(Author's Note: Hey…here's chapter 9…enjoy!)
Disclaimer: FF7 and Squaresoft are not mine. Rueh belongs to Rueh. Dete is mine.
Chapter 9
-6 ½ years later…7 years total have passed-
"Excellent…now we must test your strength…"
****
"There!"
"Well done. I think it was a good idea to have Vincent teach you how to use a hand gun. You've done well with it," Sephiroth said with his hand on his hips as he watched Dete.
She grinned and straightened. "And you and mom taught me how to use a sword. How am I doing with that?" she asked putting her hand gun in its holster.
"We'll find out," he said drawing the masamune.
Cassandra sat to the side watching them. Vincent walked up behind her and then sat down beside her.
"She's doing well," he said.
"Yeah…it's been 7 years…and still no sign of Rueh," she sighed.
"We've looked and done everything we could think of to find them. Dete hasn't been able to sense her since they were separated. I don't know what else to do," he bowed his head.
"It's not your fault. I blame Cloud and the others that wouldn't help Sephiroth."
Vincent nodded. "But really you shouldn't blame them either. If you blame anyone blame Hojo," he said.
"I guess you're right but…"
"What's wrong?" he asked. Her eyes had gotten wider and her face had paled.
"Do you feel that?" she asked in a whispery voice.
"Feel what?" he asked slowly.
Sephiroth and Dete stopped fighting and looked past the town out onto the plains towards the mountains in the distance. Cassandra was looking in the same direction.
Dete dropped her sword and took a few steps back. "Impossible…so much power…but what for?" she shook her head slowly.
Vincent felt it now too. He and Cassandra stood up. "Who is it? Who is gathering all this power?" he asked.
"I don't know," Sephiroth said slowly.
The power they felt kept rising. After a minute it leveled off. Without warning they felt yet didn't feel it explode. Everything started shaking.
"It's a shock wave!" Cassandra exclaimed.
They staggered trying to keep their balance but in the end lost it and ended up sitting on the ground.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Dete said softly.
Vincent's PHS started to ring. "Hello?"
"Vincent? It's Red. What just happened?" Red asked.
"That's we're wondering. Have any ideas?" Vincent asked as he stood up. Sephiroth helped Dete and Cassandra up.
"No…but it felt like a giant explosion. What do you think it was?" Red asked.
"A shockwave from an explosion like you say," Vincent said.
"I'll try to figure out where it came from and then let you know…Vincent? What just happened?" Red asked.
"Something's wrong with Dete!" Vincent answered.
"What's wrong with her?"
"She just collapsed. Call back when you've figured this out okay?"
"Sure," Red and Vincent hung up.
Sephiroth had caught Dete before she had hit the ground. "Is it possible that Rueh had something to do with this maybe?" he asked looking at Cassandra.
"That could be but…it doesn't make sense," she said.
"Anyways let's get her inside. Red said he would call back if he found anything," Vincent said. They went inside. Sephiroth laid Dete on the couch. Cassandra sat on the floor next to her. Vincent took up his position by the window and Sephiroth sat down in his chair. They waited only a few minutes before Dete woke up.
She sat up fast and looked around.
"Dete? What's wrong?" Cassandra asked.
"…she's mad…very mad…"
"Who?" Sephiroth asked.
"Rueh…she's never been this mad before," Dete took a deep breath to calm down.
The PHS rang a minute later.
"Yes?" Vincent answered it.
"I know most of what happened," Red told him.
"Okay…"
"I think it would be best if we went to the Forgotten Capital," Red didn't sound too happy.
"All right. Let's call the others and have Cid pick us up with the Highwind," Vincent hung up.
"Well?" Sephiroth asked.
"Something's happened in the Forgotten Capital," Vincent said.
****
"Well now…that worked out nicely. Now I'm sure they'll be here to investigate soon so why don't you go get ready to face them?"
"Why not indeed? It's not like they'll be a challenge or anything."
****
The group left the Highwind and went into the Sleeping Forest. They walked for sometime until they came to the Forgotten Capital…or what was left of it…
"What happened here?" Cloud asked dumbstruck.
"I think this was the source of the shockwave we felt," Red stated looking around. The place looked like a giant explosion had gone off.
"But what caused it?" Tifa asked.
"I think we're about to find out," Barret said. They all looked in the direction he was. A cloaked figure was walking towards them. The figure stopped a few feet from them and did not move.
"Who are you?" Yuffie asked warily.
The figure didn't answer.
"Hello? Anyone in there?" Yuffie asked and stepped forward. Without warning a spell was released and she was thrown backwards.
"Who are you?" Sephiroth demanded as Vincent helped her up.
"You don't remember me?"
"Wha…?"
"Rueh," Dete said.
The hood of her cloak fell back. She was smirking. Her hair was longer and whiter than it had been but still had the black tipped ends. Her aqua-green eyes were darker and colder.
"So you do remember me Dete. I was wondering about that. In 7 years you haven't hardly changed," Rueh said.
"But you have. What happened to you?" Dete asked shaking her head.
Rueh snorted. "Like you would care." Her cloak was tossed aside. She wore a dark green tank top and baggy black pants. The strangest thing about her appearance was the markings on her face, neck, and arms. They were silver streaks that swirled with fire red.
"What do you mean?" Dete asked warily. She didn't like this change Rueh had taken.
"I'm not even going to bother to explain. You wouldn't understand anyways," Rueh crossed her arms and leaned back a bit.
"…get down!" Dete yelled. None of them could get down fast enough. They were thrown backwards and knocked out.
"Nine down…one to go," Rueh smirked.
Dete shook her head and pushed herself to her knees. She looked at the others then back at Rueh. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"I've felt lots of pain these past 7 years…I'm just sharing the feeling…" Rueh held her hands out to either side of her and black light began to gather in front of her palms.
Dete pushed herself to her feet and cast the strongest barrier spells she could. Her barriers were surrounded by the black light. The light then exploded. When the dust from the explosion finally settled Rueh was the only one there.
"You can run but you can't hide," she shook her head slowly with her eyes closed.
****
The group sat up rubbing their heads and looking around. They were outside the Highwind.
"How'd we get here? And weren't we knocked out by Rueh?" Tifa asked.
"We were…is everyone all right?" Cloud asked getting up and helping her to her feet. There was a chorus of 'yeahs' from them as they got up.
"So…what happened?" Yuffie asked.
"Hush," Vincent said softly.
Sephiroth and Cassandra slowly approached the place where Dete stood. Every few seconds she shook and swayed. She had her back to them.
"Dete?" Cassandra asked softly.
"She's too strong…and angry at us…it doesn't make sense…" the light around the entire group shimmered but then it faded.
"A barrier? Dete…what happened to Rueh?" Sephiroth asked.
"She was going to finish us all…we have to stop her…" Dete fell to her knees. Sephiroth and Cassandra rushed forward and caught her before she completely collapsed.
"Let's get out of here…and think about what's going on," Cloud said turning towards the Highwind. The others agreed.
****