Disclaimer: Cloud, Tifa, and co. are copyright SquareEnix, Co. Reilena Gainsborough is co. Vinja Ryou
Morning.
Aerith, Barret, Red, Reilena, and Tifa were waiting in the lobby of Kalm's inn; some were patient, while others paced the floor. Reilena had already explained to both Aerith and Tifa that she had spoken with Cloud during the night, and that he agreed to let her remain with them, and Tifa had happily relayed the news to Barret and Red, who seemed pleased as well. Now however, Barret was beginning to lose his patience with the spiky-haired mercenary.
"Where the hell is he at!?" Barret grumbled. "We can't be wastin' our time sittin' here…" A creak from the staircase nearby; the team turned as one to the staircase. Cloud made his way down, stifling a small yawn.
"Sorry…" he trailed off when Aerith thrust a phone in his hand. "Huh?"
"Take it," she replied; beside her, Red nodded.
"It's the PHS. It will put us in constant contact, should you need us," the beast replied. "Barret's handed one out to everyone, and even has a few extras to spare." Cloud nodded, looking over the phone curiously, and hooked it onto his belt.
"Well, since this is settled, we'll be going now," Aerith suddenly stated, motioning between herself and Reilena.
"Yeah, we'd better split up in smaller groups," Cloud agreed. "But where're we headed to?" Tifa stepped up, her hand raised calmly.
"I spoke with a few of the merchants outside. One says he'd seen 'some guy in a black cloak walking east toward the grassy fields'," she reported. Cloud glanced over the group with a curt nod.
"Then it's settled. We'll head for the fields and see if we can catch up with Sephiroth there," he decided, shooting a quick look over at Reilena. "First off though, we need to decide on our groups. There's six of us here, which would mean we go in two separate groups, but we'll all head for the same place."
"Sounds good t'me," Barret replied, folding his arms. "Now who's with who?" He kept his eye on Cloud as the young man thought to himself.
"Reilena, Tifa, you're with me," Cloud said, nodding to the two girls. "Red, Barret, Aerith…we'll call you if it's necessary." Barret and Red nodded understandably; Aerith bowed her head politely, and then walked over to her sister as Reilena and Tifa strode to Cloud's side.
"Before you go Rei, take these," Aerith said, holding out a couple Materia orbs. Reilena threw a curious glance at Aerith, but took the orbs. "One is a Heal Materia, while the other is Cure. I'm sure you'll find them to be of much use," she explained quietly. Reilena smiled, slipping the new Materia into the empty slots on her armlet, and took her place on Cloud's left.
"Oh, and take this, too," Barret called, handing Cloud a handgun. Cloud took one look at the gun and stared up at Barret.
"What's this for?"
"It's a uh…what was it called again?"
"Peacemaker," Red muttered. Barret laughed.
"Oh yeah! Peacemaker…dunno who can use it, but hey, maybe one of y'all will learn how to use a gun, and so…yeah," he finished, scratching the back of his head. Cloud held the gun in his right hand, checked to make sure it was still functioning, and handed the gun to Tifa; she raised an eyebrow, shaking her head.
"Hell no! I don't use these kinda weapons," she cried, glancing up at her boss. "No offense, Barret." She in turn handed the gun to Reilena. "Here Rei…you take it. You're good with knives." Reilena rolled her eyes, but took the handgun from Tifa.
"Yeah - those are blades, Tifa," she retorted, gripping the gun in her right hand. For some reason though, the metal felt a bit familiar, and Reilena stuck the pistol in her satchel. "Eh…I might find some use for it," she continued, having seen the curious looks on Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa's faces. Barret grinned, and threw the group a mock salute.
"Then we're off. See ya 'round!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Kweh!" The chocobos' simultaneous cry broke the tense silence that had surrounded Cloud, Reilena, and Tifa since they'd left the small chocobo farm in the plains. Choco Billy had sold them the Chocobo Lure Materia for the surprisingly low cost of 2000 Gil, which Tifa now held onto, while Cloud carried the scarlet Choco/Mog summon the chocobos had mysteriously handed over. Choco Billy's father had also told the crew that he had seen a man in a black cape heading for the mythril mines to the southwest.
The trio had successfully captured three chocobos and ridden them across the vast marshes; though none of them had ever ridden the yellow-feathered birds before, Cloud had been the most uncoordinated while riding, and halted his bird with a slight air of relief. "Let's release the chocobos here," he ordered, dismounting his bird. Reilena and Tifa shot curious looks at each other, but followed suit. Tifa patted her chocobo's neck, and then turned to Cloud apprehensively as the birds scurried off.
"Are you sure it's safe now Cloud?" she asked, pulling her gloves on tighter. "I mean, we did hear what the farmer said about the Midgar Zoloms…" Cloud sighed impatiently.
"Tifa, we crossed the marshes. The chocobos outran the Zoloms - we'll be," he silenced himself as the group froze in their tracks. Just a few feet ahead, a huge serpent hung in the air, dead; its body had been thrust onto a broken tree. The remnants of the tree and the grasses below were crimson, soaked in the Zolom's blood. "…fine."
"Oh my God," Reilena whispered, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Who…" Cloud stared over at the younger Gainsborough; she seemed to be genuinely surprised, but yet…he shook his head.
"Sephiroth," Cloud replied, eyes narrowed as he stared at the impaled beast. "We must be close."
"And the mines are just up ahead," Tifa added, pointing to a cavern beyond the Zolom's corpse. Cloud nodded, and strode on briskly; Tifa stared at his retreating back for a moment, and then jogged back to Reilena. Her friend still stared at the dead creature in shock, and she tugged on Reilena's arm. "C'mon Rei."
"Huh?!" Reilena blinked, then shook her head. "Oh, sorry." She followed Tifa, both women trying their hardest to ignore the heavy copperlike stench of blood, and joined Cloud just as he walked into the mines. Quiet, the trio glanced around the mines, bracing themselves for an attack as they took in the sights.
