. "Of course, I've tasted MUCH better, living in a royal court. . ."

"THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL EATING IT?!", asked Tifa, taking the tray back with only one piece on it. "Damn Yuffie, you really eat a lot, don't you?"

"Eat and eat, but never gain an ounce.", said Yuffie. "Must be tough being you, having to train and fight all the time just to keep that figure. Though, I bet when you eat, instead of gaining weight, all it does is making you pretty and busty, eh? I mean, Jesus Tifa! What did you take to get those boobs?! Bovine growth hormone?!" Tifa was getting an eye twitch, trying to contain her anger.

"Why do the girls get a room with the TV?!", asked Mike, walking in. "You know, us guys have to sleep in there. . ." He pointed to the room they had first entered in Rachel's house. "And we get nothing! At least send us in ONE girl! Here, I'll take this one. . ." He began taking Christina's arm, and taking her into the other room.

"Lemme go!" She took back her wrist, and began walking in the other direction. "After trying to be sexually assaulted by that sick bastard Tseng, I don't really feel like doing that. . ."

"Sexually assaulted? THAT SICK BASTARD!", said Yuffie, who took the last piece of sushi that Tifa had failed to eat before she took it.

"HEY!", said Tifa, leering at her. Yuffie gave an innocent smile, still hanging off the fixture. "Anyway Mike. . .Why don't you just go and sleep, all right?"

"Hmm. . .You comin'with me?", he asked. "Or, maybe Yuffie will. . ."

"BACK, PERV. . .", said Tifa, shoving him back into the other room. "BACK THERE, WITH THE LOT OF YA'. . ."

"Aw Tifa, you didn't have to send all those guys back. . .", said Rachel, reclining on the couch. "We could've paid one of them to strip or something!"
"And WHICH one would you want to strip for you?", Tifa asked. Rachel paused in thought for a moment.

"Good point. Nothing worth anything for all of them."

"HEY!", said all the voices in the other room.

"Okay, well, maybe except for Cloud."

"WOOHOO!", shouted his voice.

"Why do I get this damned chair?", asked Kristi, upside down and staring at the TV screen in a recliner.

"That's a recliner, ya' know.", said Rachel.

"Yeah, I know.", Kristi replied. "Except, this is the most comfortable way to sit in it."

"Yeaaah. . .", said Rachel. "Although, when I do that, I get sick." Christina raised an eyebrow.

"And you actually SIT like that? That's stupid.", she said.

"Hey! Kristi's doing it, too!", Rachel protested.

"Yeah, well Kristi's smarter than you. She doesn't count." Rachel grumbled.

"You people TRYING to keep everyone up?" Laura walked downstairs.

"Hey Laura. Shouldn't you be sleeping? I mean, you got packing to do tomorrow. It IS the last day you have here.", said Rachel.

"Um. . .Not quite, really.", said Laura. "I meant, TODAY was the last day. Not tomorrow." They all gave wide-eyed stares.

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!", asked Rachel. "Come here woman! Come! Come!" Rachel made odd hand motions, until Laura sighed and wandered over.

"Yes?", asked Laura.

"Here." Laura sat down, and Rachel sat up and gave Laura half the blanket.

"Can I fit-

"NO, KIRO.", they both said together. Kiro grumbled, and sat back down on the floor.

"Okay Laura, first off. . ." WHACK! Rachel hit Laura over the head.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!", asked Laura, rubbing her head trying to ease the pain of the hit.

"Baka! You didn't tell us TODAY was the last day! BAKAAAAAA! I THOUGHT THAT SAID, MONDAY!"

"Yeah. It DOES.", said Laura. "Didja look at the time?" It was 1:00 a.m.

"Oh.", said Rachel. "So. . .OOOHHHHH! TODAAAAY! NOT THE YESTERDAY TODAY!" Laura gave a funny look.

"Um. . .I'll try and just look like I understood what you said."

"That's why I'VE been trying to do.", said Tifa.

"Same here.", said Christina.

"I think that's what we all do.", said Chikara.

"But I do have packing tomorrow. A LOT. It's all over at the other house.", said Laura. "I'll be gone for quite awhile."

"Sure 'bout that, child?", asked Rachel.

"Yep.", said Laura. ". . .Why are you watching bad, late-night programming?"

"THEY are watching it.", said Rachel.

"No. . .They fell asleep." Everyone on the floor was zonked out.

"Oh. It's showing a golf tournament. No wonder.", said Rachel, turning it off. The only light came from the stove light above the oven in the kitchen, beside the white fridge. Tifa was seated at the table, Yuffie had run somewhere, and Nyow had wandered back to bed. Christina was still there, and she shrugged, meandering off after Nyow to get some sleep.

"You people are so weird. . .", said Laura, rolling her eyes.

"Hey! YOU are one of us weird people!", said Rachel.

"Which only gives me more reason to say so.", said Laura. She took more of the blanket.

"HEEY!", said Rachel.

"Mine." Laura fell over on Rachel's pillow. "Don't bug me. I need sleep and you woke me up. You owe me."

"You sound like Tifa!"
"HEY!", said Tifa, sitting at the kitchen table, trying to drink some tea. "IS THAT SUCH A BAD THING?"

"Yes."

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAH. . ."

"Anyway Laura, would you just give me back the damn. . .LAURA!" Laura was already dead asleep. "Man, she never fails to drop off in the middle of a conversation. . ."

"Just live with it.", said Tifa, shrugging her shoulders and looking intently into the cup of her tea as she ran her finger across the circular rim. "That's the way she is, and you can't change that. Let's say if I could change the way you behaved, I would've SO done it by now. But no, you're still loud and spacey most of the time, and the only time you're not is mainly when you're in trouble and it would benefit yourself. Or, when someone insults you."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE! WHO ARE YOU CALLING SPACEY?!. . .Oh, I see your point.", said Rachel, thinking back on Tifa's statement. "Must you always be the one to linger behind, and try to counsel me? I thought Aeris was more of the type to do that."

"Nah. . .", said Tifa. "She's the comforting type, who actually tends to drift a bit. I don't think you'd really pick that up from her, but if you'd notice, she's always running off SOMEWHERE, whether it's the slum church, into Don Corneo's, the Temple of the Ancients. . .That woman is always running around somewhere, mainly in the flowers, of course. She's almost as bad as you are when it comes to daydreaming. I however. . ." Tifa had stood up, and walked over to the sink, and dumped the small remainder of her tea into it, rinsed it, and set it beside the sink on the counter. ". . .will not be lingering as you say. I'm as tired as Laura is over there." Laura began to drool a little on the pillow, and Rachel gave a small disgusted look, as that was HER pillow. "Ah Aeris, taking after her mother the most. . .Anyway, I'm leaving you here. Deal with Laura, I'm not helping you. You clearly don't want my help."

