((Author's note: Now would be an appropriate time to mention that this story is based on a plotline that my cherished role playing crew and I were in the middle of when we were teenagers on the proboards days. Some sections are taken directly from the threads with slight modifications, but the majority of it is based on my notes for the characters I was playing then. The characters that I'm writing are heavily influenced by the stylistic choices of the writers and friends I know them as, so if they are not true to the cannon that you know it's because we evolved ourselves within those characters. I think any person will do that when they're learning how to interact with and relate to the world and others around them; while those of us who were older were always more canonically appropriate, the rest of us were still trying to discover ourselves and make our mark in the fandom we shared. I've done my best to separate the characters and their circumstances from my treasured friends in writing this, but the reason the story is so special to me is because of the people that were writing it with me, so that attachment is still likely to bleed through.))

Nanaki climbed into the cabin and Cait Sith happily greeted him.

"Fancy seein' you here, Reddo," the small cat screeched over the pounding overhead blades. He ruffled the fur atop Nanaki's head with his tiny hands. The copter spared no time in taking off again, before the cats could fully brace themselves. The force of lift off pushed Cait Sith's entire body into Nanaki's face, which he shook away in mild frustration.

"Do you make the voice yourself, Reeve?" Nanaki sarcastically asked once he was free of the toy's grip. "Are you locked in your office right now acting like a fool?"

"Tha's insulting," Cait Sith said flatly into his megaphone. "I'm me own purrrrson." He indicated to himself with his free hand cutely.

Nanaki scoffed. "You're a security drone who moonlighted as a fortune teller in a seedy gambling establishment, piloted by a man with too little, and equally too much time," he said, at a volume uncomfortably intense for him as he tried to be heard over the noise of the vehicle's engine.

Cait Sith looked upset. He took a large breath, a comical act since he was a mechanical device that didn't need to breathe. Nanaki lowered his ears just as Cait Sith yelled into his megaphone, "AN' YER A SPOILED BRAT THAT PUNCHES DOWN WHEN 'E'S ANGRY AN' SCARED."

Even while muted the best his body could manage, the screech of the volume-altering device's sound waves pointed right at his face hit Nanaki's ears like a hammer. It grated on his nerves as the swaying of the metal floor made his stomach churn. Flying and sailing weren't as easy for him to adapt to compared to the humans he surrounded himself with, and while on any such method of transportation he always felt nervous and unwell.

Resigned to misery for the next few hours, Nanaki relented and slumped in place, his cloak covering him like a warm, comfortable blanket.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled to Cait Sith.

"Listen, Lad," Cait Sith began, still into the megaphone but at a more reasonable volume this time. "Yer not the only one concerned about what all this means," the small cat paced about, emphasizing his words with his free hand. Nanaki followed his movements with his eyes but not his head, fearing he would feel dizzy if he tried to move it.

"But you've got'ta get'chur emotions under control. Snappin' at people, impatience, tha's not productive. Tha's a problem just askin'fer other problems," Caith Sith finished, focusing hard on Nanaki's face.

"I know," Nanaki softly admitted, inaudible even to himself over the engines, but Cait Sith had heard him.

"DO ya, Lad?" The small cat leaned in, his voice a bit louder this time, prompting Nanaki to protect his eardrums again. "A'cause tha way ya been actin' makes'at not seem true."

"I just don't like feeling helpless," Nanaki replied, still softly. "I don't know what to do with myself when I can't do anything at all..."

"Ya did what'cha could, Lad," Cait Sith said, this time without the megaphone. "Ya asked fer help when ya knew ya couldn't lend yer own hands. Paws?" Cait Sith looked at his own free hand, then to Nanaki's paws. "Eh, same difference. Point is, ya weren't helpless, ya just needed some help."

Nanaki grunted. When getting lectured by Cait Sith, Reeve's influence was clear to see, but the way he said things was a lot less restrained. Cait Sith may be a much-needed outlet for Reeve, who needed to prioritize the safety of others above his own needs, always. The way this persona behaved sometimes made it seem as if it were alive and breathing, and separate from the person Nanaki knew.

The other members of the WRO, outfitted with weapons and armor for the upcoming battle, were quiet and still as armed statues during the exchange of the two cats. Nanaki wasn't sure if they knew their boss was piloting the tiny feline or if Reeve kept the info close to the vest, and he felt guilty for not considering that earlier.

"Thank you for the advice, Cait Sith," Nanaki said directly, loud enough for anyone around to hear. "I'm sorry I acted childish and insulted you. I shouldn't have taken the stress of the situation out on you, Vincent, or Reeve."

Cait Sith gave Nanaki a wily grin. "Ey, no hard feelings, Lad." He patted Nanaki on the nose gently. "Only thing ta' do now is learn. Well, an' brief these troops on what they're'about ta be a'facin'."

Nanaki furrowed his brows. "Wha...?"

Cait Sith motioned for him to stand up and turn around so he would be facing the WRO forces behind them. Nanaki did so, and the nausea of flying was replaced by the butterflies of stage fright. There were several rows of people, some sitting, some adjusting their weapons or armor, others were holding the straps from the vehicle's ceiling and standing, attentive.

