Chapter 8
Wow, I got so many reviews! Arigatou gozaimasu, minna san! In response to some queries, more FF7 characters shall make some brief appearances in this installment. The action will also pick up a little bit near the end. (but the beginning might be dull) Also, you shall see a sad attempt at romance! So read, review, and try not to barf!
One more thing. Only one person left the word "BLARG" in their review. I'm disappointed… L
The gang walks up to a rather fancy hotel. Selphie jumps up and down at the sight of it.
Selphie: (exited) Ooooh, the "Royal Shinra Hotel"! This must be one snazzy place!
Squall: (thinks) Almost too "snazzy"…
Selphie: Let's go in! (grabs Zell's arm and yanks him into the building, much to Irvine's dismay)
Quistis: Let's go Squall.
They enter the hotel. They find it even better looking on the inside than on the outside. It well decorated with tapestries and drapes and fashionable wall hangings. Selphie shrieks with joy.
Selphie: (ecstatic) This is better than the one at Deling City!
Squall: (is suddenly reminded of Laguna) Laguna, you came to a hotel like this once. To see Julia. I wish I could see Rinoa.
Zell: (waves his hand in front of Squall's face) Yo! (catches his attention) We're checking in now!
Irvine: (notices the woman behind to counter at the check-in desk) *grin grin*
Squall: Oh no you don't. *I'll* handle it this time!
Squall leads his team over to the counter, as the nervous clerk gawks at their odd features.
Clerk: Uh, c-can I help you?
Squall: Yes, we'd like to book five rooms. Preferably on the same floor please.
Clerk: Ah, would you like one single bed in each room, with a single bathroom, sir?
By now, the manager has noticed the strangers, and comes over to check things out.
Manager: Excuse me, are you new to this city?
Squall: (raises eyebrow) Yes.
Manager: Then you'll have to pay two hundred gil in advance please.
Clerk: (whispers) But sir, rooms only cost one hundred…(Squall places 200 gil on the counter without so much as a thought) …gil…
Manager: (grimaces at the money, then stares in awe at Squall) Uh, enjoy your stay.
The clerk nervously gives the gang the keys to their rooms. The SeeDs resolutely walk away.
Irvine: Not exactly the friendly type, are they?
Squall: They sooner we leave, the better.
The group nears the elevator and gets on. As the elevator starts to move up, Squall addresses his teammates.
Squall: Alright, everyone take a few minutes to get settled into their rooms. Then, meet in my room and we'll go over this book. Afterwards, I want you all to get as much sleep as you can. We're leaving as soon as we can tomorrow. We have to search the city for….(he trails off, but they all know who he means)
The elevator door opens onto their floor.
Squall: Move out.
Zell: Put a little more umph into it ma….
Squall: (viciously) *Move it* Zell!
Zell: Eep! Okay!
The screen goes black. White words are displayed on the black screen as the sound of beating drums and a guy going, "Yoooooooooooooo," are played in the background.
Episode # 8NO NEED FOR CROSSOVERS!
A few hours later, in Squall's room, all of the SeeDs except Quistis are seated at the edge of Squall's bed. Quistis is standing before them with the world history book in her hands.
Quistis: Alright. Now for the review of Units one through 3. Selphie, please sum up Unit One as briefly as you can without taking up too much time.
Selphie: Okay! In the beginning this Planet was inhabited by a race called the Cetra, *not* the Centra civilization of our world. These people were also called the Ancients. They were a traveling people who were always in search of "the Promised Land" which is speculated to be their version of heaven. They had colonies all over the world from way down south to the Great Glacier, wherever that is, and…
Quistis: Oooookay. That's enough, Selphie, thank you. Irvine! (a sleeping Irvine jerks awake) Please review unit two.
Irvine: (off guard) Uh, sheesh. (mumbles) Never was good at this….uh…..three and a half?
Quistis: (sighs) Never mind. Zell, how about you?
