Chapter 12
The day had finally come for Cloud to head out to the SOLDIER try outs. This was the day he had been waiting for since he was a teenager. He originally wanted to be in SOLDIER to be like the legendary Sephiroth but as a teen growing up in Nibelheim he used the thought of trying out for SOLDIER as a way impress Tifa. At that age much of what Cloud did was simply a way to get her attention.
Cloud gathered his things in his bed room. He put his large buster sword in a sword case and clamped it shut. He then picked up the case and a duffel bag and headed for the door. Through the living room of his apartment he headed straight for the door. Cloud turned the light off before he left and locked the door.
"Got here just in time" said Aeris.
Cloud turned around to see Aeris standing in the hallway of his apartment building.
"Hey Aeris" said Cloud.
"I hoped that you hadn't left yet. I have to go to work soon and I wanted to say goodbye to you before you went to the Shinra building" smiled Aeris.
Cloud set his things down and Aeris walked up and wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. Cloud hugged her back and the two stood in the hallway holding each other for a moment
"I'll miss you these next few days" said Aeris squeezing him tighter.
"I'll miss you too but I'll be ok don't you worry" said Cloud.
"I'll try" said Aeris finally letting him go.
Aeris kissed Cloud softly and slowly on the cheek.
"Cloud…I think we should just go back to being friends…" said Aeris as she looked down at the floor.
Cloud was quiet for a moment but he wasn't upset. Though Cloud loved Aeris he was never quite sure if he was "in love" with her. This break up was something that Cloud sort of knew was inevitable.
"I think you're right Aeris…it all sort of moved really fast" said Cloud.
"Yeah it did. Well Cloud I have to go to work. Good luck I know you'll make it" said Aeris smiling. She gave Cloud one last hug.
"Thanks" said Cloud as he hugged her.
"I just realized I hadn't talked to my mom in a while. She always starts to worry when I don't call" said Aeris
Cloud and Aeris stopped hugging and suddenly Cloud felt very strange. He got dizzy and light headed. Everything seemed to take on a red haze for a moment. All he could hear was what seemed like a loud beeping noise in his head. He shut his eyes and he felt the feeling one has when remembering something that was long forgotten. Cloud stood there with his eyes closed and began to speak automatically.
"How's Elmyra doing?" asked Cloud with his eyes closed.
"Elmyra? Cloud are you ok? Who is Elmyra?" asked Aeris looking puzzled.
"Your mother or rather your step mother" answered Cloud.
"Cloud my mom's name is Ilfana. My dad is Professor Gast and they both live in Icicle Inn way up north don't you remember? I have no idea who Elmyra is. Are you ok Cloud?" Aeris was really confused by what Cloud said to her.
Cloud finally opened his eyes and the feeling passed.
"Umm I'm sorry Aeris I guess I'm just stressed about the SOLDIER try outs" said Cloud scratching his head.
He had no idea what that was he just experienced. Whatever it was it scared him.
"Well Ok Cloud try to relax" said Aeris.
"Ok Aeris bye" said Cloud.
Aeris smiled, waved and made her way down the hallway. As she walked away she thought to herself.
"… I know you still have feelings for Tifa and I still have feelings for a guy I haven't seen or heard from in years…" a small tear welled up in Aeris's eye.
Cloud hadn't spoken to Tifa since the day she got mad at him for what he said about Rude. Cloud picked up his belongings and headed up the stairs to Tifa's apartment which was three floors up. Cloud got to her apartment and rung the door bell. He felt a pit in his stomach.
"She was pretty ticked off the other day. Hopefully she has calmed down a lot" thought Cloud.
After a few moments Tifa came to the door. She had on a blue tank top and some shorts. Even without any makeup and not being all dressed up Cloud thought she was so beautiful. After a moment she looked at Cloud and smiled.
"Hey Tifa I'm headed out for SOLDIER today and…" before Cloud could finish Tifa rushed him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Cloud dropped his things and hugged her back.
"So you forgive me for the other day?" asked Cloud as he embraced her.
"Of course Cloud. I would never stay mad at you" smiled Tifa as she embraced him tighter.
"Ok I'm glad because I'm really sorry for what I said. I was being a jerk." said Cloud.
"It's all in the past. We've been friends too long to let that get in the way of our relationship. Cloud, good luck I know how much you want this" said Tifa looking up at Cloud.
Cloud looked into Tifa's eyes. As she stood their looking back at him Cloud's heart felt like it sank into the depths of his stomach and rose again. This was a feeling that Cloud knew all to well. It was one that he felt ever since his teenage years.
"Give it all you have. Be strong Cloud" said Tifa. She smiled and gave Cloud one last hug burying her head deep in his chest.
"Thanks" said Cloud. Cloud and Tifa finally stopped hugging and Tifa stepped back into her doorway.
"Well I'll see you when you get back" said Tifa as she stood in her doorway.
"Umm yeah Tifa thanks. Bye" said Cloud.
Tifa shut the door and Cloud grabbed his things and walked away.
(Next Scene)
"Steiner how is everything in Alexandria?" asked Garnet talking on her cell phone.
Garnet stood outside of the Tobli and Company Theater and waited for the rest of the cast. They had just finished practicing for the day. It was the last rehearsal before the big performance of "One Flew Over the Chocobo's Nest: A tale of confusing love. Riku had gotten slightly better with his lines….but only slightly.
"Everything is beautiful as usual Princess Garnet" said a male voice on the other end.
"Well why are you calling me is their something wrong?" asked Garnet.
"Her majesty Queen Brahne wants you to represent Alexandria at the upcoming Gaia Summit. She feels that it is time that you took on more diplomatic duties as a princess" said Steiner.
"Nooo! Oh please no! No one here knows I'm the princess! I just want to be left alone and live a normal life for once" whined Garnet.
"Princess Garnet til Alexandros the XVII!" said Steiner.
"Must you use my whole name …"
"I am disappointed that you would neglect your duties as heir to the throne of Alexandria! It is bad enough you're in that city full of ruffians and scoundrels but hopefully you've been keeping up with your studies at the Summoner Academy and not cavorting with those criminals in Square City. Beatrix and I will accompany you to the Gaia Summit and that has been decreed by the Queen herself so there is no use complaining and…." Garnet interrupted Steiner.
"Oooh Beatrix is coming with you. Do you still have a crush on her Steiner? Hmm hmm hmm? Do ya do ya?" teased Garnet.
"Don't try to change the subject! We aren't discussing my crush on Beatrix now!" yelled Steiner on the other end.
