Chapter Five: The Search for Shinra
Serendipity flew the Celsius all the way to Kilika Port, where Shinra's mansion stands. As they landed it in the water, Rikku was shocked at how damaged Kilika was. It practically looked like a ghost town. The houses were destroyed. There was wood and garbage everywhere. It just looked a total mess.
RIKKU: Hu Fyo.. (Translation: No way..)
PAINE: Welcome to Kilka.
SERENDIPITY: Sephiroth style. Looks no different than when Sin totaled it 12 years ago.
PAINE: But unfortunately, there's no Youth League to rebuild it this time.
RIKKU: Major bummer. So you say Shinra lives here?
SERENDIPITY: The woods and temple are fine. You have to cross them to get to get to his mansion.
RIKKU (shocked): Ri-right.
PAINE: Let's go.
So Rikku, Paine and Serendipity walked towards the woods. The gate that separated the town from the woods was ripped off its hinges, and the Shin-Ra Corporation flag was waving in the winds of the dark skies. They passed through and took a left, away from the temple. They saw a huge white mansion from afar. They knew that they were close.
RIKKU: Whoa! I'd love to be the owner of that crib!
SERENDIPITY: That is Chateau Shinra.
RIKKU: THAT'S Shinra's house?
PAINE: It sure is. And in it is the only Time Machine in Spira. He's known Serendipity for a number of years, so I'm sure he'll let us use it.
RIKKU: Cool, because I'd REALLY love to go home. Not knocking this time or anything, but if this is the future, it's creeping me out!
SERENDIPITY: That's why we're here.
PAINE: We're here.
Rikku, Paine and Serendipity stopped when they reached the gates. The bars were black, and at the top it read "CHATEAU SHINRA". Then, the gates opened, like someone was expecting them.
SERENDIPITY: Okay...that's weird.
PAINE: It looks like someone's expecting us.
RIKKU: Wanna go in?
PAINE: You crazy? It may be trap.
SERENDIPITY: You're so paranoid, Paine. I doubt Chateau Shinra's been taken over by Sephiroth's lackies. Let's go in. Maybe Shinra saw us and opened the gates for us.
So they walked up the brick pathway and towards the mansion. It looked more beautiful the closer they walked towards it. All the windows had gold shutters and the roof was pink. He had acres upon acres of land, but only a single chocobo roamed the land. Finally, they got to the door, and before Serendipity could knock, the door opened. A girl stood there. She was tan, and wearing a strapless halter top and a cowhide mini skirt.
????: Can I help you, Miss Serendipity?
RIKKU (gasping and thinking): That can't be who I think it is...can it?
SERENDIPITY: I'm here to see your husband, Calli.
RIKKU (thinking): Husband? Shinra marries Calli?
CALLI: I'm sorry, he's not here right now.
PAINE: Just great.
CALLI: But why don't you guys come on in anyways and have some of my homemade strawberry pie?
SERENDIPITY: I'd love to.
PAINE: I AM sort of hungry..
RIKKU: Sweet! I'd love to try some of your pie!
Then Calli takes a good look at Rikku. She stares her down for about a minute and a half. And then, she replies in shock.
CALLI (shocked): YOU! IT CAN'T BE, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SEEN FOR 10 YEARS!!!
SERENDIPITY: Uh, long story, Calli. Tell it to ya over pie.
So Calli escorted Rikku, Paine and Serendipity in the house, and they sat down and had Calli's World Famous Pie. And then, Serendipity told the story on just how Rikku appeared in the future. Calli was stunned, as Paine and Serendipity would imagine she would be.
CALLI: So Rikku just fell out of the sky, right in front of Serendipity for Hire, huh?
PAINE: That's where I found her. She ran into Serendipity, on her way here.
RIKKU: S.D. saved me from Sephiroth's crazed machina. I can't thank her enough.
CALLI: So this means that the prophet theory is true?
SERENDIPITY: Sure is. Now that Rikku is here, I came here to see if Shinra can transport us back to Rikku's time, 10 years ago and 15 seconds after Rikku went into the wormhole.
CALLI: Well as I said before Shinra's not here, and nor is the time machine. He had this crazy idea about setting it up in the agency on the Mi'Ihen Highroad. You'll find him, and the time machine there.
RIKKU (enthusiastically): Great!
CALLI: There's one thing that I must tell you. Sephiroth was just on TV. He claims that someone told him that they saw High Summoner Yuna's airship. So he's on his way back to Spira as we speak.
PAINE (sarcastically): Great..
SERENDIPITY (In balloon voice): Oh, boy.
RIKKU: Not good.
PAINE: Got any good plans, S.D.?
SERENDIPITY: Get to Mi'Ihen Highroad before Sephiroth does?
RIKKU: That sounds like the obvious plan.
PAINE: But it's gonna be harder than we think because the New Shin-Ra base IS ON the Mi'Ihen Highroad.
RIKKU: Double not good.
SERENDIPITY: Well, Rikku and I have to get back to the past so we can get to Yuna. So we have to high tail it to Mi'Ihen, and fast! The future depends on it!