Zell: No prob, Quisty! Lessee, that one was about that materia stuff, right? So the Ancients found this materia crap, which was crystalized..um…Meco….wait, Mako! Yeah. They found it in its natural form and tried to use it to summon magic, but nearly killed themselves tryin. So they had to come up with this way of taming the materia. And they managed to make two different types, White materia and Black materia. White materia could summon Holy, and Black Materia could summon Meteor. They kept the black materia in their most sacred temple so no one could get at it, and kept the white materia handy so in case someone happened to summon Meteor they could counter the effect…I think? (pauses) Wait, can I start over?
Quistis: Eh….no, Zell. That was fine, thank you. Irvine, perhaps you would like to redeem yourself by explaining about how materia is used today?
Irvine: (nervous) Um, okay. The illustrious Shinra Inc. figured out how to speed up the Mako crystallization process, and made their own materia. However, because it wasn't natural, it wasn't nearly as strong as the ancient materia, which was almost completely natural. However, it made materia more abundant, allowing regular old Joes to use spells like Fire, Ice, and Bolt etc. etc. The downside of this is that the production of materia pollutes the planet. And that's about all I can remember. Oh, yeah. There are certain materias called summons, that can summon a certain being to come and help you during battle. These are not Guardian Forces, which means no junction system (yay) no cool abilities like devour, and no long-term memory loss.
Quistis: Good. You might just pass this course, Irvine. Now for you Squall. Review unit three, please.
Squall: One day, a tribe of Ancients in the northern colony at Knolespole saw something fall from the sky. The impact of it crashing into the planet caused the formation of a crater, now called the Northern Crater. The Ancients soon found out that this thing from the sky was an alien creature. They befriended it, and it lived amongst them in peace for some time. However, its intent was evil, it wanted world domination, and it infected the Ancients one by one until there were few left with mostly normal humans inhabiting the planet. A group of Ancients were able to trap the creature inside a geological stratum, but they couldn't kill it, and they sacrificed their lives just to contain it. They called this creature JENOVA, meaning the crisis from the sky. It is now believed that the Ancients have totally died out.
Quistis: Thank you, Squall. That shall be all for today's lesson. You may return to your rooms now. (she closes the book and marches from the room) Goodnight.
Irvine: Uh, what's with her?
Squall: (thinks) Once an instructor, always an instructor.
Selphie: (woozy) Ooh, that was mind boggling. I can't believe all this stuff about materia and Jenova and no GFs. I'm going to bed! (she marches from the room)
Irvine: Uh, I think I better hit the sack too. (he leaves in a hurry)
Zell and Squall are now the only ones left.
Zell: Ah, Squall?
Squall:……hmm?
Zell: I wanted to talk to ya, seeing as we're the only one's here not freaking out.
Squall: Who's freaking out?
Zell: Heck, are you kidding me? (punches the bed) I've never seen Quistis lookin so damn paranoid in her life. And Irvine and Selphie are gonna explode at each other any minute now, I swear!
Squall: In a few scenes they *are* going to explode at each other.
Zell: (does a double take) Hey! How do you know?
Squall: The authoress wrote it at the end of the last chapter.
Zell: Oh yeah. Hey, didn't she write about something else, about Quistis?
Squall: Who cares. Let's just get some sleep.
Zell: Okay man, see ya tomorrow. (he walks to the door, then turns back around) Hey Squall?
Squall: Yes?
Zell: This is going to be a very long chapter, isn't it?
Squall: Yes, Zell. It is.
Zell exits. Squall heads to his bathroom to get ready for bed.
Somewhere, on the other side of the city, Aeris is dragging Rinoa by the hand down a steep ramp into the darkness of the slums.
Rinoa: Aeris, how much longer do we have to walk? We've been at this for hours. Couldn't we have taken the train?
Aeris: No. Trains have ID checkpoints. You'd be in deep trouble if I took you on one of those. Besides, it's not that much further to the bar…
Rinoa: BAR? You're taking me to a bar?!
Aeris (face turns red) Yeah, one of my friends runs it. She uses it as a hideout…
Rinoa: Hideout!? Who exactly are you people anyway?
Aeris: (harshly) We're an anti-Shinra faction, okay?! (calmer) Look, I know this is probably horrifying for you, being dragged through the dark only to reach an old run down bar. But believe me, if anyone can help you, my friends can.