"Well then you admit you have a crush on her?" asked Garnet.
"Umm yes…I mean no!... err I mean that's not the point of this conversation!" yelled Steiner.
"Aww Steiner its ok. Maybe she likes you too" laughed Garnet.
"Well I've told you what I must tell you. Good day princess" said Steiner ending the conversation.
Steiner hung up the phone quickly before Garnet could respond. Garnet laughed because it was always so easy to get to Steiner because he was so uptight. She quickly stopped laughing after it sunk in that this Gaia Summit thing would reveal to everyone that she was the Princess of Alexandria. How would they react to her after that? All Garnet wanted was to live somewhat of a normal life. Unlike other royalty around Gaia such as Princess Marle or the Figaro's Garnet kept a very low profile for most of her life. She avoided interviews and magazines and often disguised herself as simply a regular young girl.
"Garnet til Alexandros the XVII…" said Garnet under her breath. She pulled her long black hair behind her ears nervously.
"Are you talking to yourself Garnet?" asked Zidane as he exited the building.
"Oh umm just thinking out loud" said Garnet trying to laugh it off.
"Oh I do that sometimes too" said Zidane.
Zidane could see that something was bothering Garnet. She was usually really upbeat but she just stood there staring at the sidewalk.
"Are you ok Garnet?" asked Zidane.
"Yeah, I'm ok" said Garnet.
Just then Vivi, Kairi, Sora, and Riku exited the building.
"All I'm saying is the title of this play could use a little work" said Vivi as he walked out with the others.
"Yeah I see what you mean" said Sora.
"So you all ready to watch me pick from four beautiful ladies on Termidate?" asked Riku. He was very excited about being on Termidate which was obvious from the big grin he had on his face.
"Yeah we're headed over to Garnet's place to watch it" said Kairi.
"Are you nervous at all?" asked Zidane.
"Nervous? What's there to be nervous about? I can't wait for it! The only thing I'm sad about is that I have to pick one girl." said Riku.
Garnet sighed and shook her head.
"Maybe this will settle you down a bit. Hopefully you'll find a good girl and you two could start getting serious. Even though I think the show is stupid and demeaning I'm going to support you anyway" said Garnet.
"Yeah, pick a nice girl Riku not just the best looking one or as you say the "hottest one" said Kairi.
"Yeah yeah don't look at the outside look at the inside and all that jazz yeah I got it. Well I have to go over to where they're filming now. Next time you see me I'll be having the best date of my life!" said Riku.
Riku was so excited he seemed to speed off in a flash to the Termidate filming spot and the rest left to head off to Garnet's apartment.
"Garnet has the nicest apartment" said Kairi as the group walked down the street.
"Really?" asked Vivi.
"Yeah it's all hooked up with the nicest furniture and stuff" said Sora.
"Yeah ..well…it's ok" stuttered Garnet.
"Oh don't be so humble it's awesome" said Sora.
(Next Scene)
Tifa stood at the stove of her kitchen preparing a meal. As she stirred in the pot she thought about Cloud. She thought about the night so many years ago that Cloud invited her to the well that stood at the center of their hometown.
(Flashback)
On a starry night a younger teenaged Cloud paced anxiously around a large wooden well that stood in the middle of his hometown of Nibelheim. He brushed his fingers through his spiky hair nervously and straightened the blue collared short sleeve shirt he wore.
"Is she going to come? What'll I say if she comes?" thought Cloud.
Cloud's mind raced. He didn't really know what to say to Tifa. He had the biggest crush on her and this was going to be the first time that they were actually going to be alone together. He heard footsteps approaching and Cloud looked up to see a younger teenaged Tifa standing there. She had on a blue skirt and her radiant smiled was second only to the stars that twinkled in the sky that night.
"Hey Cloud" said Tifa walking closer to Cloud
"Oh hey…Tifa" said Cloud. Cloud was starting to get nervous. He felt his heart sink into the depths of his stomach. Little did he know that this feeling was one that he would experience whenever he got close to Tifa in the future.
"How are you?" asked Tifa smiling
"Oh I'm fine and you?" asked Cloud.
"Yeah I'm great. It's such a beautiful night out don't you think?" asked Tifa.
Tifa walked over to a ladder beside the well and began climbing it.
"It's really nice" said Cloud as he watched her climb up.
Tifa got to the top of the well and looked up at the stars in the sky. She then looked down at Cloud.
"Why don't you come up here with me?" asked Tifa.
"Oh…ok" said Cloud.
Cloud climbed up the ladder. Once at the top he sat beside Tifa to her right and looked up at the sky too. A brisk breeze through the night air and the two of them sat there quiet for a moment looking up at the stars and bright half moon. Tifa broke the silence.
"Everyone's leaving town" said Tifa continuing to look at the stars.
"Yeah, are you planning on leaving too?" asked Cloud. He looked to his left at Tifa. She dangled her legs over the edge and kept looking up at the sky.
"Yeah I'm thinking about heading to Square City. I want to open my own club someday. It's going to be the best place to have fun in the city! Food, dancing, laughter, everything" said Tifa. She looked over to Cloud and smiled.
"That sounds great…" said Cloud turning away shyly. It was something about the way she looked at him that sent tingles down his spine.
"What about you Cloud? What are your dreams?" asked Tifa.
"Well…I want to go to Square City too….and join SOLDIER" said Cloud looking up at the sky again.
"Wow! You have to be really tough to get into SOLDIER" said Tifa impressed.
"Yeah…I'm going to be like Sephiroth someday" said Cloud. He hoped that saying this would in some way impress Tifa.
"So we'll probably be in the same city…Cloud I want you to make me a promise…" said Tifa.
"What Tifa?" asked Cloud.
"If I'm ever in trouble you come and rescue me ok? I want you to look out for me in the city" said Tifa.
"Ok…I can do that" said Cloud.
Cloud and Tifa continued to look up at the stars twinkling in the night sky.
(End Flashback)
Tifa smiled when she thought about that time. She really cared about Cloud but he was with Aeris now (She didn't know they had just broken up) and she was with Rude.
"I'll see what Rude is up to" thought Tifa as she picked up her cell phone from the kitchen counter.
Tifa called Rude's cell phone and after a few rings he picked up.
"Hello?" said Rude on the other end.
"Hey babe what's up?" asked Tifa.
"Hey Tifa I'm really busy at work right now I'll call you back later" said Rude.
"Ok" said Tifa.
Tifa hung up the phone.