Much smaller than any of them had been expecting, the stone structure of the mines gave off a slight greenish sheen, adding to the light of the sun pouring in from spots above. While they glanced around, Tifa's eyes widened; as Cloud and Reilena stood in place, Tifa climbed up the side of a small cliff, snatching a sparkling mineral, and tossed it down to Cloud. "Long Range Materia," Tifa explained. "Might come in handy at some point."
"True." Cloud pocketed the crystal and gestured for the two women to follow him. Silent, they made their way down the winding corridor of the mines, and found an opening into the plains ahead. Cloud peered around the corners, nodding to himself, and turned back to Reilena and Tifa. "I'll go ahead…you both follow me when I give the signal," he whispered.
"Gotcha," Tifa said; she and Reilena knelt down, crouching in the shadows; Cloud crept forth, a hand ready to reach for his blade should it be necessary, and froze when he heard footsteps. He spun on his heel - Reilena and Tifa shrugged, still in place - and he peered over the edge of the small cliff they were on.
"What the hell…?" Below them, three people in dark suits and glasses walked in; they looked familiar somehow, and Cloud raised a hand, motioning for Tifa and Reilena to join him. Instead, he heard gravel tumbling over the edge, and glanced over just in time to see Reilena leap over the edge, followed by Tifa. Cloud slapped his forehead irritably, and then followed the girls down, landing on his feet behind them. Before him, Reilena reached for one of her daggers, while Tifa laid a hand on her shoulder. In front of the women, the suited trio glanced at them non-chalantly.
"Just what are you doing here!?" Reilena growled; one of her hands hovered above a dagger slung on her hip. The bald man staring at her raised a dark eyebrow above his sunglasses as he held a hand in the air.
"Just a second here," he began; Tifa shook her head.
"Who are you?" she asked; the man turned to Reilena, pointing to her.
"Do you know who I am?" he said; both Reilena and Cloud nodded, the mercenary coming up behind her. He set a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head, and Reilena sighed, dropping her hand from her dagger. Cloud then turned back to the man, solemn.
"From the Turks, right?"
"It's Rude - he and Reno are partners," Reilena spat. Cloud ignored her; Rude chuckled, running a hand over his head.
"Well if you know, then this won't take long," he replied coolly. "You see, it isn't quite easy explaining what the Turks do…" Cloud raised an eyebrow, folding his arms.
"Kidnapping, right?" he shot back. Rude shrugged, sighing.
"If you want to put it in a negative light, then I guess you could say that," he said. "But that's not all we're involved in anymore…there's more to it now…"
"Sir!" A female voice cut through; as Cloud, Reilena, and Tifa watched, a woman in a suit matching Rude's strode up, her blonde hair cropped short. She gave Rude a crisp nod, which he returned. "It's all right, Rude. I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it," she continued. Rude swept a hand toward the trio.
"…Then Elena, you explain it," he muttered. She strode in front of Rude, glaring at the three from behind dark glasses.
"I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena," she began, introducing herself in a short tone. "Thanks to what you all did to Reno, we're short of people…" she paused, thoughtful. "Although because of that I was promoted to the Turks…" Turning back to Cloud, Tifa, and Reilena, the harshness returned to her voice. "In any case, it is our job to find out where Sephiroth is headed, and to try and stop you every step of the way." Again she stopped, though this time she seemed confused; Elena tapped her chin in thought. Behind her, Rude shook his head, and she pointed her finger at Cloud. "You're the ones that are getting in our way!" Beside Cloud, Reilena sighed loudly, rolling her eyes.
"Are you done yet?" she snapped. Elena turned to her, growling under her breath.
"Elena…you talk too much," a voice stated. Glancing up at the cliff Cloud, Reilena, and Tifa had been on, the group saw Tseng standing above, holding his forehead in his hand. Elena dropped her eyes to the ground.
"Sorry Tseng," she said. Tseng shook his head, waving a hand in the air.
"There's no need to tell them of our orders," he continued, a cool tone to his speech as he motioned to the outside. "Now go. And don't forget to file the reports."
"Oh! Right!" Elena cried, nodding crisply in Tseng's direction. "Very well - Rude and I will go after Sephiroth, who's heading for Junon Harbor!" Again, Tseng clapped a hand to his forehead, while Tifa and Reilena giggled softly.
"Elena…you don't seem to get it, do you?"
"Oh! I'm sorry…" Elena apologized; one look at her face showed her confusion, and Rude massaged his forehead, letting out an irritated sigh. Above them, Tseng rolled his eyes irritably; Elena was proving to be much more of a nuisance than he was willing to put up with.
"You know what, just go," he finally sighed. "And don't let Sephiroth get away." Both Rude and Elena nodded.
"Yes sir!" Elena left the mine corridors first; Rude stuck around, and smiled to Cloud, Reilena, and Tifa coldly.
"Reno said he wanted to see you all after the injuries you gave 'im are healed," he said. "He wants to show his affection for you all…with his new weapon." Reilena growled under her breath as both Cloud and Tifa tensed; Rude chuckled as he followed Elena out of the mines, and the trio turned to look up at Tseng, who watched them all with a knowing smile.
"So nice to see you all again…especially you, Reilena," Tseng called.
"Give my regards to Reno," Reilena snarled back. Tseng laughed under his breath, folding his arms. The spiky-haired punk was there, as well as one of the AVALANCHE rebels…but someone was missing.
"Where's Aerith at? She isn't with you anymore?" he asked. Cloud held his arm in front of Reilena, barring her from saying anything, and glared up at Tseng.
"Aerith isn't with us," he called. "She's with the others." Tseng cocked his head to the side.
