Disclaimer: Cloud, Tifa, and co. are copyright SquareEnix, Co. Reilena Gainsborough is co. Vinja Ryou.
Clang. Shoulder. Twirl. Another clang. Throw. Catch. Twirl. Shoulder. Click the heels together as they stood at attention, solemn but blank stares. Before the soldiers, Heidegger applauded while their commander merely nodded; President Rufus Shinra didn't seem at all amused.
"Good work," he finally muttered, casually flicking his golden-blonde hair from his eyes. Turning to Heidegger, the young president continued in a quiet voice. "Once the words gets out that Sephiroth's been seen here, Cloud and his friends will show up, too..." Heidegger shook his head, and Rufus merely stared at him.
"Pshaw! We'll crush them the moment we see them!" he replied, slamming a fist in his hand for emphasis.
"You do realize that we can't have them getting in our way," Rufus added.
"Of course," Heidegger laughed. "Leave it up to me, sir!" He burst out laughing; Rufus arched an eyebrow, unfazed.
"I thought I told you to stop that ridiculous laugh," he muttered. Heidegger stared at the president helplessly, and Rufus rolled his eyes as he turned on his heel.
"Gyaaah!" Heidegger growled once Rufus was aboard the ship. Eyeing the soldiers nearby, he shoved one violently, and then followed his boss onto the ship as well.
Silent up to this point, the soldiers' commander turned to his troops, saluting. "All right! Dismissed!" he declared. The soldiers let out deep sighs of relief, relaxing their stance as they shouldered their rifles.
Cloud kept his hat pulled low over his face, even as he watched Heidegger and Rufus board the ship. Listening to the soldiers' gossip with half an ear, he thought he caught Heidegger's name and decided to listen a bit closer after all.
"Sheez, Heidegger's really been edgy lately," a recruit said in a quiet tone. The soldiers stared at him, wide-eyed; Cloud listened casually, distracted for a second by a flash of red in the dock's alleyway; had that really been Red XIII?
"Oh yeah man, I totally know what you're talking about," another soldier continued, rubbing his goatee. "It's all 'cause Hojo disappeared; just left a letter of resignation and hightailed it outta the Shinra." Near Cloud, a tanned recruit nodded.
"Yup, and Heidegger's been forced into overlooking that investigation, too," he added. Before he could say more though, the commander returned, a gruff look on his face.
"Hey! I thought you were dismissed!" he ordered. "Now hurry up! We've got things to do!"
After the rest of the soldiers had saluted and followed their boss, Cloud made his way to the ship. Hiding behind a pillar, he peered about. Clear; he strode up the bridge to the ship and walked down to the storage room. Once inside, he wiped a forearm across his brow.
"We'll cross the ocean, to the new continent...even if we are wearing Shinra uniforms," he said to himself, picking at the royal blue shirt he wore as he rose to his feet. Cloud had intended on heading straight up to the main deck, but as he passed one particularly noisy row of crates, he peered down the aisle, his eyes widened.
"Urrgh...this is why...I hate ships," a childish girl's voice uttered, just seconds before she leaned over another box. Cloud didn't need to be next to her to know that she was seasick, and he walked quickly down the path.
"Yuffie?" he asked; immediately the sailor glanced up, a hopeful sheen in her eyes as she wiped at her lips.
"Oh hey Cloud," she answered, her voice shaky. "You don't happen to have any tranquilizers, d'ya?" Cloud shook his head, and Yuffie pushed him away, one hand over her mouth. "Then get away from me, unless it's an emergency," she mumbled, bending over the crate once more. "Where are the others?"
"How would I know?" Cloud replied.
"Well, aren't they hiding somewhere around here?" Yuffie snapped. "This was Rei and Tifa's idea, anyway..." trailing off, she let out a loud retch that made even Cloud a bit queasy. "Ugh...how should I know anyway..."
Cloud strode back from the nauseous girl and quickly made his way to the stairs. Jogging up, he wondered if what he had seen on the dock really was true - if it had indeed been Red - when he crashed into another sailor.
"Uh!" Another female voice - the sailor quickly replaced her cap, but Cloud had already caught sight of the telltale rose bow.
"Aerith, right?" She nodded.
"Did you see the airship in Junon?" she asked. Cloud nodded.
"That really was something...do you think I could get on it?"
A shrug. "I dunno...keep hoping." Aerith clapped her hands together, eyes shining with the excitement of a girl of twelve; something else in her eyes made Cloud a bit uneasy. He couldn't explain it - was it that same youthful wonder, coupled with the wisdom she held that was giving him this uneasiness? Aerith didn't notice Cloud's apprehension, but instead strode off toward another sailor - one look at the twinge of scarlet hair peeking out from underneath the cap told Cloud that it was most likely Reilena - and he started off again for the bow of the ship.
After running into both Tifa and Red XIII - who was looking more than a little loopy from having to stand on his hind legs alone - and listening to Aerith and Reilena's warning about Barret's condition, Cloud finally made it to the front of the ship; to his surprise, a large burly sailor was kneeling underneath the window, liestening to the animated conversation within the captain's chambers. Cloud began to reach for his sword, but stopped when he saw the familiar gun arm. As if on cue, Barret beckoned Cloud over; the mercenary dropped to his knees and slunk over to Barret. The anger was evident even in his hushed tone as he spoke to Cloud.
"Look Cloud - Rufus and Heidegger. They're this close, but we can't do a damn thing to 'em," he muttered. A laugh; both men peeked up to see Heidegger holding his belly, chortling gleefully. "How can he!?" Barret growled, clenching his fist. "Goin' off and laughin' like that! Because of him...Biggs...Wedge...Jessie..." Trailing off, Barret suddenly stood and stomped toward the boat's railing. Cloud followed close behind, but remained silent as Barret stared out over the ocean. As he raised his fist anew, Cloud saw the slight glimmer of angry tears in his eyes. "God! I can't take it anymore!" Turning on his heel, the infuriated Barret started for the captain's chambers. "I'm gonna settle things here and now..."
A siren overhead suddenly went off. Both men froze, fearing the worst. Inside the captain's quarters, Rufus and Heidegger stared at a Shinra soldier who'd just entered.
"Emergency alert!" a prerecorded voice shouted. "Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship and report when found! I repeat - suspicious character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship and report when found!"
"Damn, did they find us?" Barret asked, turning to Cloud. When Cloud shook his head, Barret's brow furrowed for a moent. "Do they mean...Tifa and the others!?" Slapping a hand to his forehead, Barret ran for the main dock, leaving Cloud to run after him.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Is everyone alright?" Tifa called; when she'd heard the alarm, she immediately searched for the rest of the team. Aerith, Reilena, and Red had been easy to find. Red was sent to storage to drag Yuffie up, and now...