(Next Scene)
Rude hung up his phone after talking to Tifa. He sat at the edge of a motel bed in his boxers trying to put his clothes on. Just then a woman with shoulder length blonde hair wearing nothing but a white towel walked out of the bathroom.
"Miss me?" asked the woman as she stood in the doorway of the bathroom.
"For the ten minutes you were in the shower I was a lost soul…" said Rude sarcastically as he put on his black dress pants.
"Sneaking around is so exciting. What do you think Tseng or Heidegger would do if they found out we were "fraternizing?"" asked Elena.
"They have their own dirt that they do. They probably wouldn't do anything" said Rude as he stood up buttoning his white shirt. He didn't bother buttoning it all the way or tucking the shirt in his pants. He then started trying to find his shoes on the floor.
"Still it's really exciting" said Elena as she walked up to Rude and started kissing him.
Rude kissed her for a few moments then went back to putting his shoes on his feet.
"I think I'll stay in this motel for a bit" said Elena as she sat on the bed.
"You do that. I'll let you check out for us" said Rude grabbing his suit jacket off the bed as he made his way out of the door.
"Ok…sure you don't want to stay for a bit?" smiled Elena as she stretched across the bed.
"I'll get back to you on that…" said Rude throwing his jacket across his shoulder as he left the room.
Rude walked down the hall of the motel and down some stairs. He passed the check in counter of the Cygnus Motel where Hawk was sitting.
"I'm leaving now. My uhh …friend is going to turn in the key to the room" said Rude.
"Ok then" said Hawk.
Rude walked out of the Cygnus Motel.
"Red are you done with those rooms yet?" yelled Hawk.
Rude walked down the street and took his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. He dialed a number and after a few rings Reno finally picked up.
"Hello?" answered Reno.
"Hey Reno you won't believe what I did last night" said Rude.
"Something tells me I should be asking who you did last night" said Reno.
"Well I got drunk with Elena and we ended up getting a motel room. I can't even remember it all" said Rude.
"You just can't let her go can you Rude? I thought you moved on to that Tifa chick what's up with her? She given up the goods yet?" asked Reno.
"Well I came close after the SeeD Ball crap I went to with her" said Rude.
"Damn what went wrong?" asked Reno
(Flashback)
On the night of the SeeD Ball Rude and Tifa walked up to her apartment. Tifa turned on the light as she opened the door to her apartment.
"I'll go make some coffe…" Tifa was interrupted by Rude as he grabbed her and kissed her.
Tifa was stunned but it was a pleasant kind of confusion. She put her arms around Rude's neck.
"Wow coffee makes you that excited?" laughed Tifa.
"Sorry, I've been holding that back all night" said Rude.
"No don't apologize. I liked it" said Tifa.
Tifa and Rude continued to kiss passionately in the doorway. Tifa simply pushed the door shut. The two of them kissed for a while then Rude began lowering his hands from Tifa's waist to her butt…
"Whoa! Hey I'm not sure I want to go that far yet" said Tifa as she stopped kissing Rude.
"Aren't you feeling what I'm feeling?" asked Rude as he tried to kiss her again.
"Rude I like you but I just don't want to do that now. I want to get to know you a lot better" said Tifa pulling away from Rude.
"Damn" thought Rude. It wasn't often that a woman told him no…in fact Rude couldn't think of a time when one did.
"Hey let's just chill out for a bit and watch some TV or a movie or something. I have the movie adaptation of the play Loveless. Want to watch it with me?" said Tifa kissing Rude on the cheek.
"Dammit!" thought Rude.
"Ok TV is good" said Rude putting on a fake smile.
Tifa smiled and led Rude by the hand to the couch where they watched television for a few hours.
"Heh Heh that Cait Sith cracks me up" laughed Tifa as she watched the television
"I can't believe this…" thought Rude holding his head.
(End Flashback)
"Hahahaha! Wow you got rejected! That's gotta be the first girl to turn you down! Wow she teased you good!" laughed Reno.
"Yeah well I'll still keep her on the back burner. Maybe she'll come around. Don't we have to help oversee some of the SOLDIER tryouts or something?" asked Rude as he continued down the street.
"Yeah it's going to be so boring" said Reno
(Next Scene)
"I still can't believe Rikku is going to do this show but it will be entertaining I'm sure" said Paine as she sat down on the couch.
"Well you know Rikku is the adventurous one. I'm sure she'll have a lot of fun" said Yuna.
The two of them sat around and waited for the show to come on. Rikku had already left to where they were filming because it would be a live show.
-Bing Bong-
"Is that the letter T at the door?" joked Paine.
Calling Tidus the letter T was their inside joke after his appearance in that magazine.
"It should be" laughed Yuna as she went to answer the door.
Yuna opened the door and Tidus stood there smiling.
"Hey!" said Yuna hugging Tidus.
"Hey letter T!" yelled Paine from inside.
Tidus simply laughed and walked inside.
"How long until we see Rikku on her date?" asked Tidus sitting down on the couch.
"Still a good bit of time" said Paine as she flipped through the channels.
Yuna sat down beside Tidus and he put his arm around her.
Paine stopped flipping channels when she came to a channel that had a picture of Tidus on it.
"Wow you're everywhere…" said Paine.
"Welcome to another addition of Celebrity Life where we take you inside the lives of celebrities. Our first story of the day is that Tidus of the Auroch's blitzball team has signed on with Oaka of the "Oaka" chain of stores. They will start producing advertisements for the stores that will have the rising blitzball superstar in them" said the female host of the show.
"Wow word gets out fast" said Tidus.
"I know…." said Yuna.
"Welcome to the life of a celebrity. Your business is now everyone's business…" said Paine.
(Next Scene)
(A/n this is happening at the same time as the previous scene)
"That was great Lenne! Real Emotion is going to be the number one single once it's released. Take a break for a few minutes then we'll start on the next track" said a man behind a sound booth.
Lenne took off her headphones and set them on a music stand that stood in a studio of Spira Records. She left the room and walked out into the hallway. As she walked down the hallway to the break room she could see several record execs through their office windows. Some were in conference rooms discussing their latest music ventures while others were making deals over their cell phones.
Lenne walked into the break room and went over to a drink machine. She inserted a few gil and reached for the soda that dropped down at the bottom. There was a wall mounted television to the right of the machine and the story caught Lenne's attention.
"Welcome to another addition of Celebrity Life where we take you inside the lives of celebrities. Our first story of the day is that Tidus of the Auroch's blitzball team has signed on with Oaka of the "Oaka" chain of stores. They will start producing advertisements for the store that will have the rising blitzball superstar in them"
Lenne smiled as she watched the television. She opened her drink and took a few sips from it. She then pulled out her cell phone. She dialed a few numbers and after some rings someone finally picked up.