"Oh, is that so?" He gave them a slight shrug. "Then give her my regards," he replied; with that, he turned on his heel and walked out, heading in the same direction as Elena and Rude. When he was sure the Turks had left the vicinity, Cloud dropped his arm. Immediately Reilena growled.
"What the hell are they doing here!? They think Aerith and I are just going to waltz right into their hands? Sheez!" Cloud shook his head; Tifa on the other hand shrugged, and Reilena glanced over at Cloud.
"No. They're after the same thing as us," he replied solemnly. "They're after Sephiroth as well. Besides, the Turks won't go after you without your sister, which is why it's a good thing you and Aerith are split up." Peering down at Reilena, he saw the pensive look on her face and nodded toward the exit. "C'mon. We're going to Junon." He started off toward the mine exit, Tifa beside him; finally Reilena snapped out of her thoughts and caught up to the couple. The regrouped trio shielded their eyes, walking back out into the plains.
"So exactly where is Junon, anyhow?" Tifa asked. Cloud pointed east.
"Over that way…I was stationed there once while in SOLDIER training," he replied, walking still. Tifa walked along his left, Reilena on Tifa's own left; since there were no chocobo tracks nearby, they had to make the long trek to Junon on foot…
"HEY! Just where do you think you're going!?" Startled, Cloud, Reilena, and Tifa stopped, looking around. There didn't seem to be anyone around, and Cloud turned to the two women, an eyebrow raised in confusion. They glanced back at him with simultaneous shrugs; suddenly Tifa pointed behind Cloud, and he spun on his heel, pulling out the Hardedge. A young girl stood before them, brandishing a large shuriken in her hand; by the looks of her clothing, she appeared to be a ninja. "Whaddya think you're all lookin' at!?" the ninja shouted again. Tifa raised her fists, staying by Cloud's left; on his right, Reilena unsheathed her daggers, bracing herself. The ninja laughed. "Not answerin' me, huh? Fine, be that way!" With that, she flung the shuriken toward Tifa; Cloud darted in front of her, taking the blow, and remained silent even as the throwing star grazed his arm before returning to its owner.
"Is that all you've got?" Tifa retorted; she dashed up to the ninja girl, throwing a jab to the left and a right roundhouse kick before leaping back to their ranks. The girl growled, holding her cheek as she glared at Tifa, and threw her weapon out in a rage. It struck Reilena's leg before flying back to the ninja, and Reilena narrowed her eyes as she took aim, leaping toward the ninja as she sliced downward with her daggers. Again the ninja girl stumbled back, her shoulders cut, and shook her head.
"I'm not giving up that easily!" she yelled. Cloud shook his head, replacing Hardedge, and held his fists out, concentrating his energy into the Lightning Materia in his armlets; Bolt was cast, and rained down on the young ninja. He took out his sword again, bracing for a surefire strike back, and was surprised when the ninja instead dropped down to her knees, obviously irritated. Tifa sighed, dropping her fists, Cloud twirled the Hardedge once before replacing it again, and Reilena shook her head, sheathing her daggers. The ninja girl remained on the ground, punching a fist into the grass angrily. "Man…I can't believe I lost," she grumbled; a second later she glared up at the trio, eyes narrowed as she shook her fist at Cloud. "You spikey-headed jerk!" Leaping to her feet, the ninja reached for her shuriken again. "One more time…let's go one more time!"
"Are you serious!?" Reilena asked. Nearby, Cloud shook his head, arms folded; Tifa rolled her eyes.
"Not interested," Cloud stated. He nodded to Tifa and Reilena, and both women followed him, making their way across the plain. The ninja girl laughed as she replaced her shuriken, and leapt in front of Cloud in a threatening manner.
"Thinkin' of runnin' away?" she asked, putting a fist up. "Stay and fight! FIGHT, I said! I mean c'mon…what's the matter?" she asked, holding her arms out. "You afraid of me or something?" Again, Cloud folded his arms, an eyebrow raised.
"Absolutely petrified," he replied, emotionless. The ninja chuckled as she shook her head, hands on her hips.
"Just as I thought," she said. "What did you expect with my skills?" Glancing over at Tifa and Reilena, the ninja bowed her head in slight respect. "Good luck to you guys, too. If you feel up to it, we can go another round," she continued with a shrug. No reply; shaking her head, the ninja turned. "Later, then! I'm really gonna leave! REALLY!" She walked off slowly; Cloud remained silent, even though Tifa and Reilena both glanced at him, eyes widened.
"Are you really going to let her go, just like that?" Tifa asked under her breath. Cloud shook his head.
"Wait a second!" he called. Just as he thought, the ninja spun on her heel and trotted back to them excitedly. Once she stopped though, she retook the cocky aura she'd had before, and folded her arms with a smirk.
"What is it, you still have somethin' for me?" she asked; Cloud nodded.
"My colleagues and I would like for you to join us," he said; beside him, both Reilena and Tifa nodded, and the ninja grinned.
"So is that it? I mean…I know you want my help because I'm so good!" she boasted. "You want me to go with you?"
"That's right," Cloud stated. The ninja glanced back at the two girls beside him - they smiled back politely - and she laughed under her breath.
"I thought so!" she crowed. "Well, you've put me in a bind here…what should I do?" She tapped her chin in mock thought, and then threw her arms up in a shrug. "If you want me that badly, I can't refuse…so all right! I'm going with you!" Cloud bowed his head, concealing a knowing smile; when he looked back up again, he was solemn.
"Let's hurry on," he said, nodding to Reilena and Tifa as he strode off; the ninja girl yelled after him.
"Hey, HEY! I haven't even told you my name yet!" she said; a moment later she noticed that the two women who'd accompanied Cloud were lagging behind, and she jogged up to them holding a hand out to each as she grinned. "I'm Yuffie! Yuffie Kisaragi! Good to meetcha!" she chirped, shaking both girls' hands. Tifa nodded with a polite smile.