"You all right?" Barret hollered. Aerith spun, an eyebrow lifted.
"Huh?" Tifa waved Barret and Cloud over, stifling a giggle at Barret's sailor suit, and conducted a quick head count.
"Everyone's here...right?" Seven nods; Barret's face darkened.
"You don't think that suspicious character is...Sephiroth, do you?" he mused aloud. Tifa's eyed widened as both Red and Yuffie shrugged. Behind them, Aerith slung an arm around her sister's shoulders, trying to keep Reilena on her feet; the younger Gainsborough was deathly pale, the Materia around her neck taking on a smoky ebony hue. Only Cloud remained unmoved, watching the Gainsboroughs carefully.
"...Let's find out," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion. At his feet, Red nodded, having shed his sailor suit.
"It's the most logical thing to do." Then... "Who's going to go?"
"N, not me," Yuffie croaked; she was still standing at the ship's railing, her face an odd shade of green. "I don't even like Sephiroth anyway. And besid...ugh..." Her eyes wide, Yuffie threw her head over the railing, and the group turned to leave her to her seasickness.
"So Yuffie's out," Red mused. Cloud bowed his head, and then looked up, his gaze travelling right to the Gainsborough sisters. Aerith was still at her sister's side, and Reilena hadn't moved from where she stood; still pale, she clutched the pendant, her eyes closed as if in prayer. Desperate, Aerith looked up at the troupe, her worry evident.
"She hasn't said anything to me since that announcement," she said, voice trembling. "She held the pendant, closed her eyes...every few seconds Rei'll mutter something, but I can't make it out..." She stopped, standing beside Reilena, as Cloud walked up to them; setting his hands on Reilena's shoulders, Cloud peered down at her face. Her eyes twitched from behind closed lids, and he knew that there was some kind of inner conflict. One look up at Aerith told him that she'd already known, and he sighed out of necessity.
"Aerith...Reilena...and Barret," Cloud stated. "I want you to accompany me. Tifa, Red, you stay here with Yuffie. Hide if you must - do not allow yourselves to be captured by the Shinra." His hands still on Reilena, Cloud looked over; Tifa and Red nodded solemnly, while Barret walked up to Aerith's side, charging up his Gaitling Gun. Aerith unsheathed her Striking Stick and held it at the ready, though she kept a close eye on her little sister. Taking a breath, Cloud looked back down at Reilena. "Rei...can you hear me?" he asked in a quiet tone.
Her eyes continued to twitch, hands clasped about the smoky Materia. Though her lips moved on occasion, no sound came out. Cloud's gaze never wavered; finally, Reilena nodded, albeit hesitant, and Cloud exhaled.
"Good. I have a question for you," Cloud continued. No response. "Will you come with Barret and myself to find the suspicious person?"
Silence...finally Reilena whispered, "Aerith?" Cloud glanced over at Aerith; she immediately took her place beside Cloud, and ran a hand gently down her sister's cheek.
"I'm right here Rei...what is it?"
Her eyes were still closed. "You'll be with us?"
"Yes." Reilena sighed, sounding as if she had the burdens of the world on her shoulders.
"The person...I...I know who..." Reilena shook her head violently and reached up, shoving Cloud away. Cloud stepped back, as if he'd expected her reaction, and held an arm up to block the group. In stunned silence, they watched Reilena as she turned on her heel and fled toward a flight of stairs, opposite the sailors' storage deck.
"Where does that lead to?" Cloud asked, unmoving.
"The cargo hold," Red replied; noticing the terrified look on Aerith's face, he whimpered softly. "Aerith, you don't think..."
She shook her head, fingers tightened around the staff. "I don't think. I know." Beside her, Cloud nodded; on her other side, Barret growled low in his throat.
"...Sephiroth," Cloud muttered, almost to himself. A glance at his partners told him they were ready, and he waved them over. "All right, let's go."
"Right behind ya!" Barret answered, his gun-arm set and ready. Nearby, Aerith tensed, though her eyes still bore her worry, and followed the two men into the cargo hold.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
He dropped dead, eyes wide, a crimson smile below his chin. The soldier's killer shook his head, sword in hand, and turned to enter the captain's hold when he stopped. Footsteps - light, female - had echoed out just behind him. Smiling, he peered over his shoulder; Reilena Gainsborough stood before him, her hands clasped over the Materia pendant. She blinked once, as if entranced.
"...Sephiroth...why?" she whispered, having noticed the dead man on the ground nearby. He smiled softly as he walked up to her and touched her cheek. Reilena leaned into his touch, and Sephiroth managed to coax her into his arms. He glanced down at the young woman almost sadly, realizing what would have to be done soon, and stroked her hair; she laid her head on his shoulder and let out a soft breath.
"I would never hurt you intentionally," Sephiroth began, tilting Reilena's chin up the slightest bit. "You do know that, right?"
She nodded. "Yes, but...how does that explain this?" she asked. Sephiroth laughed under his breath; something in his eyes didn't look right, and Reilena tried to pull away. Instead, Sephiroth held her tighter, and looked over her shoulder at the barrage of additional footsteps approaching, an eyebrow arched in confusion.
"Who are you?" Startled, Reilena turned, still in Sephiroth's arms, and gasped. Cloud, Barret, and Aerith stood before them, weapons drawn. As she watched the scene play out, Reilena became distantly aware of the glow of her Materia pendant - it was turning light red.
"You don't remember me!?" Cloud yelled, throwing an arm out in emphasis. Sephiroth shook his head - his right hand tightened around the Masamune, while his left held Reilena's hand. "I'm Cloud!"
"Cloud..." Sephiroth muttered thoughtfully. Cloud sighed, shaking his head irritably; nearby, Barret and Aerith stood ready to attack, though Aerith seemed unsure with Reilena around. She kept a steady gaze on her sister, all the while clutching her weapon should she need it.
"Sephiroth!" The silver-haired man glanced up, and Cloud took a breath, holding his sword at the ready. "What are you doing?" What are you thinking!?" Without waiting, he switched his glance to Reilena, shocked at her apparent betrayal. I should've known never to trust her... "And you, Rei! What're you doing with Sephiroth!?"
She regarded the team with a seemingly blank stare; letting out a shocked gasp, Aerith held her Striking Stick out so as to hold Barret and Cloud back. "Don't touch her! Don't touch Reilena!" she ordered.
"You shittin' me!?" Barret retorted. "Aerith, she's with the enemy!" Aerith shook her head.
"Rei's been entranced," she replied with a cold certainty. Barret's eyebrows shot up, and he glanced over at the quiet couple, just as Aerith and Cloud both growled; Sephiroth now bore the Masamune full out, and held the immense blade before Reilena. Confident that no one would dare attack, he lowered his face next to Reilena's and smiled coldly. Reilena sighed, her eyes closing partly as she leaned into Sephiroth's embrace, oblivious to the blade now essentially pinning her to him.
