Chapter 13
Cloud sat in his seat on the train as his head leaned against the window. The train ran through an underground tunnel. It was a train track that Shinra used to keep the location of several of their facilities secret. Many people questioned why the Shinra were normally so secretive about everything which caused quite a few not to trust them. Everyone aboard had been riding all through the night.
"Cloud, what made you want to join SOLDIER?" asked Zack leaning back a bit in his aisle seat.
"To be honest….it was to impress this girl back home. I figured if I became strong she would notice me. That kind of faded though. I think I really want to do it now" said Cloud.
"The things we do for women eh? Training for SOLDIER caused me to lose this one girl I was dating. A really good girl too" said Zack.
"Did you train like some kind of maniac or something?" asked Cloud.
"Well yeah back then I was really gung ho. I trained way too much and never made time for her. This was when I was back in Square City a few years ago. Everyday almost all day I would be at Auron's training" said Zack.
"You trained at Auron's Gym? That's where I started training" said Cloud.
"It is a small world. How has Auron been doing?" asked Zack.
"He's doing fine. He's still teaching and training a lot of people" said Cloud.
"That's good he always…whoa!"
Zack was interrupted as the train began breaking and screeching to a halt. The sudden stopping motion startled several of the people on the train. The train came to a complete stop at an underground station that looked somewhat like a subway station. The SOLDIER recruits on board the train looked out of the window to see several SOLDIER officers standing at attention in a straight line. They wore the blue uniform of the SOLDIER and helmets with visors.
"Here we go…" said Zack shaking his head.
Soon the doors of the train flew open and the SOLDIER officers rushed inside.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTHS AND GET OFF MY TRAIN YOU SORRY SACKS OF SHUPUFF SHIT!" screamed one of the officers at the top of his lungs as he ran on board.
"Think he can say that five times fast?" joked Zack under his breath.
"Zack you're going to get us in trouble…" whispered Cloud. The SOLDIER officer noticed Zack and Cloud talking and got really angry.
"WHAT WE GOT HERE A BUNCH OF WHISPERING SCHOOL GIRLS? GRAB YOUR STUFF AND WHEN YOU GET OUT OF THE TRAIN I WANT YOU TWO TRUCKLOADS OF TONBERRY TERDS TO DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY PUSHUPS ON YOUR KNUCKLES!" screamed the officer at the top of his lungs.
Zack, Cloud and all the rest on board scrambled to get their things out of the overhead compartments and get off the train. Once out of the train the recruits lined up on a long white line that was parallel to the train. As Cloud and Zack walked over to the line the same loud SOLDIER officer yelled at them again.
"ARE YOU TWO BRAINDEAD? DIDN'T I TELL YOU TWO PIECES OF CHOCOBO CRAP TO DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY KNUCKLE PUSH UP? DROP NOW! GO GO GO!" yelled the loud officer.
"This guy sure does have an obsession with….poo" thought Cloud.
Zack and Cloud dropped all their belongings and got on the ground in a push up position and began doing knuckle push ups on the hard concrete. The other recruits stood at attention with their hands at their sides as the other officers talked to them.
"For the next few days you all are going to work harder and be pushed to the limit. Keep you head on straight and do as we say and you'll have an easier time but definitely not an easy time. Don't be like these two idiots doing push ups and pissing us off already" said another officer as he paced back in forth in front of the group. This officer pointed to Zack and Cloud who were still on the ground doing push ups.
This officer was considerably calmer than the first officer that they met. Sephiroth entered the station from the underground base and walked toward the group of recruits. The officer that just spoke noticed Sephiroth and stood at attention immediately the other officers did the same. As Sephiroth approached the group there was no movement from anyone…except for Zack and Cloud still doing push ups….
"Trouble makers already?" asked Sephiroth as he watched Cloud and Zack doing push ups frantically.
"Sephiroth sir! These two have already shown a poor attitude sir" said the calm officer.
"Sephiroth? He's actually here?" thought Cloud as he continued to do his push ups. Cloud kept his face pointed toward the ground as he did his push ups. He didn't want to look up for a chance to see Sephiroth and possibly get yelled at again.
"Is that so? Well, I think I'll have a talk with these two. Take the others to get their equipment. These two will be along shortly" said Sephiroth.
