Chapter 1

By Crystal

*Screw the disclaimers ^^;;*

Jenova was beaten and all the members of AVALANCHE was very tired.  The only regret they had was that, the last remaining Cetra, their friend, had paid with her very life for this victory to save the world.  She would have liked to think that it was worth it.

The Highwind neared Kalm and Cloud felt deathly sick in the stomach.  Reeve had gotten Elmyra and Marlene out of Midgar just in time before the meteor struck, and he had gotten most of the Midgar residents out too.  That didn't really make Cloud sick, but it was that nobody had told Elmyra that Aeris had died.  He, Cloud Strife would have to be the one to deliver the sad news.  Just great, a few hours after saving the world and he had to tell Aeris' adoptive mother of the sad news.  Sometimes, he would also wonder what had happened to the innocent Shinra workers.  Some were innocent anyhow.  And what of the Turks?  Reno of the Turks, the foulmouthed asshole.

His thoughts were broken as Cid suddenly shouted over the speakers, "We have arrived at Kalm and the $#&@ time right now is 1:38.  Thank you for riding in my god $#&@ ship and have a f*cking nice day!"

Tifa, being the most optimistic of the group had to keep them smiling, even if she was aching inside, wanting Cloud to stop thinking of Aeris.  By the looks he was having again, he was thinking of her again.  Of course...  Since when would he think of me?  "Oh Cid!  Do stop the swearing when you see Marlene!"

Not even Barret was any better off, he was just as sad as the others when Aeris death had hit them so abruptly, but at least he didn't just sit in the corner and think about it the whole day.  Everyone had tried to be cheerful to lighten up the mood.  Everyone but Cloud.  "Ya!  You try talkin' like that and you'll get your damned ass kicked!"  He looked out the window, if it wasn't for his pride, he'd be jumping up and down like an actor's fan trying to get the actor's signature.  He was excited to see his daughter Marlene.

"Guys, let's go, Marlene, Reeve and Elmyra's waiting outside!  I see them!"  Tifa said, excited, forgetting all her previous thoughts about the late Cetra and her childhood friend, instead, waving at the three people like a kid seeing Mickey Mouse.

Cloud climbed out first, without any words.  Everyone knew it was because Aeris' death that he was so quiet.  Her death had probably hit him the hardest, after all, he was the first one in the group to meet her, except possibly Reeve.  Shera climbed down after Cloud.  Cid had picked her up for the celebration party at Kalm right after the battle.  For the first few minutes on the plan, everyone had teased Cid about Shera to no end.  Everyone but Cloud.

Barret rushed down the ship and gave Marlene a big bear hug, almost enough to choke her to death.  When Cloud had seen Elmyra, he walked over and everyone had shut their traps and were quiet immediately.  "Ms. Gainsborough... I'm sorry..."  Cloud lowered his head in shame.

The adoptive mother wiped a crystal tear away and nodded understandingly, "She knew she was going to die, didn't she?  You should not be blamed since I'm sure she knew exactly what she was doing.  It was no one's fault..."  She put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

Cloud's eyes widen slightly, "I don't know if she knew she was going to die or not...  But... You knew?"  He looked at Elmyra, waiting patiently for an answer.

Elmyra turned her face for a second, then looked back at Cloud.  "No... Not until now.  But the way you walked towards me...  It told me a lot.  Aeris would've hugged me already if she had been here."  She put on a cheerful smile and exclaimed, "This victory calls for a celebration!  Come on!"

Barret gave a thanks to Reeve for saving his daughter and lead the way to Elmyra's house, happy and proud, with Little Marlene on his shoulder.

Elmyra looked up at the sky.  Aeris... you told me not to blame Cloud before you died.  I didn't... You knew what you were getting yourself into, didn't you?  Always protective around your friends, but never around yourself.  You... should have told me that night.  Then at least, I could have said a farewell.  Elmyra thought to herself quietly and blinked her eyes a few times, noticing that her eyes were once again moist.

* * * * *

"Cloud, are you okay?"  Tifa looked at him with concern.  "You have talked since we fought Sephiroth."

Cloud looked up at his childhood friend and forced a smile, "It's nothing... really.  I'm just thinking."  Cloud replied, changing his position on the couch.

Yuffie walks up to the both of them, "Our fearless leader has finally spoken!  You know, Tifa's right.  Join in the fun, you're missing out on a lot."  She turned her head to look at Cid and Barret, "Or not."

"Yep.  If you don't come and play, we'll all sit quietly with you doing nothing."  Tifa said, waving a finger in front of his face.

"Oh all right.  After all... We do deserve a break."  For the first time in a long while, he let himself relax and smiled at the two ladies, then walked over to Barret, Cid and Reeve who were playing a game of cards.

Cid suddenly looked up from his cards and looked around the room, "Where's that vampire anyways?"  He asked.

