Chapter 4: The Ancients Homeland
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in Final Fantasy Cetra, just the characters I made up.
"Welcome back, sir," the members of the Council that remained said as the crew came into view.
"Hello, Valeria. Melody!" Cleo exclaimed. She looked at Orion pointedly and went over to hug her friends.
"Any more discoveries sir?" Albert asked.
"Well, all researchers have to get to the car inside the large lab. In the meantime, I want someone who knows this city very well to set up a tour for these two heroines," Maximus said.
"Melody knows the town," Cleo shot in. Maximus nodded.
"She could do it then." Maximus left the room.
"Ten thousand gil, Orion," Cleo grinned. Orion growled as he handed her a pouch.
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Valeria was back in her lab looking at a slide of one of the Jenova test tubes.
"Hello Valeria," the gentle, dulcet voice of Adrienne said. Valeria looked back at her.
"Hello, Adrienne. Would you like to see the Jenova?"
"I suppose." Adrienne looked through the microscope. "This looks exactly like blood cells."
"Yes, so I compared it to the blood of us Cetra." Valeria rapidly typed on a computer and a page came up. The page had the Cetra blood on one side and the Jenova sample on the other side. "They look very similar, but there is a difference when you go in closer."
Valeria pushed the mouse and both pictures started to zoom in. The Jenova sample's red blood cells had a dark red band on even the brightest cell.
"There are two questions that I need to ask Pearl about. The first one is what exactly is that band? The second, how do these get oxygen? Humans and Cetra get it through the lungs and the oxygen runs out after a while. These have probably been out of Jenova for at least two hours," Valeria stated.
"True, and maybe for two years. We don't know exactly what's going on. The difference between this sample and the sample in the crater is that the blood cell colors on the other Jenova were switched. The disks were white and the leukocytes were red."
"Well, the first thing we have to do is some tests to see what the difference between human and Cetra blood is. Then we can see which one Jenova resembles more."
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"...And this is the most important thing in our town. This is the holy Lifestream reaching out to us, and it is also the source of our powerful materia," Melody said. Tifa and Yuffie gasped as they saw the large Mako Fountain.
"It's so beautiful. I only saw a small one on Mt. Nibelheim before," Tifa commented breathlessly.
"I've never seen one ever, so you're lucky," Yuffie said, staring at the glowing fountain of glowing, green 'ice.'
Melody heard a beeping sound and she opened up her old communiqué. "Hey sis."
"Melody, are you done with your tour?" Valeria's voice asked.
"I'm at the fountain."
"Okay. That's a good stopping point if you want to stop now. When you come back, and don't hurry if you want to continue, bring the heroines to my lab so I can draw blood from them."
"Okay." Melody closed the communiqué. "They need us in the lab, but right now it's your thing. Do you want to stop now?"
"Sure. We could see the rest later," Tifa said.
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"So, which one of you is brave enough for the needle?" Adrienne said jokingly. Valeria laughed.
"This is Adrienne, my superior. Don't worry about her," Valeria lowered her voice to a mock whisper, "she's a little sick." The girls laughed.
"What are you two laughing about?" Bindi's voice came from the hallway. Valeria quickly picked up the slender needle and held it up as Bindi walked in.
"Us five are laughing because I'm trying to relax these girls before I draw their blood," Valeria said.
"She gets one, I get the other," Adrienne said.
"Don't worry; it doesn't hurt," Melody informed.
"Are you sure?" Yuffie asked fearfully.
"I'll count to ten and you just look straight," Adrienne said. "Watch." Adrienne walked up to Tifa. "Sit down, and just relax." Tifa sat down and Adrienne counted to ten slowly. "See? That's all there is to it."
"You're finished? I didn't even feel anything," Tifa remarked.
"Just because she didn't feel anything doesn't mean I won't!" Yuffie cried.
"What do you need their blood for, anyway?" Bindi asked.
"You're questioning not only the Head Researcher, but a member of the Council?" Adrienne demanded, suddenly appearing to have a lot of power. "It's official business, now go away before I report you to Maximus." Valeria and Melody grinned at Bindi, and Adrienne pretended not to notice.