"The time...is now," Sephiroth whispered, the smirk never leaving his face. He lifted the blade to Reilena's eye level - still she remained oblivious - and drew a finger first down the sword, and then her face. The trio stood before him, shocked into silence - he noticed however, with growing irritability, that the woman seemed to be praying.
Sure enough, Aerith was praying; however, she was praying to her sister, trying to find a way through Sephiroth's apparent hypnosis. "Reilena...please!" Aerith pleaded mentally. "If you can hear me, look up. Raise your head, and look at me."
"Huh?" Reilena blinked drowsily, unaware of her surroundings. She raised her head and glanced out before her, her gaze first meeting Aerith's; Aerith smiled, knowing that Reilena had been awakened.
Still hazy, Reilena focused her sight, and her eyes immediately widened at the sight of the Masamune at her throat - or what looked like the Masamune, anyway. Terrified, Reilena went to shove the blade away, and was instead pulled back against someone's chest. Glancing up, she saw what looked to be Sephiroth - but something was off, this wasn't the real deal...
Shit, she's awake. Without a word, 'Sephiroth' threw what looked to be a harmless jewel on the ground, and then snatched Reilena's wrist roughly. She opened her mouth to scream, and was silenced by a hand on her mouth. 'Sephiroth' held Reilena tightly, lifting them both into the air and out of the room as the jewel exploded - Jenova-BIRTH let out an inhuman scream, regarding Aerith, Barret, and Cloud with hungry jowls.
"'Bout damned time," Barret growled, readying his gun. Next to him, Aerith tensed, angry and worried.
"Careful. We don't know what this thing can do," Cloud cautioned; not even a moment later, Jenova-BIRTH unleashed a blue laser, and Cloud held his Hardedge up, narrowly blocking the attack. Lowering the blade, Cloud narrowed his eyes, teeth clenched, and jaw set.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Where the hell is it!? It said it would take the girl and be here before Jenova was hatched! Sephiroth thought angrily, pacing back and forth on the front deck of the ship. His right hand twitched slightly, reaching for the true Masamune, but he shook his head; it was bad enough that his false clone had been discovered. Better to keep the sword sheathed for the time being.
Footsteps. "Master Sephiroth!" a voice called. Turning sharply, Sephiroth stood tall, a smile forming on his lips as his clone - now cloaked - strode up to him briskly. In the clone's arms was Reilena Gainsborough, in a semi-trance. Sephiroth bowed his head, reaching for the girl.
"You may leave now." The clone nodded, handing the girl over, and quickly ran out of sight. Shaking his head at the sight of the clone, Sephiroth turned his glance downward; Reilena lay prone in his arms, her sanguine hair streaming down from her head, eyes only partially open. She was only unconscious - it didn't look like the clone had harmed her at all during the confrontation - and he smiled calmly, laying a hand before her eyes. Uttering a low chant under his breath, Sephiroth took his hand away; Reilena's eyes twitched underneath their lids, and slowly she blinked.
"...unh..." She groaned, her eyes adjusting to the setting sunlight, and glanced up when she realized she was no longer on the ground. Her gaze met up with a familiar pair of deep green eyes, and yet she growled, tried to climb out of his grasp. Much to her chagrin, Sephiroth only held her closer, kept a calm watch on her. Irritated, she glared up at him. "Would it kill you to put me down now?" she snapped.
Sephiroth nodded. "I believe it would." Reilena laughed, snide.
"Oh, I'm sure," she mocked. "And who would you be? Another fake? Someone to just take me out of the fight, to leave my sister down there to fend for herself, while I'm up here wondering what the hell is going on?" The man chuckled; Reilena snarled ferally. "Lemme down, now! I'm not about to be taken out of here by a phony!"
"But that's where you're mistaken," Sephiroth replied; nonetheless though, he lowered his arms, and Reilena leapt to the ground, tense. Still, she remained before him, her glare unshaken, and he allowed his gaze to drift over her before returning to her own. "For you see, I am no false one. I'm not the phony." Reilena arched an eyebrow, a hand lowering toward her weapons, and Sephiroth shrugged.
"Prove it then. If you're not a fake, then prove it," she replied tersely. Sephiroth regarded her with a slight air of curiosity, and smiled again.
"Prove it, you say?" he asked. Reilena nodded - her hand was ready to grab one of her daggers - and tensed herself.
Sephiroth reached for her right wrist; Reilena leapt back, for that was the hand she had been preparing to attack with. As she tried to regain herself, Sephiroth easily took her left wrist in his hand, pulling Reilena toward him; curiously enough, he placed his free hand on her hip, holding her to him, and looked down at her. Utterly confused, she glanced first at the hand on her waist, then up at Sephiroth; he laughed softly, setting her hand on his shoulder, and then took her chin in his left hand, kissing her gently.
Now Reilena remembered it - five years ago. The SOLDIER formal. She had left Aerith, gone to the balcony in a fit of childish jealousy, and he'd come; he had helped dry her frustrated tears, asked her to dance, and had kissed her good-night before leaving just as suddenly as he had arrived.
She felt his hand tighten on her hip, pressing her to him, and she returned his kiss, her eyes closing lightly. Reilena slipped her arm across Sephiroth's shoulders, just as she had before, and was almost reluctant to let him go. He broke the kiss just as gently as he'd begun, but kissed her lips once more before glancing down at her. "Do you believe me now?" he asked, quiet. Reilena nodded, resting her forehead on his chest; a moment later though, she pulled back, and gestured below deck.
"What's going on, though?" she asked. "Your...clone, for lack of a better word, wouldn't tell me a thing, only said that 'I'd never hurt you intentionally.'"
"Because I never would," Sephiroth replied, tucking a loose strand of saguine hair behind Reilena's ear. She shook her head, indignant.
"That's not what I meant," she argued. "What is this all about? The killings - I saw dead soldiers, sailors strewn across the floors, your clone attacking one right in front of me...what is the meaning of all this?!" Sephiroth bowed his head, seemingly saddened, and Reilena tilted her head in an attempt to look into his eyes. "I only want to know if you're behind this or not..."
"I am," he muttered.
"What?" Reilena backed away, reaching for her weapons once again; to her shock, Sephiroth gazed up at her, and she dropped her arms at her sides. "So this is all your doing," she whispered, incredulous. Again, Sephiroth nodded. "What's it all for? Why?"
