"If something doesn't happen soon I'm gonna whack out."
The voice came from 16-year-old Yuffie Kisaragi as she sat behind the bar
of the 7th Heaven her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. "Yeah
it has been a little mundane lately but I actually kinda like it." Said
Yuffie's friend Tifa Lockhart as she pulled another beer bottle from the
rack behind the bar. "Yeah well this is better then chasing after some
power hungry maniac with huge plans to take over the universe and with a
major case of insanity!" said Yuffie and Tifa had to laugh at Yuffie's
'colorful' description of one of their past enemies. Ever since the defeat
of Shinra and ultimately Sephiroth and Jenova, things had settled back into
their relatively peaceful state and after reopening her tavern in her
hometown of Nibelheim Tifa had managed to find something to keep the time
flying. Yuffie, on the other hand, was a different story. Finding that
materia theiving no longer held the thrill for her that it once did, Yuffie
often hung around the 7th Heaven knowing that Tifa never really minded her
company but over the last two months she had been getting restless. Yuffie
couldn't help but think that something was about to happen, something BIG
and she wanted to know what it was but so far she couldn't think of
anything that was worth her time in speculating. "Hello? Earth to Yuffie
come in please!" said Tifa as she waved her hand in front of Yuffie's face
breaking her from her thoughts. "Haha very funny Tifa that was soooooo
clever." Said Yuffie with a roll of her eyes but the smile on her face made
it clear that it hadn't really bothered her when Tifa did that.
Just then a ring echoed from a nearby phone and Tifa quickly walked over to answer it. "Hey Yuffie hold the fort while I answer this!" yelled Tifa "Alright." Yuffie replied and Tifa quickly disappeared into the back of the room and grabbed the phone. "Hello? This is Tifa." Said Tifa as she held the phone against the side of her face. Tifa? This is Reeve. said the voice from the other end of the line. "Hey Reeve! What's been up with you lately?" asked Tifa brightly seeing as she was extremely glad to be hearing from her friend. Nothing really but I do have some news that I know you and the others are probably NOT going to like. Tifa's expression turned serious at this annoncement, "What do you mean, Reeve?" asked Tifa. I can't say over the phone it's too risky but I'm heading for Nibelheim and I should be there in a hour, make sure EVERYONE meets me just outside the city I want to make sure no one will overhear what I have to tell you. A click on the other end signaled to Tifa that Reeve had hung up leaving her with plenty of questions but no answers. "Yuffie I need you to call the others ASAP." Said Tifa as she walked back into the barroom but Yuffie gave her a quizzical look. "Why? What's going on?" asked Yuffie and Tifa gave her a serious look, "Reeve just called, he has some news for us and from the sounds of it it definitely isn't good."
"Okay Reeve start talking cause I wanna know exactly WHY! You called us out here." Said Barrett, the leader of AVALANCHE, as he glared at Reeve with a you'd-better-start-talking look. "Yeah Reeve why call us out here when we could've just met at the bar." Said Yuffie who was just as impatient to know what was going on as anyone else. "Like I said it was too risky meeting at the 7th Heaven someone might overhear what they shouldn't." said Reeve and everyone had to admit, it would have been way to risky to meet there. "So tell us what's going on already!" said Tifa as she placed her hands on her hips in irritation, "Well I am going to go ahead and say that I am only going to tell you what I am allowed to divulge but anything else you'll have to find out on your own agreed?" asked Reeve and everyone agreed. "Alright listen up cause this is important." Said Reeve and after making sure everyone was listening he began talking again. "I'm sure all of you have heard of the legend of the Elemental Crystals in one way or another." Said Reeve "Yeah they supposedly were part of a larger crystal that was shattered to keep it from being taken by evil." Said Cloud but he couldn't help but wonder what that had to do with all this. "Well, believe it or not, it's not a legend and that's the mission I need you to go on. I want all of you to find these crystals AND find out who's after them." Said Reeve and everyone looked at him with slightly skeptical looks. "That's all? Why didn't you just tell us back at the bar?" asked Barrett "Because I said AND who's looking for them cause someone else is hot on the trail of finding these crystals." Said Reeve and for a moment everything was silent. "I think I see what you're getting at, Reeve, whatever these crystals are they possess a lot of power and no doubt if brought together they could do large amounts of damage." Said Vincent "Yeah but the question is how much damage." Said Yuffie with a slight shudder not even wanting to think about the answer. "Well let me put it this way, if whoever is looking for them gets his hands on them then you can just say 'good-bye' to the planet." Said Reeve and everyone looked at him with a now extremely shocked look.