Rinoa: (suspicious) You had better be telling the truth.
Aeris: I am! We just have to keep going down this ramp until we reach the Sector 5 slums. Then we're home free.
Rinoa: (thinks) Home free? Slums? Hideout? Just who does this girl think she is?
The two disappear into the darkness.
Back in the hotel, Selphie is sitting on her bed, pondering her next move in her war against Irvine, when there is a gentle knock on her door.
Selphie: Huh? I'm coming!
She gets up and throws open the door to reveal a furiously blushing Irvine, holding his hat in his hands before him.
Irvine: Uh, hey there.
Selphie: (as cheerful disposition fades) What is it?
Irvine: Uh, I just wanted to (fidgets) ….you know, talk.
Selphie: Oh. Alright, come in.
Irvine enters her room, and she shuts the door behind him with a grimace. She plops down on the end of her bed, and is surprised when he remains standing instead of sitting in a chair.
Selphie: Aren't you gonna sit?
Irvine: Naw, this won't take too long. (he then proceeds to pace about the room for five minutes straight without speaking)
Selphie: (thinks) Uh-oh. He must be jittery about something..
Irvine: (finally stands in front of Selphie) Ah, Sef, can I ask you…a somewhat personal question?
Selphie: Yeah, sure.
Irvine: Okay. (holds his breath and closes his eyes) Whatdoyouthinkofme?
Selphie: (taken aback) What?
Irvine: (slower, but with eyes still closed) What do you think of me?
Selphie: What do I think of you? (Irvine nods as he opens one eye) Well, you're a really good friend, and you're funny, and on occasion, you're (blushes) cute, but sometimes you can be a real jerk…
Irvine: J-jerk?
Selphie: Oh, don't take it personally.
Irvine: (not hearing her) Jerk! JERK! Well…..yes, maybe, on occasion.
Selphie: Actually, almost every day…
Irvine: (eyes go big) Every DAY!
Selphie: (louder) Well, yes! You're constantly going after any woman you see, just to tick me off, sometimes, I swear..
Irvine: (angry) Just to tick *you* off? What in God's name makes you think that I flirt with women just to tick you off?!
Selphie: (even louder, standing up) You're mocking me, that's what!
Irvine: (clenching fists) What the hell is that supposed to mean!
Selphie: (turns away) It's not like you'd care…
Irvine: Good God, Selphie, you don't own me! If I wanna flirt…
Selphie: (turns back to him screaming) Then do whatever the *sproing* you want! I know perfectly well that I don't own you! (thinks) All too well…
Irvine: (aggressively) Oh, and what's with your interest in Zell all of a sudden?
Selphie: (thinks) Zell? What about him? Who cares about him? What about you? (out loud) That is *none* of your business, Irvine Kinneas! If you're going to fall in love with every woman in sight then I can be with Zell, can't I?
Irvine: Last time I checked, you and Zell were only (makes quotation hand motion) "friends".
Selphie: (defensive) We *are* friends! Which is more than I can say for us.
With each accusation they move closer and closer to one another, until their red, angry faces are nearly touching, with their fists clenched at their sides.
Irvine: (quieter, almost whispering) What have I done Selphie? What horrible thing have I done to you to deserve this? Answer me. (she only stares at him) ANSWER ME!
Selphie: NOTHING!
Irvine: Nothing?
Selphie: You did nothing! That's why I'm mad at you, because you did nothing…(they stare intently at each other for a few minutes, suddenly, Selphie begins to seethe with anger) I never should've dragged you into my room! I don't care if we didn't do anything, I still shouldn't have done it! Everything's horrible now! I can barely look at you! (looks down at her feet) And you did nothing…but wander off, and leave me alone…..nothing.
Irvine: (finally begins to understand) Is that it?
Selphie: (nods) Uh-huh. (she looks like she is about to cry)
He lays one hand on her shoulder and uses the other to gently tilt her chin up until she is looking at him.
Irvine: (softly) I'm sorry, Sef. I won't leave you alone like that again. I promise. Please don't leave me for Zell.