"They are laughing!" Adrienne looked at Valeria and Melody, who stopped quickly before she saw them.
"I might as well report you for lying because they aren't."
"What?" Bindi sounded shocked.
"I said, go away," Adrienne's eyes flashed. Bindi looked down and left. Valeria and Melody laughed. "She deserved it."
"Lena needs it too," Melody said.
"On the contrary, Lena can be a good person at times. As for her," Adrienne pointed at the door, "she can't. She thinks she's high and mighty because she's Maximus' niece. Lena is high and mighty; thank goodness she didn't leave." The three Ancients were silent as if remembering something.
"Anyway, time to draw blood!" Valeria said cheerfully.
"That was a little too cheerful to me," Yuffie said dismally. Yuffie closed her eyes as Valeria sat on a stool next to her.
"All done!" Yuffie opened her eyes.
"Really?"
"Yeah." Valeria held up the needle. Sure enough it was filled with Yuffie's blood.
"Let's go eat before we test these," Adrienne commented. Valeria nodded in agreement.
"This is the HQ's cafeteria. We're actually going to lunch with the fighters. They're all friendly people," Valeria said.
"You're just saying that because your fiancée is in it," Melody shot out.
"No I'm not!" Valeria replied.
"Marc a.k.a. Maverick is also a member of the fighters. He should be in the far left corner, which so happens to be the dark and empty corner," Adrienne said, stopping further arguments.
"Is he one of those antisocial ones?" Yuffie asked. "You know, something like Cloud?"
"Yes, but the girls love him," Valeria informed. "He's very popular, and don't think he is amongst girls only. Men admire his fighting talent. Some, no most, of them are even jealous."
"Imagine, even Lena likes him," Melody declared. "He's just that way. He likes fighting alone, eating alone, working alone; he's just that kind of mysterious guy."
"When Leon gets promoted to the Council, Maverick will be promoted to the leader in his place," Valeria informed.
"Leon's her fiancée," Melody commented. "The fighting group learns how to use any weapon, how to improvise, escape techniques, espionage, hand-to- hand combat, et cetera, et cetera." The door opened and a tall man with dark brown hair and green eyes appeared.
"And here's the man himself. This is Leon, leader and main instructor of the fighters," Adrienne said.
"Oh? Are you eating now?" Leon asked.
"Yes," Valeria said quietly, looking down.
"Valeria's avoids public affection," Melody said. "You should see her when... never mind."
"When what?" Valeria asked suspiciously. "Were you spying on us?"
"No. Anyway, let's eat now. I'm hungry..." The girls walked into the cafeteria, which was very large.
"It's practically empty now, but when it's the researchers and doctors, every seat is used so we have to sit in the same seat every day. Look in that far corner right there," Adrienne pointed to the far left corner which was dark. A single man was sitting there with his feet on the table. "He's so aloof. "
"He should be sitting at that table in the middle. In every group, the leaders sit there," Valeria informed.
"Let's sit next to him and annoy him!" Melody exclaimed. The girls walked over and sat down around him in the round corner seat. "Hey Maverick! This is Yuffie. She was Tifa's cohort during Sephiroth."
"Hello."
"Hey!" a sunny voice called out. The group turned. "The name's Cleo, archer and gambler!"
"That's an interesting way of introducing yourself," Melody said. Cleo stood next to Melody and looked at Yuffie.
"I'm also a master pickpocket." She held up a wallet of money that was quite full.
"Hey!" Melody exclaimed. Everyone but Maverick laughed as Cleo and Valeria played a small game of catch.
"Okay, here you go." Cleo handed the wallet to Melody. She looked at Maverick. "Is she speaking to you?"
"She did right before they arrived. Do you know where Cloud is?" he asked looking at Tifa.
"No. He left one day. Why?" Tifa asked.
"For the past year or so, I've been spoken to by Aeris." Maverick stood up and walked to a door of the cafeteria located right next to his table. "Let me show you something."