"Sir yes sir!" said the calm officer as he saluted.
"SQUAD, FALL OUT!" said another loud officer.
The officers and the other recruits left the station and all that was left were Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack.
"Enough of those get up you two" said Sephiroth ordering them to stop doing the push ups.
Zack and Cloud stopped and stood up at attention before Sephiroth. Cloud had read about Sephiroth's many accomplishments as a boy and he had come to admire him growing up. A pit in Cloud's stomach formed as he was finally face to face with his long time hero. Sephiroth stood about two feet away from them.
"Consider this your last chance. You've upset my officers at a very early stage of the game. If you mess up again we will dump you off in the middle of the wilderness and you'll have to hitch hike all the way back to Square City…is that understood?" asked Sephiroth.
"Sir yes sir!" yelled Zack and Cloud in unison.
Sephiroth looked at Zack then he looked at Cloud directly in his eyes. Then something strange happened to both Cloud and Sephiroth. In their minds the same image flashed before their eyes. It was like a memory long forgotten.
(The Image)
Cloud stood in a very dark place. In his hands was a strange white and purple sword and across from him was Sephiroth. Sephiroth had his shirt off he carried an extremely long sword. Cloud looked furious. His face grimaced as he held his sword out in front of him. Suddenly a white ball of light began to appear above the tip of the blade…
(End Image)
Cloud and Sephiroth both snapped out of it at the same time. Cloud simply ignored the strange image and continued to stand at attention as if nothing was wrong. Sephiroth shrugged it off as well.
"You are dismissed. Go to the equipment area to receive your uniform and magnetic lock for you swords….." said Sephiroth
"Sir yes sir" said Zack and Cloud together.
Zack and Cloud grabbed their things off the ground and began leaving the station. Sephiroth simply stood there.
"Sorry about getting us in trouble…." whispered Zack.
"No problem…we just have to make sure we don't mess up again" whispered Cloud.
(Next Scene)
Meanwhile back in Square City. Zell and Yuffie enjoyed a game of Triple Triad.
"I win again! That's three times in a row I beat you at Triple Triad!" yelled Yuffie.
It was a little after noon and Zell and Yuffie sat indian style under a tree in Square Park. Yuffie finally managed to convince Auron to give her longer breaks from working at the gym. Auron conceded because Yuffie had been working very hard over the past few weeks….that and she managed to resist the urge to steal materia. She had also shown some improvement in her training. Zell had only taught her how to play Triple Triad an hour ago and already Yuffie had beaten him three times in a row.
"I can't believe it! Are you sure you've never played this game before?" asked Zell scratching his head.
"Yes. I guess I'm just a natural" smiled Yuffie.
"Yeah I guess you are. Say did you watch Termidate yesterday? It was a live show and the guy got attacked by a cactuar at the end. It was so random" said Zell picking up the cards.
"Wow, are you serious? I think that show is around the time that Auron has me training on the roof –sigh- He's such a slave driver. It feels good just to relax a bit right now" said Yuffie.
"Yuffie why are you training so hard if you don't mind me asking?" asked Zell trying not to be intrusive.
"Well, to make a long story short there's this pagoda in Wutai called the Pagoda of the Five Mighty Gods. Each floor of the pagoda is protected by one of Wutai's best fighters. Each fighter is progressively stronger than the one before with the strongest guy at the top. I'm supposed to defeat each one and make it to the top so that I can someday lead the Five Mighty Gods. I don't even know why my dad is so adamant about me becoming the leader. My dad sent me here to train with Auron because he thought that there was a lot that I could learn from him that I couldn't learn in Wutai" said Yuffie.
Yuffie leaned back against the tree and put her hands on her head as she stretched her legs out.
"Well Auron does have a lot of experience" said Zell.
"Yeah he knows what he's talking about and I guess coming here wasn't a total lost" said Yuffie.
"What makes you say that?" asked Zell
"Well I got to be friends with you and I really enjoy hanging out with you Zell" smiled Yuffie.
"Yeah, it's been fun letting you win at Triple Triad" laughed Zell.
"Letting me win? That's it stack the cards up we're going for Round 4!" yelled Yuffie.
"Ok then! After I beat you this time let's say we go get a hot dog?" asked Zell as he shuffled the cards.