"HEY! WAIT!"
"Good night, Rachel. . ." Tifa had already wandered into the hallway and up the stairs. Rachel sighed, looked down at Laura, and scowled. After a few failed attempts at trying to push her off the couch (Which might have had another benefit, as Kiro was below and dropping someone on her would've been funny.), Rachel gave up, took part of the blanket, and was forced to fall asleep next to Laura, who snored slightly. She wrapped herself into the blanket, claimed a side of the pillow, and drifted off beside her.

"Hmm. . .No, no, please, not the steam roller, it makes funny wrapping paper. . .", grumbled Rachel in her sleep. It was now about 8:30, and she was still asleep on the couch, with light streaming into the windows, and everything was bright, considering it was a late Spring morning, with the slight hum of cicadas outside, and the smell of breakfast cooking.

"Why am I not surprised?" Rachel opened her eyes, and saw Tifa standing above her condescendingly, already dressed.

". . .Kumquats?", asked Rachel, still in delirium from sleep.

"Yes, yes, kumquats. . .", said Tifa, sighing and rolling her eyes. "Don't make me threaten you with-

"NOT THE CHOCOBO STALLS! ANYTHING BUT THE CHOCOBO STALLS! I'LL HAVE THEM CLEANED AFTER BREAKFAST!"

"I should be recording this!", said Russ. He was sitting at the breakfast table, with food in front of him. "MORE PROOF OF THE FF7 WORLD! RACHEL, WHERE YOU SAW THEM, WAS THERE REALLY GIANT CHICKENS?!"

"Oh, Russ. . .", said Rachel, still trying to make a giant façade. "You still haven't recovered from your head injury! You should spend the day in bed!"
"I agree.", said her father. "Russ, go back to bed. You've already eaten breakfast, so we'll just call you for lunch."

"Awwww. . .", he said, dragging himself back up to his room. "I'LL NEVER GET PROOF!"

"And as for you. . .", said Tifa, looking back down at Rachel. "Eat breakfast. NOW."

"By the way. . .", said Rachel's dad. "Where did you learn to cook? This is really some of the best food I've ever eaten!"

"Thank you.", said Tifa, giving a slight bow.

"Are you Japanese?", he asked. "You look a little Japanese, and well, you just bowed. . ."

"Erm. . .Japanese?", asked Tifa, never have hearing of the place called Japan. "Rachel, what's this 'Japanese'?"

"Er. . .YEAH! SHE'S JAPANESE!", said Rachel, standing up. ". . .Really? I don't think I would've guessed you looked Japanese. . .Though, you DO look SLIGHTLY Japanese. . ." Rachel was taking a look at Tifa.

"HEY! STOPPIT! IT'S CREEPY!", said Tifa. "Ugh. . ."

"Hey. . .", said Rachel, looking around. "Where did Laura go?"

"Oh, she left around the time I got up and started making breakfast.", said Tifa, wandering back to the stove, then flipping a pancake.

"FOOOOOOD!" Mars went stumbling in.

"YAAAH!" Tifa was taken off guard. "HEY, WAKE UP BEFORE YOU GET UP!" He was still stumbling about, until he went into the cupboard, and took a plate, then sat down to the pile of food on the table.

"FOOD."

"Ooh. . ." Stephen was the next to walk in. "Yes, pancakes, bacon, sausage links and patties, eggs of all kind, ham, steak, hash browns both in patties and shredded, omelets with everything you can think within reason to insert in them, and everything else you would throw into a breakfast. Plus, you're pretty. WILL YOU MARRY ME?!"

"Uh. . ." Tifa had a nervous look.

"AWAY. . .", said Kristi, tugging him by the ear from Tifa.

"NOOOOOO! SHE'S LIKE A MODEL, AND SHE CAN COOK!"

"And this is why nobody can understand why you're still single.", said Rachel. "Twenty and single, eh?"

"Twenty-one, actually.", said Tifa. "During the whole charade with Shinra, we all skipped my birthday." Rachel was staring.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!", she shouted. "NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY!"
"Um. . .Why NOT?", Tifa asked.

"ONLY BECAUSE YOU'RE THE COOLEST FF7 CHARACTER, EVERRRRRR! DEPART FROM EL STOVE!", Rachel commanded.

"B-but what about all the food?!", asked Tifa.

"SAY NO MORE! DEPART!"

"But-

"DEPART!"

"BUT-

"DEPART, DAMMIT!" Rachel shoved Tifa into a chair next to the table. "Now, I will make breakfast. . ."

"What's up with THIS?!" If you're expecting a hellish looking breakfast, then NO. One of the few things Rachel does correctly is cook breakfast. But when it comes to dishes. . .

"You like? I call it Everest.", said Rachel. There was a large piled of pots and pans on the counter, dwarfing the original amount, which was simply Tifa's cup of tea from last night. "Although, I can't help it if I always make a lot of dishes. . .What are you staring at?"

"I wasn't looking at the dishes.", said Kami. "WHAT'S WITH YOUR HAIR?! IT'S NOT IN A PONYTAIL! IT'S. . .DOWN!"

"What, you think I sleep in a ponytail?", asked Rachel.

"That and it's. . .I THOUGHT YOU HAD STRAIGHT HAIR!"

"No, it's wavy. . .", said Rachel, trying to ignore Kami's expression. "What? Do I really look that different?" They all nodded. "Dear God. . ."

"You know, you look older with your hair down.", said Stephen.

"Yeah.", said Cloud, at the table, munching on bacon. "A few more years, and I'd probably date you." They all stared. "HEY! AND SHE'D HAVE TO GAIN SANITY FIRST, TOO!"

"Okay, that clarified it a little more. . .", said Sky. "Not quite, but a little. Good food, though."

"Anyone seen Laura, besides Tifa when they stepped out?", asked Rachel.

"I did.", said Christina. "She had to come upstairs because she left her car keys up in your room." Rachel went wandering off. "HEY! Is she really THAT spacey?"

"Seems so.", said Tifa. ". . .Did ALL of you forget my birthday?"

"Uh. . ." They all looked away nervously, and rather self-consciously.

