I do not own FFVII characters – though I wish I did. lol
I do own my own character – Jalyne and other originals.
Chapter 66- The Lab
The group made their way down the long hallway that opened up to the larger laboratory. Jalyne spied the doorway at the far end that looked to lead into an office. Cylindrical chambers lined the larger lab, all with hoses and computer systems for monitoring. In between each one there was a cabinet with bottles marked and some glowed with different colors and intensity. In the center of the room was a large table with glass containers and beakers strewn about. Books and texts layed about, some covered in liquid and some with a lot of scribbles and notes upon them.
Jalyne headed to the office with the queens in tow, marveling at the structures and instruments. She was drawn to the books and recognized the writing and scripts that were upon the pages.
Reno went the other way, inspecting the damage in the walls and containment units caused by the failed experiment. The flame-haired Turk ran light fingers across the glass containment units, deep in thought about what occurred in this room. He turned to his bald partner with a raised brow in question.
"What do you think, yo?"
"…" Rude paused with a glance to the ladies. "I think there is more that occurred here that even the President knows about."
You may be right, Rude. The blonde president chimed in. Any idea what else happened?
"Not yet, yo." Reno asserted. "We'll keep looking."
Reno walked towards the center table to look at the books strewn about. There was strange writing upon some of the pages but he could recognize some that was there. He had seen it before – in Niebelheim.. Rude studied some of the others, taking out his phone and snapping a few pictures to send to the president when Reno's head snapped to the ladies.
"Jalyne?" he called lightly to the queens as they were searching the library.
"Yes?"
"Can you open a gate in here, yo?"
"Depends on where." She commented still looking at one particular book. "I wouldn't recommend trying to travel across the heavens."
"To the president."
"I'm sure I could." Jalyne answered. "Why?"
"So we can take some of these back, yo." Reno raised a manuscript for her to see. "Better to have the real thing."
She raised her hand to her chin in thought. "In short spurts, yes. There may be some interference because we're so far below the surface."
That makes a difference? They heard Tseng question.
"Of course it does, Director." Jalyne winked at the queens. "The best I can describe is that I compress time and distance – and that includes everything in between here and the destination. I've never done it underground."
"Sooo?" Reno drawled out.
"If I don't get it right – you can be stuck in the In-Between or worse," she grinned wickedly. "In a rock or mountain or building."
"Death." Rude commented without even batting an eye.
"Yep." Jalyne put her hands on her hips the bunched her brows in thought. "That would be a horrible way to go. Instant realization and suffocation."
Reno stared at her aghast before closing his mouth in retort. "Soooo, do you even want to try, yo?"
"It's not far and it helps that I've been to the Shinra building before."
That helps? Rufus asked
"Yes, it does." The white-haired empress answered further. "I have to somewhat visualize where I'm opening the portal. To do it blind is risky."
"Then how did you know to open the gate to the in-between, yo?"
Jalyne looked at her love seriously. "Do you want the extended reason or the short one?"
"Short." Rude commented.
The white-haired Turk shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I was in two places at one time."
Again, Reno stared at her with his mouth open, trying to puzzle his way on the realities that would be needed to make that trick happened. Finally, he shook his head running a hand through his spikes.
"My body was anchored here. Azarian grabbed my soul and pulled me to the In-Between at the exact moment I should have died."
That – somewhat makes sense. Rufus surmised.
Jalyne curled her arm up to her temple and with an outward swing opened Heaven's Gate to the President, who was sitting behind his desk looking back at them impassively.
"Sir." She nodded lightly before extending her hand to the Queens of Litrandan. "Meet Staerlyia."
Rufus stood and bowed as Reno threw a few of the texts through the portal at the director and Elena who laughed a bit at his antics.
"Will you stop throwing the books around, Reno?" Elena asked, dodging one that came through the gate rapidly towards her body.
"Don't want them stuck." He answered as he whizzed another through.
"How do you think we're getting out of here?" Jalyne stated with mirth.
Reno turned to her and narrowed his turquoise eyes dangerously. "Well maybe if someone didn't destroy the pathway down here, we could just stroll to the surface, yo."
"You're the one that has crazy monsters milling about." She replied haughtily.
Reno made way to launch another book when Jalyne stopped him with a serious look on her features. She placed a hand on his arm, taking the text with the other one. She was clearly disturbed and handed it to Solaria who glanced at it curiously.
"We'll be just a bit longer, Sir." Jalyne nodded and closed the gate, breathing a bit heavier from the exertion. The empress walked to the library to continue searching the archives.
They spent an hour combing through books and research, learning what experiments occurred within its walls. Jalyne furrowed her brows in concentration as she looked at one particular experiment involving JENOVA. Her mother's legacy of calamities and monsters was prevalent here and the empress ascertained Yelovria's cells were harvested, cultivated and implanted in many different organisms.
"Do you think this is what is causing the monsters to appear in all the systems?" Staerlyia asked trailing a finger to the pages of her book.