"Yeah I love hot dogs" said Yuffie.
"Me too Yuffie….me too" said Zell
(Next Scene)
"So the cops raided Shifa Commerce? I trust they found no evidence of your connection to us?" asked President Shinra.
President Shinra sat at his large desk. A big video screen hung over the desk. President Shinra was talking to Shuzer through a video phone.
"Yes. Luckily most of the materials had been carried away already. They won't be able to make much out of what they found there" said Shuzer as he clanked his metal claws together.
"So who is this Alkaiser person that attacked you? I've been hearing a bit about him on the news. It seems that he may be a problem to our future plans" said President Shinra.
"That Al creep…I think there is some society of heroes or something. A guy like him named Alkarl tried to botch one of my jobs a while back" said Shuzer.
"Hmm it seems like once we get rid of one potential threat another seems to arise in its place. Will Black X fighters be ready for the Gaia Summit?" asked President Shinra.
"Yes. Black X will be in full force. The four emperors will be ready" smiled Shuzer in his usual sinister manner.
"Excellent. Lay low and gather your forces until then. I don't want the cops or this Alkaiser person finding you and interfering with our plans again" said President Shinra.
"Understood" said Shuzer.
The screen went blank and slid back up into the ceiling. The president got up from his seat and walked toward the window that over looked Square City.
"Soon…The Shinra will dominate everything…and everyone…"
(Next Scene)
Hawk sat at the check in counter of the Cygnus Motel watching a small television that sat on the counter. It was a news report and for the past few days footage and news of Square City's newest superhero, Alkaiser, had been a hot topic.
"Hi I'm Rick Rodney Rickenbaugh. With no more sightings of the Mystery Man it seems that Square City has a new superhero. Here is footage taken by a bystander of Alkaiser in action"
The footage was of Alkaiser saving that old man from the falling billboard a few days before. The footage showed Alkaiser racing toward the man and grabbing him before the billboard fell.
"This new hero identified himself as Alkaiser to the crowd before departing. In other news Emperor Gesthal has announced to all of Gaia that the Gesthal Empire will not be attending the Gaia Summit. Many other nations are showing their disapproval of the Empire's choice not to attend especially King Edgar of Figaro. King Edgar and leaders of other nations had hoped to discuss the hostile actions taken by the Empire over the past year and recent accusations of weapon development and unethical experiments on Espe…"
Hawk turned the television off. He sat there for a moment and thought.
"They are really going to chew me out for this one. I'd better go to them because I'm sure they already know by now" thought Hawk
Just then Red came walking down the stairs. He had just finished all of his work for the day. Hawk just stared at Red as he walked into the room.
"Uh oh what I do now? I swear I cleaned the toilets this time…ok I might have skimmed over them a little but they're a lot cleaner than last time…" said Red.
"Red I'm going to have to close up the motel for a few days…" said Hawk.
"What? Why what's going on?" asked Red.
"I have to go on a trip for a few days" said Hawk.
"What is it some kind of motel owner's convention or something?" asked Red.
"…yeah that's it. It's a motel owner's convention. No one is staying here at the moment so I figure I can close up shop for a bit and actually get to go this year. I never get to go. All I ask is that you don't let the place burn down while I'm gone. I'll be gone for about three days and you'll still get paid don't worry" said Hawk
"Aww come on Hawk you know this place is safe in my hands. When are you leaving?" asked Red.
"Tonight, I'm going to go pack a few things now" said Hawk as he got up from his chair.
Yuria walked down the stairs.
"Red, tell Yuria why I'm closing up the motel for a few days" said Hawk as he went up the stairs.
"What?" asked Yuria
"He says he has to go to some motel owner's convention or something for three days and we still get paid…I don't know I get the feeling he is lying and is going to meet some woman for a romantic getaway or something…" joked Red
"I heard that!" yelled Hawk from upstairs.
Yuria and Red just laughed. Red had had his eye on Yuria since he started working there. Her short dark hair and eyes along with the dimples in her cheeks as she laughed and smiled made Red think that she was really cute. Since the two of them were alone Red decided to make his move he tried to come off so smooth.
"Speaking of romantic…Yuria let's say you and me get a bite to eat or something tonight" said Red. Red smiled and rubbed his hand through his brown spiked up hair. He was trying so hard to look cool.