Maverick had led them to his room. It was large and had an elevator in the corner. He led them into the elevator, which was also huge. Everyone entered it.
"Final Floor, please." The elevator moved down for a long time before stopping. They landed inside what seemed like a limestone cavern. "Unlike the Shinra, who were forced to build upward, we built downward; our base is only eight floors high. My elevator is the only one that can reach this far down. I didn't even know until she told me." He led them to a mako fountain.
"Do you know what she looked like?" Yuffie asked.
"Yes. I don't have to see her to know what she looked like. Her mother, Ifalnia, was the daughter of the Sage and his wife. You remember Warren right? He's the Sage's grandson."
"So they're siblings?" Yuffie asked.
"No, cousins. She looked, according to what she says, like her mother. Her mother had an identical twin sister, who is Warren's mother. He also looks like his mother."
Tifa nodded before saying, "I thought that he had a striking resemblance to Aeris when I first saw him. How do you speak to Aeris anyway?"
"One of two ways. She either speaks to me like the planet does, or I call out her name in this cavern. That's why I've been referring to her as 'she.' She is in the lifestream right under this area. Aeris!" he called out her name all of a sudden.
"Yes? I've been listening to your conversation to decide when to come in," Aeris' voice said.
"Aeris? Is it really you?" Tifa asked.
"Yes. Before we get off track, I need to inform you of three very important, not to mention dangerous, things. The first is that Jenova must be contained. You must not let her multiply because if she does, she will become a being of some sort. Don't think that she is just some other thing like Jenova Birth or Life. She will be a Death Angel."
"A Death Angel?" Cleo, Adrienne, and Valeria exclaimed.
"Yes. The second is that I'm sure you remember the incident that happened at the same time as my mother left."
"Yes, she left because of the attacks of the Iliad," Valeria said.
"The Iliad was a rebel group that rose against the main government of the Cetra's world. They appeared like ants do when you step on an anthill. Remember that last battle that won your father his fame?"
"Yes. Members of the Iliad vanished as if they had a spell cast upon them," Maverick stated.
"Correct. They just cast a spell and escaped. They are what is now the Mists of Gaia. A former SOLDIER is leading them. This ex-SOLDIER member, Peter Strife, is Cloud's father. He supposedly died when Cloud was three, but in reality he joined the Mists. He is a very good fighter; he trained Sephiroth and was a much better fighter than he. This, and the fact that he is Cloud's father, creates a dangerous foe. I believe he was brainwashed by someone else who is really the leader of the Mists."
"Finally, this man who is controlling Peter Strife is starting a project called the Jenova Rebirth Project. I'm not sure about the details; all I know is that it has ties with an ancient Cetra ritual that was used to revive the dead. You have to offer a sacrifice as great or greater than the Cetra that died. This may be used to revive Sephiroth."
"Revive Sephiroth?" everyone exclaimed.
"Yes. The combination of the real leader of the Mists, Peter Strife, and Sephiroth would make them nearly indestructible. First you need to find Cloud. He fell off a cliff and is being nursed by something even as we speak. He is located somewhere in the North, far away from your current location."
"'Current location'?" Yuffie asked.
"Yes. We are based in the northern snowfields," Adrienne informed.
"This is quite a revelation," Valeria commented. "Adrienne and I will stay here. Melody, you could go with Maverick and the heroines to look for Cloud." Valeria pulled out her communiqué.
"What are those?" Yuffie asked.
"A device used to communicate between Cetra. I don't know how they made these." She typed in a number.
"Yes, Valeria?" a man asked.
"I need four of the best silver chocobos."
"Right away." Valeria closed the communiqué. They boarded the elevator and went to the Chocobo stables.
"These are so cute!" Tifa exclaimed.
"Silver Chocobos are like golden ones, except they are more resistant to cold," Maverick said. "A silver chocobo could last for a day in the snow with no rest. A golden chocobo would already be a Popsicle."
"That's a rather morbid thought," Melody commented.
"Welcome to the club," Cleo stated.
A/N: Don't forget to review!