Important AN: Hiiii everyone! MERRY CHRISTMASSSSS! I'm sorry for the late update! I'm extremely behind on my writing! I have a writers' complex! I will not allow myself to post anything unless I have written at least 7 pages of plot line! I estimate that my chapters will be at least 4-6 pages in a wide-ruled notebook front and back. I have been plotting a lot with what is in store! A little spoiler…. Well… It's not much of a spoiler since it's only one word…. WAR. There! That is the spoiler for now! I have a whole war set up for Maigen!
Midterms are in a month… it'll be too easy! I will be a part of the school's annual play! This year we're doing Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical! I auditioned and was called back for the part of one of the female leads, Lucy Harris… But I fell short so I'm part of the ensemble, which is good because I'm not bound by preset criteria! I have another poll for all my dear readers at the end of this chapter! Last chapter was pretty sad… Hehe, but it's good plot development! Onto the chapter!
Chapter IX: North Corel!
%+%(&+%)(&%(*#^%+!(*!+)$(!&$(*^%+($*+)$(&$(*^$+$(*+)$(&$*(^$_(!*$+!$()&$*^_$*(&$+($&_*$&*($&+!)(
I stopped running and my tears ceased to fall when I remembered what I had said the day before. "I made a promise that everyone will stay alive at the cost of my love for Genesis and… even Sephiroth." I repeated sadly with a near regretful smile. I stared at the ceiling with renewed determination. "My sacrifice will not be in vain because nobody will die this time around."
"Now that you're resolved that problem, we should get moving." A deep voice called from the right of me.
I smiled at fondly at Vincent, crossing over to him to retrieve my bag. "Just a bit of a shock, that's all."
Arms wrapped themselves around my waist, pulling me backwards into the person's muscular chest. "That was the man who broke your heart." Kadaj stated in a knowing yet menacing tone. I upturned my head to gaze at him. Kadaj's teeth clenched slightly, while grumbling. "He better hope that I don't get my hands on that bastard. If we ever come into contact, I will enjoy skewering him with Souba."
"Please don't Kadaj." I begged in a small voice. "I can't let you hurt him. He doesn't even remember our time together Kadaj. The Planet erased his memories of me to make sure that my job is easier!" I guessed on that last sentence.
Kadaj frowned but nodded anyway. "Fine, we are on a rather tight schedule after all." Then, I was pulled past the kitchen to shout a quick goodbye to Miss Strife and Cloud.
"I'll-no… We'll be back by the 4th of September!" I informed them, running with Kadaj out the door and into the outskirts of Nibelheim, but not before catching a map thrown at me by Miss Strife.
Even though Kadaj and I were running at SOLDIER speed, somehow, Vincent was able to get to the outskirts first. Our pace slowed to that we didn't run into Vincent. Kadaj and I that is…
Vincent held the summon materia out as it glowed, summoning by Bahamut ZERO. ZERO shifted its question gaze to me, as if asking me why a stranger had summoned him and not I, its original and sole master.
I patted its foreleg gently. "Don't worry. He's only your temporary master. All you have to do is bring him to the Golden Saucer then back to Rocket Town when his task is finished." A low rumble escaped it as it lowered its head in recognition of my request. Petting its snout, and causing ZERO to purr, I began to address Vincent. "I need you back at Rocket Town by Tuesday. That gives you a day to get the keystone and another day to get back." I chucked a bag of gil at him. "That's for provisions while you're away." I added. Vincent merely nodded and left on top of ZERO. I sighed and summoned Vice in my right hand, while taking out the map and planning out a route to North Corel with a marker.
"Can I help with anything little sister?" Kadaj asked, kneeling down next to where I set up the map.
I glanced up at him, thinking. Then, I got a light bulb moment. "Is possible for you to access Sephiroth's memory of his travels?"
Kadaj cocked his head to the side. "Of course. That's how my brothers and I found big brother when we were first created in our time. So if you can wait, I'll dig around in Sephiroth's mind and see what he remembers about North Corel." With that simple statement, he promptly closed his eyes and sat down next to me, falling into silence. About a minute later his eyes popped open and he grabbed the marker from my hand and began to mark the course. "That's the course he took in one of his missions." He pointed. "It took him a day while flying."
I stood up, taking the map and writing utensil with me. A bright yellow aura surrounded me in a swirl as I held Vice with the tip facing the floor. "Lucis Reaper!" I yelled as Vice disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing in a sheath on my left hip.
When I abruptly grabbed Kadaj's and, he stared at me in confusion. "What are you doin-!" He was cut off when I stared to run at light speed using the course to North Corel plotted onto the map.
Our journey was a mere two seconds. The landscape, made up of trees, monsters, and desert, were a blur to us. We both arrived at North Corel and it was a rocky mess. However, it wasn't that much of a shock since it served as a mining town.