"Hello? Yes I want you to tell my agent I need to get in touch with someone….It's Oaka…the man that owns the Oaka chain of stores….yes that's right….tell my agent I want to make a deal with Oaka…thank's bye" Lenne hung up the phone.
She took a few more sips of her soda and walked out of the break room
(Next Scene)
Cloud got out of the front seat of a cab. He grabbed his belongings out of the back seat then reached in his pocket to pay the driver.
"Thank yoush shir" said the Hypello driver as he accepted the payment through the window.
"Take care" said Cloud
The yellow cab pulled off and Cloud stood there in front of an extremely tall building. He looked up to see the Shinra logo at the base of the building. This was the closest he had ever been to the Shinra building. Before this he had only seen it in the distance. Toward the left side of the building ran some train tracks. This was the Shinra private railroad line that went directly from the Shinra Headquarters to several different Shinra offices and sites around Gaia. This train would take them to the training ground for SOLDIER which was in an undisclosed location.
Beside the train tracks were a large group of people. They all had their own sword cases and belongings. Cloud walked up to the group of SOLDIER recruits. Many of them were talking to each other but Cloud simply stood off to the side.
"Don't look so serious man. Lighten up a bit"
Cloud turned around to see a young man that looked close to his age. He was about the same height as Cloud and had spiky black hair. He smiled and put his hand out toward Cloud.
"I'm Zack" said the young man.
"I'm Cloud" Cloud shook Zack's hand and smiled.
"So you ready for whatever they throw at us?" asked Zack.
"Yeah I been training hard for this" said Cloud.
"I know me too. Hey Cloud are you from Square City?" asked Zack.
"I live here now but I'm originally from Nibelheim" said Cloud.
"Nibelheim eh? I'm from Gongaga so I guess we are both small town boys at heart. I used to stomp around these parts though. Even had a girlfriend…I wonder if she's still around…" said Zack trailing off into thought.
"Here is the train" said Cloud.
The group of SOLDIER recruits looked down the track to see a train coming. The train began slowing down until it came to a complete stop in front of the group. Soon the doors opened and out stepped a SOLDIER member dressed in the blue uniform. He wore a helmet with a visor that protected his face.
"Everyone get on board and get comfortable. It's going to be a long ride so rest up. We'll reach the training ground by noon tomorrow and you're going to need all the energy you can get. Get ready for the toughest grueling experience of your life. Look around at all the people here" said the SOLDIER
The group began looking at each other.
"A good ninety-percent of you won't make it into SOLDIER. At least that's what the statistics of the past have shown us. Now hop aboard" said the SOLDIER.
"Wow what a warm welcome" said Zack under his breath to Cloud.
"I know" whispered Cloud.
Everyone piled on board the train and began setting their belongings in the compartments above the seats.
"Want to sit with me?" asked Zack.
"Sure" said Cloud stuffing his duffel bag in the compartment.
Cloud sat down next to the window and Zack sat in the aisle.
"This is it…" thought Cloud.
(Next Scene)
Garnet opened the door to her apartment and let in Kairi, Sora, Vivi, and Zidane.
"Whoa this place is awesome!" yelled Zidane.
Garnet's apartment was really lavish because her mother the Queen of Alexandria paid for only the best. Garnet tried to buy a few things to make her apartment look more normal but it still looked very extravagant. From the doorway there were three steps that led down into the living room. A few feet from the steps sat a large comfortable looking blue couch that faced toward a wall. A few feet behind the couch was a mini bar with some stools around it. To the right of that was a hot tub built into the floor.
"Wow Garnet you're really living in style" said Vivi stepping down the steps.
"Well…yeah it's nice…" said Garnet. Garnet was a little uncomfortable showing people her apartment because she was always afraid that they would ask her how she got the money to pay for it. Then they might find out that she's a princess.
"Nice? Nice is an understatement. This place is awesome!" said Zidane walking up to the mini bar.
"Garnet you're always so modest about this place" said Kairi.
"I know she acts all nonchalant about it" said Sora.
Vivi sat on the big blue couch. The little black mage seemed to sink down into the very fabric of the couch because it was so soft and fluffy.
"-sigh- You have to try this couch Zidane. It's way more comfortable than that oversized cinder block we call a couch.
Zidane left the bar and leapt over the back of the couch landing in the center. Zidane sank down into the couch as well.
"Oh wow….this is so cool…wait a minute I think I'm stuck in the couch…Vivi help" said Zidane.
"I think I'm stuck further than you are. Use your tail to pull me out" said Vivi.
Garnet, Kairi and Sora walked up to the couch and sat down. Garnet sat beside Zidane and laughed.
"You're both silly" smiled Garnet as she seemingly sank into the couch
Everyone got comfortable on the couch but soon Zidane notice that the couch faced a blank wall.
"Hey umm Garnet…" said Zidane
"Yes Zidane"
"Where's your television?" asked Zidane.
Garnet reached for a remote control that sat on a glass coffee table in front of the couch and pressed a button. Soon the wall began to slide back revealing a very large flat screen television. The television was almost the size of the wall itself.
"Now that is just too cool" said Zidane.
"The show should be starting in about fifteen minutes" said Sora examining his watch.
Garnet changed it to the channel for Termidate.
(Next Scene)
(A/n it's time for Termidate. Paine, Yuna, Tidus, Garnet, Zidane, Sora, Vivi, and Kairi are watching the show on television so occasionally I will break to one of their locations to show you their comments during the course of the show)
The show begins and the camera zooms onto a gorgeous young woman standing on a stage. Behind her is a large screen television. Her hair is long and blonde her eyes are blue and she is wearing a lime green top and skirt with matching knee high boots. The young lady turns toward the camera and winks slyly with her right eye while running her fingers through her shimmering blonde hair.
"Hello everyone it's time for another edition of Termidate! I'm your host Emelia and today we have a live show from Square City the biggest most exiting city in all of Gaia. Our lucky resident bachelor gets to pick from four sexy, single Square City beauties. Well, let's get this show on the road and have a look at Riku, our lucky bachelor of the day. Here is what Riku had to say about himself earlier in his casting tape"
Emelia turned to the large screen behind her and suddenly Riku's casting tape began to play on it. The screen only showed Riku's face and at the bottom left of the screen information on Riku was displayed. The information read:
Occupation: Actor
Likes: Working out, Hot women
Dislikes: Not so hot women
(Garnet's apartment)
"Great he's starting off to a good shallow start already…" said Garnet leaning back on the couch.
