DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FF7 OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS
Chapter Three
Yuffie Kisaragi laid her Conformer weapon down on the table and sank down on to her bed. It had been another tiring day. In her bid to restore the traditions and warrior passion of Wutai, she'd sent out a challenge to the entire Planet: that anyone who could defeat her in single combat would become champion and ruler of Wutai. Supremely confident as ever in her own abilities, she made this offer in the hope that the best fighters from around the world would come to Wutai and pass on their skills and honour to the younger ninjas who were still in training. The possibility of defeat never even occurred to Yuffie. She reflected that it had been nice of Cloud and the others to let her keep the bulk of the Materia after they saved the Planet, particularly the Master Summon, Magic and Command Materia they had received in return for the Earth Harp. These three Materia alone meant that Yuffie was virtually invincible in the Wutai arena. She heard her PHS ringing from its place on the bedside table. Yuffie gave a yawn, reached over and switched it on.
"Sorry, the Challenge Arena is fully booked up for another month," she said automatically, before the other person could get a word in. "Please call again."
"Yuffie?" came a voice. "It's Cloud."
"Cloud!" she exclaimed, her heart beat increasing ever so slightly. "How's it going? You haven't been to see me for ages! Are you interested in taking up my challenge?"
"Yuffie!" he said sharply, interrupting the 16-year-old's excited chattering. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. Listen, I didn't call you for a chat. This is important."
"What is?"
"Have you opened your mail this morning?"
"What? Of course not. I have people who do that for me now."
"Did you get an anonymous letter this morning?" asked Cloud.
"Dunno. Hold on while I check."
Yuffie got off the bed and went through to her mail cabinet. She opened the top drawer and looked to see if there was anything new. Clucking her tongue with annoyance, she saw that her staff had yet again forgotten to open her letters. Mind you, sorting through a hundred to a thousand letters every morning and sifting through the junk mail and fan letters to find the personal stuff couldn't be a very interesting job, so she decided to forgive them.
"Cloud? You still there?" she said. "I've got a weird-looking letter right here. No return address or anything. I wonder what's inside?"
"Yuffie!" Cloud shouted. "Don't open the letter! DO NOT open the letter!"
"All right, all right," she said. "Sheesh, keep your hair on. What's the big deal, anyhow?"
"There's a poisoned thorn inside," Cloud told her. "We know because we got one too - and Tifa got stung."
"Is she OK?" Yuffie said, putting the letter on the floor and stepping away from it slowly as if it might attack.
"We don't know," Cloud said. "I'm on the Highwind, on the way to the hospital. We'll see what the doctor says."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Get here as soon as you can," he said. "Destroy that letter in case someone else opens it. Bring as much Materia as you can."
"Are you expecting trouble?"
"Don't know. Just hurry."
He hung up. Yuffie hurried back to her room. Good thing she always kept a bag packed for these kind of emergencies.
Barret paced up and down the flight deck of the Highwind, almost insane with worry and frustration. He hadn't got an answer phoning his house, which meant Elmyra and Marlene were either out, or had been poisoned. He hoped it was the former. He kicked at a metal support pillar in his anger.
"Hey, settle down, stop kicking lumps out of my ship!" Cid yawned. "You're not doing yourself any good."
"All right for you to say," Barret snapped. "Can't this thing go any faster?"
"We're getting there as fast as we can," said Cid. "We're going to drop off Tifa, Cloud and Vincent at the hospital, then carry on to your place."
"What kinda person sends poisoned stingers through the mail anyway?" Barret asked of no-one in particular. "That's no way to fight - that's a coward's way. When we were fightin' the Shinra, we didn't send them poisoned plants in the mail. We FOUGHT - we fought like heroes! An' my people died like heroes!"
"You're going to die of blood pressure if you keep this up," Cid said wearily. "Take a Tranquilliser and shut the £&$^ up."
They sat in a morose silence, watching the city skim by underneath, until they reached the hospital. Using a stretcher from the Highwind's tiny medical bay, Cloud and Vincent hurried inside with Tifa's prostrate form. They found a doctor, and he helped them carry her to an empty room.
"She isn't well," the doctor said, making an understatement. "Tell me exactly what happened while I make a preliminary examination."
Cloud related the events of the morning, while Vincent waited outside to meet the others when they arrived. Reeve pulled up shortly in his mayoral limousine, and Yuffie arrived an hour or so later, having ridden her Gold Chocobo all the way. Soon after this Red XIII appeared, having taken the ship across the ocean. They waited outside the room with Vincent until Cloud and the doctor emerged.
"It's bad news, I'm afraid," the doctor said unhappily. "Very bad news. The poison, whatever it is, has found its way all throughout her system, and her immune system has no way of fighting it alone."
"Will she die?" asked Reeve.