Kadaj blinked. "Wow. This place looks like shi-!" my hand muffled the rest of his sentence, as the townsfolk stared at our sudden arrival.
A random boy ran up to us excitedly. "They're SOLDIER!"
That was what caused the townspeople to flank us with demands, requests, and praises. As much as Kadaj liked the attention, the noise was poison to my ears. My head pounded as the little boys and girls yelled questions at me. I knew that the SOLDIERs were hero-worshipped, but this was a little too much.
"Alright kids, let 'em breathe." A gruff voice called out over the noise. My head turned to the side to face a tall, muscular man. He had chocolate colored skin, black hair, and he wore a fishnet shirt under a jacket with cargo pants. The man was in his late twenties, but I knew who he was. The man standing before me was none other than THE Barret Wallace.
I nodded at him in thanks, maintaining a stoic façade. "Thank you. The noise was getting to me."
Barret stared at me. "Aren't ya a little too young to be in SOLDIER?" He folded his arms and looked at me reprimanding, as if he caught me stealing a cookie.
I smiled sheepishly. "I'm not part of SOLDIER. I don't work for Shin-ra anyways." Then, an idea popped into my head. "I'm actually against Shin-ra. Using the Lifestream as a power source is killing the Planet. I came here to try to find an alternative power source besides solar energy."
Barret blinked in confusion. "The sun can be used as energy?"
I sweatdropped. Apparently the idea of solar energy wasn't really explored on Gaia. "Of course. The rays from the sun are ultra violet rays, which can be absorbed with panels to power houses and machines. However, it's not very easy to absorb sunlight in such large quantities."
He laughed and ruffled my hair. "You're really dedicated to saving the Planet now ain't ya!"
I winced a little at his rather physical way of speaking. "There is a reason why I do what I have to."
"And why's that?" He asked curiously.
I lifted my head from its previously lowered position to look him in the eyes. "Memoria."
I showed Barret what would happen to North Corel in a few years, and the explosion of North Corel because of the battle with AVALANCHE. Then, I showed Meteor and the destruction of Midgar. Barret's eyes widened in horror when I began to emphasis his friend, Dyne's death and Marlene left as an orphan.
I glanced over at Kadaj, who was watching me about three feet away. Kadaj was a bit weary of Barret's gradually tensing posture, so I sent a grin to reassure him. Kadaj nodded, receiving the silent message. Get ready to leave. I have him in my grasp. Barret Wallace shall assist our cause.
I felt Barret snatch his hand off my head as if I burnt him. "That damn AVALANCHE!" He swore, clenching his fist, face scrunched in silent fury. Barret's eyes met mine. "How do you know this is going to happen?" he demanded.
Say you're a Cetra…
There was no hesitance as I responded to him. "I am one of the last Cetra on the Planet. The Planet told me to stop the events foretold." My silvertongue status came into play on the first sentence. My cousins didn't call me Loki, after the Norse god of Mischief and Lies, for nothing.
Barret frowned, but eventually sighed. "If I join you, what is the plan?"
I smiled brightly. "First, my group is going to retrieve a black materia to prevent Meteorfall. Then, I'm going to infiltrate Shinra as a SOLDIER along with another member of my group. From the inside of Shinra, I'll send out orders to each member. I have a personal history with President Shinra's son. He should be willing to provide help. There are secret parts of Shinra where other allies await. Just know that our group is a small and elite group of about twenty men and women. Rather, the current number is four people including me. Should you join, it'll increase our forces to five."
"So it's like a suicide mission." Barret deadpanned gruffly.
"I prefer the phrase 'the skilled versus the most skilled'. The 'most skilled' being my side of the battle." I smirked. Call it confidence or call it pride, but the people I wish to recruit are only the best.
Barret though about it for a few more moments, "If I join your little group, we'll be able to stop AVALANCHE, right?"
I turned my head towards Kadaj and motioned him over to us. He nodded his silver-haired face and pardoned himself from the children. "We also plan to get rid you two of the head scientists in Shinra, while dethroning the current President of Shinra."
Barret grinned. "You can count me in, kid!"
I smiled, "My name is Maigen Tsurugi, Mr. Wallace. My partner's name is Kadaj. We shall be leaving at sun down. Our next destination is Rocket Town. I'll give you some time to say goodbye to whoever." He gave me a thankful look before walking away.
"What are we going to do now, little sister?" Kadaj whispered from behind my right ear, causing me to squeak and jump in surprise before calming down a bit.