"Tifa Lockheart." Yuffie nodded, and turned to the sanguine-haired girl next.
"I'm Reilena Gainsborough," Reilena stated, shaking Yuffie's hand. Yuffie smiled to them both again, and then dropped their hands, lagging behind them a bit so as to adjust her left armguard.
"Just as I planned," she laughed to herself. "Now all I have to do is a little of this…a little of that…and poof! I am set!" Once she was certain her armguard was fixed, she looked up to find that Cloud, Reilena, and Tifa had almost reached the top of a hill, and chased after them. "Hey, wait up! Wait for me!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Hey Mr. Dolphin! Tee hee hee!" a little girl laughed; she was in knee-deep water, splashing and giggling with the grey dolphin nearby. Cloud, Reilena, Tifa, and Yuffie stared at each other, confused; this was Junon Harbour? All they saw was the little girl playing on the beach; further out in the water was a strange-looking metal structure, obviously built by Shinra and abandoned. But…was this all that was left; was this the place the Turks were headed to?
Tifa glanced beyond Cloud, toward the little girl; she seemed oblivious to the adults nearby, content to just play with the dolphin. She shrugged to her companions, took a breath, and walked to the very edge of the shore, just before the water could lap at her metal-plated shoes. Leaning close, hands on her knees, Tifa mustered a smile; the little girl didn't seem to be much older than Marlene. "Hi there," Tifa called. "What's your name?"
The little girl's laughter ceased, and she peered over her shoulder, cautious. A lady with long brown hair stood at the shore, smiling; behind her were two other ladies standing near a spiky-haired man. The little girl raised an eyebrow, walking toward the brown-haired lady, but stayed in the water. "I'm Priscilla. You…you're not with the Shinra, are you?"
"The Shinra?" Tifa asked, taken aback; seconds later she burst out laughing and shook her head. "No no, of course not! My friends and I" - she gestured toward Cloud, Reilena, and Yuffie - "don't even like the Shinra." Priscilla didn't seem convinced.
"Mr. Dolphin doesn't like the Shinra," she said matter-of-factly. "And neither do I." With that, she walked back out into the water and began splashing about with the dolphin again. Tifa cast her eyes downward with a sigh; a second later she glanced back up at the little girl, having remembered what she was supposed to ask.
"Excuse me…can you tell me where Junon is?" Again Priscilla turned; the look on her face was one that plainly said 'duh.'
"Junon? This is the harbor." Tifa rolled her eyes, steeling her patience; Marlene was never this stubborn.
"Yes, I know, but where is the town?" she called. No answer; Priscilla was obviously ignoring her. Throwing her arms in the air, Tifa walked back to the group, shaking her head. "She's ignoring me now." Cloud rolled his eyes.
"…Great."
"Now what?" Yuffie asked impatiently. "We're not just going to stand here and waste our time arguing with a little kid now, are we?" Cloud stared at Yuffie; the ninja shrugged. "What?"
"Listen to yourself. You're still a child as well."
"Oh really?" Yuffie shot back, hands on her hips. "I almost beat you back there, and don't think I'll fight you now!"
"Guys!" Reilena said, standing in between Cloud and Yuffie. "The last thing we need right now is a fight among ourselves." A sigh; Yuffie threw her arms in the air, but didn't fight, and Reilena slowly lowered her hands. "Now...Yuffie and I were looking 'round while Tifa was talking with the kid" - she glanced over at Yuffie, who nodded - "and we found a path up higher on the beach. That's probably where the town is, and where we can meet up with the rest of the crew." Tifa came up alongside her friend, and bowed her head in agreement.
"So let's not kill each other just yet," she added. "Let's head up to town, meet up with the others, and figure out our next move from there." Silence; finally Cloud nodded.
"Let's move out." He turned on his heel and followed Tifa to the beach pathway, leaving Reilena and Yuffie behind. Both girls rolled their eyes at Cloud's back, but followed along as well. Yuffie replaced her shuriken as she walked alongside Reilena, mumbling under her breath. Reilena shrugged.
"He doesn't like me either, so it's not just you," she replied. Shocked, Yuffie looked up at the older girl; Reilena laughed. "I heard what you said about Cloud; don't let it bother ya." Yuffie sighed, folding her arms as she walked.
"Yeah, but how do you stand it if he already doesn't like ya?" she asked. Reilena shrugged again.
"Because my sister likes him, I guess," she said slowly. Yuffie laughed.
"Your sister likes that spiky-headed jerk!?" Reilena nodded.
"He reminds her of her first love."
"Aww, how sweet," Yuffie giggled, jogging up the stone steps. Reilena followed close behind, and the two caught up with Cloud and Tifa as they walked into a shop not too far off.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Long time no see there Cloud," Barret said, having noticed the mercenary's entrance. Beside him, Aerith and Red glanced up from the trinkets they had been looking over, and smiled at the rest of their group. Cloud nodded once in silence, and Barret promptly gestured toward Yuffie. "So who's the newcomer there?"
"I'm Yuffie," Yuffie chirped, sticking a small hand in Barret's face. He simply looked down at her hand, not knowing whether to take the youngster seriously or not, and finally took her hand in a healthy shake, chuckling. She raised an eyebrow in confusion, but offered her hand to Aerith as well; Red simply nodded. "What's with the laughter?" Barret shook his head.
"Sorry 'bout that...jus' wasn't expectin' such a happy person to be with Cloud, tha's all," he replied; Cloud simply rolled his eyes as he took a Materia crystal from his pocket and tossed it to Barret.
"Think fast." Eyes wide, Barret quickly caught the violet-hued Materia and looked it over. "It's a Long-Range Materia," Cloud explained. "Thought you might be able to use it." Barret took one look at it and shook his head, tossing the Materia back to Cloud.