"What about YOU, Cloud?" He began sweating as her red-brown eyes stared disdainfully into his face.

"N-NO!", he said. "It's just that, since we were caught up in the whole Shinra fiasco, I couldn't buy you a gift!"

"SAME HERE!", said Kiako.

"YEAH!", said Jessie. "WAAAAIT. . .I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU! CAN'T GUILT ME, LADY!"

"I'm evil. Can't make me do a thing.", said Surka.

"Heheheh. . ." Konoshi was making one of those smiley faces on her plate with her food. "Huh? I mean uh. . ."

"NEVERMIND. . .", Tifa sighed. "That's all right. . ."

"No, no, of course it's not all right!", Cloud insisted. "I promise, we'll all go out and do something fun!. . .As soon as I figure out how to do that."

"Wow. So bold for a man with a boyfriend and for being someone who instigated the reason for me to ask if anyone remembered.", said Tifa. "Congratulations. If you're not stupid, you're brave."

"HEY, NOW!"

"Okay, I'll just wait for her to get back.", said Rachel, waiting for Laura, now in her room, drawing something. "She'll only be about an hour. . ."

For about three hours, Rachel sat at her Japanese style table in her room, sitting on the floor hunched over, sketching something as the light filtered into her room. Three straight hours, of staring into a notebook. Until. . .

Who knows how many hours later. . .

"RACHEL, YOU DUNDERHEAD! MOVE YOUR ASS!"

"TIFA! ACK!"
"Huh? How could you tell it was me?" Rachel turned around to look at her.

"The question Tifa is, how could I NOT tell it was you? You're the only one who ever-

"RACHEL, YOU DUNDERHEAD! MOVE YOUR ASS!" Kyoko was calling from downstairs.

"All right, then let's say you have a unique tone of hate in your voice.", said Rachel. "Why're ya' wakin' me up, eh?"

"Because, I thought you'd like some dinner.", said Tifa.

"What are you doing, running the whole household?"

"Well, you're mother is out in the garden, whom of course, Aeris is helping her, your father is at work, everyone around here is about as lazy as you, which is HORRIBLE, and I'm the only one with enough energy to complete anything."

"No, I think Chikara has enough energy. . ." Outside the window in Rachel's room, you had a glimpse of the backyard and pool. Chikara was running around in circle, screaming.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?!" She was referring to the large flying insects with red eyes, clear rainbow-like wings and blue shiny body, with brown legs that made a type of buzzing noise even without flying. And by the way, they were flying around, EVERYWHERE.

"I think they call them cicadas. . .", said Vincent, holding one perched on his index finger. "Completely harmless, except to trees, for they feed off the sap and plant their eggs into them, and they're also a type of locust. They come out of the ground every 17 years in droves and swarms. I think about a million are estimated to have come up just in this area. Saw it on the morning news."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Chikara was still running around, trying to avoid them.

"ICKY, ICKY, ICKY, ICKY. . ." Holly was creeping about, taking a slightly more subtle way to avoid them.

"I dunno. I like 'em.", said Kyoko, covered with them.

"Pretty.", said Christina, a few on her shoulders and arms.

"AHHHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!", asked Chikara.

"I like bugs. What?", Kyoko asked.

"WEIRD. . .", said Chikara, shuddering just looking at Kyoko, covered in the grasshopper-sized insects. "AND THE EYES. . .THE RED, RED EYES. . .THEY WANT MY SOUL!"

"You know, you can eat these in about anything.", said Vincent.

"EW!", said Sky. "I wouldn't eat these if someone paid me!"
"Wanna eat one for a dollar?", asked Cloud. "Come on, I know hookers do anything for money. HEY!" Sky hit him on the head.

"I'M NOT A HOOKER!"

"Maybe not, but you have a cicada in your hair.", said Cloud.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Sky went running around in circles just like Chikara. "GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!"

"Hm. And I was just kidding.", said Cloud, watching. "Sometimes, you just gotta love cicada season. . ."

"Seems they found out about the cicadas coming up every 17 years. . .", said Rachel, still watching them.

"I see that. . .", said Tifa. "Anyway, come and help me with dinner. Hey, have you been sitting here all day?"

"Yeah, pretty much.", said Rachel.

"Why? Just fall asleep during drawing or something? You know, why don't you do anything productive, rather than sit about, sketching things?!"

"I have this thing.", Rachel said, a little seriously. "It's when I don't do anything arduous when I'm WORRIED." Rachel stood up, stepped around the clutter on the ground, and walked out of her room, with Tifa watching with raised eyebrows.

"Hmph.", said Tifa, looking past her shoulder. "Funny little child, isn't she? But what in the world could she be worried about. . .?"

Rachel, sitting in front of the computer in the basement, was actually quietly sobbing in front of it. With the realization that Rachel was not in the kitchen, trying to help (as she never does), Tifa sighed, and went downstairs, only to find her looking empathetically at the screen with teary eyes. She stood aback for a second, then ran over.

"Rachel, what's wrong?!" Rachel sniffled, and turned towards Tifa.

"IT'S AERIS' THEEEEEEEME!", she shouted. "I ALWAYS TEAR UP WHEN I HEAR IT!" Tifa fell over.

"I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG!", Tifa shouted.

"BUT THERE IIIIIIIIS!", said Rachel. "IT'S THAT AERIS DIIIIIIIIIED! IT WAS SO SAAAAAAAAAAAD! I SWEAR THAT 99% OF PEOPLE TEARED UP SEEING IT! THE OTHER 1% IS JUST HEARTLESS!" Rachel switched to another theme, and Tifa sighed, hoping that this song wouldn't be as. . .odd in side effects. It was a song called "World Crisis". But sadly, Rachel just sunk her head into her arms, for the very beginning of the song is yes, a slow, bell version of Aeris' Theme. "WAAAAAAAAAH!"

"WHY ARE YOU MAKING YOURSELF CRY, HUH?!", asked Tifa. But Rachel already moved onto something else. It was. . .a Gregorian Chant?

"ESTUANS INTERIUS, IRA VEHEMENTI!" Rachel was singing along to One Winged Angel in Latin.

"YOU STOPPIT!", shouted Tifa, shutting off the speakers.

"Ooh, you're mean. . .", said Rachel, crossing her arms. Tifa sighed.

"What's your problem, huh? Just a minute ago, I asked you to help me! I know that you never do, and that's not abnormal behavior, but you just told me you're worried about something, and YOU ARE MAKING YOURSELF CRY FOR PETE'S SAKE!"

