Awakening
A Story And Addendum For Memoirs Of The Heroes. (Previously "Memoirs Of An Adventure's Child."))
(All Characters Are Ficticious And bare no resemblence to living people. Any resemblence to fictional characters is only by chance. Special Thanks to Howard Phillips Lovecraft)
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I was furious to hear what Radr told me when we arrive back with the petitions. I sat in my home with my wife, remembering how Radr said that Meg told him that Vet had escaped. I didn't believe it, but I had no proof that she hadn't escaped. My wife, Li and my daughter, Lena, were comforting JaNa. I feel sorry for Vet's daughter, but the real problem was what happened to Vet. As I sat in the den, I heard a knock on the door. I wondered who would be calling at my home at this hour. When I openned the door, I saw a very dignified man standing there. He just said, "I take it you are Rich. I am Lord Osbert. I think I know where Vet might be hiding."
I looked at him most sternly and said, "I hope you know that I don't believe she escaped. She knew that we were coming to her aid."
Lord Osbert just nodded and said, "Well, she did handle a very powerful magical item, and she may have found more of it. I think she fled to an excavation site that I am funding. It appears to be a tomb of great age. Lately, many of the workers have been scared away by something. I hope that you can succeed where we might have failed."
I didn't trust the Lord, but it was worth the shot to prove Vet's innocence. I just said, "Alright, let me get some things, and I be with you in a moment." I made my way upstairs and into my bedroom.
As I started to gather things together, I heard my wife say, "Rich, where are you going?" I saw the concern in her eyes as she asked the question.
I turned and said, "I'm heading to someplace to see if I can prove Vet didn't escape. A man says that he thinks Vet is at his excavtion site, but I'm starting to think something sinister happened to her."
My wife handed me something and then said, "I'm going to call Radr. I want you to keep in touch with him. I have a bad feeling about this."
I nodded and said, "I feel the same way, but I have a feeling that this is the only way to help Vet." I then headed down and left with the man who asked for my help.

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After a while, we had entered the world of Edo. Lord Osbert said to me, "Sir, I do need to check on supplies and then we shall be off to the site. If you think you know of anyone that could help us, feel free to find them."
I decided to take him up on the offer, but not as he would have suspected. I head for the town where Hana and Taro lived. If anyone could give me info on Lord Osbert's expedition, they could. When I finally reachd there home, I saw Hana at the door. She smiled and said, "Rich, it has been too long. Please come in."
As I stepped, I said, "I know, the whole quest to save Vet, and now all this. I think something happened to her."
I heard Taro say, "I wouldn't doubt it. Strange things have been happening since Lord Osbert started his expedition. He found a tomb to the south of here, somewhere across the sea. Also, something very weird happened a few days ago."
I looked at Taro and said, "What was that?"
He nodded and said, "I didn't think much of it at the time, but I saw and overheard Meg taking Vet to a trial, the night after you left for the petitions." It hit me that instant. Meg lied to us all. What was she up to?
I stood and went to leave. "Taro. Call Radr and tell him that. Meg told us that Vet had escaped. I think something foul is afoot, and I have a feeling we are in trouble, big time."
As I left the door, I heard Hana say, "What do you mean?" I didn't want to say. The only way I could be sure was to go through with this and hope I could stop before I went beyond the point of no return. All I knew was that Lord Osbert and Meg were together on this.

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It had been a couple of hours since we had set sail for the expedition site. I had a feeling that Lord Osbert wasn't being totally honest with me. Maybe I could trick him into showing that he is not who he seems. I thought about it and then remember my one friend. He had died not long before I met Meg in school. He had been a bright boy, but misfortune took him. I walked over to Lord Osbert and said, "Lord Osbert, how did you know about Vet's escape?"
He looked at me and said, "Well, I am friends with your friend Meg. When I told her about what was happening at the site, she told me to find you."
I nodded and then said, "I see. She ever tell you about Mit, our friend from school."
I noticed a smile crossing Lord Osbert's face. "Oh yes. I've met him a few times as well. Meg, him and I have had nice chats about the state of the world durring those trying times. I was glad that the Route neve caught on."
I smiled in return and said, "Yes, Mit was a good fellow. If you don't mind, I need to call home. My wife might be worried." He nodded and I walked away. I took out the radio my wife had give me and I said, "Radr, can you hear me?"
I soon heard a soft computerized voice say, "YES, ALTHOUGH YOUR SIGNAL IS WEAK. WHAT IS UP?"
I just said, "Meg's been lying to us, and I think Lord Osbert is in on it."
Radr simply responded. "I FIGURED THAT AFTER TARO CALLED. HOWEVER HE CALLED TOO LATE. MEG HAS BEEN GONE FOR SOME TIME. ANY IDEAS?"
I didn't want to say too much, but I needed to give him something. "I have an idea that I might see her soon. Radr, I want you to look up something for me. Try and find anything about Aeris Gainsbourgh."
Radr responed almost concern. "YOU MEAN THE CETRA FROM THOSE VERY OLD BOOKS. YOU THINK THAT LEGEND PLAYS A PART HERE?"
I just siad, "I think it is the part. I need to know about the tomb created to commemorate her. Any information is good. Get in touch with me if you can." I hung up then, and prayed that my idea was wrong. I had done more reading on the legend of the Cetra and came across what had killed her. A child of Jenova, named Sepheroth. He was about to destroy the world. Maybe he had descendants who kept the dream alive, and I had a feeling that Meg and Lord Osbert were two of them.