"But how do we beat this enemy to the crystals? We don't even know where to begin." Said Caith Sith from his place near Reeve. "I do know where the first crystal is located and from there you'll meet someone who can help you with the rest." Said Reeve as he pulled out a map and handed it to Cloud. Yuffie quickly looked over his shoulder and her eyes lit up with recognition, "Hey! I know that place, it's the Temple of the Four Winds!" said Yuffie excitedly. "Well do ya @#$%^& know how to get there?" demanded Cid with a slight twinge of irritation, "I do actually." Said Yuffie and a sweatdrop formed on the back of Cid's head. "You're kidding right?" he asked "No I'm not I can get us there a lot faster then the traditional way!" said Yuffie, excited that she could actually do something for the team instead of just tagging along. "Well lets go already! We're just wasting time sitting around here!" said Barrett and he began to make his way back to Nibelheim with Cid, Yuffie, Vincent, and Caith Sith following behind him but Tifa and Cloud lagged behind with Reeve. "Do you know anymore then what you've told us Reeve?" asked Tifa but Reeve just shook his head. "Sorry Tifa but that's all I was told." Said Reeve and Tifa said nothing more but Cloud's eyes filled with suspicion. He knows something that he's not telling but what? Thought Cloud but he couldn't worry about that now, the important thing was finding out where these crystals were and getting them away from this new enemy.
As soon as they reached Nibelheim the group headed to where Cid kept his ship The HighWind hidden. "Alright ya &^%$ people let's move it out %^&*( already!" yelled Cid as he climbed up into the cockpit and just as Cloud was about to walk onboard Reeve stopped him. "Cloud I need to warn you." Said Reeve "About what?" asked Cloud "Your enemy will more then likely have spies out to listen for any information he can use to get to the first crystal. Be EXTREMELY careful with who you discuss this with and tell no one about what you're after." Said Reeve his expression eerily serious. "I'll remember." Said Cloud "And another thing then I'll get off your back, only discuss this among yourselves and no one else." Said Reeve and Cloud nodded in affirmation before he turned and climbed aboard the ship.
Just then a ring echoed from a nearby phone and Tifa quickly walked over to answer it. "Hey Yuffie hold the fort while I answer this!" yelled Tifa "Alright." Yuffie replied and Tifa quickly disappeared into the back of the room and grabbed the phone. "Hello? This is Tifa." Said Tifa as she held the phone against the side of her face. Tifa? This is Reeve. said the voice from the other end of the line. "Hey Reeve! What's been up with you lately?" asked Tifa brightly seeing as she was extremely glad to be hearing from her friend. Nothing really but I do have some news that I know you and the others are probably NOT going to like. Tifa's expression turned serious at this annoncement, "What do you mean, Reeve?" asked Tifa. I can't say over the phone it's too risky but I'm heading for Nibelheim and I should be there in a hour, make sure EVERYONE meets me just outside the city I want to make sure no one will overhear what I have to tell you. A click on the other end signaled to Tifa that Reeve had hung up leaving her with plenty of questions but no answers. "Yuffie I need you to call the others ASAP." Said Tifa as she walked back into the barroom but Yuffie gave her a quizzical look. "Why? What's going on?" asked Yuffie and Tifa gave her a serious look, "Reeve just called, he has some news for us and from the sounds of it it definitely isn't good."