"For the last hundredth time, I am not a vampire."  Replied a cold voice coming from the corner of the room.

Cid grinned, "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, now does it?  Don't ever call me Vinny, Cid."  His red eyes were sharp and piercing, making Cid turn away from them.

"Hah!  I win!"  Barret yelled as he held up his hands to show that he didn't have anymore cards in his hand.

Cid was pissed, "What the f*ck, Barret?  Why weren't you waiting for me?!"  Cid swore.  Reeve cleared his throat, causing Cid to look at him.  "What is it, Shinra boy?"

Reeve ignored Cid's nickname for him, "Well, you see, you were arguing with Vincent, so we left you alone."  He explained.

"Why you three f*cking asshole!  You should have f*cking waited for me to f*cking finish my argu-"  Then, a scream was heard outside the house and they all rushed out the house with weapons drawn.

As they all reached outside, they say four guys attacking a girl.  The girl made him have a gut feeling, a strangely familiar feeling, just like when Aeris was here.  Cloud put his sheathed his sword, there was no need to use his weapon if he was to defeat these four drunks.  He punched a guy on the nose and Tifa punched another one in the stomach.  All of a sudden, he heard a familiar voice say, "Finish those two off."  Rude and Elena knocked the last two with the end of their guns.

Cloud simply looked up, seeing if his ears had betrayed him.  Mako glowing eyes.  Nope.  "Reno."  He stated.

"Heya losers."  Reno replied as he smirked his trademark smirk.

"Thank you..."  The girl looked at AVALANCHE, then at The Turks.  She caught Reno's eyes for a second and Reno looked back.  The girl immediately felt her face burn with a blush.  Oh my god, that guy with the flaming red hair is so cute!  Thank the gods it's dark, or he'll certainly be able to see my blush.

"You're welcome."  Cloud and Reno both said, glaring with hatred at each other now.  God I hate that asshole.  Was exactly what both of them were saying.

The girl walked back slowly, "I'll be going now..."  She turned around, her high ponytail flew and she started walking until...

Until she heard Tifa's voice, "Are you sure?  You can come to Ms. Gainsborough's house for the night.  I'm sure she wouldn't mind, it's getting dark out here..."  Tifa trailed off, concerned about the girl that looked younger than her, but slightly older than Yuffie.
She shook her head quietly, "I don't want to start a fight between you guys, so I'll be better off leaving."  She looked at Reno and Cloud and Tifa instantly sent a glare to Cloud.

Which he got the message perfectly well, "Of course, you won't start a fight between us... We're good buds, right Reno?"  Cloud wanted to puke at the last statement, but got the glare from Tifa, which meant, if he didn't do what she wanted him to do, he'd surely get his ass kicked tonight.

"Yes, yes, don't worry about us.  We're good buddies, just haven't seen each other for a while."  Reno continued glaring Cloud with his trademark smirk which everyone hated and the girl thanked the both of them.  All the rest of the AVALANCHE members and the two Turks were shocked, save Tifa, but didn't need a second to understand what was going on.

Tifa and the others started back to Elmyra's house with The Turks and Cloud bringing up the rear and Cloud whispered to Reno, "I was just saying that to get the girl to stay."

"No shit, who'd be dumb enough to be buds with you?"  Reno shot back, then added silently, "Ah ha, so now it's the girl instead of big tits and the ancient.  I must say, you have good taste, Strife."

Cloud ignored Reno's last comment about Tifa and Aeris, "Hurry up."

"Huh?  We're invited to that Ancient's adoptive mother's house too?"  Reno said, a bit surprised.

Cloud turned around and glared, "First of all, Aeris has a name.  Second of all, I don't want her getting suspicious, so hurry up and get your ass in the house, Reno."

* * * * *

Shera looked at the young girl, "What's your name?"

"My name is Akira."  Akira said shyly.

"My name's Cloud Strife, that's Tifa Lockhart, Barret Wallace, Red or Nanaki, Yuffie Kisaragi, Cid Highwind, Vincent Valentine, Reeve Johnson, Shera Daniel, Elmyra Gainsborough, Reno Jace, Elena Merlin and Rude

Red looked up, "Nice to meet you, Akira."

Akira smiled, but then, her eyes widen, astounded, "It talks!  What are you?"

Red replied, with the same answer as he had answered the members of AVALANCHE over an year ago, "I am what you see."

Elmyra asked, all of a sudden, "So Akira, what were you doing by yourself out at night?  It's also very late."

"Well, you see... I'm on a quest..."  Akira started slowly, not knowing whether or not to tell them the whole story.  After all, they were normal humans, what would they know about any of this?  Her eyes caught sight of Red, well, maybe not totally normal, but normal enough.

"What sort of quest?"  Tifa asked, asking everyone's question.

She looked at everyone once before answering, "A quest to find the clear materia and the white materia."  She replied soft and quietly.