"Naaah - it's better for you," he said. "This here gun has a pretty far range itself." Cloud shrugged, but slipped the Materia into a slot on the Hardedge, and turned to Aerith and Red; Tifa, Reilena, and Yuffie had already decided to mingle in the small shop, but stayed nearby just in case. "Aerith, Red...you might as well know that the Turks are headed this way too, if they're not already in town," he stated. Both Aerith and Red nodded.
"I had a feeling they were nearby," Aerith replied; she glanced over at her sister, who was looking over weaponry with the young ninja Yuffie. "They didn't..." she began; Cloud shook his head.
"No. Tseng merely asked where you were" - Aerith sighed - "and then Rude gave us a threat issued from Reno." Cloud shrugged. "That was about it. We also found out that Sephiroth is headed this way, so we're all to be on the look out," he continued, making sure everyone in the troupe was within hearing range. "There's no telling what'll happen, so everyone has to be prepared."
"Which we are," Red spoke up; he sat up on his haunches as he continued. "Aerith had us all check on our weapons and armour - we're ready to go whenever the rest of you are."
"Excellent." With that, he started toward Yuffie, Reilena, and Tifa; his brow furrowed when he noticed the three women crowded around a window in silence, and strode over. "What's going on?" he asked. Tifa peered over her shoulder, and scooted over when she saw Cloud standing behind her. He took her place, and Tifa pointed out toward the harbor.
"Look at that," she breathed; a large, brightly-coloured creature hovered over the shores of Junon Harbor. A birdlike creature, it seemed to be watching both Priscilla and her pet dolphin with a strange curiosity. Tifa shook her head. "Priscilla's going to get hurt if she stays out there," she murmured.
"Then perhaps we should go out there and get her away from it?" Red asked; the beast had leapt onto a barrel, and was now peering out the window as well. Cloud nodded, and turned to the group, motioning for Reilena and Yuffie to do the same.
"You're right...Barret, Aerith, c'mon," Cloud said. "We're gonna get Priscilla outta there - I don't have a good feeling about that thing." Barret and Aerith nodded, and followed Cloud out the door, toward the beach; Red, Tifa, Reilena, and Yuffie ran out of the store as well, but stopped at the staircase leading to the beach. Instead, they stood at the stairs, watching their comrades apprehensively.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Priscilla watched the wierd bird above, staying close to the dolphin. "Be careful, Mr. Dolphin," she said. "I don't think that bird is very friendly." As if in response, the dolphin swam further away from shore, toward the abandoned construction site, and Priscilla backed away from the bird, her eyes wide with fear. "Okay now, Mr. Bird...I'm going to leave you alone now, I promise..." she whispered. Instead, the Bottomswell creature screeched as it flew toward her, its talons outstretched. Priscilla immediately flung her hands before her eyes as she screamed.
"Hold on! We're coming!" Cloud yelled; a quick nod to Barret, and the AVALANCHE leader shot the bird just before it could pick up the screaming girl. It squawked, hovering in the air above the girl; below it, Priscilla lay unconscious. Aerith ran in and picked up the child as Barret shot at Bottomswell again, and carried her further up the beach; once she'd laid Priscilla on the sand, she joined up with the rest of the group, her Striking Stick out and ready. Beside her, Cloud stumbled back, his left shoulder torn from the bird's talons; Aerith clasped her hands together, her weapon floating before her, and cast Cure; a green shimmer dropped over Cloud, Barret, and herself. "Thanks."
"Of course," Aerith replied. Barret ducked underneath another one of Bottomswell's divebomb attacks, and peered over at Cloud; the mercenary held his sword in both hands, ready to strike. Barret shook his head; Cloud wouldn't be able to hit Bottomswell, not with the height the friggin' bird was flying at.
"Cloud! Y'sure you can hit that thing!?" Barret yelled. Cloud shrugged, his eyes still on the monster.
"We'll find out now, won't we?" With that, Cloud swung the sword over his shoulder, charging at the creature; it still seemed too high up, and impossible for Cloud to hit. Just before he could run underneath it however, Cloud swung Hardedge down; the Long-Range Materia within its blade enabled it to lengthen just enough to strike the bird's underbelly, and Bottomswell screeched, aiming a blue stream toward Aerith; before she could react, a blue bubble formed around her, and she held her throat with one hand, coughing.
"Shit! That thing'll kill her!" Barret growled. Holding his gun-arm before him, he focused his anger on the Fire Materia within the gun. Flames engulfed both Bottomswell and the bubble imprisoning Aerith; the spell dissolved, and Bottomswell fell toward the ground. It still had enough energy to float a few feet above the sands however, and beat its wings at the trio attacking it. A tidal wave built up behind the creature spilled out, knocking Cloud, Aerith, and Barret onto their backs; once they'd climbed back up however, Bottomswell had fallen nearly to the ground.
Without a word, Barret braced himself as the Big Shot Limit Break formulated; growling deep in his throat, Barret finally unleashed the attack. The fiery energy sphere hit Bottomswell full force, and the monster finally fell to the sand with a tiny mewling.
"Well there goes that," Cloud muttered, replacing his sword. On his left, Barret looked over the Bottomswell's corpse; on his right, Aerith flicked her hair from her eyes as she retracted her Striking Stick and turned toward the little girl upshore. Reilena, Tifa, Red, and Yuffie were at Priscilla's side; at the steps leading to town, a man ran down to the group, distraught. Soundlessly, Aerith ran over to the party, Barret and Cloud following close behind.
Tifa knelt on Priscilla's left, the little girl's wrist in her hand. "This is bad...this is really bad," she murmured. Hearing footsteps nearby, Tifa glanced up; Red and Reilena moved aside to let the older man kneel beside Priscilla. Tifa blinked quickly even as she watched the man take Priscilla's pulse. "You...you don't think she's dead, do you?" she asked quietly. The man shook his head.