"Well you know Riku was probably going to put something like that in his profile" said Kairi.
(Termidate)
Riku began to speak.
"Hey I'm Riku and what I'm really looking for a girl that's the whole package. Good looking, interesting, fun to be around ya know? A girl that's all that wrapped up into one would be great"
(Garnet's Apartment)
"Well that answer wasn't so bad" said Zidane
"I know I'm surprised" said Garnet.
"I like the host of this show she's really cute" said Vivi getting more comfortable on the couch.
Everyone looked over toward Vivi with a blank stare.
"What?" asked Vivi.
(Yuna's Apartment)
"I think he described Rikku perfectly just now" said Yuna.
"Add hyper to that list and it is her perfectly" said Paine
"It's funny that he has pretty much the same name as her" said Tidus.
(Termidate)
"We sent Riku to a local bar to meet the four women he gets to date today. Remember this date is brought to you live" said Emelia.
The scene shifted to Riku standing on the sidewalk outside the door of a bar. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue polo shirt. He stood their smiling in anticipation of the date. Suddenly the first woman walked up. She was dark skinned with long black hair that was pinned up in a ponytail. She wore a tight white top that showed a lot of cleavage, a gold necklace to attract more attention to the cleavage and a pair of tight jean shorts that showed off the curves in her body. She walked up to Riku and smiled.
"Hey I'm Riku and you are?" asked Riku holding his hand out.
"Hello I'm Dona. You're cute" smiled Dona as she shook his hand and gave him a small kiss on the cheek"
"Thank's you are looking really fine Dona" said Riku. He eyed Dona up and down. Her body was really nice he thought and Dona showed it off by turning around to show him the whole package.
"I'm glad you think so" smiled Dona as she turned back around. Dona bent down and pretended to brush something off her leg which was really just a ploy to show off her large breasts to Riku.
"Wow" thought Riku staring at Dona.
(Yuna's Apartment)
"Oh no…It's Dona" said Yuna holding her head in disgust.
"That's the girl that gives you a hard time at the Summoner Academy?" asked Tidus.
"Yep that's her" said Yuna.
"That tight shirt makes her look like she has two men in a headlock" said Paine.
(Termidate)
The second woman walked up to Riku and Dona. She was skinny but still cute with brown shoulder length hair and glasses. She wore a green vest and a pair of capri pants. Riku smiled as she walked up and shook his hand.
"Hi, I'm Riku and you are?" asked Riku.
"Hi, I'm Lucca" said the young woman smiling.
"Hmpf…Nerd" said Dona under her breath slyly.
"Excuse me?" asked Lucca looking at Dona.
"Oh I said hi I'm Dona" said Dona with a fake smile.
"Hi…nice to meet you" Lucca decided to be polite anyway.
The third woman then walked up. She had curly red hair that fell past her shoulders and naturally tanned skin. Her style was different than the other two women with several piercings in each ear, one in her nose, and one in her belly button. She wore a red top that had straps that went across her back with a red skirt. She smiled and walked up to Riku shaking his hand as well.
"I'm Echidna what's your name?" asked Echidna.
"I'm Riku nice to meet you" smiled Riku as he shook her hand.
"Hmpf…pin cushion" said Dona under her breath.
"What did you say? I know you said something about me it is way to early to start being a bitch don't you think?" asked Echidna.
Echidna looked like she was ready to hit Dona as she stared at her.
"Whoa ladies let's save some of this energy for the date" said Riku trying to smooth things out.
"Calm down girl I was just admiring your piercings. I'm Dona by the way." Dona gave another fake smile and brushed her ponytail back.
"I'm Lucca nice to meet you" said Lucca genuinely.
"Hi Lucca it's nice to meet you to" said Echidna. She didn't respond to Dona.
(Garnet's Apartment)
"Dona goes to the Summoner Academy and she acts exactly like that there too. She's so nasty to people" said Garnet.
"She's pretty hot though" said Vivi sitting up to get a better look at her.
Everyone looked at Vivi with a blank stare.
"What? Why does everyone keep looking at me? Can't I admire beautiful women like everyone else?" ranted Vivi throwing his hands up.
"I think you've been hanging around Riku too much lately" laughed Sora.
(Termidate)
The fourth and final young lady walked up to Riku and the others. She was of course Rikku. Rikku walked up with the brightest most beautiful smile on her face wearing a pair of tanned shorts with a white halter top. Some of her braids flew in her face as she walked up. She pulled them back, laughed, and went to shake Riku's hand.
"Hi I'm Rikku nice to meetcha!" said Rikku so cheerfully. She was literally brimming with energy.
"What did you say your name is?" asked Riku.
"Rikku…"
"My name is Riku too. Do you spell your name with one K or two?" asked Riku
"I spell it with two how about you?" asked Rikku
"I spell it with one k. It's the male version of the name" smiled Riku.
"Oh cool!" giggled Rikku.
"Hmpf…airhead" said Dona under her breath once again.
"What?" asked Rikku.
"Don't worry about her Rikku. Dona is just taking the role of the bitch. Ignore her. I'm Echidna by the way" said Echidna.
"I'm Lucca" said Lucca sort of shyly.
"I know one thing you better not call me a bitch again Hedgehog" said Dona mocking Echidna.
"The names Echidna not Hedgehog and if you don't act like a bitch I won't call you one" snapped Echidna. Echidna didn't appreciate Dona's nasty attitude and was determined not to let her push her around. Echidna was tough, after all she did hang with Volt, Sion, and Kou and they were some pretty tough characters.
"Ladies let's calm down and go in for some drinks" said Riku trying once again to calm things down.
(Garnet's Apartment)
"Whoa I can tell this is going to get really heated they are already fighting" said Zidane.
(Termidate)
Riku, Lucca, Echidna, Rikku, and Dona all walked into the bar. They walked up to a table with five chairs around it. Riku sat in the middle Lucca and Echidna sat on his right while Rikku and Dona sat on his left. Dona made sure she took the seat right beside Riku.
"Well let's all get to know each other a bit. What are your hobbies and where do you work and stuff like that. I'm an actor and I'm going to be starring in a play that's coming up. It's called One Flew Over the Chocobo's Nest and it's produced by Tobli and Company" said Riku staring into camera with a cheesy grin. It was so obvious that what he said was a plug for the show.
(Garnet's Apartment)
"That was a shameless plug for the show if I ever saw one" said Sora.