"I'm not sure." Jalyne answered honestly. "It would be interesting to analyze what is happening in other systems to what went on here."
"You think Yelovria is the cause of this?" Sol asked seriously.
"I believe Azarian still has a part to play." Jalyne stated, furrowing her brows even more. "It's just a feeling I have."
"Well we all know you are led by your feelings, yo!" Reno jabbed from across the room while looking intently at notes.
"And you love it, Myak Lovkta!" she threw back at him. She looked down at the language she was reading. It wasn't Gaian or Trerran. "Why would this be written in Ancient Iecidrankta?"
"What is?" Staerlyia asked walking to look over the Empress's shoulder.
"This text." Jalyne stated as Solaria joined them. "This isn't of Gaian descent."
"Do you think this came from Yelovria?"
"Why do you think she would have something like this?" Staerlyia asked.
"Why would she bring it here?"
Solaria started reading the pages that Jalyne had opened to survey. The Queen continued to read, scrunching her eyebrows in consternation. "What?"
Jalyne raised her eyes to the queen in question. "You found something?"
"Look at this." She reiterated pointing out the words she was gazing at. She looked at the pictures on the next few pages, tracing the outlines.
Depicted on the pages were two beings, one outlined in light and one with smoky darkness. They were joined together by an orb. The queen turned the page gazing at the next pictures. The horns on the male were unmistable and showed Azarian ripping the orb from what seemed to be Yelovria. There was something different depicted in this event that caught Jalyne's eye. The empress humphed lightly as she grazed the images on the pages with her fingertips.
Reno and Rude still inspected the exterior laboratory, taking their time in looking at the research. Reno searched the cabinets, looking at each of the bottles that glowed lightly and in different colors.
"I'm no chemist, yo." He began. "But these don't look right."
"I would agree."
Reno flashed his partner a grin and then turned sly.
"You ever gonna ask the queen out, yo?"
"..." The silent partner commented.
Reno glanced at the ladies. "She was pretty protective of you in battle. Even Staer said you were part of Jalyne's guard, yo."
"What does Liave mean?" Rude suddenly asked looking at his red-headed partner.
Reno concentrated before answering. "I'm not sure, yo. It's a language I'm not familiar with or have heard Jalyne speak." He thought for a moment. "Perhaps like an endearment?"
"Maybe." The silent one stated deep in thought. Rude looked at the ladies wistfully. "She is interesting."
Reno smiled at his partner. "You like her?"
"Very much, actually."
"Then what's stopping you, yo?"
"The fact that she is royalty." Rude answered seriously.
"And?"
"How do you cope with it?" he asked.
Reno paused. On some level, he was still bothered by that simple astute fact. Jalyne was Empress and he was set to become Emperor of T'Karvia. The flame-haired Turk glanced at the woman he loved studying the books from the laboratory. He shook his head lightly.
"I love her, yo." He admitted. "I don't see her as Empress. Never did. It's like Empress is a job title. She is so much more than that."
Rude nodded in acceptance. "I don't see Sol as royalty, either. She's fun and inventive. Even with all of her power, it doesn't rule her. She can be serious and intense but…"
"It doesn't define her, yo." Reno finished knowingly. "We may have a couple of days with them." He suggested. "Show Sol the city."
Rude leveled a gaze at his partner then looked at the ladies in thought. "Maybe we will have a chance to visit around the city. Maybe we can go to Adrian's."
Reno's eyes glistened mirthfully. "Hmmm. That could be fun." Then he stopped. "As long as Jalyne doesn't dance, yo."
"You don't wish her to be viewed by others?" Rude surmised.
"Heaven's no, yo." Reno chuckled. "She drives me absolutely wild."
"Think Staer would care?"
"That's Sol's sister, yo. I get the sense that she is wilder than her." Reno laughed again.
If you are finished planning the next couple of days. The President interjected slyly. I would like a report before the next set of holidays.
"Sorry, yo." Reno said seriously.
Besides, I would like to know who won the bet.
"I was hoping you would forget about that, yo."
Not a chance.
A scream erupted from where the ladies were, causing the partner Turks to snap their heads to them. Jalyne was hovering lightly in the library, arms hovering low. Her power encompassed her entire body, glowing a bluish color. Jalyne shrieked again and this time, she called her staff. A dark purplish glow infiltrated her aura and surrounded her.
Reno could see Jalyne calm from the initial screams and could sense her emotions. Her left hand reached upward as an object materialized to hover above it. Reno didn't recognize it but knew what it meant. He had seen it before in the Turk office. Jalyne was seeing visions and he noted the tears that fell from her eyes while she hovered in the air. The coloring reminded him of their recent encounter with the Lord of Night.
They watched their friend pull her staff in front of her and place the glowing dark, purplish-red rune into her weapon. The other runes glowed in concert as Jalyne closed her eyes and gasped.
Solaria and Staerylia calmly gazed at their Empress as Reno and Rude came to stand behind them.
"Impossible." Solaria muttered.
"What is?" Rude questioned.
"That the Rune of Night was hidden here."