"I need to think for a while. There's too much to plan and too little time." I spoke in a stressed voice, revealing to Kadaj all the pent up thoughts running through my head. I also felt slightly distressed at my lack of guilt with manipulating Barret to help me. I didn't feel bad for manipulating a kind-hearted man and that worries me… Have I lost something inside me to cause me to abandon compassion? This problem added to my stress.
"I'll come with you!" Kadaj announced joyfully. I inwardly thanked him for snapping me out of my thoughts… Yup, Kadaj is definitely bipolar!
I shook my head, turning to face him. "No."
The smile on his face faltered for a moment. "But I insist!" he pushed on, taking a strand of my black locks and playing with it.
I sighed heavily at his persistence. "Fine, but you'll be bored out of your mind." Kadaj merely grunted half-heartedly and pulled me along the path.
It was a quiet walk… until I collapsed onto the floor, clutching my head as random spasms of pain pulsed through my head. Distant shouts called to me, but I was already in the grips of darkness.
%&+%(&!_(!(_%*^_%*&+%)(%&(_*%^%(*+%()&%*()#^%_!()%&+%)(&%*(^%+()*+)(%&_(*%^!+%()!+%)(&%*(_!&%+!(%*+!%(*
Darkness clouded my vision, but I still heard the voices speaking to me. The voice or voices echoes and stalled as they spoke.
You have lost… everything (everything)
What do (what do) you live for now? (Now?)
Minerva's quest will eventually… end…
But what about? You? (You?)
What do you… live for personally?
Certainly not yourself… Genesis? Sephiroth?... Weiss?
You no longer know…
For you… (For you…)
Are a shell of your former self…
%#(%&+(%&_(*&%+!)(&_(*$^&+)$(*+$)(&$_(*&$+)($&+)($&+)($&+)(($&+)($&+)($&(*%^+)$(&_(*$^_(*$_$*(&$_)(*&+$)!($&+)($&+!
My eyes shot open and I bolted into an upright position. That voice was so familiar for some reason. "Are you alright now?"
The voice startled me into falling off the bed… wait a darn minute… HOW the Gackt did I end up on a bed? Peering across the side of the bed, when the person started laughing, I found a man in his late twenties, with blonde hair and goggles on his head. I closed my eyes, but took a retake. Realization filled my eyes as I ran to take a long look out the window at the rocket.
Then, I hollered at the top of my lungs. "Oh my Gackt! How the bleep did I get to Rocket Town?"
+)#(%&+!()%&!_(*%^!+%)()*+%)!(&%*(&%+!(%%()*)(%&%(+_)%*&*#%&+!()%&!_#%*^&_!%*&+)%(&!_*(%^!_*(&)(
Bane: Yahhhh! I have finally updated after nearly… a month? Holllllllyyyyyyy SHOESSSSS!
Vincent: (*tisking) That is very bad, Bane.
Bane: I'm sooooo sorryyyyyy! TT^TT
Kadaj: Now look what you did! You made little sister cry!
Sephiroth: I would've expected you to understand Vincent… (*shakes his head)
Cloud: What did he do?
Sephiroth: He forgot that Bane has a lot on her plate…
Cloud: Oh!
Kadaj: Little sister. Don't cry! See! We have Justin Bieber here!
Bane: But I don't like Justin Beaver!
Cloud: (*sweatdrops) You still don't' have to insult him…
Vincent: Why is the adolescent boy here anyways? I thought this was your head, Bane…
Bane: It is…
Vincent: Then why is Bieber here instead of Barret?
Bieber: Hey everyone!
Bane: (*blatantly ignores) Because Barret isn't a bachelor.
Cloud: (*sweatdrops and shivers) The mind of a lonely schizophrenic teenage girl is scary.
Bane: I resent that!
Vincent: What is the boy doing in your head, Bane?
Bane: Oh! That's because my friend, Brenda, wanted me to kill him in one of my omakes~
Sephiroth: You even say it with a smile and a sing-song type of voice…
Bieber: Oh shit… (* O.o)
Bane: (*grins and takes out a Blade of Woe from the Dark Brotherhood in Elder Scrolls Skyrim… I don't own Any part of the Elder Scrolls series!... and her masks of Strength and Speed and yells) FOR BRENDA!
(Please turn around and act like this murder is not happening… Here is some music to pass the time: Doodoodoodoodoodoodoodoo… BOOM! Please ignore the cries for help and the sploshing of the blood)
Background noise:
Nooooo please don't!
Brenda requests u die so u die!
Argh!
(*singing to Jingle Bells)
Ticking Bombs Ticking Bombs! Pistols and grenades! Nukes and swords and air rifles and a lunatic named Wade~
Ticking Bombs Ticking Bombs! Guns and dynamite! Santa's in for quite a scare at Deadpool's house tonight!~
Crashing through the roof, Saint Nick breaks his knee, He finds he's lying on… Spikes and TNT!~
Deadpool shoots his guns. Till Saint Nick is dead! You'll find him in a graveyard… With switchblades in his head!~
Ticking Bombs Ticking Bombs! This Christmas will be fun! Cause Deadpool took over Santa's job and he got you a gun!~
P-Please stop!