"Oh that sounds nice…but I don't think my boyfriend would like it I'm supposed to be meeting him tonight" smiled Yuria.
"Damn" thought Red as his face sank.
"It was sweet of you to ask though! I have to go now see you in three days" said Yuria as she left the motel.
"-sigh- oh well nothing ventured nothing gained" thought Red.
(Next Scene)
Riku lied down in a hospital bed with bandages across his chest and arms. The attack by that cactuar injured him but the doctor said he was recovering very nicely although he wouldn't be able to perform in the play. Zidane, Garnet, Kairi, Vivi, Sora, and Tobli all stood around his bed in the hospital room.
"I hope the hospital food isn't too nasty for you" said Zidane.
"Well it's not that bad actually. I'm just sort of bummed I won't be able to be in the play" said Riku.
"Well certainly getting you back to health is the number one priority yep yep! Of course without a suitable leading man the play is sure to be a flop. A failure that is! We've sold out of tickets for the show but now the show can't go on! I'm ruined!" Tobli spoke fast and scurried around the room frantically. He tripped over his own feet and Sora helped him up.
"Zidane could take my part. He knows all the lines already. In fact he knows them better than I do" said Riku as he pressed a button on his bed adjust the positioning a bit.
"Yeah Zidane's been reading all the parts. He knows the whole play from beginning to end by heart" said Vivi.
"Umm I uhh…" stuttered Zidane.
"If Zidane knows the part already and it's ok with Riku why not just let him do it?" said Kairi.
"Yeah Zidane knows what he's doing" smiled Garnet.
"Sounds like a good plan to me" said Sora.
"Well then it's settled! Zidane will take Riku's role as the hero yep yep! On with the show! The show must go on that is" Tobli was excited that the show would not have to be cancelled.
"Well…I…Riku are you sure?" asked Zidane
"Of course man you'll do great" said Riku finally getting the bed to the position her wanted.
Zidane wanted the part since the beginning but he certainly never wished for Riku to get hurt so he could have it. Now he'd get to star in the play with Garnet and he'd get to kiss her. That thought made Zidane feel really good.
"Well ok then" smiled Zidane.
"Great" smiled Garnet at Zidane.
Zidane just smiled back. Soon Rikku entered the hospital room holding a magazine.
"Rikku!" said Riku sitting up in his bed.
"Hey Riku….uh…I hope I'm not interrupting anything" said Rikku looking around at all the people there.
"No not at all. It's nice to meet you Rikku. I'm Garnet" said Garnet.
"Rikku these are my friends and coworkers" said Riku.
"I'm Sora"
"I'm Kairi nice to meet you"
"Hey I'm Zidane"
"I'm Vivi"
"and I'm Tobli! It is very much my acquaintance to be making your pleasure! I mean pleasure to be making your acquaintance!" said Tobli excitedly.
"Well it's nice to meet all of you too" smiled Rikku.
Rikku walked over to the table beside his bed and set the magazine down. She then held Riku's hand.
"Are you doing ok?" Rikku rubbed his hand softly.
"Yeah I'm great" smiled Riku as he looked in her eyes.
"Aww that's so sweet" said Garnet as she watched them.
"Well, what he did was the sweetest, bravest thing anyone has ever done for me. He stood in the way of a thousand needles" smiled Rikku.
"I'd do it again too" smiled Riku.
Rikku and Riku stared at each other smiling for a while. It was like they were in their own little world.
Wow looks like Riku has really fallen for her" thought Zidane
"This is an Al Bhed Primer. You can brush up on your Al Bhed while you're here" said Rikku reaching for the magazine and handing it to Riku.
"That's awesome" said Riku as he started looking through some of the pages.
(Next Scene)
In another room in the same hospital Aya was recovering from the injuries Shuzer gave her. Her left arm was in a cast and she sat up in her bed. Soon Fuze came through the door.
"Hey partner" said Fuze as he walked in and sat down in a chair to the right of her bed.
"Hey…" said Aya sadly.
"She had been really down the past few days since the raid on Shifa Commerce got botched and she felt bad that she almost got herself and her team killed.
"Well the doc says you should be out soon but you shouldn't go back to work yet. He wants you to take it easy" said Fuze.
