Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own the rights to Final Fantasy VII, they belong strictly to their respective owners, Square-Enix. I own the rights to Resia Tomebar as she is of my own imagination as well as Kenichi. This is meant only as entertainment.

Gemini Syndrome

Chapter 2 - Whispers

There is a voice, so familiar and comforting. Who does it belong to? Eyes slowly opened to see the distorted world around her, her eyes focused on the visage of the man on the other side of the tube, and his hand was there along with the shocked expression on his face. The woman lifted her hand so that it was pressed against his with the glass separating them. It was then that she felt something on her face and gently touched it while the man left to do something, but the bubbles rising around her made her panic, and she remembered a plane falling into the ocean. The sudden remembrance of a horrible memory forced her calm resolve to weaken and panic gripped her core. She began to thrash around her containment but there was a light tapping sound. Her eyes focused on the blurred vision of the man, his voice was muffled but he was telling her that everything was alright. She took a few breaths from the oxygen mask until she was able to calm herself.

The water began to drain, she looked around as the level became less, and her feet touched the bottom of the tube. It was a foreign feeling but familiar as well, her eyes watched as the water drained through the bottom, and the containment tube was lifted from the base. The mask was also taken off of her face and this allowed her to breathe more naturally without oxygen being forced into her lungs. A white coat was put around her shoulders, her eyes locked with the amber ones of the scientist, the same man who had that comforting voice.

"Everything's alright. I'll explain everything but for now we need to get some clothes on you," came his soothing voice. He helped her down from her ledge, her feet touched the cold floor, and an involuntary shiver went through her whole body. "It's just for a little bit." She nodded as he lead her to a more warm area, once the door was locked behind her, she realized that it was a living area. The man opened up a drawer and pulled out a pile of clothes for her, he handed it to her, and she took it tentatively while he turned around so that she could get dressed in peace. "Are you all done?"

"Ye..yes." He turned around, his amber eyes in shock at her appearance. She was wearing a dark green v-neck collared sleeveless shirt with black pants and black boots. However there was her left arm that was covered in mako wounds from the injection. "What's this from?" Her varicolored eyes stared curiously at the glowing mako. She even touched it tentatively to make sure that it wouldn't spread. This put a smile on Kenichi's face.

"Oh.." He coughed as he opened up another drawer and pulled out a roll of gauze. "I'll put this over it while I explain to you what happened." She only nodded as she sat down on his cot, he took a seat next to her, and he began to wrap it the length of her left arm starting at the upper bicep. "My name is Kenichi by the way."

"I'm...I don't know who I am..."

He smiled, "You're name is Resia Tomebar and you were a pilot for ShinRa Inc. You flew an aircraft called the Gelinka Plane and you were its pilot when Ultima WEAPON shot it out of the sky. It plummeted into the bay by Gold Saucer, your crew perished but you survived." Resia only nodded as she watched him work his magic with the gauze, "You...ah hell. I'm not going to lie to you but there's no easy way to say this. You were unconscious when we found you. You were injured pretty badly but I managed to help you. The side effect of it was amnesia."

"What do you mean 'help'?"

"I...brought you back from the dead." He lifted his eyes to meet hers since he had finished bandaging the length of her arm. It started at the upper bicep and ended at her wrist, she flexed her arm to make sure that it wouldn't move, and looked back at him for a better explanation. "I know that humans shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the dead but I had no choice. There's an evil twin of you in the Northern Crater. My...former associates have already relocated her there and if you don't find and kill her then we're going to be in a heap of trouble. So we have to travel and soon."

Resia nodded, "I..kind of understand. Will you be coming with me?"

"Yes. I will come with you."

"When do we leave?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her, "You're not phased by this?"

"I trust you. Your voice is familiar, comforting. You don't seem like a bad person."

He smiled at her warmly, "That's good because I'm going to have to teach you to use weapons."

"We-weapons?!"

He nodded as he finished with her bandages, Kenichi got up, pulled a messenger bag from underneath his cot, and opened up some drawers. Kenichi began to pack some clothes, "Yes. You're going to need a way to protect yourself on our journey. I may not always be by your side if there's trouble so I want to make sure that you can protect yourself. Cosmo Canyon is known for its healing properties. That will be our first destination." While the scientist continued to pack some clothes, Resia only stared at the ground, everything he said running through her mind. Though the clicking noises caught her attention, he faced her with a Desert Eagle in his hand. As she watched him load, reload, and cock the gun, her memory began to fade and everything went black. The scientist visibly saw the change and asked, "Who are you?"

"A side-effect of your experiment Kenichi," came the cold voice.

"But are you Resia?"