"Okay Reeve start talking cause I wanna know exactly WHY! You called us out here." Said Barrett, the leader of AVALANCHE, as he glared at Reeve with a you'd-better-start-talking look. "Yeah Reeve why call us out here when we could've just met at the bar." Said Yuffie who was just as impatient to know what was going on as anyone else. "Like I said it was too risky meeting at the 7th Heaven someone might overhear what they shouldn't." said Reeve and everyone had to admit, it would have been way to risky to meet there. "So tell us what's going on already!" said Tifa as she placed her hands on her hips in irritation, "Well I am going to go ahead and say that I am only going to tell you what I am allowed to divulge but anything else you'll have to find out on your own agreed?" asked Reeve and everyone agreed. "Alright listen up cause this is important." Said Reeve and after making sure everyone was listening he began talking again. "I'm sure all of you have heard of the legend of the Elemental Crystals in one way or another." Said Reeve "Yeah they supposedly were part of a larger crystal that was shattered to keep it from being taken by evil." Said Cloud but he couldn't help but wonder what that had to do with all this. "Well, believe it or not, it's not a legend and that's the mission I need you to go on. I want all of you to find these crystals AND find out who's after them." Said Reeve and everyone looked at him with slightly skeptical looks. "That's all? Why didn't you just tell us back at the bar?" asked Barrett "Because I said AND who's looking for them cause someone else is hot on the trail of finding these crystals." Said Reeve and for a moment everything was silent. "I think I see what you're getting at, Reeve, whatever these crystals are they possess a lot of power and no doubt if brought together they could do large amounts of damage." Said Vincent "Yeah but the question is how much damage." Said Yuffie with a slight shudder not even wanting to think about the answer. "Well let me put it this way, if whoever is looking for them gets his hands on them then you can just say 'good-bye' to the planet." Said Reeve and everyone looked at him with a now extremely shocked look.
"But how do we beat this enemy to the crystals? We don't even know where to begin." Said Caith Sith from his place near Reeve. "I do know where the first crystal is located and from there you'll meet someone who can help you with the rest." Said Reeve as he pulled out a map and handed it to Cloud. Yuffie quickly looked over his shoulder and her eyes lit up with recognition, "Hey! I know that place, it's the Temple of the Four Winds!" said Yuffie excitedly. "Well do ya @#$%^& know how to get there?" demanded Cid with a slight twinge of irritation, "I do actually." Said Yuffie and a sweatdrop formed on the back of Cid's head. "You're kidding right?" he asked "No I'm not I can get us there a lot faster then the traditional way!" said Yuffie, excited that she could actually do something for the team instead of just tagging along. "Well lets go already! We're just wasting time sitting around here!" said Barrett and he began to make his way back to Nibelheim with Cid, Yuffie, Vincent, and Caith Sith following behind him but Tifa and Cloud lagged behind with Reeve. "Do you know anymore then what you've told us Reeve?" asked Tifa but Reeve just shook his head. "Sorry Tifa but that's all I was told." Said Reeve and Tifa said nothing more but Cloud's eyes filled with suspicion. He knows something that he's not telling but what? Thought Cloud but he couldn't worry about that now, the important thing was finding out where these crystals were and getting them away from this new enemy.
As soon as they reached Nibelheim the group headed to where Cid kept his ship The HighWind hidden. "Alright ya &^%$ people let's move it out %^&*( already!" yelled Cid as he climbed up into the cockpit and just as Cloud was about to walk onboard Reeve stopped him. "Cloud I need to warn you." Said Reeve "About what?" asked Cloud "Your enemy will more then likely have spies out to listen for any information he can use to get to the first crystal. Be EXTREMELY careful with who you discuss this with and tell no one about what you're after." Said Reeve his expression eerily serious. "I'll remember." Said Cloud "And another thing then I'll get off your back, only discuss this among yourselves and no one else." Said Reeve and Cloud nodded in affirmation before he turned and climbed aboard the ship.