"I can't relax after all that's going on in the city. Shinra is up to something nasty I just know it…ugh if only this raid didn't get blown! If I had just planned better then maybe…" Aya was angry and she just leaned her head back and looked up at the ceiling.
"Aya we have to move on from that" said Fuze.
"-sigh- I guess so. Was there anything at all in the place that could connect them with Shinra?" asked Aya looking at Fuze.
"No records or anything. There was nothing illegal there. Only a few mechanical parts were left there and it was nothing that we could say was illegal. Looks like the only thing we had there was Shuzer and looks like even he got away from that Alkaiser guy" said Fuze.
"What about the bald receptionist guy we arrested? Has he said anything?" asked Aya.
"We've been questioning him but no interrogation strategies seem to work at all. The guy just looks at us and smiles. It seems that the rumors were true…" said Fuze.
"What rumors?"
"Black X lackeys are brain washed. There is no way they'd snitch not even if you tortured them to death. Right now we have no leads. Shinra has covered their tracks well" said Fuze.
"So what do we do just sit back and wait for Shinra to strike?" asked Aya.
"Aya, without evidence we have nothing…"said Fuze.
Aya breathed deeply and tried to keep calm. She simply couldn't stand the thought of giving up.
"The Shinra are going screw us…I just know it" said Aya.
(Next Scene)
Far away from Square City, at the north pole of Gaia stands Mt. Gagazet. It is home to the race of giant cat like creatures known as Ronso. The Ronso have always protected Mt. Gagazet from those that would try and defile their sacred home. On a path away from the entrance to Mt. Gagazet a group of outsiders prepared their ascent up the mountain with the help of a Ronso….
"Garik show way up mountain"
Garik was one of the Ronso people that dwell in the mountains. He was very tall and large with thick blue fur and patches of black fur across his chest. The long horn on his head protruded at an upward angle. Snow was everywhere on the mountain trail and much more was coming down from the sky. Garik with his thick fur seemed unfazed by the cold weather.
Garik lead a large group of people up the mountain trail. Most of them were Shinra troopers. Some walked on foot and others rode on the backs of Chocobo's, the large yellow flightless birds. The Chocobo's pulled several large sleds stacked with boxes. Directly behind Garik stood two men, the first had long white hair that went partially down his back. His skin was tanned and he wore a white parka to protect himself from the snow and cold. This man's name is Ansem. Ansem pressed on behind Garik continuing up the mountain.
"What a wretched place this is…" whispered Ansem to the other man.
"Indeed" said the other man.
He had short white hair with a long white feather that stuck out of the top of his head. This man was considerably underdressed for the extreme cold of Mt. Gagazet. He wore a pair of black boots and a black top that only covered his chest leaving his midsection exposed. For pants the man wore….a thong…
"You could have dressed a little more appropriately Kuja…" said Ansem looking at Kuja with disgust.
"I like to be comfortable" said Kuja.
"Summit of mountain not far from here Garik know this. Ansem and Kuja begin building" said Garik in his gruff Ronso tone.
"Do you think Garik has ever heard of pronouns?" whispered Kuja to Ansem.
"I bet he's probably wondering if you've ever heard of clothes" said Ansem.
"Funny…" said Kuja.
"When New Gaia established Garik become ruler of Ronso?" asked Garik as the troop continued up the mountain path.
"Yes. Garik become leader of Ronso. Garik rule all Ronso that's our deal" said Ansem speaking like a Ronso. Garik was not even aware that Ansem was making fun of him.
"Garik better elder than Kimahri. Kimahri weak and hornless!" yelled Garik.
(Next Scene)
Yuna proceeded down the hallway of the Summoner Academy dressed in summoner garb. On both sides of the hall were statues of former high summoners and of the current high summoner, Yuna's father, Braska. Yuna stopped for a moment and looked at the statue of her father. The high summoner is the leader of all those who practice the summoner arts in Gaia. The high summoner takes on a great responsibility to act as a liason between the world of man and the world of the spirits. Braska's duty as High Summoner caused Yuna to rarely see him.