"Tifa?", asked Rachel.

"What?"

"Who's Pete?"

"HE'S NOBODY!"

"Nah, I think you just hurt his feelings, wherever he is. . .", said Rachel.

"ANYWAY. . .", Tifa continued. "I think whatever it is you're worried about will be just fine, all right? Now, are you gonna help me?"

"Tifa, what are you worried about?" Tifa was a little quiet at this question, giving a bored stare to Rachel. "Well?"

"What makes you think I'm worried about something?"

"We're all worried about something. Many people don't show that kind of emotion, but I can pick it up from people. Call it some sort of 'vibe messaging' thing. We're all worried about the same thing. But, I suppose due to different aspects of the situation, we're all worried about different parts of it. I'm worried that if Laura doesn't get back soon, I'll wind up not seeing her again because she's too preoccupied packing. She has a tendency to overdo things, if you haven't noticed." Tifa was silently acknowledging that. "So if she does overdo her packing, I think she'll forget the time, and have to leave immediately." A funny smile came over Tifa's face. "What? What are you doing?"

"Well, if that isn't the silliest thing I have EVER heard you say.", said Tifa, sauntering a short distance away from Rachel, before turning back to her. "Certainly not the dumbest, but it's very silly. Worrying that Laura won't come back and say goodbye before she goes? You don't know her well enough to be a close friend of hers then. Being around her, I at least get the point that she doesn't like to leave things hanging. Ask Vincent. He can testify to that. Now, stop worrying, it gives you wrinkles. That, and it causes stress, which can create unsightly blemishes."

"Tifa, giving me beauty tips.", said Rachel, standing up and shutting down the computer. "Somehow, judging by the way you look, I'm not surprised."

"Are you calling me pretty then?", asked Tifa.

"Ask anyone, and they'd say so.", said Rachel, looking into the monitor, then shutting the screen off. "Don't need any worries about that. You could pass for a model. All right, you could pass for a supermodel, but if anyone asks, I never gave you a compliment in your entire life."

"How could you be this mean to your favorite character from a game you sold your soul to?"

"How could you be this mean to a child?", asked Rachel. Tifa gave an abrupt grin, before taking Rachel by the collar, and shoving her forward.

"HELP. KITCHEN. NOW."

"HEY! THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! YOU JUST CAN'T ADMIT DEFEAT!"

"You don't have any volume control, child. Or respect. Help." Tifa began shoving Rachel up the stairs.

"ACK!"

Heading through yet another wonderfully odd dinner. . .

For the sake of time, I am not going to head through this whole charade. Same as the day before, and I'm absolutely sure you DO NOT want to read the same crap over again.

Night fell once more, leaving the occupants left without a place to stay, save for the carpeted space beside the kitchen, called Rachel's living room. The sleeping quarters were the same, with the same people, in the same spots. Which, needlessly to say, left everyone as uncomfortable as the night before.

"MUST. . .NOT. . .MURDER. . .ILLEGAL. . ." Rachel was fighting the temptation to smother Kiro in her sleep, having noticed that she had snuck up from behind, and fell asleep on Rachel's lower half. It was 2:00 in the morning, nearly pitch black again, except for the dim light left on above the stove, shedding barely adequate illumination for Rachel's taste, but even the light from ten thousand burning suns couldn't satisfy Rachel at this point, having some girl lying in your lap from 1. Exhaustion, and 2. She wants to get in your pants. Light is good.

"Wooh. . .I didn't imagine it would take that long. . ." The door creaked open, and shut, rather audibly in fact, making you wonder why everything is so loud early in the morning. Laura's footsteps clunked in their boots(Funny thing, really. As for Laura, she had the same shoes, in comparison to Rachel still having her katana.), and she was dragging a suitcase and about a dozen other bags/boxes across the floor, barely able to move. "I knew I would regret taking all this stuff. . ."

"Fine time you decide to get home." Rachel was glaring at Laura from the couch, sitting up, her hair still never have been taken from the ponytail. Like she's been expecting this.

"Why are you still up?", asked Laura. She spotted Kiro's head in Rachel's lap. "Oh. I see."

"That's not it. . .", said Rachel.

"And what?", Laura said. "You'd really sleep with her there?"

"NO!", Rachel shouted. A few people moved a little bit when she yelled, but nothing much. Well. . .

"Oh Sephy, you're such a kidder. . .Hand me the pelican spork, please. . .", Konoshi mumbled in her sleep.

"Uh. . .I wouldn't recommend you yell.", said Laura, after observing that. "It's a little. . .Um. . ."

"Yeah, I get the point.", said Rachel, still looking angry at Laura.

"Are you angry at me?", asked Laura. "All right, I admit I was the one who burned some of your papers when I lit that candle, but-

"WHAT?!"

"SHHH!" A noise came from upstairs.

"My my, that was a little random. . .", said Laura. "What's up?" She walked over to Rachel, a little slowly after exertion, and fell down into a small space that Rachel made, after struggling to move under Kiro's weight on her legs.

"Waiting for you. . .", said Rachel in a low tone, retrieving her legs from Kiro and letting her fall to the ground, never waking up. ". . .That was strangely expected."

"She didn't go daft after knocking her head on the Highwind. Of course you expected it.", said Laura, moving back into her little niche, for Rachel was already moving to the other side of the couch to make room for a seat. "Why are you angry at me? Hey, I wasn't the one who left the seat up. I don't even come with that equipment."

"I KNOW YOU DON'T COME WITH THAT EQUIPMENT. . .I SHOULD ONLY HOPE THAT YOU DON'T. . .", said Rachel. "I'm angry because you didn't say good-bye before you left." Laura had this incredulous look, staring back at Rachel.

"That's it?!", asked Laura. "Jesus Rachel! I thought I killed your pet or something!"

"I don't have any pets.", said Rachel.

"I know that. But it was just an example.", Laura replied. "I can't believe this. You were angry just because I didn't tell you I was leaving?"

"Call it a superstition. . .", said Rachel. "But there was this story that I heard."

"Don't believe everything you hear. . .", Laura sighed.

"No, just listen. I heard it from someone. You see, my friend had always said 'good-bye' whenever their mother left the house. But one day, she slept in while their mother went out, and she never said 'good-bye'. Normally, her mother would tell her when she was going out, but this time, their mother didn't because the night before, she came back from a game and was really tired after staying up late talking about it. So, of course the mother allowed her to stay in. So, that morning when her mother didn't say 'good-bye', and while she, the daughter slept in, there was an accident. And the mother died. She never said good-bye." Again, Laura had this funny look.