Sephiroth closed his eyes, a smile lilting on his face as he brushed his silver bangs from his eyes. "I'm not a criminal," he said, "so please wipe that thought from your mind. This...this killing...it is necessary. For you see, these people held secrets from me - secrets about my life, about my childhood, and I couldn't retrieve them. They wouldn't allow it." He stopped before Reilena, and took her hand in his; she didn't argue, didn't move, and he continued. "These people - the Shinra - refused to tell me about myself, about my past...Reilena, they practically invited me to use force against them in order to get information that should be available to me, for it is about myself. Things I never knew..."
"And the people aboard this ship..."
"Were informants," Sephiroth replied, quiet. "They refused to tell me anything - provoked me. I would never attack for no reason, you must believe me on that." He brought Reilena's hand to his lips, kissed her palm, then her fingers, and lowered it again. "Please, believe me."
Do I have a choice on the matter? she thought, her gaze downcast for the moment. Reilena remembered Cloud's story as well - the raid and murder of the town of Nibelheim; Sephiroth's attempted murder of Tifa; and his abrupt disappearance. There's so much that's contrary to what he's said, and yet...yet it makes sense in some sort..I...I don't know what to believe anymore.
A hand on her cheek; Reilena glanced up, and saw Sephiroth gazing back at her with an almost childish curiosity. He let his hand drift down her face, landing on her shoulder, and sighed. "I must leave you now," he said, whispering. Reilena sighed; he closed his eyes, guiltily. "I swear it to you though...I will explain everything."
"'In due time.' I know what you were going to say," Reilena muttered. Sephiroth smiled, although it still retained a bit of his guilt, and leaned forward. He dropped a light kiss on her forehead; suddenly, Reilena felt drowsy, although she could've sworn she heard Sephiroth telling her something else. She glanced up though half-closed eyes - he simply looked back down on her - and fell forward, unconscious.
Reilena was out - Sephiroth was certain. The spell would only last for a few moments...just enough time for him to leave, and for Cloud and the rest of his people to find her here, unharmed. Sephiroth placed an arm behind her back, bracing Reilena as he lowered her to the ground, and stood up over her. Beautiful, even in sleep...she will be perfect, he thought; before he left the ship though, he took a second glance at the Materia pendant he'd given her.
For some reason or another, it had taken on a deep blood-red hue.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Die already!" Barret hollered, letting loose with a rain of gunfire. Before him, the creature called Jenova-BIRTH gave one final, pathetic scream, and then fell to the ground with a shudder.
Nearby, Cloud and Aerith kept a close watch on the creature, ever suspicious. Cloud kept the Hardedge drawn as he took Aerith's hand, helping her circle the fallen monster, and they rejoined Barret. The burly AVALANCHE leader was resetting his gunarm, and glanced up at the younger pair with a wary eye. He nodded toward Jenova-BIRTH, his gaze fixed on Cloud.
"What the hell is that thing?" he asked. Aerith gave a helpless shrug, replacing her Striking Stick. Cloud didn't reply; instead, he circled the downed creature again, holding his sword readily.
"...Jenova," he breathed; Barret and Aerith looked at each other, confused. To himself, Cloud muttered, "You mean...you've been walkin' around with this thing? What're you planning to do here?" He stopped, kneeling beside the creature's head, and ducked so as to gaze into its eyes.
It breathed; Cloud shot to his feet, heard Aerith and Barret preparing for a second assault, and readied his own weapon. It was a work of wasted anxiety; Jenova-BIRTH let out a sigh, the final shudder of life floating away. An eyebrow raised in confusion, Cloud lowered his sword as the creature vanished inexplicably.
A flash of rose-pink; Aerith strode into the place where the monster had just been, and knelt down. Seconds later, she returned to the two men, and held out a smooth red stone. "It's the Ifrit summon," she said quietly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hold onto it until I find my sister." A glance between them; Barret and Cloud nodded simultaneously. Aerith silently slipped the Materia into a pocket on her scarlet denim minijacket, and turned back to Cloud solemnly. "What do we do now?" she asked.
Cloud issued a low sigh, replacing the Hardedge. "I...think it would be best if we checked on the rest of our party before we look for Reilena," he said. Aerith nodded once; Barret gaped.
"The fuck are you on, Cloud?" he bellowed, clapping a rough hand down on the youth's shoulder; Cloud stopped in his tracks, listening. "When Aerith was taken by the Turks, you was just about havin' kittens! An' now her sister's gone with that psycho and you don't care?" Cloud shrugged Barret's hand away, continuing toward the stairs; bewildered, Barret turned to Aerith. "You're worried about Rei, aintcha?"
Aerith nodded, though her face retained its emotionless mask. "More than you can fathom, Barret." She held a hand up before Barret could suggest searching, and shook her head. "She is alive, well, and on this ship still. However, it is not her physical state I am most concerned with."
Barret stood in silence, watching Aerith walk to catch up to Cloud, and tried to make sense out of her seemingly calm words. "If she isn't worried abou...oh shit," Barret muttered to himself, having realized Aerith's words. Swallowing back a breath, he ran to catch up with the pair.
He didn't have to run far; Barret caught up with Cloud and Aerith halfway up the steps. Tifa stood before them, her face a show of anxiety, and Barret readied his gunarm. "What the hell's goin' on?" he yelled up.
Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa peered back; Cloud spoke in a dead calm. "It's Rei," he said. "Tifa says Yuffie spotted her lying on the upper deck..."
"Then why the hell we standin' 'round?!" A glance between themselves, and Aerith strode up to Tifa quietly.
"Can you lead us to her?" she asked. Tifa nodded, motioning for the men to follow as well, and jogged up the steps, Aerith right beside her. The sunlight struck Aerith, Barret, and Cloud suddenly, yet they followed Tifa still, blinking in order to get used to the light.
The group passed the doorway to the lower deck and looked about; Yuffie wasn't hugging the rails. In fact, no one was around.
"Here." Tifa's command shattered the silence. The trio followed her to the very front of the ship, and Aerith issued a low gasp, running ahead. The men remained back, allowing Tifa to accompany Aerith, and held back their own concerned gazes.
Red XIII and Yuffie were seated beside Reilena's prone form, Red occasionally nuzzling her face. They both looked up as Aerith dropped to her knees beside her sister, and took Rei's hand in both of hers. Closing her eyes, Aerith spoke to her sister silently. Rei...Reilena, it's alright. You can wake up now...we're all here. She glanced back down at Reilena; the younger woman's eyes were moving underneath closed eyelids, and Aerith squeezed her hand again. C'mon Reilena...what's the matter?
It's him, Reilena answered; her voice was weak within Aerith's mind.
Who? Who's him? Aerith asked urgently. She opened her eyes, glancing down at her sister; Reilena began to stir, breaking her and Aerith's telepathic conversation, and opened her eyes. Aerith immediately dropped a hand to her sister's cheek, brushing away her sanguine hair, and smiled. "How are you, Rei?" she asked.