"Nope...but she's not breathing," he said, his voice shaking. Suddenly his eyes widened, and he looked up at Cloud; the blonde mercenary had been talking to Reilena, but glanced over at the older man with a raised eyebrow. The man gestured toward Priscilla quickly. "Young man, CPR, now!" he called. Cloud's eyes widened in shock, and he pointed to himself.
"Mouth to mouth?" he asked meekly. Barret sighed, prodding Cloud on.
"C'mon Cloud..."
"But...she's just a girl," Cloud stuttered. The man shot Cloud an imploring glance; finally Tifa stood up and eyed Cloud.
"Cloud, what are you going to do?" she asked, gesturing at the unconscious little girl. "All you need to do is CPR - she's only about Marlene's age, just help her!" Again, Tifa looked down; Aerith had taken her place, and was continually checking Priscilla's pulse.
Tifa was right...and Priscilla was just a little over Marlene's age...after glancing over at the rest of the team, Cloud knelt down beside Priscilla, motioning for Aerith to move over, and shot the man a solemn look. The man sighed.
"Just take a deep breath, hold it in, and breathe into her. I'll be right here," he explained. Cloud nodded, and inhaled deeply; seconds later, the man tilted Priscilla's head back, holding her chin lightly, and Cloud leaned forward, breathing into her. Priscilla didn't move, and Cloud shot a look up; the man gestured for Cloud to continue, and he nodded, taking another breath. The third time did the trick; Priscilla suddenly coughed, and Cloud nearly jumped back, but remained on his knees, watching closely. Priscilla lifted a shaky, weak fist to her mouth, covering her cough, and the man quickly picked her up and held her close.
"Priscilla, are you alright?" She nodded weakly, and the man rose to his feet, heading back to the town. Cloud stood up as well, looking over the rest of the party; on a silent agreement, they all followed the man to his house. However, when they tried to enter, he shook his head. "Thank you all for your concern, but Priscilla needs her rest now," he replied, and promptly closed the door in Cloud's face.
"Sheez, we saved her life...can't we at least make sure she's alright?" Barret muttered under his breath; nearby, both Tifa and Reilena rolled their eyes, while Aerith, Yuffie, and Red remained silent. Cloud merely scratched his head with a sigh.
"I just thought we'd..."
"Excuse me!" Surprised, the group looked up as one to see a middle-aged lady walking toward them. A broad yet tired smile crossed her face, and she bowed slightly when she stopped before Cloud. "I heard what had happened, and saw you all out there...you've done so much for Priscilla, and you all must be exhausted." She glanced at each member as if for confirmation; they all nodded, and she chuckled kindly. "My house is just across the street here. If you'd like to rest, come on over and make yourselves at home; I'd be honoured to let you stay," she finished. Cloud nodded once and peered over his shoulder at the rest of the group.
"Well...what do you all think?" he asked. Red whuffed.
"I believe I speak for us all when I say we could use the sleep," he replied, scratching behind his ear; the lady's eyes widened upon hearing the beast speak, but she kept quiet since Cloud seemed unnerved. Behind Red, Barret nodded as well.
"Yeah, I wanna relax for awhile too." Beside him, Tifa, Yuffie, Aerith, and Reilena all nodded, and Cloud turned back to the woman.
"We'll stay with you then," he said. The woman beamed, and waved them on.
"Then just follow me!" she called. Silent, the troupe followed the woman into her house; once inside, she motioned toward the staircase. "I have a couple rooms upstairs, with two beds apiece - I had four children - which you can all split among yourselves. There's also a few futons up there, which I'm sure one or two of you can use, and if it's necessary, I'll leave some bedding out here on the sofa," she explained. Aerith walked up beside Cloud, and laid a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder, smiling.
"Thank you so much for this, Miss." The woman shook her head, but patted Aerith's hand.
"It's the least I can do for you," she replied; Aerith took her hand back, and the woman turned to head for her own room. "Good night!" she said, raising a hand in farewell. Once the rest of the party waved back, Cloud turned to them all, arms folded.
"We'll meet up here and figure out what to do next in the morning. For now, let's rest," he said.
"Good idea," Yuffie replied, stretching her arms over her head as she yawned. Once finished, she slapped Reilena good-naturedly on the shoulder. "Wanna share a room then, Rei?" she asked. Reilena smiled tiredly, rolling a shoulder.
"Yeah sure. That'd be cool." She glanced over at Aerith. "That okay with you?" Aerith nodded in reply, saying that she'd bunk with Tifa; Cloud and Barret agreed to take the futons.
"So I guess Red'll stay with one of us then?" Cloud asked. Tifa shook her head, giggling softly; when Cloud arched an eyebrow, he glanced beyond the group and saw Red curled up in front of the sofa. His muzzle was perched on his paws, and his good right eye was shut; when they fell silent, the troupe heard him snoring lightly, and Cloud sighed. "That takes care of that, then. See you all in the morning." With that he started up the stairs, followed by the others.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"...that reminds me..."
Cloud raised an eyebrow as he looked around himself. He could see his reflection in the one-way mirror, but there was no one else there with him in the tiny interrogation chamber. His eyes narrowed, Cloud watched his reflection.
"You again," he muttered. "Who are you?" A laugh.
"...you'll find out soon," it replied; Cloud threw his arms up in the air, furious. The voice was quiet, sexless, and impossible for Cloud to identify. "...but more importantly, five years ago..."
"Five years ago," Cloud repeated under his breath. Eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat as he turned his glare to the ceiling; nothing but a dim, naked light bulb hung above, yet Cloud spoke aloud. "Nibelheim!?" Again, the voice chuckled; Cloud tightened his fists, teeth clenched.
"When you went to Mount Nibel then, Tifa was your guide, right?"
"Yeah...I was surprised," Cloud replied quietly; he ran a hand through his spiky hair, dropping into the lone metal folding chair in the room.
"But where was Tifa other than that?" the omniscent voice asked. Cloud shook his head, brow furrowed in thought.