"So, you think I'm gonna die?", asked Laura.

"Nooo!", said Rachel. "But you were gone so long, I thought you wouldn't have time to come back here. Then, I couldn't say good-bye."

". . ." Laura had no reply. Well. . . "OH MY GOD! THAT IS SO CUTE!" Laura was giving Rachel a big huggle.

"GAHK! LAURA! AIR! AIR!", gasped Rachel.

"AWWWWW! YOU CARE! THAT IS SO NICE! Huh? Rachel, you're purple!" Laura released from the massive hug, allowing air to circulate in Rachel's lungs.

"DAMN, WOMAN. . .", Rachel said, breathing in heavily. "YOU GOT YOURSELF AN ARM. . ."

"Eheheh. Sorry 'bout that. . .Although, I wish Vincent were that sweet. . ."

"Hah! She dissed you!" Mars and some of the rest in the other room were still awake, including Vincent, who was watching with him.

"Oh, you shut up. . .", said Vincent, glowering. "Second to hyperactive child. . .How humiliating. . ."

"Oh, ignore the man. . .", said Rachel. "He has no feelings, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. . .", agreed Laura.

"D'oh. . .", went Vincent.

"Still angry?", Laura asked.

"Well, you almost killed me. . .", said Rachel, thinking about it. "So, I suppose-HEY!" Laura had Rachel in another huggle. "YOU KNOW I DON'T LIKE HUGS!"

"It's a huggle. It's entirely different.", she said.

"It still involves being in my personal aura bubble.", said Rachel.

"You know, I wish you weren't so crabby.", said Laura, glaring at Rachel, letting go. "I swear, when it comes to hugs, you have 100% PMS-related feelings." Rachel still looked completely sour. "Oh what now? I'm not hugging you!"

"Yeah, well. . .I'm still angry at you.", said Rachel.

"No, you're not.", said Rachel.

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

"YES, I AM. . ."

"Hey, I see you smirking!"
"I'M ANGRY!"

"AWWW! YOU'RE SMILING! SMILES!"
"NOOO!"

"You're not angry!"

"Yeah, I am!"

"Over what then?!"

"You're annoying me!"

"You wanted to see me, earlier!"

"Now it's later! I'm still angry!"

"COME ONNNNNN!" Laura latched onto Rachel again. "Hugs make everything better!" Rachel was putting up a fight, flailing her arms, but Laura had a hold on her stomach, not letting her go. Rachel sighed, and gave up.

"I hope you're happy, woman.", said Rachel, clearly letting out a little resentment. "Hugs are the devil reincarnated as love. . ."

"Oh yeah. Sure.", said Laura. "I'm your best friend and you know it."

"Laura. . .Lemme go already, will ya'?", asked Rachel. "I know you like hugging people you like, but-

"Oh, so you hate me now. How touching."

"No, that's not-

"I CAN SEE WHEN I'M NOT WANTED!"

"Hey, will you-

"OH, THE PAIN! I AM HATED AND DESPISED! I THINK I WILL JUST LEAVE FOREVER!"
"DON'T JOKE ABOUT THAT!", said Rachel. Laura had stopped in her rant. ". . .Promise me you'll come back, 'kay?" Laura still looked surprised. ". . .Will you? Please?"

". . .AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! YOU MAY BE TALLER THAN ME, BUT STILL, THAT'S CUTE!"

"WHAT'S ME BEING TALLER GOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING?!"

"SMALLER IS CUTE! But taller. . .isn't."

"IS THAT AN INSULT?!"

"Nooooo. . .", said Laura, letting go of Rachel. "But hey, you're younger than me, so I suppose that counts."

"I'm fourteen. No, I'm not cute.", Rachel said.

"Shut up. I'm you're elder. You must listen.", said Laura, mockingly.

"You're seventeen! As if I'll really listen to you!"

"True. If Tifa's even older than me, of course you won't listen."

"Thank you for understanding.", said Rachel, smugly.

"Uh, huh. Yeah.", said Laura, skeptically. "You're such a doof."

"Doof?"

"Doof."

"Doof?!"

"Doof."

"TAKE IT BACK!"
"Doof. . .", said Laura. "Getting worked up over everything. . .What a fine example Tifa has become. . .But even then, she doesn't get worked up this much. . .All right, fine. I promise I'll come back, okay?"

"Hmph. Good.", said Rachel, letting go a minute smile. "I can't annoy these people all by myself."

"Yeah.", said Laura, smiling, too. "Though I bet you'd do just fine on your own."

"I bet the same as well.", Rachel said. ". . .Gonna get some sleep?"

"Yep.", said Laura. "It's only a few hours, but that's all right. I'm gonna go upstairs. G'night." Laura stood up, and shuffled past the boxes in the kitchen, exiting.

"Wait!", said Rachel, calling after her. "You forgot something!"

"Huh? What is it?", asked Laura, just about to enter the hallway to the stairs.

"Good night." Laura's eyebrows raised.

"No 'good-bye'?"

"No.", said Rachel. "Leave, and I'll kill you." Laura smirked.

"I'll keep that in mind. 'Night."

"GAAAAAAAAAAH! YOU PEOPLE ARE HOPELESS!" Tifa was shoving everyone through to the terminal. "LATE! LATE! YOU ARE ALL LATE!"
"I'm just surprised we all fit in that car and came out all right. . .", mumbled Keily, looking like she was thrown into a small box and staggered out.

"You think we really should bring our weapons into the airport?! We're not terrorists!", said Rachel.

"DON'T CARE! WE'RE LATE!", said Tifa. "WE NEED TO TAKE LAURA TO HER TERMINAL!"

"That's very nice, but are you this eager to get rid of me?!", asked Laura.

"JUST GET A MOVE ON! YOUR BAGS ARE ALREADY ON THE CONVEYOR AND ARE GONNA BE PUT ONTO THE PLANE, RIGHT?!", asked Tifa.

"Yeah."

"PASSPORT?!"
"Guam isn't out of the country. I'm a citizen, too. AND I'M FROM CALIFORNIA, NOT GUAM!", shouted Laura.

"HOW WONDERFUL, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!", said Tifa, not having any exposure to the names of places in the world.

"ALL RIGHT! AIRSHIPS! I LIKE THIS PLACE!", shouted Cid.