"WHAT?!"  Everyone yelled in unison.

Akira's eyes widen at the group's behaviour.  There was no way this bunch of people knew anything about it.  But it seems...  She looked at Reno and then back at Cloud, both with their mouths opened, just like the rest of the household.  "Holy, the white materia."

Cloud looked at her curiously, "For what?"

"To resurrect my mother."  Surely, these people will think I'm a nutcase.  Resurrecting someone?  That's just something normal humans in this world did not know of.

Elena smiled, "The white materia can resurrect human beings?"  Elena asked curiously, "Then maybe I can resurrect Tseng."

Akira thought I was strange that this group didn't seem too surprised about the whole resurrecting process, "No, no... My mother wasn't human, she was half Cetra."  Akira explained, "A Cetra is someo-"

Cloud cut in, "Then that must mean you're half Cetra too, and that must also mean that... Your mother's Aeris...?"  Cloud said after a few hesitation, "I'm only assuming."  Cloud had finally known what had been so familiar about her, the hair colour of Aeris, only a different shade.  Her smile was different, it's like she's had a really rough life or something.  It's not as cheerful and as carefree as Aeris'.  But her eyes, green, like Reno's.  The kind of green which were infused with Mako.  Her eyes didn't seem to glow or shine like Aeris' though.  The shape of the face was certainly different.  Cloud wouldn't exactly say she looked like Aeris because they were quite different, but she made him think of her.

It was her turn to be surprised, "How... did you know that?"  She asked.

"She was with us......before she died."  Cloud winced painfully at the memory going over and over in his head, "But if Aeris' your mother, she must've gotten you when she was about a few years old.  How...?"

Aeris, with this group of people?  That was a weird thought...  "I was born from inside of a tube, Professor Hojo created me with Jenova cells and Cetra cells extracted from Aeris.  Professor Hojo also infused me with little amount of Mako, but I have no idea who my real father is."  She stuck out her tongue at the memory of Hojo.  She had clearly detested that man.

"Hojo, eh?"  Reno said indifferently, but Rude knew better.  Out of all of the Turks, Reno had detested Hojo the most.  Rude and Tseng knew why, as for Elena, she only knew that Reno had despised him for a reason.  That reason, she didn't know.

"We know where Holy is... But why do you need to resurrect Aeris?"  Reeve asked.

They know where Holy is?  "I have gotten a warning from the planet, something dangerous is going on and I am in need to see Aeris...  As you can see, I'm not very experienced with all this Cetra stuff..."

"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 Akira's father is with Hojo's notes."  Reno said thoughtfully.
Akira nodded, "It's 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.
Akira raised her eyebrow, "What about his wife?"  She mentioned Shera and felt Tifa nudge her.  She looked at Tifa with a confused expression.

"Don't ever let Cid hear you say that, the last time we said that, he threw a fit."  Tifa winked at her and Akira smiled.

"Ms. Gainsborough, do you mind if Akira, Shera, Tifa, Yuffie and Red stay here tonight?  Of course Marlene too.  The other can stay at the inn with me."  Cloud said.

Elmyra nodded, "Not at all, I can fit another person."  Elmyra replied.

"It's all right, we'll stay at the inn.  Good night everyone."  Cloud waved as he followed Reeve, Barret, Vincent and the Turks out the house.  Before he closed the door, he heard Akira say something like, "Good night Cloud and Reno, see you guys tomorrow."  Cloud looked at Reno, "I take it you're staying with us, Reno?"  He questioned him.

Reno grinned, "No, what makes you think that?  Wanting our help?"

"No, never mind then, I just thought Akira had wanted you to come."  Cloud said, and walked ahead.

He heard Reno say, "We might show up tomorrow."

"Damn it Cloud, ya lettin' those three asshole come with us?"  Barret yelled, his arms waving around like they usually did when Barret was pissed off.

Cloud looked at him straight in the eye, "I have to say, the more help we can get, the better. The more help we have, we can resurrect Aeris faster.  You heard what Akira said... The planet might be in danger..."  Cloud replied, then added, "Again."

Barret cursed, "Anyways, I think I can fit one person in my house, so two will have to be at the inn."  Reeve told them, "Do one of you want to come?"

Cloud nodded, "All right, Barret and I can stay at the inn, Vincent, you can go to Reeve's house, you don't mind?"

Vincent shook his head, "No, good night."  Vincent replied and started silently towards Reeve's house.

* * * * *

Damn it, who the hell is she?  What does she feel so familiar to me?  WHY?!  Reno thought, his mind in turmoil as he rolled around in bed.

Author's Notes:  I'm finally done rewriting chapter 1, I thank drakonlily for supporting me ^^

Chapter 2 will hopefully be done within a day or two and I'm thinking to do eight chapters out of the seven chapters, since a few of them are really long, anyhow, read and review.  Thanks!