Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't own FF7, and neither do you!
Note: Yet another chapter to this weird self-insert-ish story. In all honesty, I have no idea where I'm going with this, but if I don't get enough reviews, I'll quit it, so, if you want this story to continue, I better get some REVIEWS! Oh, and remember. All flames will be used to alight my demonic little sister's hair on fire! .
"If vegetable oil comes from vegetables, and corn oil comes from corn, where does baby oil come from?"
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"Blah Blah" = talking
'Blah Blah' = thinking
Falling Stars
Chapter 2: Why me?
"The lessons worth learning are the hardest lessons of all."
In all honesty, I can't remember who told that to me. All I remember is getting into quite a bit of trouble and being grounded for about two weeks.
I wonder though. What about the little lessons? Or the ones that get you into so much trouble, and it seems like no-one learned anything. What happens then?
Do you continue on, destined to make that same mistake again? Or can you avoid it?
I suppose though, even if you did learn your lesson, and put it behind you, it can still resurface to haunt you. How do you get rid of it then?
I've met some people who's past mistakes have come back to overshadow them, and the lessons that they learned back then meant almost nothing to them in their present.
I guess all I can do is hope that it never happens to me. But, when the time comes, will my mistakes and lessons come back to haunt me too?
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1st person p.o.v. – Holie
The next day, I found myself sitting outside on a barrel next to Tifa's 7th Heaven, my patience being tested.
"No way! I'm not gonna." I said crossly to Tifa, who was standing right next to me.
Tifa crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the ground. She sighed and shook her head, then looked at me.
"I don't see why not Holie. You need to figure out how this world works, and since you'll be going on the mission with us. . ." Tifa started, but I interrupted her before she could finish.
"Whow whow whow. Pause, stop, and rewind. Going on the mission with you guys? I never said that I would do that!" I stated, crossing my own arms over my chest. I know that I was being kind of childish, but, there were monsters and stuff in that reactor!
"Well, I told Barret and Cloud that you would be coming. Jessie made up a fake id for you too." Tifa answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And besides, it will test to see how good your fighting skills are." She ended, and started to walk away.
I sat there, wide eyed, blinking a few times.
"What skills?!" I shouted in a panic.
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1st person p.o.v. – Tifa
We had three more days until our next mission. Three short days, and now they were going to be even shorter now since I had to try and discreetly teach Holie how to use Materia.
I couldn't let the others know what I was doing without letting on that Holie was from a different world, and I'd already promised that I wouldn't tell them. And I always keep my promises.
Teaching her was interesting to say the least. I knew that I couldn't show her how to use her swallow(1) or pistol, but I could at least show her how to work Materia, her limit break, and some karate.
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Day 1
"Okay. Focus on the Materia. Are you focusing? Okay, now, imagine the bottle getting stuck but lightning. Use the power you feel from the Materia, focus, focus. . . Great! You did it!" I said, coaching Holie until she got a bolt of lightning to strike the bottle we had set up on a trashcan in an ally by my 7th Heaven.
"Wow! I really did it!" Holie gleefully shouted, twirling around in a circle.
"Yep. Now, let's do it again, this time, use you ice Materia." I told her, and watched as she switched her bolt Materia with her ice one.
"Okay, here I go." She said, clutching the ice Materia. Again, I thought I saw her eyes glow for a moment, but dismissed it as I saw the light from the Materia.
"Ice!" She said, and a blast of ice hit another bottle, completely freezing it. "Yay! I think I'm getting the hang of this!"
I smiled and clapped my hands.
"Your doing good Holie. You seem to have a natural talent for Materia. Keep practicing though. As they say, practice makes perfect!" I said, and she smiled too, then went back to working on her Materia.
'Well, at least I won't have to worry to much about the Materia part.' I thought. 'Hopefully the rest will be just as easy'
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Day 2
I blocked a kick with my left arm and somersaulted backwards to avoid another kick. Countering with a punch, I hit my target and sent my sparing partner back a few feet.
"OW! Geeze." Holie groaned, rubbing her now sore shoulder.
"You're not done yet, are you?" I called, aiming to provoke her. It worked, and she threw a punch at me, which I easily dodged.
I aimed a kick at her to her knees, but she sidestepped it and elbowed me in the back. That hurt big-time. I was done fooling around.
I charged at her, surprising the 16-year-old. She tried to get away but I grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back, causing her to hiss in pain. She struggled some, only causing the pain in her arm to increase.
"Le'me go!" She shouted, stomping down on my foot.
Surprised, I did let go, and she put some distance between us immediately before getting back into that unfamiliar fighting stance of hers.
"I think that we're done for now." I said, getting out of my fighting stance. She saw this, and got out of hers too.
When I saw that she had relaxed up a bit, I suddenly charged her. Not expecting it, it was easy to kick out her feet from under her, sending her flying to the ground. She groaned, shaking her head and looking up at me questionably.
