Tobikunai: Greetings, Earthlings. I have returned, reeeeeturned I say, from the dark depths of my two-week haitus...

Kansatsu: (sweatdrop) Just type. For some unknown reason, there's somebody out there who wants to read this, so get yer ass in gear!

Tobikunai: Hey, you could try to be better at inspiring me...

Kansatsu: Why would I do that? It's my job. I take pride in never doing my job. n.n

-Chapter I-

That was way too close.

The teenager closed his eyes, leaning against a pillar at the gate of the Rising Falls. If he'd caught me... He decided he didn't really feel like thinking about it. But what were those... those things? And why, why in heaven's name were they beneath the castle, locked away...

"AUGH! SQUALL, YOU COMPLETE IDIOT!"

"Nice to see you, too, Aerith..." The teenager muttered. Out loud, he asked, "And, what, exactly, am I an idiot for?"

A young girl with pale brown hair and large, pale green eyes was charging toward him, her angry expression at odds with her calm-looking face. Halfway to him, however, she tripped over the hem of the pink dress she wore under a red jacket, and landed flat on her face.

"Ow..." she said, then quickly got back up, " Squall, stop laughing at me!" she snapped.

"Yes, O coordinated one" he answered sarcastically, "now, will you tell me precisely why I'm an idiot?"

Aerith glared at him. "Ansem-sama says not to go down there! You'll get in trouble!"

Squall rolled his eyes. "I'm sixeen. A bit to old to be scared of 'getting in trouble.' Besides, Ansem-sama also says not to go up to the High Tower, but who was up there daydreaming about Cloud yesterday?"

Aerith blushed "I do NOT daydream about Cloud!" she snapped, "it's just... something horrible happened in his past... I feel like I should comfort him."

"OH, so that's it, is it?" Squall said, "Jeez, I didn't know you were so serious, you're only, what, thirteen?"

The girl turned the same color as her jacket. "N-not like that, you HENTAI!" she spluttered.

Squall would have responded with a doubtful "Suuuuure..." had the large metal staff Aerith carried not been within thwaking distance of his head.

"Anyway," Aerith continued crisply, "You never know what could happen down there! Sephiroth-"

"-is a legend." Squall said firmly. Aerith opened her mouth to retaliate, but he cut her off. "Yes, I know. Cloud says he's real. But we don't know anything about Cloud. For all we know, he could be insane, or a criminal from some other place trying to hide here, or anything. Me, I'd put my money on insane..."

"Don't you insult him!"

"Whatever."

"Don't you 'whatever' me, Squall Leonheart!"

"Whatever"

It was clear that the conversation was getting nowhere, so Aerith changed direction. "The Waterway is dangerous! You'll get killed!"

"Feh, I'm not gonna get hurt... but... there is something in the Waterway."

Aerith glanced up, surprised, "What?"

"I'd really prefer if we all talked about it at once."

Aerith stared blankly at him. "Why?"

"Whatev-" he started, but Aerith gave him a warning glare. "I just don't feel like having to explain it over and over." he said quickly.

"Okay..." Aerith agreed, "I'll go get-"

"-Cloud, right?" Squall smirked. "Sure, whatever. I'll find Yuff and Kairi." he said, starting off towards the castle.

"Right, I'll meet you in the library. And good luck with Yuffie-chan. You'll need it."

---

"HI, SQUALLY-KUN!"

Squall groaned. "Umm... Yuff?"

"Don't call me that!" the seven-year-old kunoichi pouted. "I'm Yuffie Kisagiri-

"-seven-year-old brat, I know." Squall interrupterd. Squall was great at interrupting.

"Is there something wrong?" Kairi asked over Yuffie's protest of I'm not a brat, I'm a ninja, A NINJA!

"No, not really." Squall said, "But will you come to the library? We all need to talk about... something"

Kairi and Yuffie exchanged huh? glances, but followed him nevertheless. Okay, Squall thought, this might actually work.

"Sqally-kun, tell us what's going on! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?"

Famous last words. "Later."

"No! Now! Please!"

"No."

"Please?"

---

Aerith tiptoed down the hall to the Lift Stop. Cloud was always there, staring off into the distance, whenever Aerith came.

This was why she jumped and tumbled to the floor in a most undignified way as he came around the corner.

"H-hi Cloud" she stammered. Is my voice always that squeaky? she chastised herself.

"Hm." was the only answer she got.

"Umm... if y-you're not busy... umm.. could you come to the library... umm..." she wasn't positive that he'd heard her, or cared, but forged on bravely all the same. "Because... ummm...

"Very well."

Aerith almost fainted from relief. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Now if your done stammering..."

"Oh. Okay." Walk you idiot, walk! Aerith got to her feet, trembling, but smiling all the same.

Tobikunai: Well, another chapter!

Kansatsu: Apolgies to all of you who might have gotten sick from the horrible badly-written-ness of this fic.

Tobikunai: Shut up. PLEASE R&R, MINNA-SAMA! I'm NOT POSTING AGAIN UNTILL I HAVE FIVE REVIEWS, I MEAN IT!

Kansatsu: Hey, Tobikunai-sama? Everyone appears to be cheering.

Tobikunai: SHUT UP! Oh, and by the way, I know a lot of you wanted COM outtakes, and I am VERY, VERY, sorry, but... I HAVE NOT PLAYED COM! T.T I've read a game script, but I really don't feel comfortable making outtakes. Gomennasai! Please don't be mad! (begins sobbing uncontrollably)