"...I dunno."
"It was a great chance for you two to see each other again."
"...you're right."
"So why couldn't you see each other alone?" the voice asked; Cloud could feel invisible eyes watching him, waiting for a response, and he shook his head.
"I...I don't know," he said, defeated. "I can't remember clearly..." He sighed, dropping his head, hands tangled in his hair. The voice sighed itself, taking on a thoughtful tone.
"Why don't you try asking Tifa?" it suggested.
"...yeah," Cloud murmured, still hunched over. Heavy hands suddenly clamped down on his shoulders; when he looked up though, there was still no one there.
"Then get up!" the voice growled. Cloud felt himself being shaken, and he tried to fight back; his hands flailed helplessly at thin air. "Hey...wake up!"
"Wake up, Cloud!" Tifa muttered as she shook his shoulder. Finally she saw one of Cloud's eyes squint, and she stood back as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. Seconds later, he stared at Tifa in apparent shock.
"Tifa...when Sephiroth and I went to Nibelheim," he began, swinging his legs over the futon he'd slept in, "where were you?" She shrugged nonchalantly.
"...we saw each other, right?" she replied. Cloud shook his head, and pushed her arm away when she tried to help him to his feet; instead, he kept his gaze on the floor.
"The other time." Tifa raised an eyebrow, tapping her chin in thought.
"No...Cloud, it was five years ago, I don't remember exactly," she said dismissively. Cloud allowed her to pull him to his feet, and she gestured outside, oblivious to the depressed sheen in his eyes. "Besides, something strange is going on outside...you better come quick." Much to her surprise, Cloud pushed her away; she regarded him curiously. "Cloud..."
"Yeah yeah...I'll be out in a minute," he replied quietly. Tifa nodded; once she was certain Cloud wasn't following her outside, she jogged down the stairs and out the front door. The rest of the group was awake and outdoors already; Aerith saw Tifa first, and made her way over to the younger woman.
"Is he coming down now? she asked, a worried tone in her voice. Tifa shrugged.
"I would think so..." she began. Nearby Reilena, Barret, and Yuffie sighed.
"He tells us to be ready, then goes and sleeps in himself?" Yuffie complained; seconds later, she stared at the party members, wide eyed. "And you all put up with it?"
"Yeah, I don't get it either," Barret added, rolling his eyes. "Tifa, did he act this way when you was kids?" Tifa shook her head, ignoring Yuffie as the young ninja whispered something in Reilena's ear.
"No...he was much more quiet, but he'd say something and then do it, not keep people worrying..."
"Who says I'm going to do that now?" Cloud spoke up. The party peered toward the house; Cloud walked out, nonchalant, and joined the group, casting curious glances at each in turn.
"Lookit what the cat dragged outside," Reilena replied, folding her arms. Cloud shrugged once, turning his glance to Tifa; shocked, Reilena shot a look toward Aerith, who shrugged helplessly, confused as well.
"So what's going on?" he asked. Quiet, Tifa pointed across the street. Priscilla sat on her front stoop, scratching behind Red XIII's ears. The beast laid its muzzle in the little girl's lap, tail tapping the earth every few seconds, but stood at attention when the group walked over. Priscilla patted Red's head once more, and then stood up shyly; Red walked over to Reilena, silent, and she laid a hand on his shoulder. Tifa knelt before Priscilla with a calm smile.
"Now what was it that you wanted?" she asked; peering over her shoulder, she explained to Cloud. "She wouldn't say a word until you were with us." He bowed his head once, and Tifa stood aside as Priscilla walked up to Cloud. He looked down at her, and she held her hands behind her back, eyes on her feet.
"Are you okay now?" Cloud asked. Priscilla nodded.
"Ummm...thanks for helping me," she answered, finally glancing up at Cloud. "And uh...I'm sorry I mistook you all for the Shinra..." Cloud waved a hand in the air.
"That's all right." Suddenly, Priscilla took Cloud's left hand; silent, he allowed her to open his hand, and she placed a smooth scarlet stone in his palm.
"I'm giving you something special," Priscilla continued, nodding toward his hand. Cloud glanced down at the red summon Materia, and then pocketed it. "It's am amulet! Take good care of it, okay?" Again, Cloud nodded.
"Thank you," he replied. Priscilla ginned, brushing her braids off of her shoulder; before she could reply however, loud brass band music cut through the air, and Barret's eyes narrowed, listening closely. Confused looks came over the rest of the party as they too noticed the surpirsingly lively music, and questioned each other on what it could be for.
"What's that music?" Barret muttered aloud. "It sure sounds lively for a town like this."
"Tell me about it," Reilena added, shaking her head. "What's all the fuss about?"
"Oh, that?" Priscilla waved a hand upwards, toward the direction of the music, and rolled her eyes. "I've been listening to that for the past couple days. They're rehearsing for the reception of the new Shinra president," she explained. Barret's eyes immediately narrowed, and he lifted his gun-arm, growling.
"Rufus!?" he muttered; Priscilla nodded. "I gotta pay my respects." He glanced over the rest of the party, and was surprised to see that they were all watching the little girl closely. Lowering his arm, Barret sighed as Priscilla walked by him, staring over the sea with her hands behind her back.
"Grandma and Grandpa told me that this beach was beautiful when they were small," she continued; she spoke with an air of maturity beyond her years, and the group listened closely. "After Shinra built that city above, the sun stopped shining here, and the water got polluted..." agitated, Priscilla kicked the sand, wiping at her eyes. "I was raised on that story, and hate Shinra so much I...I could die!" she finished, turning back to the group as she wiped stray tears from her eyes. Aerith sighed, kneeling down, and held her arms out; Priscilla rushed up to Aerith and hugged her, crying quietly. Aerith looked down on the child as she stroked her hair, and glanced up at the group; Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, Barret, and Reilena all wore the same look of confusion, while Red was shaking his mane in thought.