"Never let your guard down when your opponent is near." I said, answering her unspoken question. "Looks like you'll be practicing with your restore Materia again, huh?"
Holie groaned again, thunking her head against the dirt ground dramatically. I couldn't help but laugh.
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Day 3
1st person p.o.v. – Holie
Okay, I gotta admit. The last two days have been some of the hardest I've ever had. Thankfully though, they weren't in vain. I actually learned how to use Materia, which, in itself, it pretty sweet, and yesterday, Tifa helped me remember my karate lessons. She even taught me some of her own techniques. I never beat her once though, but, that's to be expected, she was the martial artist of the game.
But now, she's trying to teach me something I'm pretty damn sure that I can't do.
"I can't do it Tifa, people from my world just can't do that. It'll be no different for me here." I said to the brown haired bar tender.
"Of course you can." She replied, patting my back. "Your problem is Holie, is that you give up way to easy. You won't hear any of us AVALANCHE members give up so easy!"
I could tell that she was trying to help, but it really wasn't working to well. Starting tomorrow morning, my whole life was going to change. Well, more than it already had, it was already pretty messed up. If just the reactor mission didn't kill me, something down the line was bound to. Either way I was screwed, so, I just decided to go with it.
Tifa sighed, probably getting a little frustrated at my silence. I really didn't blame her. It probably wasn't every day she had to put up with some stupid, helpless girl from another world. I'm frustrated at myself too.
"Holie." Tifa started, sounding like my mom when she was telling me my grades could be better. "Everyone has a limit break, and, now since you're here, you'll have one too. It's all inside you, so, quite doubting yourself."
Tifa put her hand on my shoulder and gave me a reassuring smile, before walking back to the 7th Heaven. I sighed and looked down at the dirty, rocky road, if, it could even be called a road.
'What am I going to do?' I thought, sitting myself down, not caring if I looked like an idiot or not. 'I don't really know how to defend myself, and the only effective thing I really have is my Materia.'
I rolled the said objects in my hand, their soft glow comforting my frazzled nerves.
'I suppose my pistol would work, I always was a good shot.' I sighed again. 'Could I actually kill anything anyway? Monster or not? Tifa and the others have no problem with it. Man, this is all just getting to confusing for me. I don't want to really be like them, but, what else do I have?'
"What the Hell you do'in out here?! Get off yer lazy ass and get back to the bar!" Shouted someone from behind me suddenly.
I turned around and there stood Barret. The leader of AVALANCHE looked all the more menacing from my sitting position on the ground. He looked kind of angry at something, and I prayed to god it wasn't me.
"Oh! Ah. . . sorry, um. . . sir. I'll just be. . . going now. . ." I stuttered, standing up and brushing my shorts off.
"Wha'cha just stand'n there for? Get your ass in gear! We got a meeting now!" He yelled.
I didn't need to be told twice. I ran to the 7th Heaven, and I could have swore to god I heard Barret laughing behind me.
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"Awright everyone." Barret bellowed to everyone, that being me, Cloud, Tifa, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie, "To'marrow morn'in, we're go'in after the sector 5 reactor. Jessie, have you finished wit the bomb?"
"Yes sir." The red head seated in front of the computer answered, "I did it exactly as the computer said, no more malfunctions this time."
"Good. Does everyone have their ids?"
Everyone held up their fake id cards.
"Well than ya bunch of slackers, I want everyone to meet up at da station at 8:00. Do you all understand?!" Barret said, looking around the small room under the bar.
"Yeah"
"Yes"
"Whatever"
"Okay"
"Yep"
"N'kay"
"Awright then. Everyone go to bed then. Don't need the bunch of ya fall'n asleep dur'in the mission!"
We all nodded, and most of the group left up the pinball elevator. The only ones of us left downstairs were me, Biggs, and Jessie.
I cracked my wrists, a weird habit of mine that I've had since I was like, three or something, and flopped down on my usual spot on the couch.
'This will be the last time I sleep here.' I thought, pulling a blanket over me. 'When we go to the reactor tomorrow, it's gonna set off the chain of events that will end up destroying the sector 7, and now that I think of it, everything.'
I rolled over so my face was facing the couch.
'I can't stop it from happening either.' Curling up in an almost ball I put the blanket over my head. 'Poor Jessie, and Biggs 'n Wedge, they don't deserve this.'
"Hey guys." I said, turning back to face the room.
"Yeah?" Jessie answered back, who was beginning to fall asleep on the computer chair.
"Umm. . . can you promise me something?" I said kind of slowly.
"Depends. What?" Was Jessie's curious reply.
"When you come back, can you get everyone, including yourselves out of sector 7?"
The room was silent for quite a while, and I began to think that they had fallen asleep, but then it was actually Biggs who spoke up.