"Cid, there's no smoking in an airport.", said Kiako.

"WHAAAAT?! $#%(!"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Dear Lord, smite me now. . .", Vincent sighed. "Tifa, we're already here, so calm down. Laura still has fifteen minutes, and I can see the terminal." They were standing in the middle of a bustling crowd, moving here and there, past airport restaurants, waiting places at each terminal, and signs, telling how many flights were delayed, and when each would depart. The one thing that never change wherever they went, was. . .

"Are they all staring at us?", asked Rachel, observing some onlookers, all staring at them.

"I wouldn't blame them. . .", said B.T. "We're not the most normal looking bunch, and well. . .A lot of people like FF7. A LOT."

"At least I know I'm the main character of a popular videogame. . .", said Cloud. "Not something that was despised. . ."

"Er. . .Cloud, I should say it's a good thing your sword is that big.", said Rachel.

"Why? Optimum killing ability?"

"No."

"The allowance to cleave rocks?"

"No."

"It's shiny?"

"Yes, but no.", said Rachel. "I think the guards think it's fake. . .Especially since your sword is kinda. . .Novelty."

"Novelty?!"

"They sell a lot of them. . .Dull.", said Rachel. "I mean, couldn't-harm-a-fly dull. That, and they think it's a cosplay. . ."

"Cosplay?", asked Tifa.

"I'll explain later.", said Rachel.

"OH. MY. GOD.", said some hyperventilating girl, looking at Vincent. "IT'S YOU! OH MY GOD! AND EVEN IF IT ISN'T, THAT'S THE BEST VINCENT COSPLAY I'VE EVER SEEN!" Vincent was looking around nervously, his eyes darting everywhere, trying not to make eye contact with the girl.

"Um. . .Thank you?", said Vincent to the girl.

"IS THE HAIR REAL?!" She took a lock of his hair. "OH MY GOD! THE HAIR REALLY IS THAT SOFT! AND IT'S SO SHINY! I'M JEALOUS!" Cloud was fit to burst from laughter.

"We appreciate the compliment. . .", said Laura, walking over to the girl. "But we've got a flight to catch."

"Oh, and who are you?!", asked the girl, snidely. "It's a free country!"

"Really?", asked Cloud. "No Shinra? I can insult the guards?!"

"No Cloud, you can't.", said Rachel. "First, that's a bad idea. Fun, but no. And next of all, they're not guards. They're rent-a-cops."

"That's for a mall, not an airport, Rachel.", said Sky.

"Oh. Oh yeah."

"VINCENT!" The girl was clutching him. Laura, was. . .well, irritated, but a better phrase would be "empowered by the gods to smite all that is living with a flaming red Meteor that will kill us all, but more importantly, the one who has committed the infraction to instigate the fury". But that's too long of a phrase, so irritated shall do.

"PLEASE, WE HAVE A PLANE TO-

"No way!", said the girl, ignoring Laura. "Come on Vinnie, I know you love me. . ."

"Laura? Laura?" Rachel was talking to Laura, though she was ignoring her. "I can hear your teeth grinding. And I don't think that eye twitch is healthy. Laura?"

"Oh dear. . .", said Vincent, looking at her. "Miss? I'd suggest you'd remove yourself from my person, lest-

"LEST I KICK YOUR ASS!", shouted Laura. The girl looked a little freaked out now. "YOU WANNA KNOW WHO HE IS?! HE'S MY BOYFRIEND!"

"I KNEW IT!", said Lucrecia, sounding oddly happy about it. But hey, she's a space case. "I KNEEEEEW IT! VINCE HERE'S A PEDOPHILE!" Vincent groaned at the remark.

"Hey, you don't need to-

"OFF. NOW." Laura was about an inch from the girl's face, before the girl ran off, looking terrified, and extremely pale. Laura returned to a happy expression. "Well, that's taken care of!" They stared. "What? Whaaaaat?!"

"That's a new side of Laura I would NOT care to invoke. . .", said Rachel.

"Me neither.", said Tifa.

"That's my girl. . .", Vincent sobbed.

"So I suppose this is it. . .", said Laura, looking at the time. "I don't have a lot of time. So, I guess-YAAAAAAAAH!" She was swarmed by everyone, rushing in. "HUGS ARE GOOD, BUT NOT GROUP HUGS! ESPECIALLY BY A GROUP THIS BIG! BARRET, ARE YOU GIVING ME A HUG?!"
"Um. . .no?", he said nervously, even though he was. "AWWWW! GONNA MISS 'YA!"

"Never, EVER, thought I'd hear that. . .", said Laura.

"WAIT. . .NEED. . ." Mars was shoving himself through the crowd. "HUG!" All of a sudden, Laura was receiving this giant hug from him.

"Mars? Are you feeling all right?", asked Laura.

"I SUPPOSE IT IS TOO LATE TO DECLARE UNDYING LOVE!", he shouted.

"He really is a fruit, isn't he?", asked Keily.

"What?", asked Laura, staring over at him.

"BUT IT IS NO PROBLEM!", he said melodramatically. "ALTHOUGH I CANNOT OFFER YOU THIS ROSE OF AFFECTION. . ." He turned to Kiro. "WOULD YOU ACCEPT IT, MY LADY?!"
"Fruit.", said Kiro, shaking her head, then walking off.

"NOOOOOO! Damn, that didn't work. . .", said Mars. "If this doesn't work on KIRO, I MUST be dying a virgin. . .DAMMIT!" He trodded off.

". . . .YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. . .", said Laura. "Um. . .Anyone have a NORMAL good-bye?"

"Hmph." Christina walked over to her. "Here." She stuck her hand in her pocket, and in her hand dangled a chain, and revealed it to be Laura's original Crystal Bangle. "Thought you'd want it."

"What?!" Laura was staring at it. It even had the materia. "Whoaaaaa. . ."

"Hey." Next, was Tifa, who gave her a hug, and a pat on the back, before letting her go. "I don't really have much to give you, but. . .I took these." Tifa took out the sheet music that Zangan wrote on. "By mistake, I had taken the sheet music you wrote on too, and I figured it might be a nice souvenir. . ." Laura took it from her hand, and gave Tifa a hug, too.

"No really, it's great! But I wondered where it went. . .", said Laura, looking at it.

"Yeah well, got more people in line. . .", said Tifa, moving out of the way.

"NOOOOOO!", said Konoshi, giving Laura a death grip hug.

"Wha?!", asked Laura.