"Do you think Tobli put him up to that?" asked Kairi.
"Probably so" said Zidane.
(Tobli's Home)
"WOOO HOOO" yelled Tobli jumping up and down on his couch as he watched Riku on television.
"Free advertising yep yep" said Tobli.
(Termidate)
"I also like working out" continued Riku.
"Oh I can see that" said Dona rubbing her hand across Riku's chest feeling his pectoral muscles.
"Ya like that?" asked Riku flexing his muscles.
"Uh huh" smiled Dona.
"Desperate Dona will you quit groping him?" asked Echidna.
"Ok I will for now. Echidna what do you do for a living? Work street corners?" asked Donna.
"I'm a bartender" said Echidna.
"Ooohh! You worked at Fate didn't you? I knew I had seen your face before" said Riku.
"Yeah too bad the place burned down…" said Echidna.
"So you're unemployed then?" laughed Dona.
"For the time being…" said Echidna.
"Ok well what do you do Lucca?" asked Riku.
"Well I haven't been here in Square City for long. I'm originally from Guardia. I'm interested in anything to do with mechanics particularly robotics and I also have an interest in Dimensional Physics" said Lucca pushing her glasses up.
"…geek" said Dona before taking a sip of her drink.
"I hear Guardia is a beautiful place" said Rikku.
"It is" said Lucca.
"Well Dimensional Physics….that seems pretty…well different" said Riku scratching his head. It was an interest that none of the girls that he had ever dated ever mentioned.
"I know it's so much fun! I've recently been reading some of the latest works of Dr. Odine in Eshtar and his research suggests that energy produced in dimensional pockets could one day be harnessed to maybe someday provide clean power to all of Gaia! There's literally an infinite amount of energy stored in dimensional pockets but sadly no one has the money to fund research on how to harness it" Lucca got very animated when she discussed this. Moments ago she seemed really shy.
"I'm sure somewhere someone finds that interesting…" said Dona coldy.
"Well Dona what do you do?" asked Riku.
"I'm one of the top students at the Summoner Academy" said Dona proudly.
"Wow" said Riku.
"Then you know my cousin Yuna?" asked Rikku.
"Yuna is your cousin? Ha Ha no comment" laughed Dona.
(Yuna's Apartment)
"See what I mean?" said Yuna.
(Termidate)
Riku looked over at Rikku. She kept a bright smile on her face and seemed to be enjoying her self even amongst Dona's negative remarks. He noticed her bright green eyes and how they swirled at the center.
"Rikku I'm noticing that you have really pretty eyes. They swirl at the center" said Riku.
Dona looked at Rikku jealously. She couldn't stand for the attention to be on her.
"Yes I'm Al Bhed" said Rikku.
"Really? Cool can you say something in Al Bhed for me?" said Riku.
"Ok. E's ryjehk vih uh drec tyda" said Rikku in her native tongue
"That's a beautiful language" said Riku thoroughly impressed.
"Yes it is" complimented Echidna.
"Did you say I am having fun…on this…date?" said Lucca trying to remember what Rikku said.
"Yes I did. You speak Al Bhed?" asked Rikku.
"A little bit. I took it as an elective in school but sad to say I've forgotten most of it" said Lucca.
"Hmpf sounded like a bunch of gibberish to me" scoffed Dona.
"Paine, Tuhy'c crend ec liddehk uvv ran lenlimydeuh" laughed Rikku.
"What?" asked Dona.
"Oh I don't know most of those words" said Lucca
(Yuna's Apartment)
"Ha ha hah" laughed Paine. She could speak and understand Al Bhed.
"What did she say?" asked Yuna.
"She sent me a message. She said Dona's shirt is cutting off her circulation" laughed Paine.
(Termidate)
"I also do a bit of sphere hunting sometimes with my brother and his friends" said Rikku.
"Nice" said Riku.
The scene went back to Emelia standing on the stage.
"Well folks it looks like this date has been pretty heated so far. Who will Riku choose to Termidate first? Well first we need to go to a commercial then we'll find out after this break" smiled Emelia.
(Commercial)
"It's time for another season of Gaia Idol! Celebrity judges Randy Fatman, Simon Scowel, and Paula Abfool humiliate and ridicule more people that think they can sing! No one ever gets tired of this! The auditions are getting really hot this year and we mean hot literally!" says the voice of an announcer.
Two male judges and a female judge sit at a table listening to a young brown haired girl sing.
"You're giving me….too many things…lately…you're all I neeeed!" screeched the young girl. She sung terribly.
"That was terrible" said Simon Scowell.
"Worst rendition of Simple and Clean I've ever heard" said Randy Fatman.
"I think it need's a little work but you look nice though!" smiled Paula Abfool.
"You're rejecting me! That's it burn bitches! Firaga!" yelled the young girl as she cast a Firaga spell and set the table on fire.
(End Commercial)
"Well we're back and now it's time to see who Riku will decide to Termidate first. During the break we asked the girls who they thought Riku should get rid of first" said Emelia.
They showed an interview with Lucca first.
"Well I think he should get rid of Dona. She's been really negative this whole time" said Lucca.
Next was Echidna.
"He definitely needs to get rid of Dona. If I ever see that girl on the street I'm going to choke her. The other two are cool though" said Echidna.
Then Rikku
"Donna has been pretty mean to everyone. She can't have fun without putting everyone down. I hope he gets rid of her" said Rikku.
Then the last interview was with Dona.
"I really wish he could get rid of them all this round. They are all so lame. There is no way I'm going to lose this competition to them. After all just look at me he won't be able to resist me after I work my magic" smiled Dona.
(Garnet's Apartment)
"She's more into winning the competition than she is into Riku" said Zidane.
"Exactly. I hope Riku gets rid of her this round" said Garnet.
(Termidate)
"Well ladies it was certainly fun getting to know all of you but now is the time I have to get rid of one of you" said Riku.
The ladies perked up and prepared to hear Riku's decision.
"Lucca you seem like a really nice girl but we don't seem to have that much in common" said Riku.
"I know you're right. I'm smart and you're not I completely understand. It would never work between us" said Lucca
"Well uh…" stuttered Riku sort of shocked by what she said.
(Garnet's Apartment)
"Ouch…" said Zidane.
"Grr I can't believe he kept Dona and got rid of her…" said Garnet in frustration
(Yuna's Apartment)
"Oh no Dona's still in the game" said Yuna with disgust.
(Termidate)
"Nice to meet you all and I hope you all have fun" said Lucca as she left.
Lucca stepped off to the side and was interviewed one last time.