Next song!
Riding down a mountain. On a pair of broken skis. Flying over houses… CRASHING INTO TREES!~
The snow is really red, cause I'm bleeding till I'm dead… Take me to the hospital BEFORE I LOSE MY HEAD!~
OHHHH~
Teddy bear, Teddy bear. Santa Clause is dead. Rudolf had sixty shots all over his head~
Barbie doll, Barbie doll! Tried to save herself! But G.I Joe From Mexico… STABBED HER IN THE HEAD~
Tell her to stoppppp! Have mercy!
Last song!
On top of a school bus all covered in blood! I shot old poor Barney, with an M160 gun!~
I went to his funeral, and peed on his grave! When everyone threw flowers! I THREW A GRENADE!~
One thousand years later, he rose up from the dead~
Then I shot poor Barney! IN THE HEAD AGAIN!~
(*BANG! Thump)
Bane: (*wipes off a spot of red from her cheeks) Ahhh much better!
Vincent: This is a black Christmas
Cloud: A black Christmas indeed…
Kadaj: What happened to Bieber?
Sephiroth: Did you kill him?
Bane: No… I fed him to his fan-girls!
Cloud: That still equals death.
Everyone: (*nods heads)
%_%*&+%)(&%_*(^%+(%+()%&*(%^)$(&+$()&%*(^#%+)(!&+%()%+&_(*%^+)(%&+)(&*(%^_*%&+%)(&%*(&%_
That was random even for me! I hope you guys like the parody of Jingle Bells in the omake! Now! TO ANSWER SOME REVIEWS!
Mata Nui: Hehe… I can seriously imagine that fatality! Don't worry about it! You're being yourself and that's all that matters! Apparantly, sad chapters are my specialty! I'll keep you on my contact list should anything arise! Merry Christmas Mata Nui!
Exemia: The pairings in the story is being debated… At the end of the review replies, I'll be asking a question concerning the pairings. I hope you vote! It's been going on for a few weeks on my Facebook page and I've got a tie so far… Your reply reminded me about my excitement for Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance. Axel's coming back and so is Terra! In the new trailer, Axel raises his chakrams and says (I'm translating here while adding what would be said in the English version) 'My name is Lea. Got it memorized?' Anyways! Merry Christmas!
Bloodrose: The whole phase she's going through right now is… tiring to write about. I'll make sure the problem is resolved! I hope you enjoy the holidays! Merry X'Mas!
Loveless an the living fantasy: Gackt-kun has gotten better! And then I got sick! I love his music too! He's my idol! Maigen does deserve her happy ending, but I'm trying to figure out who she'll end up with! There's a poll a the end of the replies to decide that! Happy Holidays!
Anna Crosszeria: You're new to reviewing my stories right? It's nice to meet you! You can call me Bane! And yeah… Genesis is in a lot of trouble… hehe… I think you got Sephiroth's hopes up! I think a little confrontation is due for the four of them (Sephiroth, Genesis, Maigen, and… what was the lady's name again… oh yeah! Sireni was her name!) Be sure to vote in the poll at the bottom! It'll influence whom Maigen ends up with! Merry Christmas! I hope you have a great time with your friends and family!
April Marciano: Genesis is feeling the hate… Haha! The morbid thoughts are… appreciated by Maigen. Sireni is more like a fill in for now… It depends on who my beloved readers and reviewers vote for in the long run! I make it my duty to reply to those that write reviews! I really appreciate the comments and without them, I wouldn't even be writing! So really… THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Merry Christmas!
Bibliotaku748: I know I'm obsessed and I also know that you are lagging behind on updating your several stories! No… Sireni does need to get slapped… MERRY CHRISTMAS!
_*#&%+!()&_(*&+)$(&_(*$^_*&+$)(&_($*&+$)($&*_*($&+)$(&_($*&+$)(&_%*(^#+%(*&%+)(%&_(*%&+)$(&_$)(&+$(!
Now onto the poll!
Who do you personally think Maigen should end up with?
The options are:
Weiss: He has one vote on Facebook
Genesis: He'll leave Sireni… He has one vote on Facebook
Sephiroth: No votes so far… Poor Seph
Kadaj: In a way, he's a part of Seph, so he needs love
Vincent: I don't know why I put him… Hehe he's like… Fifty years old…
Nero: There are very few NeroXOC stories… nearly none… Show him some love… PWEASE?
Mystery Guy: The voice that keeps popping up in the story!
I await your votes! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