Reilena shook her head slowly; behind her, Red helped her sit up, and Reilena glanced about. Aerith was beside her, holding her hand tightly; Yuffie and Tifa were on her opposite side, joined by Red; in front of her were Barret and Cloud, both seemingly concerned, though only Barret's seemed genuine. Groaning under her breath, Reilena took Tifa's hand and rose shakily to her feet; after she was sure she could stand on her own, she turned to Aerith. "I could be better, but I'm not hurt," she said. Aerith nodded, her smile remaining; turning to Cloud, Reilena bowed her head. "Cloud..."
"What happened to ya?" Barret interrupted. Reilena looked over at the AVALANCHE leader and sighed.
"I...well...it's tough to explain," she began. "All I really remember is seeing you, Cloud, and Aerith standing before me...then I remember speaking to Sephiroth...and now here I am." Again, Reilena looked over at Cloud; he stared at her, emotionless save for a mere shrug.
"So it was Sephiroth," he muttered. Reilena nodded.
"Yes. I remember...before I passed out the first time...something about it being time for something."
"....time...is now?" Cloud said, arching an eyebrow. Reilena bowed her head.
"Something like that, but it wasn't really Sephiroth who you saw saying that," she replied. Cloud opened his mouth to object, but Barret let out an annoyed sigh, throwing his arms up in the air as he turned to Cloud irritably.
"I don't know WHAT the hell's goin' on!" he shouted.
"Neither do we," Red answered; beside him, Yuffie nodded once before clutching an arm to her torso. Red let out a dismissive whuff as the young ninja became seasick, and sat on his haunches. Nearby, Tifa leaned an arm on Reilena's shoulder, while Aerith stood close by, almost guarding her sister. Barret kept his glare on Cloud, even though the younger man seemed unfazed.
"Why don't you explain to me what's happened so far?" he muttered. Cloud shrugged, glancing about the group; he was met with nods all around, and he sighed.
"Fine, but don't interrupt me while I'm speaking," Cloud replied. Barret nodded, folding his arms, and waited. Cloud inhaled deeply, turning his gaze to Tifa and the Gainsboroughs. "Sephiroth went off searching for the Promised Land, so that he could become ruler of the planet...but that was five years ago," he said, just as Reilena slipped a hand over her mouth. He nodded once, continuing. "Then, as we all know, Sephiroth came back and killed President Shinra. Just now, Aerith, Barret, and myself saw Sephiroth, and Reilena apparently spoke with him. He was carrying Jenova with him."
"Jenova?" Red spoke up. "You mean to tell us that Sephiroth is carrying that...?" Cloud nodded, glancing back at Reilena; she said nothing, and Cloud sighed.
"That much I do know," he finished. "He told me years ago that he wants to go to the Promised Land with his mother, Jenova...and I guess that's about it." Red nodded, and turned to Reilena expectantly; when she didn't add anything to Cloud's story, he sneezed once, and looked up at the rest of the group.
"Dock workers - we will be docking in Costa del Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking," a calm, pre-recorded voice said over the speakers. "I repeat - we will be docking in Costa del Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking."
"Whoa!" Barret cried. "We'd best hurry and hide somewheres."
"Over here," Tifa called, motioning everyone toward a stack of shipping crates; Yuffie ambled her way over, just out of sight of a few living sailors, and the group hid amongst the wooden boxes. Cloud chanced a look over at Reilena and Aerith; the two sisters were silent, solemn, and he shut his eyes, wondering what Sephiroth had in mind for them next.
Sephiroth...is alive...the Promised Land...does it really exist...?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Goddamn, it's hot enough up here!" Barret grumbled, pulling the uniform shirt over his head. Behind the door, he heard the rest of the group echoing their sentiments, and sighed as he pulled on his normal shirt. Wiping his brow with the old sailor one, he unlocked the bathroom door and walked out into the hotel lobby, where the crew was situated. "Feels good to be out of that stuffy uniform," he muttered to himself; looking around the team, he saw that they'd all changed as well, and chucked his suit into a nearby trash bin. "Listen up!" he called. "We're to mingle like normal folks while we're here, a'ight?"
Aerith nodded, covering up a smile. Barret threw her a curious stare, and she shrugged from her chair near Yuffie. "It's nothing - just that you looked so cute in your sailor suit."
The rest of the group burst into laughter. Barret felt his cheeks flush, and tightened his jaw, partly embarassed. "...whaddya mean, cute?" he asked gruffly. Tifa, Aerith, Yuffie, and Red tried to hide their snickers behind their hands (paws in Red's case), to no avail.
"Well, uh...why don't you just keep the uniform as pyjamas?" Tifa giggled. Barret arched an eyebrow, still tense, and Tifa elbowed Cloud, who sat in the chair beside her. "Right Cloud? Barret shoulda kept it!"
Cloud shook his head and rose from his chair. "Keep your mind on Sephiroth," he replied solemnly; the group was quickly silenced, and Cloud gestured to the door leading out into the town. "Remember, this isn't a vacation; we're here after Sephiroth. I'm going on ahead." With that, he turned crisply on his heel and walked out, leaving the rest of the group in their chairs.
"Hmph," Barret snorted, rolling his eyes. "Cloud...you're always the one who's hangin' around and wastin' time." He glanced over the team, shrugged, and walked on out after Cloud. "I'm skipping this resort." The remaining members glanced at each other; without a word, they got up and ran out after the two men, surprised to see that they were still standing outside the door of the hotel. Rolling her eyes, Tifa walked in between Cloud and Barret, and stood in front of them, hands on her hips.
"So you want us to be on the lookout for Sephiroth, yet you're both standing here," she retorted. "What's the plan, O Fearless Leaders?"
"Whatever it is," Red puffed, "would you kindly hurry? The heat is drying my nose up." Next to him, Aerith knelt down, ruffling his mane as she spoke quietly; the duo walked off to a concession stand nearby, leaving Tifa and Yuffie with Cloud and Barret. Yuffie sighed loudly, pouting.
"If we're not gonna do anything, then what's the point of being here?" she whined. Cloud glanced at her, about to explain yet again, and instead wiped an arm across his brow; he had to agree, it was quite hot here in Costa del Sol. A sideways look at Barret, who was fanning himself with his hand, and he nodded.
"All right," he conceded. "We'll take a break here, and then head out." Glancing toward Aerith and Red, who was content with his bowl of ice water, Cloud continued. "Don't wander too far off!" Aerith nodded in agreement - in front of Cloud and Barret, Tifa smiled, and Yuffie cheered. Cloud shook his head, turned, and walked back into the hotel, followed by Barret; if they weren't going to be leaving, they were going to reserve rooms for the night.