Cait Sith used the hood of Nanaki's cloak to hoist himself upon the larger cat's back where he stood, megaphone poised. "Ya ready, friend?" Cait Sith asked, loud enough for Nanaki to hear without his device.

"NO," Nanaki stressed. "I—"

"Oookay, ya'lot," Cait Sith interrupted, loudly through the megaphone. The forces that were previously occupying themselves were now all focused on the felines, and Nanaki felt his heart pounding in his chest.

"Our friend Reddo here is gonna give us all a briefin' on just what we'll be'a walkin' inta down there," Cait Sith said, weirdly authoritatively. "Introduce yerself, Nan," Cait Sith said, quieter this time, now holding the megaphone upside down for Nanaki to speak into.

"Uh," Nanaki began, quite professionally. "I—" he hesitated, then huffed, puffing out his chest in an attempt to feel brave. "I am...Nanaki," he finally managed to squeak. "O-Of Cosmo Canyon, as you may know it."

Cait Sith brought the megaphone back up to his own lips. "And what brings ya here today, Nanaki?" He lowered the megaphone to the larger cat once more.

"I—m—my friend—our friend is in danger," Nanaki was beginning to find his voice again, focusing on subject rather than audience. He closed his eyes, remembering Yuffie's last words to him. MONSTER. DEAD. MONSTER. DEAD. "Yuffie is in danger. She was attacked while at Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim."

"What attacked her?" He heard Cait Sith ask through the megaphone, but hadn't felt the small cat move it in the first place. Nanaki kept his eyes closed, trusting that Cait Sith had put it back. A crack of thunder sounded outside as the vehicle finally reached the edges of the storm it was flying towards, giving the meeting a more ominous atmosphere. Nanaki could see the shift in lighting through his eyelids as the vehicle flew into heavy clouds.

"Something large, and mutated. Something we fought before that is now back from the dead," Nanaki said, this time confidently. Cait Sith had put the megaphone back, as expected. When Nanaki finished speaking, he heard a few gasps and mumbles from the crowd.

"An' how do ya know it's the same beastie ya fought before?" Cait Sith asked.

"I don't," Nanaki admitted. "it's just the best guess I had at what would give her that much trouble. And if it is that same creature it's going to require some planning and preparation, because it shapeshifts." Another round of mumbles sounded from the crowd, but Nanaki tried his best to ignore the noise. He cleared his throat, finding the megaphone was still in place, and continued. "Those of you that have materia, keep it close and share it with your comrades if you have extra. One of its forms is weak to elemental damage. Everyone should also be carrying a physical weapon of some sort, either close or long range. The other form is still quite formidable, but weakest to regular attacks."

"Ya heard the man—er, the beast?" Cait Sith said into the megaphone, hesitating momentarily.

"Man is fine," Nanaki interjected, without the megaphone.

No one could hear him as Cait Sith continued:

"We'll see what form we have once we get there. Make sure yer squads're well-rounded. We'll be formulatin' an attack strategy on the ground. 'Til then, commanders communicate the info over yer handhelds to keep the 'copter airways clear."

Nanaki finally opened his eyes as the attention of the crowd refocused to talking amongst themselves and interacting with equipment with purposes he couldn't immediately decipher. He felt Cait Sith use his cloak as leverage again to lower himself back to the ground.

"Careful," Nanaki said urgently. "This cloak was my grandfather's."

Cait Sith gave him another wily grin and leaned in close, close enough to speak at a normal volume despite the engines. "Didn't'chur grandpappy warn ya about attachments?"

"Yes," Nanaki responded, defiantly. "He said they make us stronger than we'd be alone."Cait Sith's expression didn't change. Nanaki wasn't sure if Reeve just didn't have a response, if the question was a test, or what, for that matter, the reason for such a test would be.

"BRAVO ECHO KILO FOUR SEVEN THREE PILOT, COME IN," a voice behind them loudly interrupted the silence. Both cats turned around to find it was their pilot speaking into his headset's mic. Neither had realized enough time had passed to leave them close enough to radio the pilot on-scene. Another crack of thunder and its accompanying lightning painted the dark clouds with a ghostly brightness.

"B-BRAVO ECHO KILO FOUR SEVEN THREE P-PILOT T-TREVOR HALL, REPORTING, SIR," a voice crackled over the radio in response. It sounded young, and startled.

"Ooh," Cait Sith also sounded startled. "Forgot Trevor was on-scene. Poor lad, don't think he's ever seen combat before." He gave one of Nanaki's braids a tug, prompting Nanaki to look at him. Cait Sith looked determined. "We've got ta keep 'im outta the front lines, fer 'is own good. 'E's too young ta' be a'fightin'."

"Why did you send him out here, then?" Nanaki asked, concerned.

"Wasn't supposed'ta be dangerous," the small cat said, in a moment of wistfulness. "And a'cause he's got a little crush on our head of intelligence," Cait Sith finished, snickering mischievously.

Nanaki groaned.