"You don't think Rufus is thinking about crossing the ocean from here, too...do you?" she asked; the question was aimed at Cloud, and he shrugged, shaking his head. Tifa sighed, her arms crossed, and tapped her fingers on her elbows.
"So does that mean Sephiroth already crossed the ocean?" she muttered. Red whuffed as he walked up to Cloud, and sat tall on his haunches, staring up at the mercenary.
"Cloud, didn't you finish Rufus off?" he asked. Again, Cloud shook his head, violently this time, and Barret turned his eyes to the tower; nearby, Yuffie and Reilena remained silent, not knowing what to say.
"Well, no matter what, we have to get to the city above," he said, looking down at the little girl embracing Aerith. "Could we climb the tower to get there?"
"No! No!" Priscilla shook her head as she pushed off of Aerith, and stared up at Barret incredulously. "There's a high voltage current running underneath the tower - it's dangerous, so don't go near it!" Barret held his arms up in surrender, and Priscilla suddenly looked down at her feet, brow furrowed. "Though if I can get Mr. Dolphin to help you..." Looking back up, Priscilla grinned at the troupe before running off toward the beach. "Follow me!" she yelled, waving a hand in the air.
Aerith rose to her feet, brushing off her skirt, and glanced over at Cloud, just as Tifa clapped a hand on his shoulder with a slight laugh. "A high voltage tower...guess this means Cloud'll be all right," she teased. Aerith nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, we better leave it to Cloud!"
"We're counting on you," Red added, and then backed away to allow Cloud access to the beach. Cloud shook his head, glaring across the group, and was met with several toothy smiles.
"Hey now, wait a second!" he shouted; Yuffie shook her head and pushed Cloud on.
"Go on, get! Priscilla's waiting!" Cloud didn't fight back, but stood up and walked down the steps to the beach himself, shaking his head. Barret followed seconds later, leaving the girls and Red standing alone near the beach steps.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Figures they'd send me off on a solo mission," Cloud grumbled to himself. He approached Priscilla quietly, and the little girl raised a hand in the air, watching the sea.
"Wait a minute." Putting the first two fingers of her left hand in her mouth, Priscilla let out a high-pitched whistle. Cloud grimaced, the sound almost too much for him, and then watched Priscilla in awe. The young child was in waist-deep water; as he watched, Priscilla whispered to the creature, a hand lightly stroking its side, and then pointed to the tower.
The dolphine dove back into deeper waters, and Priscilla held her hands behind her back, loose. Suddenly the dolphin leapt out of the waters, nearly touching the highest platform of the tower, and then swam back to Priscilla. Cloud could hear the little girl's giggles as the dolphin nuzzled her shoulder, his wide at the stunt he'd just seen.
"Now ain't that something," a deep voice said. Startled, Cloud peered over his shoulder to see Barret walking toward the shore, whistling in surprise as he shook his head. "I ain't never seen no dolphin jump like that!" Noticing Cloud's shock, Barret shrugged. "Didn't mean to sneak up on yas." Cloud replied with a silent nod, and both men turned to Priscilla; she jogged up to Cloud and Barret with a proud grin.
"Pretty cool, huh?" She shrugged a shoulder, confident. "Whenever I whistle, Mr. Dolphin will jump for me." Reaching up, she pulled a necklace over her head and held it out to Cloud. "Here, Cloud! This is for you!" Confused, Cloud took the necklace.
"A gift? What am I supposed to do with it?" he asked. Priscilla giggled.
"Silly! It's a whistle, set at the frequency my whistle is, so when you use it, Mr. Dolphin will jump." Cloud placed the chain around his neck, and studied the whistle. A long reed with an opening on the end, it resembled a miniature piccolo, but without the note holes. When Priscilla cleared her throat however, Cloud dropped the whistle and watched as she pointed again toward the tower. "Now see that rod sticking out at the top?" she asked, gesturing towrad the platform the dolphin had nearly touched. "If you jump just right, you can climb to the top of the town without being shocked." Cloud nodded; Barret clapped a hand on Cloud's shoulder with a chuckle.
"Good luck there, Cloud," he said. "If you make it up there, we'll all follow you."
"Of course. Thank you," he replied, speaking to both Priscilla and Barret. Cloud then made his way to the water, was about to dive in when Barret jogged up behind him. Cloud stopped; Barret blew out a sigh.
"Sorry, but I just remembered," he began, holding his hand out, "but this PHS will break if it gets wet. Lemme hold onto it for ya." Cloud handed over the phone, bowed his head once, and then dove into the water, swimming toward the tower. Barret let out a sigh of relief as he strode back to Priscilla. Silent, Barret and Priscilla watched as Cloud reached the tower. A shrill whistle pierced the air, and Priscilla smiled; seconds later, the dolphin leapt up underneath Cloud, lifting him up to the platform. He leapt aboard just before the dolphin began its descent back into the waters.
"That is one amazin' dolphin," Barret muttered. Priscilla nodded.
"Mr. Dolphin's my best friend." Turning to Barret, she smiled as she bowed her head in respect. "And I wish you and your friends the best of luck as well," she continued. "I've given the alternate directions to Reilena - she'll show you the way to Junon." Barret grinned, and patted Priscilla's hair good-naturedly.
"Thanks, kiddo." With that, he jogged back up the beach steps; Tifa, Red, Yuffie, Aerith, and Reilena were ready and waiting. Barret promptly turned to Reilena with a confident grin. "So where's we headin'?"
"Follow me," she answered, and dashed down an eastern alleyway, Aerith and Red close behind. Tifa, Barret, and Yuffie quickly caught up, and tailed the trio ahead of them closely.
As she led her friends out of the harbor and into the upper backstreets of Junon, Reilena noticed the glow of her Materia pendant gradually growing brighter. I hope this isn't a bad omen.