"I must say, thank you for the water again Aerith," Red said, taking a breath in between gulps of water. Aerith smiled, kneeling beside him again, and glanced out across the town. It reminded her almost of home - complete with the children in the streets playing, the small carts with their wares along with the regular stores...but she had to admit that they didn't have a beach back at Sector 5. Sighing to herself, Aerith laid a hand on Red's back as he drank his water, and didn't see the soccer ball in the air until after it had hit Red square in the head. "Oof!"
"Oh jeez lady, I didn't mean to hit your dog!" a little boy yelled, running over with a worried glance. Aerith shook her head, handing him his soccer ball, and patted his shoulder.
"It's alright - I think he's okay," she replied. "Go on and play." Grinning, the boy ran to rejoin his friends, and Aerith sat before Red, holding his muzzle in her hands. "Are you okay?"
Red whuffed, licking his jowls. "I'm alright," he replied, "but it looks like my mane's been messed up." He glanced toward the shadows underneath the hotel's balconies, and motioned to them. "I think I'll go rest under there until we all regroup."
"Fair enough," Aerith agreed. With one last gentle pat, she stood up, brushing her pink skirts, and watched Red cross the street. Once he was situated underneath the rafters, she glanced out to the Materia vendor; Yuffie was arguing with the seller, her face bright red, and Tifa was inside a clothing store, inspecting a yellow sundress. Aerith brushed her hair from her face with a sigh, wiping a bit of sweat from her cheeks, and was about to walk back to the hotel when...
Reilena... She hadn't been at the semi-meeting...which meant...she's somewhere in town, or...oh no. Aerith took a deep breath, recollecting her thoughts, and started off for the boating docks, hoping nothing had happened.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"What a long trip," the last sailor complained. Behind him, Rufus and Heidegger strode off the ship; Heidegger wiped at his face with a handkerchief every few seconds, while Rufus merely slipped on a pair of expensive sunglasses. He glanced around the pier with a judging eye; the cargo was stacked everywhere, but neither Cloud nor his team was anywhere to be seen. Rolling his eyes behind his glasses, Rufus turned to the sailors with a curt nod.
"Good work everyone. You are dismissed," he said. Beside him, Heidegger chuckled.
"Hurry up with that!" he bellowed. The sailors saluted immediately.
"Sir, yes sir!" they chanted in unison. Quickly, the group dissolved, each man heading into town, and Rufus folded his arms, looking out over the numerous crates. Heidegger wiped his forehead again, his breathing heavy; Rufus was unmoved.
"I heard Sephiroth was on board," he said, stoic. Heidegger was suddenly very quiet.
"...yes."
Rufus only peered sideways at the bearded, portly man. "And it seems that Cloud and the others were on board as well.
"...yes."
"They all slipped through the cracks." Rufus shook his head, clicking his tongue, chastising. "You messed up big this time, Heidegger."
"I'm...I'm ashamed of myself, sir," Heidegger mumbled, hanging his head. Rufus sighed contemptuously.
"Is that all you can do?" he snapped. "Give one word and apologize for everything? It's pathetic." He was about to continue when a small scraping echoed out from behind a pile of crates. Rufus peered over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised, and turned on his heel. Walking over to the crates, Rufus glanced behind the boxes. No one there. Although he was still apprehensive, Rufus turned back to Heidegger, who was still in place, head hanging. "Grow a backbone, Heidegger..."
"Sir!" A white uniform before him; a sailor gave Rufus a quick salute. "We are ready for departure, sir!"
Rufus nodded; as he went to follow the sailor, he patted Heidegger's shoulder. "Do something. I'll be expecting results." Heidegger nodded, solemn, and Rufus glanced up at the sailor, walking up after him.
He waited until Rufus had left the pier to vent his anger. Letting out an animal growl, Heidegger grabbed several planks and smashed them against the pier, throwing the splintered pieces into the ocean before him, ignoring the sweat pouring down his brow, the stains growing under his armpits and beard. He'd failed Rufus again, and that arrogant little snot had made him feel lower than mud yet again. He was sick and tired of it...and as he glanced up at the skies, he saw the Shinra helicopter flying off toward the mainland.
"Damn it all to hell!" Heidegger screamed. Shoving the pier workers aside, the sweaty suited man ran off the docks and into Costa del Sol, searching for an alternate means of transportation. That damned brat had left without him!
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
That was close, Reilena thought, huddled against the crane; she'd been listening in on Rufus and Heidegger's conversation when one of the damned crates had begun to slide across the docks. When she heard footsteps, she'd scurried across the boxes's backsides and made it to the crane just in time to see Rufus peering over the box she'd been hiding behind. Now though, she sat in silence, having listened to Heidegger's temper tantrum, and yet unsure of his whereabouts. Well, we're not getting anywhere sitting here now, are we? her conscience argued.
With a sigh, Reilena stood up, brushing her sanguine hair away from her throat, and readjusted the shoulders of her deep-blue off-shoulder shirt; her Materia pendant lay on her chest, shining bright silver, and she blinked a few times to get used to the sunlight as she turned to look out across the dock. Much to her relief, only a few dockworkers were still there, picking up the remnants of Heidegger's fury, and she walked carefully across the dock, behind one of the workers, and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Excuse me..."
"Yes, miss?" an older voice asked; the worker turned and smiled to Reilena, his face deeply tanned. Reilena smiled politely in return.
"I was wondering if you'd be able to point me in the direction of the beach?" she asked. His smile widening to show white teeth, the worker pointed across the pier.
"Just follow that ramp toward town. There'll be a sign at the corner, though you'll be able to see the beach before then, and you can either walk the path or just jump down into the sand," he replied. Thanking him, Reilena jogged down the dock; sure enough, a street sign on the corner read "Pier/Beach." Laughing under her breath, Reilena leapt down the path, landing on the sand, and brushed her pants off, cursing herself for dressing so warmly.
"Then again, it's not like Sector 5 is ever this nice," she muttered to herself as she sat down on a stone step to pull off her shoes. She held the shoes in one hand and walked over the hot sand to the shore, smiling as the tide waved lazily in and out, wetting her toes. Reilena tossed her hair over her shoulder again, taking her time walking the shoreline, and waved when she saw Aerith running down the beach, her long mahogany braid flying after her. "Aerith!"
Her older sister clamped her hands on her shoulders, staring at her wildly. "Reilena Ayn Gainsborough! Where the hell were you?" Aerith cried. Reilena glanced up at the sky, chewing at her lip guiltily.
"Well...I was uh...at the dock?"
"Still?" Aerith asked. "Why?"
"I was waiting for Rufus and Heidegger to depart," she answered; immediately Aerith shook her, the worried look on her face replaced by one of anger, and she rolled her eyes, waiting for the lecture.