"In a way. But not really, you can call me Seira. I'm a part of her that shouldn't exist, her dark side so to speak since that is what you caused."

"Your name is an anagram of Resia..." The woman nodded her head while he held out the firearm to her, "You can use this weapon?" Seira took the gun from him and the bag, she pulled the bag across her shoulder, and immediately began looking over the gun.

"I want two of them and an ammunition belt. If I'm to protect us then I'm going to need a good amount. Although this isn't a permanent solution, I have a feeling that you implanted this." The man nodded, "To make up for your mistake that is now being harbored somewhere on Gaea." He nodded once more, "Well we cannot fight this alone so we're going to need help. Going to Cosmo Canyon will help, the guardian there is said to have been part of AVALANCHE."

He was surprised at this side of her, "How do you know all of that?!"

Her duotone eyes were dark as she turned her attention onto him, "You brought me back from the dead. The Lifestream has a lot of information to give to those who have passed on, including information about the living world." He was stunned into silence as she began to grab another Desert Eagle and the ammunition belt that she had spotted underneath his bed. "Why does a scientist like you have all these weapons? Protection? Or something more?"

"Let's just say that I'm a bit paranoid."

"I see. So tell me, whose cells did you use?"

"If I tell you will Resia remember?" Seira shook her head, "Well it was a combination of mako injection on your left arm and Lucrecia's cells."

"So..that bitch is housed within me..."

"Not quite." She tilted her head at him, "I may have used her cells but that was only to get your right leg back and it was the samples that were injected with JENOVA cells. So you're still human but..with some mako and it's not poisonous and not contagious. I made sure of that otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see this through."

Before she left the room, she looked over her shoulder and asked "Why?"

The smile on his face was warm, soft, and apologetic, "Because even though humans shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the dead it is far worse to artificially create something to destroy Gaea." It was a good enough reason for her and the pair packed a second bag for Kenichi that consisted of his medical supplies. "So how long do I have until Resia comes back and I need to explain to her what's going on?"

A smirk graced Seira's lips, "Not too long, I'd imagine. Remember when she sleeps I'm awake and when she's awake I'm asleep." He nodded in understanding as they grabbed their items and snuck out of the laboratory in Gongaga. Once out in the open, Kenichi picked up his pace with Seira right next to him.

"If you get tired let me know, your body is still new." She nodded only once to him as they headed out into the night away from Gongaga and towards Cosmo Canyon to find help. I may have sinned but they have sinned far worse than I. I created the polar opposite of that creature in the Northern Crater, hopefully we can get there before it's too late. We're going to need all the help we can get to complete this quest alive.

-::::::-

Night had fallen so the pair took a small reprieve, when daybreak came, it brought a whole new set of problems. Kenichi had awoken first before Seira but when those eyes fluttered open, there seemed to be confusion. "Good morning Seira, we have a long day ahead of us."

"Who's Seira?"

He smacked himself in the head as he realized his mistake. "I'm sorry Resia. Seira is your...protector. She comes out when you're sleeping or if something traumatic happens or if something triggers your memory that you don't wish to face. I didn't know this was going to happen so if you're mad at me I understand."

When they were fully packed up once more, they began walking in silence. "I'm not mad at you." Kenichi looked over to her and there was a small smile on her face, "I'm glad that there's someone there to protect me other than you. That's means you don't have to do all the work for me." He couldn't help the grin on his face.

"Resia you're truly something else."

"No, I'm somebody else." It took a few minutes before Kenichi realized that she had made a joke, he stared at her, and she was smiling at him. The two of them burst out laughing together as they trekked across the Western Continent. "I'm glad you like it." He nodded, "I see it this way, if you brought me back from the dead to defeat my evil twin, then it's likely to get even more strange. So I think humor is the best way to go. Don't you?"

"I completely agree with you Resia."

"So what's Seira like?" The scientist was glad that she was interested in her protector so he began to tell her of what he knew, which wasn't much. But it kept the time passing and eventually the two of them found themselves by a stream. "How pretty." Resia knelt down, wanting to get a better look at it but realized something. "This is the same color as the stuff on my arm. You called it Mako right?"

"Yes. This is a Mako river but I only knew of the one in Mideel. It's large but this one is rather small in comparison. Just..try not to touch it."

"But I've already got it in me so what's the difference?"

"Well...there really isn't any difference I guess...but just be careful." She nodded as her eyes held the swirling pastel colors. She was fascinated by the movement and how those colors matched her eyes, yet there was something in the bottom of that stream. Something that seemed to reach out to her. Resia took a furtive glance over her shoulder at Kenichi, he was preoccupied with something in the bag, and she quickly returned her gaze to the stream. She plunged her bandaged arm into the stream, watching to get at whatever was there. There was a slight stinging pain in her arm from the current but she finally wrapped her fingers around the item in question. "So Resia what do you-" He cut himself off as he saw her arm in the stream. He immediately ran to her side and helped her out of it. "What do you think you're doing?!"