"What do you think of his decision?" asked a man off camera.
"Well I'm okay with it. I'm sure he's not used to a girl like me. I had fun nonetheless" smiled Lucca.
Meanwhile back at the date.
"Well ladies what do you say we head off to the next part of our date?" asked Riku as he got up from his seat.
"Yes let's go. I think you made a good decision" smiled Dona. Dona stood up and got really close to Riku. She pressed her breasts slightly against his chest on purpose.
"I think I'm going to throw up" said Echidna under her breath.
"Funny that's the same thing I was thinking when I saw you walk up earlier" said Dona glaring at Echidna.
"Little girl I swear…I just want to choke you with your own ponytail" said Echidna.
"So where are we headed next Riku?" asked Rikku. She smiled widely as usual and tried to take the attention away from the fighting.
"Well there's a pool hall near here what do you say we go and play a bit?" asked Riku.
The group left the bar and the scene switched back to Emelia.
"Well Lucca has been Termidated and our remaining players are headed off to play some pool. How will the date go? Let's have a look" said Emelia.
The scene went back to Riku, Echidna, Dona, and Rikku standing in a pool hall near a pool table. Each of them held a pool stick.
"So you ladies play pool a lot?" asked Riku as he placed the balls in the triangle.
"I do" said Echidna.
"I have before" said Rikku.
"Oh I've never played before…do you think you could teach me?" Dona looked up at Riku with a helpless expression on her face.
"-sigh- give me a break" said Echidna as she held her head.
"Umm ok" said Riku.
Riku leaned his pool stick on the pool table and got behind Dona.
"Well first you lean over…" said Riku holding Dona's waist.
"Like this?" Dona leaned way over across the pool table poking her butt out.
"Yeah and line your stick up with the cue ball" said Riku guiding Dona's stick toward the cue ball.
"That's the little white ball right?" asked Dona.
(Yuna's Apartment)
"Wow she is really laying it on thick" said Paine shaking her head.
"Seriously, no one is that clueless" said Tidus.
(Termidate)
"Yep now just hit it as hard as you can" said Riku as he continued to hold onto Dona.
Dona hit the cue ball and knocked it into the triangle of balls scattering them around the pool table.
"Nice" said Riku.
"Thanks you're a good teacher" smiled Dona as she got close to Riku.
"Rikku what's Al Bhed for Dona's a slut?" asked Echidna sarcastically.
"Umm well…I think I should stay out of this one" said Rikku. Rikku really wished they would stop fighting and just have fun.
"How am I a slut?" asked Dona.
"Look at how you're throwing yourself at him! Please Dona no one is that clueless about pool and if I see you flash your breasts in his face one more time I'm seriously going to throw up. You disgust me Dona" said Echidna angrily
"Don't be mad because Riku likes me better than you. You wish you had a body like mine" mocked Dona as she stuck her chest out.
"Wow you two have been at each others throat since the beginning of the game. What is it about each other that you don't like?" asked Riku.
"I just don't like her attitude and how she's flaunting herself around like that" said Echidna leaning on her pool stick.
"Don't be jealous because you're not as curvaceous as me" laughed Dona.
"-sigh- whatever" said Echidna
Echidna and Dona continued to go back and forth arguing with each other. This was really bumming Rikku out because she really just wanted to have fun and get to know some people. She decided to just talk to Riku while the other two fought.
"So where are you from Riku?" asked Rikku.
Riku noticed how she seemed to take a genuine interest in him instead of fighting or putting down the other girls.
"I'm originally from the Destiny Islands" said Riku.
"Oh wow I've always wanted to go there. I've seen pictures of it and it looks so nice I just haven't gotten the chance" said Rikku.
"You should go if you have the chance" smiled Riku as he stared into Rikku's swirling green eyes.
They seemed to almost hypnotize him in a way. Normally he would try to act all cool and suave like a ladies man but it was something about Rikku that made him not want to mess this up.
The scene then switched back to Emelia.
"Well it looks like Dona and Echidna hate each other. Who will Riku Termidate next? Let's find out after these messages" said Emelia.
(Commercial)
"After Termidate stay tuned for Gaia's Funniest TV Bloopers! Here's a bit of what's in store!" said an announcer.
The anchor man of the Square City news Rick Rodney Rickenbaugh sat at his news desk while some crew member put some last minute touches to his make up and combed his dark hair back.
"Ok we're going on in five…four…three…two…" said the camera man
The crew members got off stage and Rick Rodney Rickenbaugh prepared to read the news.
"Hi I'm Rick Rodney Rickenbaugh with your Square City Evening News. The top story of the day is I just farted….Ok which one you assholes changed the teleprompter?" yelled Rick Rodney Rickenbaugh standing up from his chair.
"Don't miss Gaia's Funniest TV Bloopers right after Termidate!" said the announcer.
(End Commercial)
"Well we're back and now it's time for Riku to Termidate another young lady. During the break we asked them who they wanted Riku to get rid of next" said Emelia
First they interviewed Echidna.
"I want him to get rid of Dona or me. Either she needs to go or I need to go because I swear I'm going to choke that girl" said Echidna.
Then Rikku
"Well I've been trying to have a good time but it's getting really hard with both of them fighting all the time. Whoever he picks I just hope it's not me" laughed Rikku.
And last Dona
"Of course he'll pick one of the other two. I have this in the bag. He can't resist me" smiled Dona.
The scene then shifted to Riku, Echidna, Dona, and Rikku standing by the pool table.
"Well I must say I'm having a good time with all of you but it's time for me to Termidate another person" said Riku
The girls got ready for Riku's decision.
"Echidna you seem really cool but I'm going to have to Termidate you" said Riku.
"That's fine. You're too much of a pretty boy I only date real men anyway" said Echidna.
"Well…uh.." stuttered Riku. It looked like he was going to be insulted each time he got rid of someone.
(Garnet's Apartment)
"Ouch they just keep bashing him" said Zidane.
"Aww I hope Riku doesn't take it to heart they are just upset about being rejected" said Garnet.
(Yuna's Apartment)
"Why is he keeping Dona?" yelled Yuna.
"I think Rikku has this one won" said Paine.
"What makes you say that?" asked Yuna.
"Look at how that guy keeps looking her. He is really into Rikku" said Tidus.
"Exactly" said Paine.
(Termidate)
"Goodbye darling now you're free to go get another piercing or whatever it is you do" laughed Donna as Echidna left.
Echidna walked off and was interviewed one last time.
"Are you ok with being cut?" asked a man off camera.
