(Author's Note: Hey! Look! It's the weekend so that means…I can update! YAY! ^_^ Anyways…here's chapter 9…oh and note that maybe only one of my stories will be updated on weekends…I'm slowly at typing sometimes…enjoy!)
Disclaimer: FF7 and Squaresoft are not mine. Any other character is…
Chapter 9
After eating breakfast the next morning the group walked outside to decide what they should do. They found Kendra sitting by the Flame staring off into space. There was a closed book sitting in her lap. Red walked up to her.
"Kendra?" he asked.
She didn't seem to hear him. Tifa and Aeris walked over to her. Tifa waved her hand in front of Kendra's face. She flinched and shook her head.
"Wha…?"
"Hey are you okay?" Tifa asked.
"…oh yeah…I was just thinking," Kendra replied still a little dazed.
"About what?" Aeris asked.
"Oh! It's nothing," Kendra shrugged.
"What's this book?" Red asked trying to see the title of the book. The others came over and made themselves comfortable on the ground around the Flame.
"It's just a book!" Kendra said hastily.
"A book on 'How to Kill a Demon.'" Yuffie read while looking over Kendra's shoulder.
Everyone looked at her sharply.
"What?" she asked.
"Why would you need to read that book?" Red asked.
"I told you it's nothing! I was…on never mind!" Kendra stood up and put a hand to her forehead.
"Are you all right?" Aeris asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Kendra nodded and walked away. The group watched after her.
Kendra kept walking till she was out of sight of the group. She then leaned against the wall taking deep breaths. Things were starting to spin.
"…not again…" she muttered. She pushed off the wall and went up to the room she had been using. Once there she collapsed on top of the bed. The book fell to the floor and opened.
****
"She's strange," Cloud said after Kendra had gone out of sight.
"Something's bothering her," Aeris stated still looking in the direction she had gone.
"Do you think she might have something to do with this new threat to the planet?" Barret mused.
"I'm not sure…" Aeris looked thoughtful. "I've sensed something about her but I can't put my finger on what it is."
Vincent was still watching the direction Kendra had gone. Inside of him Chaos was in a rage. But when Kendra had been there…the demon had been silent. He shook his head.
"What's the matter Vincent?" Cid asked.
"Nothing…just thinking…" Vincent replied.
"Riiight…"
Vincent looked at Red. They watched each other for a second. Then Red nodded.
"You think she might have something to do with the way Chaos has been behaving?" Red stated but not in question. More as a fact.
Vincent nodded.
"Interesting…" Red fell silent while thinking.
"So what are we going to do today?" Yuffie asked breaking the silence finally.
"Any ideas?" Cloud asked.
"I know! Why don't we go to Gold Saucer?" Tifa asked.
"Sure! Let's ask Kendra to go with us…but don't bring up anything about the book!" Aeris agreed with Tifa.
"Sounds like a good idea," Cid said. "I'll get the Highwind ready."
"I'll get Kendra!" Aeris said and ran towards the inn. She raced up the stairs as the rest of the group followed Cid.
She knocked on the door to Kendra's room but didn't get an answer. She slowly opened the door and peeked in. Kendra was lying on top of the bed. The book was open and on the floor.
Aeris pushed the door all the way open and walked into the room towards the bed. She stopped and picked the book up and looked at the pages it was open on.
"'…to destroy an inner demon…you must have the 3 gem stones…the crystal/stone case…the magic incantation…'" Aeris read a few lines then looked at Kendra. "Chaos has been acting up from the sound of it and you're reading a book like this…" Aeris set it down and leaned over her. She shook her shoulder gently. "Kendra? Hey Kendra?"
Kendra gave a soft groan and opened her eyes. She found Aeris looking down at her. She quickly sat up and found the book. She all but slammed it closed.
"Did you need something Aeris?" she asked coldly.
"We were wondering if you would like to go to the Gold Saucer with us?" Aeris asked.
"Oh umm…I guess so…sure. Why not?" Kendra stood and placed the book in the nightstand drawer.
"Great! Let's go!" Aeris smiled and pulled her from the room.
They went to the Highwind and Cid got the ship under way.
It only took a few minutes for them to get there. They showed their passed and entered the room with all the chutes in it.
"So where do we go first?" Cloud asked looking at everyone.
"Battle arena!" Cid and Barret agreed.
"No! Wonder Square!" Tifa, Yuffie, and Aeris agreed.
"The chocobo races!" Kendra said.
"…" Vincent and Red said.
"Okay…let's see…2 for battle arena…3 for Wonder Square…1 for the chocobo races…2 I don't cares…and I pick…FOOD STAND!"
Everyone fell over in shock.
"You can't possibly be hungry now," Tifa said getting back up.
Cloud grinned sheepishly. "Yeah…I am…"
"Oh fine. Let's just go to Wonder Square first!" Aeris said.
After some whining from Cid and Barret they got to go to Wonder Square. They had been there for an hour or more when a scream was heard.
All attention was place upon the person who had screamed.
"Kendra?" Aeris asked walking closer to where she was on her hands and knees.
Kendra gasped for a breath. "…I have to get…out of here…"
"What's wrong?" Cloud asked. He and the rest of the group had gathered around her.
"I can't…stay here…" she stated in a shaky voice that had a low growl to it. The growl was so soft though that only Red and Vincent were able to pick it up.
"Let's go to the battle arena now…" Cid said slowly.
Aeris helped Kendra up after a minute and they went to the Battle Arena.
****
They didn't have any problems the rest of the day…until they got to the chocobo races. They were placing their bets on the 3rd race when a man walked up to them and grabbed Aeris' and Kendra's arm.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Cloud demanded putting a hand on the man's shoulder from behind.
The man cleared his throat but didn't release their arms. "These 2 need to have a little talk with me. So if you'll excuse us…"
"I think not," Cloud said.
Aeris and Kendra pulled free of the man's grip all the while giving him a death glare.
"The Turks didn't do their job so I'm doing it myself. Now…"
"You're the man who told Reno and Rude to kidnapped Kendra…why?" Vincent asked.
"For reasons that are my own. I'll need the ancient as well so we'll just be going…" the man trailed off as he grabbed them by their arms again.
He pulled them a good distance away and let go of Aeris. He then threw something at the rest of the group that was heading towards them. He grabbed Aeris' arm again and hurried towards the exit pulling the 2 struggling women behind him.
He reached the entrance to the Gold Saucer but then was stopped by a figure in the shadows.
"Release them," he stated in a deadly voice.
"And just who are you?" the man asked.
The man in the shadows barely moved. The other man threw Aeris and Kendra to the floor and threw the same thing at the man in the shadows as he had the group.
The man from the shadows easily dodged the item. And in a flash of silver had thrown the other man a good distance away. The man sat up and pressed a hand over a thin cut like wound.
He smirked and shook his head…then was gone. The other man just stayed where he was in the shadows.
After only a few seconds the rest of the group was there. Cid helped Kendra up while Cloud pulled Aeris to her feet.
"What happened?" he asked.
"This man here beat the one who was going to take us," Aeris replied nodding towards the man in the shadows.
"And who are you?" Barret asked. After a bit of a hesitation the man in the shadows stepped into the light where everyone could see him.
He wore all black boots, pants, gloves, and trench coat. Two leather straps crossed over his otherwise bare chest. A long thin blade was sheathed at his side. Waves of silver flowed down his back and peaked out to settle in front of glowing bright blue/green eyes.
"Sephiroth!" Yuffie gasped.
He gave a slight nod in answer.
****