"Why?"
I sighed.
"Call it intuition if you will. I just got a really bad feeling that something horrible is going to happen here, and if this area isn't evacuated, many people will die." I answered half-truthfully. I couldn't exactly tell them what was going to happen, or how I knew, so, a premonition would work out best.
"And how would you know that Holie?" Jessie asked with suspicion, but also with a hint of fear.
I shook my head.
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you." I said, "But, please promise me. And don't tell anyone else I told you that, please!"
More silence.
"Guys?" I said uncertainly, wondering if I just blew everything.
"Holie. Answer me truthfully. Do you work for Shinra?" I heard Jessie say.
"No. Never have, never will." I answered in all honesty. There was more silence for a while, than Biggs said,
"Alright. I'll get everyone I can out when we come back, And I won't tell anyone, but if something's gonna happen, I want to stick around and fight it. Maybe I can help prevent whatever you think is gonna happen.
"Same here. I won't ask why you know these things now, but you better tell me later!" Jessie also said.
"But," I started, "You guys will be much safer if you get out too!"
In the dark I could see Biggs and Jessie shake their heads.
"No, as AVALANCHE, and as citizens of sector 7, it is our privilege and duty as fighters to protect this place." Jessie said determinedly.
I nodded slowly, my insides feeling like someone tied up my intestines in little Boy Scout knots.
"O. . .okay, but, promise you'll get everyone out, just to be safe?"
"Promise." The two said at once.
'At least I may have helped prevent some deaths.' I said to myself in my head. 'I just hope Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge will be okay.'
"Well, G'night." Biggs said.
"Good night." Jessie and me said at the same time.
I rolled over once more so I was once again facing the couch. Yawning, I shut my eyes, images of what may come swirling in my head. The last thought before slumber took me was one question.
Why me?
So ends the second part of The Tale of Falling Stars
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It's a new day, but it all feels old
It's a good life, that's what I'm told
But everything it all just feels the same
And my high school, it felt more to me
Like a jail cell, a penitentiary
My time spent there it only made me see
I don't ever wanna be like you
I don't wanna do the things you do
I'm never gonna hear the words you say
'Cus I don't ever wanna, I don't ever wanna be
You. . . don't wanna be just like you
What I'm say'n is This is the anthem, throw all your hands up
You, don't wanna be you
Go to collage, a university
Get a real job, that's what they said to me
But I could never live the way they want
I'm gonna get by, and just do my time
Out of step while, they all get in line
I'm just a minor threat so pay no mind
Do you really wanna be like them
Do you really wanna be another trend
Do you wanna be part of that crowd
'Cus I don't ever wanna
No I don't ever wanna be you. . .
The Anthem-
Good Charlotte
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Reviews
Kitty: Thanks for reviewing me again, I really appreciate it. As for your idea, yeah, I think that's a good one. I'll probably do it. . If you got any more ideas, feel free to review and tell me! Sorry if the Harry Potter reference weirded you out. I won't make any outside references anymore. It had just kind of popped into my head at the time and I put it in.
Gijinka Destroyer: Don't worry, I don't want this to be a Mary-sue story. My character definitely isn't going to be the strongest or most beautiful or anything. Hell, she's going to be paranoid 'n stuff for a while yet. As for the digimon thing, well, I had to figure out SOME way to get her over there, and that's all I could think of at the time.
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(1)- In case you people didn't see it before, a swallow is a two sided sword, the thing to hold it being in the middle. If any of you people have played Chrono Cross, it's that thing that Serge has.
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Note 2: So, what do ya think? REVIEW and tell me, or, or, sniff, I'll cry!
Note3: Ummmm. . . I'm going to need ideas on this one, so, please give me ideas, my muse is like, gone right now, and, someone pointing out my errors would be good too. Hey stratadrake! If your there, your pretty good at that.
Man, this one is turning out to be kinda serious. I'll have to rectify that. Smiles
Now, let's see here. This chapter is about 12 pages long and. . . 3,000 words long. Definitely not bad for me. In the next chapter, they'll all be going to the sector 5 reactor. I know, I know, you just can't wait, can you?
Oh, and I want at least 5 more reviews before the next chapter comes out, so, unless you want this story to go on hiatus, I insist that you review.
Other than that, Have a nice day!
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Questions
What should I do for pairings. I'll already tell you I'm no good with romance, but parings are nice. Also, I happen to be more of a Cloud/Tifa fan, but, I still need to know. Should I kill Aeris? Me personally, I hate that part of the game, but if you people want me to kill her . . . Should Red find another of his specie? If you've seen the ending of the game, he seems to have cubs, so, you'd think he found someone, right? What should I do with Sephiroth? Does anyone have idea's for side things that don't involve the main plot? Like one of them getting sick or something? Should I split them up into groups like in the game?
Please REVIEW and tell me!