Selphie: (thinks) Zell? Zell who? (out loud) Zell?
Irvine: And I promise I won't do nothing anymore.
With that her slowly brings her face to his and gently kisses her. Some obscure thought passes through Selphie's mind, causing her, against her wishes, to knee Irvine very hard in the groin.
As Quistis lies in her bed, she hears a loud scream. It startles her and she bolts upright and looks madly about, expecting an ambush. Then she realizes the scream sounded a lot like Irvine.
Quistis: Oh dear.
She gets up from her bed, throws a nervous glance at her open window, the tiptoes over to her door. She's not in her pjs, considering that she doesn't have any at the moment, and her pink outfit is all wrinkled. Thinking that she doesn't want to be seen as disheveled, she peeks through the peephole of her door instead of venturing out into the hall. She hears a door slam, and a few seconds later she sees Irvine go by her door. His face is a mixture of anger and pain, and he seems to be limping. After he vanishes from her sight, she hears another door slam, then silence.
The breeze from her window blowing against her back suddenly stops. Fear overcomes her. She slowly turns around to see something crouching in her windowsill. She gasps and steps back against the door, which prevents her escape. The creature, which in the darkness appears to be a gargoyle, lifts its head up to reveal a pair of glowing red eyes. Although she can barely discern it, Quistis sees it put the dark shadow of its index finger to where its mouth would be if it were visible, giving her the sign of silence. Quistis bravely takes a step forward.
Creature: Sssh.
Quistis: (defiantly smiles, then screams at the top of her lungs) SSSSSSSQQQQQQUUUUUAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Squall, who is lying on top of the covers of his bed with his hands behind his head with the lights on (as he usually sleeps) hears Quistis scream his name. Before you can say, "predictable plot twist," Squall has rolled off of his bed and is out the door. He bursts into Quistis' room just in time to see some dark shape jump out of the window. He flips on the lights. Quistis is nowhere to be seen.
Zell: (running in) Yo! What's going on? I almost got to sleep when Irvine's screech woke me up, and now Quistis…..uh…where's Quistis?
Squall: (goes over to the window and sticks his head out) There she is.
Zell joins Squall by the window just in time to see a dark figure darting down the street, carrying a squirming pink thing, presumably Quistis, on its back.
Zell: (morbid) Oh *beep*.
Squall: Zell, get the others up, then follow me.
And with that, he jumps out the window. Zell tries to grab him, but Squall is too quick. After hearing a loud crash, Zell is almost afraid to look down, but as he does he is relieved to see that Squall has landed safely in a garbage dumpster. Squall throws himself out of the dumpster and takes off at full speed down the street.
Zell: (shouts after him) Don't do anything stupid Squall, or else when we find Rinoa she'll kick all of our @$$e$!
At this moment, Selphie runs into the room, followed by a limping Irvine. The incident a few minutes ago seems to be temporarily forgotten between them.
Selphie: (confused and panting) Zell, what's going on?
Zell: (hurried) Quistis has been abducted by a weird black thing and Squall just jumped out the window.
Irvine: (gapes at him) Huh?
Zell: I'll explain later, but we gotta follow Squall and get Quistis back!
Zell dashes out of the room to the nearest elevator, and Irvine and Selphie, for fear of being left alone with one another, run after him. At least Selphie runs, Irvine kinda hobbles….
Aeris brings Rinoa to halt as they come to the front of a bar. Rinoa looks up to read the yellow neon sign.
Rinoa: Tifa's Eighth Heaven. Eighth heaven?
Aeris: She had another bar before this one called the Seventh Heaven, but it was destroyed when the Sector Seven plate fell…
Rinoa: (turns to her with big eyes) WHAT?!
Aeris: Oops. Sorry, nevermind. I guess you have a lot to learn….
Rinoa: (puts hands on hips) You think your friends can tell me about this place?
Aeris: Of course! They're the biggest part of this city's, even the Planet's, history. They can tell you anything you need to know.
Rinoa: Are your friends important?