"Reilena, don't you know what could happen if they find us? You and I will be used as experiments, and the others will be killed!" she chastised. When her sister rolled her eyes, Aerith sighed, shaking her head. "Look, Rei...I'm worried about you, okay? First you're plagued by these nightmares...then we saw you with Sephiroth again, after all those years...and now here you are, taking silly risks! I don't want to lose you!"
"You mean you don't want to lose Cloud," Reilena retorted, wrenching out of Aerith's hands. Aerith stared at her, wide eyed, and Reilena nodded. "I'm not stupid Aerith - it's obvious that both you and Tifa have a thing for Cloud, so please don't try to deny it. You haven't acted this way since..." She stopped, eyes wide.
"Since when, Reilena? Finish! Since when?" Aerith snapped; Reilena shook her head, jabbing behind Aerith.
"Look...look at that," she said slowly, a trace of fury in her tone. Wiping at her eyes and forehead quickly, Aerith turned; immediately she gasped.
"Oh my...is that...?" she asked. Reilena nodded, her gaze narrowed, and she started toward the man in the beach chaise. Before she got too far, she spotted Cloud out of the corner of her eye and sighed; Aerith was already motioning him over. He strode across the beach, still fully clothed, and gave Reilena a stoic glance before turning to Aerith.
"What is it?" Aerith pointed to where she and Reilena were headed; Cloud looked over, his eyes widened slightly when he saw who it was. "Is that man over there...is that Hojo?"
"No, it's friggin' Father Time," Reilena snapped. "Of course it's Hojo! And I'm going over there to talk to him."
"Not alone, you're not." Cloud walked up alongside her, matching her stride for stride; Aerith was behind them, and Cloud leaned close to Reilena, speaking in a low tone. "We'll discuss why you weren't at the gathering later." Reilena snorted irritably, and she, Aerith, and Cloud stopped short of Hojo; a crowd of women were seated around him, seemingly entranced. Cloud tapped one woman on the shoulder, and she threw her hair over her shoulder snobbishly.
"God! What do you want?" she asked, ignoring Reilena's snickering and Aerith's astonished gaze. Cloud gestured to Hojo.
"I...we want to talk with that man," he replied. The girl rolled her eyes with an exaggerated air, and turned to Hojo.
"Professor Hojo!" she whined; he glanced at her with a smile, his dark hair slicked back into a shiny ponytail; he wore sunglass shades over his regular glasses. The girl pointed at Cloud, Reilena, and Aerith. "That scary man says he wants to talk with you."
"He does now, hmm?" Hojo replied. The girl nodded, and Hojo shook his head. "I'm busy right now." Grinning, the girl turned back to the trio.
"Too bad!" she chirped; as she turned back to Hojo, however, the scientist shook his head again, waving a hand.
"No, I remember you all now," he said. To the girls, he said, "Go on - I need some time with these people." Amid their whines and sighs, Hojo sat up on the chaise and folded his hands on his torso, glancing over Cloud and the Gainsborough sisters with a knowing smile. "It's been a long time, Cloud."
"Hojo."
The scientist chuckled, spreading his arms to indicate the women at his sides. "Sometimes you just gotta do something like this, right?" he chuckled good-naturedly. Confused, Cloud glanced about; behind him, Aerith and Reilena rolled their eyes.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Hojo dropped his arms, an eyebrow raised in disbelief. "It should be obvious," he replied, emotionless. "I'm getting a tan." He went to lean back in the chaise when Cloud reached forward, grabbing Hojo's collar. He yanked the scientist close and glared into his glasses.
"Answer me!" he growled. Hojo glanced behind Cloud, at the Gainsboroughs, and chuckled. He picked Cloud's hands off of his collar and rested back in his chaise with a mere shrug.
"I believe we're all after the same goal." Bewildered, Cloud glanced back at the women; Aerith shrugged, while Reilena only bowed her head. Hojo laughed under his breath, readjusting his glasses.
"You mean Sephiroth?"
Hojo shrugged again. "Did you see him?" Cloud was silent, and Hojo glanced behind him, at Aerith and Reilena. "Well, did you?" he asked. Aerith was silent; Reilena's head remained bowed, refusing to look Hojo in the eye, though he noticed her tense fists, and smiled. "I see..." he began; out of nowhere he laughed out loud, and the trio glared at him simultaneously. Reilena spoke before Cloud.
"What is it?" she snapped. "What's so damned funny?"
"She speaks, hmm?" Hojo replied, removing his glasses so as to wipe at his eyes; he glanced at Reilena before replacing his glasses, noticed a shiver run through her, and nodded once. "Nothing. I just remembered a certain...hypothesis," he continued. Cloud stepped up then, a fist before him.
"What is it, Hojo?" Hojo shook his head, folding his hands once again, and sat up straighter, speaking in a lowered voice. "Don't you ever get the feeling something is calling you? That you had to visit some place? Or maybe..." he glanced at Reilena pointedly, "visions of someone that you feel a connection to for an unknown reason?" Reilena gasped, a hand clapped over her mouth, and Hojo grinned; Cloud stepped before Reilena protectively and glared down at Hojo.
"I'll go anywhere Sephiroth is at!" he said determinedly. "To beat him and put an end to all of...this!"
Hojo only stared at him. "I see...this could be interesting." He glanced over Cloud's uniform. "Were you in SOLDIER?" he asked. Cloud nodded, eyes narrowed, and Hojo chuckled. "Would you like to be my guinea pig?"
"Bastard..." Cloud growled, reaching behind himself; Reilena already had one of her Mythril daggers drawn. Hojo gave a bored sigh, throwing his arms in the air.
"Oh, so now you're all going to draw your weapons?" he asked. In retaliation, Cloud and Reilena snarled; before they could make a move, Aerith laid her hands on their shoulders, shaking her head.
"Stop it Cloud! Reilena!" she argued. "I know how you both feel, but you mustn't do this...at least not now." Cloud grudgingly dropped his hand, but Reilena still clenched her dagger. Aerith dropped her hand to her sister's, gentle. "Please, Rei," she whispered. "Please don't cause a scene here, now." Reilena glared at her sister - Aerith saw the shine of tears in Reilena's eyes - and then Hojo, sheathing her dagger loudly.
Hojo laughed. "How perfectly convenient...say, aren't you two the Ancients?" he asked, turning his attention back to the Gainsborough sisters. Aerith nodded, the only calm person in the group, and replaced her hand to Reilena's shoulder; the younger sister refused to meet Hojo's glance.
"I'm Aerith, and this is my younger sister Reilena." She sighed, shaking her head. "The least you can do is something, Professor Hojo...Rei and I know we're Ancients. Our mother told us."
Hojo's eyes widened, interested. "Your mother? Oh, you mean Ifalna. How is she?" he asked casually.