"THIS CAN'T BE THE END! LAURA CAN'T GO! THAT'S INSANE! IF YOU GO, VINCENT WILL BE ALONE FOREVER!"

"What?", asked Vincent, wondering why he became the subject suddenly.

"KONOSHI. . .IT'S FLATTERING, BUT. . ." Laura coughed. "LEMME GO. . ."

"NOOOOO!" B.T. was escorting Konoshi off. "LAURANTIIIIIIIIIIINE!"

"Ignore her, please.", said B.T. "She's feeling emotional. Good luck, Laura."

"Thanks. . .", replied Laura.

"Ah, Laura grasshopper.", said Yuffie, strolling over. "You were a fine student of ninjitsu. Well, not really, but you were better than Rachel."

"HEY!"

"But really, I'm gonna miss you." Yuffie gave her a brief hug, before sniffling. "I'LL NEVER HAVE SUCH SHINY SHURIKENS AGAIN! YOU WERE SO GOOD AT CLEANING THEM!"

"All right, move over!" Yuffie was bumped out of the way by Jessie. "I have almost NO idea who you are, but good luck, all right? I'd say the same for Julia if she were here. Wonder where that woman went. . ."

"HIHI!" Chikara approached, followed by Nyow and Holly.

"Hey.", said Nyow.

"Hiya.", said Holly.

"We're here to say good-byyyeee!", said Chikara, in a singsong voice.

"I've hardly talked to you ever, but we'll miss you.", said Holly.

"You know, I'M saying goodbye. . .", said Nyow. "Buuut. . ." She clenched her eyes shut, and before anyone knew what was happening, she hit herself on the head with an audible "THUD!". With a poof (thank God nobody could really see past the crowd of people.), she transformed into Mia, and stood up.

"Funny system, huh?", asked Mia. "At this rate, I should be dead now! But hey Laura, see ya', so like, yeah."

"Um. . .You too, Mia. . .", said Laura.

"I'd hug you, but I don't do that.", said Surka, walking up to Laura past everyone. "So, I guess I'll just say good-bye then."

"Hmph.", said Laura, her mouth twisting into a smile. "Good-bye to you too, Surka." Surka halted for a second, before turning around quickly and hugging Laura. Laura was taken by surprise, when Surka let go, and brushed herself off.

"Forget that ever happened.", said Surka, before walking off.

"Five minutes 'til departure!", said a speaker. "Flight No. 825, leaves in five minutes!"

"Damn.", said Laura. "I gotta go, you guys. . ."

"HUGGLES!"

"AAAAAAAGH! VINCENT?!" Vincent gave her a hug that picked her off the ground, and then, he eventually took her up in his arms. "VINCENT, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
"I shall take you onboard the plane!", he declared. "Come!"
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!", she shouted.

"Why not?"

"YOU DON'T HAVE A TICKET!"

"Oh. . . .DAMMIT!", he said. "But I DO have a shotgun, so-

"NO.", said Laura. "Killing is BAD. . ." He set her on the ground again, and he looked down at her, past his blood red cloak that covered his mouth, as well as half of his face. He looked down at her seriously. The others exchanged glances, and walked away.

"If there is one thing you must take back with you to Guam, remember these words, until you return. Past the length of years, when everything begins to fade, when you fall short over doubts, when your tears dry up, and even the sting of embarrassment through prior trials leave you unaffected, there is one thing past all those that will still renew itself time and time again, and will never fade. Love." He treaded off, and his cloak swept up behind him. Laura stood alone at the terminal, watching him until the crowd brushed by her, jostling her into the walkway to the plane.

"Aw, Vince. That was kinda sweet.", said Lucrecia, whom he sat down with.

". . .You. . .heard?", he asked.

"I kinda presumed by the way her eyes followed you until she left.", Lucrecia said with a grin. "I just have one question. . .Where was Rachel?"

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Rachel was running to the terminal, knocking over people, trying to move quickly enough. "STUPID TIFA, NOT LETTING ME GO TO THE BATHROOM BACK AT THE HOUSE! NOW I'M LATE! LAAAAAAAUUUUURRRAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Is that Rachel?", asked Lucrecia, pointing over to her.

"Huh?" Vincent turned around. "Yeah, that is-Wait, she didn't say good-bye, did she?!"

"Excuse me. . ." The person beside the walkway was talking to someone who asked her a question, while she was shutting up the walkway. She paused in doing so, and Rachel looked up at the terminal sign. Finding opportunity, she snuck in past her, and the gate shut.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Vincent screamed, after seeing that Rachel snuck onboard the plane.

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Tifa was watching, too. "DAMMIT, RACHEL!"

"Okay, I'll just leave before they fly off. They always fly late, anyway. . .", said Rachel, entering. "And, I'll just leave before the ticket check. Yeah. Um. . ." Rachel walked past first class, and scanned second. Laura was sitting in the middle aisle, in the middle row, taking out some papers from her jacket. "There she is. . ."

Laura flipped open the music sheet Tifa gave her, all while fingering her Crystal Bangle. She looked at it and smiled, remembering that it was all written on the second day she was there. Her eyes dabbled over the corrections to the original, and she caught sight of something when she tried reaching for another sheet, and the back was exposed upwards. There was a lot of writing, but there sat a note in slanted, neat cursive writing that she had seen before.

"Laura,

And I bet you thought I handed this to you on a whim! I had just decided to give you it just now, and I thought maybe somebody else would have something to say about it. It just seems that everyone did. But personally, I'd like to tell you just a little something. No matter where you are, the people who have touched you the most will always be carried with you. Laura will always be here.

Tifa."

And when Laura's eyes moved off the note, little signatures of everyone else were scribbled all over the paper. Everyone, except for the curious absence of Rachel. Below at the right hand corner, was Tifa's writing again.

"If you noticed Rachel isn't on here, dummy was asleep. And you KNOW she won't wake up if she's asleep. But I had everyone who'd miss you sign this, just to prove my point. Oh and don't bother counting. Everyone signed."

"Well Tifa, you're wrong there. . .", said Laura. "Rachel didn't sign, just like you said." Her attention was diverted. She heard loud breathing above her. Rachel, eyes wide, was pointing her finger at her, like she'd gone insane.

"YOU. . .", said Rachel.

"RACHEL?!", shouted Laura.

"YOU OWE ME. . .A GOOD-BYE. . ."

"I'm sorry, but we can't allow you on the plane!", said the person beside the gate.