It was then that he saw the slim katana like sword in her hand. The blade was gleaming like a piece of materia but it held the colors of the Mako river. "It's so pretty," she said. Kenichi was angry, she could tell so she replied, "I'm sorry but..it was calling to me. Telling me to retrieve it."

He sighed, "Alright. If it said that then I'll let it be. But let me see you're arm." She handed her left arm over to his care, he quickly added more bandages until her entire left arm was covered from shoulder to finger tips. "Here, it's a cereal bar. We should get going." She nodded, stood up, slipped the blade into her waist band but the scientist shook his head. "No, we need to hide the blade." He quickly reached into his bag, pulled out a small blanket, and wrapped the blade up with it and some twine. "No no one will know what it is, let's keep it that way okay? Only if you run out of bullets are you to use that sword okay?" She nodded with a childlike smile and he couldn't help but smile in return as they continued on their journey eating their cereal bars.

Once more the day turned to night, both of them had lost count of the days now, and they were both tired but Kenichi pushed on for Resia's sake. To be somewhere safe to recover was his priority, as of now his former associates could still find them and he didn't want to take that chance. Just as he was about to sit down to rest, there was a gunshot. Amber orbs turned to look at Resia who had shot a creature in the head. Her arms were shaking but they soon steadied and he already knew that Seira was present.

"We need to move more quickly. Get your gun out Kenichi," she stated. He nodded, pulled out his own revolver and they began to move in a fast walk. Shooting any creatures that came too close to them. "This is going to bring unwanted attention by your associates. They've been tailing us for some time."

"How do you know that?"

"When I sleep I drift in the Lifestream. Resia is just a vessel for me to reappear and protect her. She's precious."

"What else do you know Seira?"

"A lot more than I'm letting on. That's all I can say for now."

The pair were getting tired but it was time that they rested, there were no more creatures, and it was Seira that found a small band of trees to serve as a hideout. They sat down together to catch their breath, "How long until they catch us?"

"I'd say about two days if we keep our current pace. Cosmo Canyon is a day and a half away from us. If we can make it there before they catch us then we'll be safe. They won't dare to enter Cosmo Canyon, not if they value their lives. They're warm towards travelers not towards those in white coats so it's good that you changed out of yours."

He laughed, "Yeah, a good thing." They sat together, cleaned their weapons, reloaded, and began to eat some chocobo jerky that Kenichi had packed. "Here," he handed her a few pieces, she nodded her thanks to him. "How long will you be here this time?"

"I'll try to stay until we've reached Cosmo Canyon."

"Seira?" She looked at him with a piece of jerky in her mouth, "Are you really part of Resia or are you someone else altogether?" Kenichi only received a smirk from her and was told to eat his jerky. He looked away from her and towards the ground. So if she isn't part of Resia then what does that make her? If she is part of her, who really is Resia? She can't just be some person on Gaea like everyone else. There's no way, there's something more going on here that I can't quite figure out yet.

They ate in silence for a few more minutes, filled up with water, and Seira stood on her feet. She removed one of her guns, "Let's go while we have a chance. I hear whispers in the night." He nodded, stood up, removed his own revolver, and they began their trek to Cosmo Canyon once more.

"What do they say?"

"I can't make out what's being said but nothing good. The intention is there, it's not pleasant. Those whispers belong to the Evil One and I'm not going to be part of her." He gave a questioning look, "She wants to merge with Resia in order to control one that should not be controlled. So I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Who is Resia really?"

"Resia's just a simple pilot that got mixed up into something terrible."

"That's not true, you can at least tell me who she really is."

Seira smirked, "Fine. Resia is the Augur of Emerald."

"What does that mean?"

"Confusing isn't it?" He nodded, "Well you asked and I told. That's all I can say so be glad to know it."

Just as he was going to ask more, he looked up, and noticed that they had reached the canyon entrance. The guard was standing there to make sure all was peaceful. "Let's hurry!" She needed no further coercion as she fell in step behind Kenichi. The pair quickly sprinted through the entrance and both skidded to a stop in front of the Eternal Flame. At this the people of the canyon paused to stare at them while a small child ran to get the guardian. Kenichi turned his gaze from the flame to Seira and he watched as her eyes closed and her body fell. He quickly caught her, placed the gun in her thigh holster, and looked around for some help. A few of the canyon residents came to his aid and guided him where he could lay her down to rest for the time being until the guardian could speak with them.