"Yeah that Dona chick was getting on my nerves and Riku wasn't my type anyway. I will say that I hope Rikku wins because Dona is just nasty" said Echidna.
Now back to Riku, Dona, and Rikku.
"Well ladies we are headed to a spa now. We can go relax in a hot tub how's that sound?" asked Riku.
"Sounds good to me" said Dona
"Sounds fun" smiled Rikku.
Riku put his arm around both Dona and Rikku. Dona was on his right while Rikku was on his left and they exited the pool hall.
The scene shifted back to Emelia.
"Well our bachelor and the final two daters are headed off to relax in a hot tub. Will things get steamy in there? Let's find out" said Emelia.
(Garnet's Apartment)
"OoOoO hot tub…that means bathing suits…" said Vivi.
Once again everyone stared at Vivi because of his uncharacteristic behavior.
"Ok I'm just going to shut up for the rest of the show…."said Vivi
(Termidate)
Riku stepped into the hot tub. He wore a pair of blue swimming trunks and as he got in both Rikku and Dona prepared to get in as well. Dona sat close to him on his right. Donna wore a white two piece bathing suit. She ran her fingers across Riku's chest as they sat in the hot tub. Rikku sat on Riku's left but she was not all over him. She wore a yellow two piece bathing suit.
(Yuna's Apartment)
"I am glad that Rikku isn't resorting to throwing herself all over the guy though. She's simply being herself and that's good" said Paine.
(Termidate)
"Have you two had fun?" asked Riku.
"Yes I have" smiled Dona continuing to grope Riku.
"Oic" smiled Rikku nodding her head yes and saying yes in Al Bhed.
When Rikku spoke Al Bhed it really made Riku even more attracted to her. It was just something about her that was interesting.
"So that was a yes I assume?" smiled Riku.
Dona simply hated for any of the attention to not be on her. She had every intention of winning this competition. She wasn't really into Riku she just wanted to win.
"More gibberish talk" said Dona.
"Dona it's not gibberish. Not everything you don't understand is gibberish" said Rikku.
"Yeah it sounds cool to listen to. I wouldn't mind learning a few words" said Riku.
"I could teach you a few words" smiled Rikku.
Dona could see that she was losing Riku. She planned one last ditch effort to sway him to her side and in the meantime lose what self respect she had left.
"I can teach you much better things if you pick me…like this for instance" Dona put her arm around Riku's neck and began to make out with him.
Before going into this experience Riku was the type of guy that could never see himself settling down with one woman. In fact the whole reason he signed up for this show was so he could date four women at once. It seemed like a dream come true. But through out the show he was forced to pick and choose who he wanted to come with him to the next round ultimately ending in him picking one girl. Garnet told him a long time ago that one day he would meet one girl and want to be with her but he never believed her until now.
This woman kissing him now was not the one. In fact she was no different than any woman he had ever dated in the past simply looking for a quick hook up rather than something meaningful. However Rikku, the girl sitting on his left had something about her that just appealed to him and he couldn't explain it. It was something that completely trumped the desire to be with many women. It was something deep. Riku pulled away from Dona.
"Dona I've made my decision. You're cut. Rikku I pick you. You're really cool and cute and I want to get to know you a lot better if you'll give me a chance" said Riku this was probably as honest as Riku had ever been to any female.
"Sure I'd like that" smiled Rikku.
Rikku and Riku hugged in the hot tub. Dona sat there stunned she couldn't believe she had lost.
"Hmpf you're lame anyway…and you're not all that cute" said Dona as she left the hot tub furious.
Riku ignored her. In fact he probably didn't even hear her he was too busy hugging Rikku.
(Yuna's Apartment)
"Yes!" yelled Yuna jumping up
"Dona took it hard" said Paine
"It looks like Rikku really likes that guy too" said Tidus
(Garnet's Apartment)
"Wow I'm really proud of Riku. I picked the right girl" said Garnet.
"I think so too" said Kairi.
"Riku and Rikku! Heh heh not often you see a couple with the same name" said Sora.
"I hope it works out for them" said Zidane.
"Hmm this means that Dona is still single…" said Vivi rubbing his hands together.
Everyone once again stared at Vivi.
"Shutting up now" said Vivi.
(Termidate)
The camera was still rolling and taped some conversation between Riku and Rikku.
"What made you pick me?" asked Rikku.
"You give off this positive vibe. You never argued with the other girls and you seemed to have some genuine interest in me" said Riku.
"Dryhg oui. I just said Thank you" smiled Rikku.
"Awesome"
Little did they know that Dona was not done with them. She stood off screen and was not on camera. She was furious and embarrassed for losing.
"So he wants her instead. I'll show her!"
Dona concentrated and closed her eyes. In a few moments Donna summoned a small Cactuar. The small cactus like creature pranced around her feet.
"Go and congratulate our friends" laughed Dona as she sent the cactuar off.
The cactuar went bouncing off toward the hot tub. It got to the edge of the tub and stopped.
"What's a cactuar doing here?" asked Rikku staring at the creature.
"Yeah they don't even live around this area" said Riku puzzled.
The cactuar leaned its head toward Rikku and prepared its 1000 needles attack which would spray 1000 cactus needles at Rikku.
"Look out!" Riku jumped in the way protecting Rikku as the cactuar sprayed 1000 needles at him.
"Argh!" yelled Riku in pain as the needles stuck into his chest and arms. He stood there taking the pain protecting Rikku.
The cactuar finished the attack and ran off. Riku fell down into the hot tub with 1000 needles stuck into his skin.
Rikku was so scared as she held on to him.
"Someone help! Call the paramedics he's hurt!" yelled Rikku.
(End Chapter 12)
Looks like Dona took her loss just a little too hard. Let's have a quick recap. Cloud has finally gone off to SOLDIER tryouts. Looks like him and Aeris have broken up and something strange is going on with Cloud's head that he can't explain. Tifa is still clueless about Rude and Rude is messing around with his fellow Turk Elena. It seems that nothing went on between Rude and Tifa the night of the SeeD ball. Hey if you go back and look at chapter 8 you'll notice I never said anything happened I simply said she shut the door.
The news is out about Tidus and Oaka teaming up and it seems that Lenne is up to something. Lucca from Chrono Trigger made a cameo appearance as one of Riku's dates for Termidate. The host of Termidate was Super Model Emelia of Saga Frontier. Zack is also finally in the story and looks like Rikku won Termidate even though it was probably obvious that she would win. Riku and Rikku…I like the sound of that.
Edit: Had to take out review responses because they are against rules