"Yeah, well you have someone on the plane that doesn't have a ticket either, so if you'd be as so kind to move, we'll retrieve them and be on our way.", said B.T.

"No exceptions!", said the person. "At any rate, they will be escorted off after ticket check!"

"You don't get the point, do you?", asked Tifa. "The person on there is well, a moron. But she's stupid with dumb luck. More than likely, she'll stumble into the bathroom or the baggage area in the plane, and camp out there."

"I still cannot permit you!"

"Don't worry about this. . .", Reno whispered to Tifa. "I got it taken care of. . ." He snuck back, and Tifa returned her attention to the matter at hand.

"You have to permit us, because. . .Are you listening?" The girl was staring blankly in front of her. In fact, a lot of girls stopped and stared in the same direction, but Tifa, took the advantage and snuck on, while everyone followed.

"COME ON, ANDARIEL. . .", said B.T., dragging her along. "He's a moron, stop looking."

"YEAH LADIES!", said Reno, who had taken off his shirt and jacket to bare his entire upper body, which was, needlessly to say, quite impressive. . . "GOT YOUR EYE CANDY RIGHT HERE!" He marched over to the girl who guarded the gate, and patted her on the cheek. "I don't blame you." He boarded on, and shut the door. The girl only blushed, and fell down.

"Rachel, don't you think there's a LITTLE problem with you on the plane? One such problem being, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!" Laura was yelling at Rachel, who had followed her on.

"Rachel, what the hell?!", shouted Tifa, standing with the rest who had found her there.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?!", asked Laura.

"We followed dummy.", said Tifa.

"They're checking tickets!", said Laura. "WE HAVE TO MOVE YOU OUT!" She moved behind them, and began moving them all to the back.

"Hey, what are you doing?!", asked Korus.

"SHUT UP! I'M GETTING YOU OFF THE PLANE!" Laura kept moving them, past third class, and to a door in the back. It was dark, but she figured that a light went out in one of the walkways, and had them all step in.

"Miss, what are you doing?", asked a male flight attendant.

"NOTHING!", she said, shutting the door quickly, shoving Rachel in.

"ACK!", shouted Rachel, falling over. ". . .Where are we? And why does it smell dusty in here?"

"Miss, if you're looking for the bathrooms, they're over there, to your right. Now, return to your seat, because we're about to take off."

"Um. . .Right. . .", she said. He sighed, and shook his head, muttering something about clueless passengers.

"Laura, there's no air in-WAUGH!" Rachel stuck her head outside, and Laura, seeing another flight attendant, slammed the door shut again, and moved away before another attendant could find her there.

"Yes, everyone, please buckle up, we are about to take off.", said a female flight attendant. Laura sat down in her seat, in the middle of the aisle, buckled up, and sighed, tilting her head back.

"This is gonna be one long summer. . .", she sighed.

---

AN3: Ah, left nearly unchanged. . .How lovely. (Unfortunately, it HAS undergone a major format change, but I don't feel like changing the original ending notes. Please, forgive a lack of double spaces when settings transist. . .I didn't have much time to repost it, and this'll take a little getting used to. . .I apologize in advance for the next few chapters.)

Laura: You probably should've changed the format for this thing. . .

AN3: Why?

Laura: Because whoever sent in a complaint is gonna only read this, and then not approving of how it is in such a similar state, is gonna hafta knock you off here again.

AN3: ::sighs:: WHATEVER! I'M BEGINNING NOT TO CARE ANYMORE! IF THIS IS TAKEN OFF AGAIN, I'LL PROBABLY BE TOO INSANE TO CARE!

Alternate Earth Cult: ::big, wide, staring, saucer-sized eyes:: NEVER!

Cloud: . . .There's a cult?

Jessie: WOOOOOO! CULT!

Mars: ::big smile::

Konoshi: I'm PRESIDENT! WOOHOO!

AN3: I can't believe this series has rabid fans. . .Who talk incessantly about it. . .In the disclaimer for the series, we should give side-effects.

Cloud: ::speaking really quickly:: Side-effects may include: Vomiting, nausea, delusions, gibberish, stroke, heart disease, loss of sanity, blindness, fangirlish tendencies, sleep apnea, utter devotion, squealing every time something kinda sweet happens, uncontrollable yelling, itchiness (I just got an itch on my head, and guess what I'm blaming! Don't sue us for these side-effects! We got no money!), instability, depression, bipolarity, and in some cases, death.

Everyone: ::STARES::

Cloud:. . .I made half of them up. Including death.

Everyone: THAT'S BETTER!

AN3: Still, is nice to know people follow this fanfiction, no matter how many time spews it out of the gutters. . .

Tifa: It has a perfectly good sorting system, if it took this thing out. . .

AN3: ::mumbles various curses:: Okay, I suppose that's it. Nothing else more to say. . . Except, Jessie, you really call yourself and Holly amateur writers, and me a professional? ::turns pink:: But I thought I sucked, and you two were really good. . .Anywho, if you're reading this, I'll try and take a look at that joint fic of yours. . .

Stephen: What about reading my fic?!

AN3: I'LL GET TO IT WHEN I HAVE TIME! I know I have to read some of it before I read Jessie and Holly's fic. . .By the way, if you haven't read "This is Not a Yuffentine", you're really missing something. I LIKE IT! And I don't get to read a lot of fanfiction. . .If you get a review from me, you're lucky. If you get consecutive reviews from me, that means you're special. And special in a good way, not in a crazy way.

Holly: ::extremely large grin::

Cloud: Has she finally snapped?

AN3: No, she's the only person I ever give consecutive reviews to. Hmm. . .but I forget if I give Konoshi consecutive reviews. . .And I think I give Keo some reviews, but she hasn't written anything for a LOOOOOOOOOONG time. Her story has cobwebs on it.

Konoshi: Funny word, "cobwebs".

AN3: . . .Uhuh. Right. Go and read that story. 'Tis quite lovely. ::beaming:: AND JESSIE SENT ME A SHIRTLESS CLOUD PIC! I LOVE IT! AHAHAHAHAAAAA!

Cloud: Hey, if it's me shirtless, you gotta love it.

AN3: Ah, yes, as long as it's anatomically correct, and they don't elongate your stomach so that it makes you look like a Dachshund or anything. . .Why am I talking about dogs?

Stephen: ::playing with his puppy:: Because they're fun?

AN3: YEAH! THAT'S WHY! Now that we've wasted a lot of your life, you can go now! Bye bye!