"You didn't know?" Aerith asked, confused.
"She died," Reilena snapped quietly. Hojo nodded slowly, rubbing his chin.
"I...see." Aerith glanced over at her sister - Reilena wiped at her eyes harshly - and turned back to Hojo.
"Professor Hojo...is Jenova an Ancient? Is Sephiroth an Ancient? Do we all have the same blood?" she asked imploringly. Reilena finally raised her face, and watched Hojo closely; the scientist was still rubbing his chin, talking under his breath. Cloud strode up again, about to grab Hojo again, when Aerith held him back, a hand on his chest.
"...head west..." Hojo mumbled; he stared up at the sky thoughtfully, talking to himself, and the trio regarded him irritably.
"He's mumbling slowly...that has to mean he's hiding something," Aerith said, turning to both Cloud and Reilena. Behind them, Hojo still thought aloud, low enough so that they couldn't hear, and Reilena shoved past her sister and Cloud. Grabbing Hojo by the shoulders, she glared at him, not caring if she did start crying or not. He knew about her visions...knew about Sephiroth...he had to know about herself and Aerith as well.
"Answer us!" she screamed. "Answer our fucking questions! You know, don't you?" When Hojo didn't answer her, Reilena shook him harder. "Damn you bastard, answer us now!"
A hand on her shoulder, heavier than Aerith's; it pulled her back, forcing her to drop Hojo, and she hung her head angrily, wiping at her eyes carelessly. Aerith stepped between Reilena and Hojo, and hugged her sister tightly. Reilena leaned her head on Aerith's shoulder, letting herself cry out her frustrations, as Cloud stood behind her.
"It's no use, Rei...it's no go. He won't answer us," he said in a quiet voice. Reilena stepped back from her sister, sniffling still.
"But he knows! He knows something..." Cloud shook his head, keeping a calm tone as he spoke with Reilena; Aerith stood at her sister's side, an arm across her shoulders.
"Rei, even if he does know, he's not going to tell us right now. The best thing for us to do is regroup at the hotel, rest for the night, and get back on the road again." He watched her closely, waiting for a response; when she nodded, he glanced to Aerith. She nodded as well, and Cloud turned. "Then it's settled. Meet back at the hotel in a few moments. I'll go get Yuffie, Tifa, and Red."
"Red's already there," Aerith replied. "I left him sleeping underneath the rafters."
"Tifa and Yuffie?"
"Tifa...was in the clothing shop across the street. Yuffie...I haven't seen her in awhile."
"Thanks." Cloud waved, and started back to town; Aerith waved in return, and glanced over at Reilena. She looked out over the ocean once again, but this time her face was full of sorrow rather than giddiness, and Aerith dropped her eyes to the sand.
"Rei...I'm sorry," Aerith whispered. "I'm sorry about that...I know you wanted to..."
"You know nothing." Slipping underneath Aerith's arm, Reilena walked on ahead, her shoes slung in her pack. She wiped at the last remnants of her tears again, ignoring her sister's cries behind her as she climbed up the steps to the town square. It's true...you don't know, Aerith. You think you do, but in reality, you know so very little.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
A dark, damp room - it felt like an underground chamber, perhaps a basement of some sort. Whatever kind of room it was, it was cold, and Reilena hugged herself futilely, pressing on.
There were four boxes in the room; as she peered into one opened box, she saw the lustre of human bones, an arm over the edge, and swallowed her fear. She was in a room of death; a quick glance told her that two more of the coffins were open, their skeletal residents forever sleeping inside.
The fourth coffin however, was still sealed.
She gripped her pendant in her hand, oblivious to its blood-red glow, took a deep breath, and walked to the closed coffin in the middle of the room. Raising a hand, unaware of her intentions, Reilena knocked on the lid of the coffin. A small noise from within - a cough, perhaps? - and the lid burst off, revealing the form of the person inside just before he leapt out. Startled, she leapt back a step, watching him as he stood on the very edge of the coffin; his arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked down at her with piercing scarlet eyes...
"Rei...Reilena, wake up!"
With a start, Reilena sprang forth, eyes wide, sucking in big breaths of the cool night air. She reached down her throat, glanced down at her pendant - it still shone silver - and finally looked around herself, realizing her place.
Tifa sat beside Reilena, her brown eyes worried underneath her tousled brunette mane. Aerith was standing on the opposite side, wide-awake, clutching her sister's hand tightly. At the foot of the bed were Yuffie, Red, a yawning Barret, and an emotionless Cloud. Blinking, Reilena glanced between her best friend and her sister as Aerith brushed her knuckles along Reilena's forehead.
"What's goin' on?" she asked, surprised at the trembling in her voice.
Tifa shook her head, laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Just a nightmare, that's all," she replied. "Don't worry about it though - your sister an' I were the ones who went around waking everyone up." A glance at Aerith - she nodded, patting Reilena's pillow gently.
"Lie back and relax," Aerith whispered. Yawning, Reilena obeyed, and laid down; Aerith glanced up at Tifa, nodding toward the others. "Would you mind excusing us for a moment? I'd like to talk with my sister alone," she said quietly. Tifa took one look down at Reilena, and nodded.
"No problem." Standing up, she fixed the collar of the oversized t-shirt she wore, and went over to the men first. "C'mon guys...it's girl-talk time," she said in a low tone. Barret didn't need to be told twice; he stifled another yawn as he waved and walked out, closely followed by Yuffie, who almost appeared to be sleepwalking. Red leapt down from his spot on the foot of the bed and nuzzled Reilena's hand gently; after she'd ruffled his mane, the beast plodded out of the room, following Yuffie.
Cloud stuck behind, keeping his stoic gaze on the Gainsborough sisters. Something wasn't sitting right with him about Reilena; he suspected that she knew much more about Sephiroth and his whereabouts than she was willing to disclose, and he was determined to find out what it was. He sighed under his breath and leaned against the doorframe, watching Aerith and Reilena closely.
Tifa glanced at her childhood friend curiously, following his gaze, and waved a finger in front of his face, causing him to jump. "Eavesdropping isn't nice," she chastised softly, and thwacked Cloud's shoulder lightly, pushing him toward the door. "Get a move on."
"Hmph." Cloud turned on his heel and stalked out without a word. Confused, Tifa blinked twice after Cloud shut his room door, and then shrugged halfheartedly.
"Whatever..." One last glance at the sisters, and Tifa tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind her; since Aerith and Rei needed some time, Tifa figured that she'd stay with Yuffie for a little while. Let the girls talk awhile, she thought. They need it...especially after this afternoon. Seeing Hojo again probably shook 'em both up. She raked a hand through her thick hair, and knocked on Yuffie's door, smiling tiredly when the young ninja girl let her in with a yawn.