"If the poison isn't stopped within a few days, she will suffer irreparable damage to all major organs," the doctor replied. "I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for her here."
"Isn't there any hope at all?" asked Red.
If the doctor was surprised at seeing the quadripedal party member speak, he didn't show it.
"The poison appears to be a naturally occurring substance," he said. "Not chemically engineered, as far as I can tell. Most likely from a plant of some kind. This means that there may - I repeat MAY - exist a naturally occurring antidote. It would, unfortunately, be far beyond the meagre medical supplies we have here."
The doctor left them and went back through to Tifa's room.
"So what do we do?" asked Yuffie.
"Logically, the best way to find the antidote would be to identify the poison," said Reeve. "I'm no biologist and neither are any of you. How do we find out about it?"
Red spoke up, "My Grandfather was an expert on many topics, including plant biology. Although he is no longer with us, I do have his vast personal library to refer to. I suggest we look there."
"Good idea," said Cloud. "When Cid gets back in the Highwind, we'll go to Cosmo Canyon."
"I too have a suggestion," Vincent intoned solemnly. "The library in the basement of the Shinra Mansion also contains huge quantities of scientific information. I will go there to study."
Reeve said, "As much as I want to help, my commitments here won't allow me to leave. What I will do is send out a message to the Midgar population asking that anyone with biological expertise step forward."
"What about me?" asked Yuffie. "I don't wanna read a buncha books! I HATE studying!! I mean, I want Tifa to get well as much as anyone, but I just wouldn't be any use in a library!"
"In that case, Yuffie, you stay here with Tifa, and make sure she's safe," Cloud said. "I was going to do that myself, but I think I'll go with Red."
"I think I can hear the Highwind," said Red, pricking up his ears.
They went outside to see the Highwind sitting nearby, with Barret hurrying towards the hospital, and Cid engaged in a blazing row with somebody. It seemed he'd parked the Highwind in that somebody's garden. Barret approached at a run, a small bundle in his arms.
"Marlene's sick!" he bawled, tears in his eyes. "She went out to get the mail as a favour for me, and look where it got her! She opened that £&(*^! envelope and stung herself!"
Reeve showed him to the room where the doctor was taking care of Tifa. Vincent and Red managed to stop Cid trying to use the Venus Gospel to settle his argument, and they got on board.
"Barret won't be comin'," said Cid. "He said he'd stay with his little girl. Poor kid."
"We have to find the antidote as fast as we can," said Red. "To Cosmo Canyon!!"
Chapter Three
Yuffie Kisaragi laid her Conformer weapon down on the table and sank down on to her bed. It had been another tiring day. In her bid to restore the traditions and warrior passion of Wutai, she'd sent out a challenge to the entire Planet: that anyone who could defeat her in single combat would become champion and ruler of Wutai. Supremely confident as ever in her own abilities, she made this offer in the hope that the best fighters from around the world would come to Wutai and pass on their skills and honour to the younger ninjas who were still in training. The possibility of defeat never even occurred to Yuffie. She reflected that it had been nice of Cloud and the others to let her keep the bulk of the Materia after they saved the Planet, particularly the Master Summon, Magic and Command Materia they had received in return for the Earth Harp. These three Materia alone meant that Yuffie was virtually invincible in the Wutai arena. She heard her PHS ringing from its place on the bedside table. Yuffie gave a yawn, reached over and switched it on.
"Sorry, the Challenge Arena is fully booked up for another month," she said automatically, before the other person could get a word in. "Please call again."
"Yuffie?" came a voice. "It's Cloud."
"Cloud!" she exclaimed, her heart beat increasing ever so slightly. "How's it going? You haven't been to see me for ages! Are you interested in taking up my challenge?"
"Yuffie!" he said sharply, interrupting the 16-year-old's excited chattering. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. Listen, I didn't call you for a chat. This is important."
"What is?"
"Have you opened your mail this morning?"
"What? Of course not. I have people who do that for me now."
"Did you get an anonymous letter this morning?" asked Cloud.
"Dunno. Hold on while I check."
Yuffie got off the bed and went through to her mail cabinet. She opened the top drawer and looked to see if there was anything new. Clucking her tongue with annoyance, she saw that her staff had yet again forgotten to open her letters. Mind you, sorting through a hundred to a thousand letters every morning and sifting through the junk mail and fan letters to find the personal stuff couldn't be a very interesting job, so she decided to forgive them.
"Cloud? You still there?" she said. "I've got a weird-looking letter right here. No return address or anything. I wonder what's inside?"
"Yuffie!" Cloud shouted. "Don't open the letter! DO NOT open the letter!"
"All right, all right," she said. "Sheesh, keep your hair on. What's the big deal, anyhow?"
"There's a poisoned thorn inside," Cloud told her. "We know because we got one too - and Tifa got stung."
"Is she OK?" Yuffie said, putting the letter on the floor and stepping away from it slowly as if it might attack.