Serendipity flew the Celsius all the way to Kilika Port, where Shinra's mansion stands. As they landed it in the water, Rikku was shocked at how damaged Kilika was. It practically looked like a ghost town. The houses were destroyed. There was wood and garbage everywhere. It just looked a total mess.
RIKKU: Hu Fyo.. (Translation: No way..)
PAINE: Welcome to Kilka.
SERENDIPITY: Sephiroth style. Looks no different than when Sin totaled it 12 years ago.
PAINE: But unfortunately, there's no Youth League to rebuild it this time.
RIKKU: Major bummer. So you say Shinra lives here?
SERENDIPITY: The woods and temple are fine. You have to cross them to get to get to his mansion.
RIKKU (shocked): Ri-right.
PAINE: Let's go.
So Rikku, Paine and Serendipity walked towards the woods. The gate that separated the town from the woods was ripped off its hinges, and the Shin-Ra Corporation flag was waving in the winds of the dark skies. They passed through and took a left, away from the temple. They saw a huge white mansion from afar. They knew that they were close.
RIKKU: Whoa! I'd love to be the owner of that crib!
SERENDIPITY: That is Chateau Shinra.
RIKKU: THAT'S Shinra's house?
PAINE: It sure is. And in it is the only Time Machine in Spira. He's known Serendipity for a number of years, so I'm sure he'll let us use it.
RIKKU: Cool, because I'd REALLY love to go home. Not knocking this time or anything, but if this is the future, it's creeping me out!
SERENDIPITY: That's why we're here.
PAINE: We're here.
Rikku, Paine and Serendipity stopped when they reached the gates. The bars were black, and at the top it read "CHATEAU SHINRA". Then, the gates opened, like someone was expecting them.
SERENDIPITY: Okay...that's weird.
PAINE: It looks like someone's expecting us.
RIKKU: Wanna go in?
PAINE: You crazy? It may be trap.
SERENDIPITY: You're so paranoid, Paine. I doubt Chateau Shinra's been taken over by Sephiroth's lackies. Let's go in. Maybe Shinra saw us and opened the gates for us.
So they walked up the brick pathway and towards the mansion. It looked more beautiful the closer they walked towards it. All the windows had gold shutters and the roof was pink. He had acres upon acres of land, but only a single chocobo roamed the land. Finally, they got to the door, and before Serendipity could knock, the door opened. A girl stood there. She was tan, and wearing a strapless halter top and a cowhide mini skirt.
????: Can I help you, Miss Serendipity?
RIKKU (gasping and thinking): That can't be who I think it is...can it?
SERENDIPITY: I'm here to see your husband, Calli.
RIKKU (thinking): Husband? Shinra marries Calli?
CALLI: I'm sorry, he's not here right now.
PAINE: Just great.
CALLI: But why don't you guys come on in anyways and have some of my homemade strawberry pie?
SERENDIPITY: I'd love to.
PAINE: I AM sort of hungry..
RIKKU: Sweet! I'd love to try some of your pie!
Then Calli takes a good look at Rikku. She stares her down for about a minute and a half. And then, she replies in shock.
CALLI (shocked): YOU! IT CAN'T BE, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SEEN FOR 10 YEARS!!!
SERENDIPITY: Uh, long story, Calli. Tell it to ya over pie.
So Calli escorted Rikku, Paine and Serendipity in the house, and they sat down and had Calli's World Famous Pie. And then, Serendipity told the story on just how Rikku appeared in the future. Calli was stunned, as Paine and Serendipity would imagine she would be.
CALLI: So Rikku just fell out of the sky, right in front of Serendipity for Hire, huh?
PAINE: That's where I found her. She ran into Serendipity, on her way here.
RIKKU: S.D. saved me from Sephiroth's crazed machina. I can't thank her enough.
CALLI: So this means that the prophet theory is true?
SERENDIPITY: Sure is. Now that Rikku is here, I came here to see if Shinra can transport us back to Rikku's time, 10 years ago and 15 seconds after Rikku went into the wormhole.
CALLI: Well as I said before Shinra's not here, and nor is the time machine. He had this crazy idea about setting it up in the agency on the Mi'Ihen Highroad. You'll find him, and the time machine there.
RIKKU (enthusiastically): Great!
CALLI: There's one thing that I must tell you. Sephiroth was just on TV. He claims that someone told him that they saw High Summoner Yuna's airship. So he's on his way back to Spira as we speak.
PAINE (sarcastically): Great..
SERENDIPITY (In balloon voice): Oh, boy.
RIKKU: Not good.
PAINE: Got any good plans, S.D.?
SERENDIPITY: Get to Mi'Ihen Highroad before Sephiroth does?
RIKKU: That sounds like the obvious plan.
PAINE: But it's gonna be harder than we think because the New Shin-Ra base IS ON the Mi'Ihen Highroad.
RIKKU: Double not good.
SERENDIPITY: Well, Rikku and I have to get back to the past so we can get to Yuna. So we have to high tail it to Mi'Ihen, and fast! The future depends on it!