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It had been almost a full day since I had left my home when we arrive at the site. Now, more then ever I believed that Vet wasn't here, but Lord Osbert did know where she was. As we neared the entrance to the tomb on the site, I heard Lord Osbert say, "We are very sure she's in there. She's been casting illusions to protect herself and scare us off. Be on your toes."
I nodded and ventured into the tomb. I had a feeling what this place was. As I headed down the first hall. I noticed that eight statues seemed to be placed along the walls in intervals. I moved very cautiously, to avoid setting of any traps. When I reached my first turn, I stopped look at something very odd. I could have sworn that one of the statues moved. I glance back at the statues I had passed, and then looked at the ones in front of me. Something was different. As I took a step forward, I saw it and fell to the ground. The one holding a razor like wheel threw it. If I hadn't have ducked, I would have lost my head. When I looked back in the direction the wheel came from, I saw a pink shade standing there. It looked at me and said, "You shouldn't have come here. You're making a big mistake." It floated off, but I felt I knew that it was a female ghost.
I went to round the next corner and stopped. There were more traps waiting. Descending into the tomb meant facing 7 more traps. I took precautions, staying low and out of range of fire. I past six of the traps in the same fashion. Each was of a figure with a weapon, the oddest being the strange creature holding a megaphone. When I finally saw the spirit again. I understood why the traps were there. I just said, "Aeris. I know who you are, and trust me, I don't want to disturb your rest. I only wish to prevent them from removing anything else from your tomb. I believe they tricked me to get the Materia from your time."
The spirit just shook her head. "You don't know everything. This isn't my tomb, I'm trying to keep people from waking him. You getting here only means they can get here." I watch as she faded from sight.
I looked around, wary. I knew all but one of the statues had yet to attack. "Aeris, I do not wish to let anyone wake what is best left asleep."
I heard the spirit reply, but only in a different voice. "I wish we could believe you, but it's not just Aeris' spirit here." I spun around to see who was speaking to me. It wasn't the figure of Aeris, but of another female figure. This had to be the last of the traps, a female fighter whose best weapon was her figure. I couldn't help but stare. I shook my head to bring my senses back, but the figure punched me, sending me into the wall. "We can't let you wake him. He's evil. He wants to destroy this world."
I stood up again and looked at my attacker. Normally, I wouldn't be swayed by such things, but there must have been a charm on the trap. I just said, "Who is in there?"
I heard a familiar voice say, "Lord Sephiroth is in there." I saw Lord Osbert and he fired a weapon, destoring the trap. I also saw Meg, and a few others, including the man who had been with St. Marius in Vet's form. "Take him." As they all grabbed me, he laughed and said, "I have to admit that Meg was right. You were the only one who could get us down here."
He headed into the final chamber, and the others dragged me into it as well. When we were in there, Lord Osbert walked over to the figure on the magical table. I said, "This is why you all deceived me. So you could awaken him."
I heard Meg say, "It is all part of the plan. First is to waken our master, then we shall get the components to wake Jenova. The guardians don't even realize that their base is right were she was destroied."
I smiled and said, "You won't get in. They know who you are."
As Lord Osbert started chanting, unfased by what I said, Meg looked at me and said, "What do you mean?"
"I suspected foul play, and Lord Osbert jumped right into it. He mentioned that you and he had met Mit. He was dead before you ever came to the school. The Guardian's are on their way to stop you." I wasn't exactly sure if Radr had sent some of the guardians here, but I needed to bluff. I just hoped they would believe it.
There was a look of horror on her face and she shouted, "Kill HIM." They all tried to attack at once, but my movement took them by surprise. They were caught of guard. I then saw the figure on the magic tomb moving. I couldn't stop him now. I grabbed two of the marbles of Materia, and ran out of the room.
As I ran out of the tomb, I heard the spirit of Aeris say, "He's awakened, but you have stopped him for now. He will hunt you down. You have the Materia he wants, and the Materia that can stop him." I looked at the two I had grabbed. One was black, and one was white. Now all I had to do was find the one person I knew could use them best, Vet.

It has returned....