"We don't know," Cloud said. "I'm on the Highwind, on the way to the hospital. We'll see what the doctor says."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Get here as soon as you can," he said. "Destroy that letter in case someone else opens it. Bring as much Materia as you can."
"Are you expecting trouble?"
"Don't know. Just hurry."
He hung up. Yuffie hurried back to her room. Good thing she always kept a bag packed for these kind of emergencies.
Barret paced up and down the flight deck of the Highwind, almost insane with worry and frustration. He hadn't got an answer phoning his house, which meant Elmyra and Marlene were either out, or had been poisoned. He hoped it was the former. He kicked at a metal support pillar in his anger.
"Hey, settle down, stop kicking lumps out of my ship!" Cid yawned. "You're not doing yourself any good."
"All right for you to say," Barret snapped. "Can't this thing go any faster?"
"We're getting there as fast as we can," said Cid. "We're going to drop off Tifa, Cloud and Vincent at the hospital, then carry on to your place."
"What kinda person sends poisoned stingers through the mail anyway?" Barret asked of no-one in particular. "That's no way to fight - that's a coward's way. When we were fightin' the Shinra, we didn't send them poisoned plants in the mail. We FOUGHT - we fought like heroes! An' my people died like heroes!"
"You're going to die of blood pressure if you keep this up," Cid said wearily. "Take a Tranquilliser and shut the £&$^ up."
They sat in a morose silence, watching the city skim by underneath, until they reached the hospital. Using a stretcher from the Highwind's tiny medical bay, Cloud and Vincent hurried inside with Tifa's prostrate form. They found a doctor, and he helped them carry her to an empty room.
"She isn't well," the doctor said, making an understatement. "Tell me exactly what happened while I make a preliminary examination."
Cloud related the events of the morning, while Vincent waited outside to meet the others when they arrived. Reeve pulled up shortly in his mayoral limousine, and Yuffie arrived an hour or so later, having ridden her Gold Chocobo all the way. Soon after this Red XIII appeared, having taken the ship across the ocean. They waited outside the room with Vincent until Cloud and the doctor emerged.
"It's bad news, I'm afraid," the doctor said unhappily. "Very bad news. The poison, whatever it is, has found its way all throughout her system, and her immune system has no way of fighting it alone."
"Will she die?" asked Reeve.
"If the poison isn't stopped within a few days, she will suffer irreparable damage to all major organs," the doctor replied. "I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for her here."
"Isn't there any hope at all?" asked Red.
If the doctor was surprised at seeing the quadripedal party member speak, he didn't show it.
"The poison appears to be a naturally occurring substance," he said. "Not chemically engineered, as far as I can tell. Most likely from a plant of some kind. This means that there may - I repeat MAY - exist a naturally occurring antidote. It would, unfortunately, be far beyond the meagre medical supplies we have here."
The doctor left them and went back through to Tifa's room.
"So what do we do?" asked Yuffie.
"Logically, the best way to find the antidote would be to identify the poison," said Reeve. "I'm no biologist and neither are any of you. How do we find out about it?"
Red spoke up, "My Grandfather was an expert on many topics, including plant biology. Although he is no longer with us, I do have his vast personal library to refer to. I suggest we look there."
"Good idea," said Cloud. "When Cid gets back in the Highwind, we'll go to Cosmo Canyon."
"I too have a suggestion," Vincent intoned solemnly. "The library in the basement of the Shinra Mansion also contains huge quantities of scientific information. I will go there to study."
Reeve said, "As much as I want to help, my commitments here won't allow me to leave. What I will do is send out a message to the Midgar population asking that anyone with biological expertise step forward."
"What about me?" asked Yuffie. "I don't wanna read a buncha books! I HATE studying!! I mean, I want Tifa to get well as much as anyone, but I just wouldn't be any use in a library!"
"In that case, Yuffie, you stay here with Tifa, and make sure she's safe," Cloud said. "I was going to do that myself, but I think I'll go with Red."
"I think I can hear the Highwind," said Red, pricking up his ears.
They went outside to see the Highwind sitting nearby, with Barret hurrying towards the hospital, and Cid engaged in a blazing row with somebody. It seemed he'd parked the Highwind in that somebody's garden. Barret approached at a run, a small bundle in his arms.
"Marlene's sick!" he bawled, tears in his eyes. "She went out to get the mail as a favour for me, and look where it got her! She opened that £&(*^! envelope and stung herself!"
Reeve showed him to the room where the doctor was taking care of Tifa. Vincent and Red managed to stop Cid trying to use the Venus Gospel to settle his argument, and they got on board.
"Barret won't be comin'," said Cid. "He said he'd stay with his little girl. Poor kid."
"We have to find the antidote as fast as we can," said Red. "To Cosmo Canyon!!"