Aeris: Very. Kinda unrecognized, though. But anyway, (she and Rinoa go up the front steps, and Aeris opens the door for Rinoa) let's get you settled in. (motions inside, smiling) In we go!
Rinoa steps cautiously into the bar. There are several sets of tables and chairs about the room, with a rather large bar at the back, with a rather large assortment of drinks. There are some bright posters on the walls, and several arcade games against the right wall. The only customers there appear to be a middle aged man sitting alone at a table reading a magazine, and smoking a cigarette at the same time, and a little girl (?) in the far right corner talking to what looks like a giant mechanical moogle with a cat riding on top. The cat is telling jokes to the little girl, who laughs and claps her hands. The bartender, a young and pretty woman of about twenty, is washing the counter.
Rinoa: (trying not to cough from the smoke) Um… (looks at the moogle, thinks) I don't wanna know…
The door slams behind her, causing her to whip around, expecting to see Aeris. The flower girl is nowhere to be seen.
Rinoa: (confused) Huh? Aeris?
At the sound of the name, "Aeris," the man looks up at Rinoa curiously. The woman behind the bar notices her.
Woman: (calls to Rinoa) Can I help you, Miss?
Rinoa: (turning back around to face her) Yes. Are you Miss Tifa?
Woman: Yes I am, at your service. (salutes….don't ask)
Rinoa: (goes up to the bar) I need some help. I'm not from around here, and I'm a bit lost. A friend of yours referred me here.
Tifa: (smiles) Ah, I see. What is it you need help with? Directions?
Rinoa: (looks down at her feet) Not exactly. (she has the feeling that the man is still watching her, and when she glances at him she catches him turning his head quickly away from her) You see Miss, I don't think I'm exactly on the same planet I used to be on….
Tifa: (confused) What? Whoa, you lost me there!
Rinoa: Sorry, it's just that….I don't know. (whispers) Do you think I could explain this to you in private?
Tifa: (contemplates her for a moment) Perhaps, but first I'd like to ask you something Miss…
Rinoa: Rinoa.
Tifa: Rinoa. Who exactly referred you here?
Rinoa: A girl named Aeris Gainsborough.
Smoke Man: (stands up and shouts) That's bull****! Who the hell do you think you are anyway, girl?!
Rinoa cowers back against the bar, when suddenly, to her horror, the cat riding on the moogle to her side speaks.
Cat: (sternly) Holy smokes, Cid! Don't swear in front of Marlene! I don't want her having nightmares!
Smoke Man: (defensively) Barret cusses in front of her all the *beep*in time! But that ain't the point you stupid cat! This weirdo thinks she saw Aeris!
Cat: (to Rinoa) Ignore him. It's the nicotine.
Tifa: But I think you owe us an explanation.
Smoke Man: (pounds fist on table) Damn straight she does!
Rinoa: (slightly terrified) I don't understand…
Tifa: Well, first you come in here saying that you're from another planet, and then you say you've seen Aeris…
Rinoa: (peeved) I *have*! What's so odd about that!?
Tifa: Because you couldn't have seen her! Aeris Gainsborough is dead! She's been dead for months now…
Will Rinoa ever figure out what's going on? (who knows) Who or what has kidnapped Quistis (hee hee) and what evil plan does the kidnapper have for her? (maybe it just wants to give her some pajamas) Will Squall save her in time? (no, sorry) Will Irvine ever be able to go to the bathroom again? (of course he will, it's Irvine for God's sake!) And as I'm sure you're all wondering, WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH SELPHIE?! (that shall remain a mystery) Find out in the next chapter of Succession of the Fantasies.
Credits:
As main theme cues up and the credits roll a black and white cartoon is played of a mog
sitting on a dock with a fishing pole in his hands. (er, paws) He pulls on it, and he pulls and pulls and pulls and pulls and pulls, to the point where he's pulling at the line like an ox pulls a cart, but his catch won't be reeled in. But with one final tug, something flies out of the water. The little mog's face lights up with joy. The next shot is of a giant Kupo nut with the mog's pawprint on it. The End.
P. S.: I like Tenchi Muyo!