It was almost time for Braska's term as high summoner to be over and soon he would have to take on an apprentice. The apprentice would train under him and undergo a pilgrimage to several summoner temples around Gaia attempting to gain favor with the spirits. The apprentice chosen is the most skilled student of the summoner academy. Dona and Yuna showed equal skill and would have to duel each other for the position. Whenever she stared at the statue she wondered if this was what she really wanted.
"My my my" said Dona walking up behind Yuna.
Yuna simply ignored Dona and began to walk down the hall.
"Don't let me run you off…if you need time with daddy then go ahead" said Dona.
Yuna stopped then turned around and looked at Dona.
"Dona that was an impressive show you put on during Termidate last night" said Yuna smiling.
"Whatever do you mean?" asked Dona.
"The cactuar…of course you fooled everyone else and made it look like a freak accident but I know that it was summoned" smiled Yuna.
Dona just held her hands on her hips and said nothing.
"Using your art to attack innocent people….I wonder what Isaaru, Lady Belgemine or any of the other elder summoners would have to say about that?" smiled Yuna.
"Hmpf" said Dona as she walked away.
Yuna stood there smiling still. It felt so good to actually make Dona squirm for once.
(Next Scene)
"Class dismissed" said Quistis.
Quistis stood behind the desk of a Garden classroom and dismissed the class of SeeD cadets. As the students left the class room Quistis went over to the board and began erasing some information from it. After all the students left Selphie entered the classroom.
"Hey Quisty" said Selphie.
"Oh hey Selphie" said Quistis as she continued to erase the information on the board.
"Have you been doing ok? Do you need to talk at all?" asked Selphie.
Selphie was checking up on Quistis. She had been through a lot the past few weeks. She had been a little depressed but she was finally getting back on her feet now.
"Thanks but I'm doing fine" smiled Quistis as she walked over to the desk and gathered a few papers.
"Been thinking of him much?" asked Selphie.
Quistis stopped gathering the papers and looked at Selphie.
"All the time I think about him…I really miss him but I'm doing fine now. I know I have to move on with life. I keep seeing that this new superhero is running around Square City" said Quistis.
"Yeah Alkaiser" said Selphie.
"He's so flashy it seems. He's nothing like the Mystery Man….he was so humble and mysterious. He'd do his good deed then disappear" smiled Quistis.
"Quistis, I'm sure you'll be together again" said Selphie.
"I'm not worried about that. I just hope that he is ok" said Quistis.
(Next Scene)
Vincent had traveled far away from Square City. He walked through an open field and far in the distance he could see what looked like a barn and house.
"Maybe I can rest a bit there" thought Vincent as he walked.
So far Vincent had not run into any Shinra operatives so he wasn't sure if he was still on their hit list. Vincent bought a shotgun and some grenades at one of the towns that he passed and he kept them inside the trench coat he wore. He also had a few supplies inside the duffel bag that was slung over his left shoulder. Vincent felt normal in the sense that now he had the need to rest and eat. His reflexes were also not as sharp as they were when he escaped the lab but still there was something inside that he could feel. It was like the beast had not completely left him.
"Ahhhhh! Help the Chocobo's!"
As Vincent approached the barn he heard the yell of a young girl. Vincent ran toward the barn to see what the commotion was about. As Vincent got closer he saw several Chocobo's held within a large square pen that stood in front of the barn. A very large fiend with incredibly long arms and large hands swatted at the Chocobo's trying to grab them.
"WARK! WAAAARK!" screeched the Chocobo's as they ran from the fiend in terror.
The fiend's legs were very short and its actual body was small in proportion to its oversized arms and hands. Its mouth was very large. It showed several rows of jagged teeth as it bit at the Chocobos. A little girl with her brown hair in a pony tail ran at the fiend fearlessly with a rake and began poking it.
"Leave the Chocobo's alone you Chocobo Eater!" as she continued to hit the Chocobo Eater with a rake.
"Chole get out of there now!"
A pudgy man in overalls ran out of the house followed by a young boy. The man yelled to the girl that was in the pen.
"But we have to save the Chocobo's!" yelled Chole.
The Chocobo Eater got tired of Chole poking it.
-GRRRRRAAAAAAH-
The Chocobo Eater opened its huge mouth wide and growled at Chole then it balled its right hand up into a fist and prepared to smash her into the ground.
"Chole!" yelled the man.
The Chocobo Eater prepared to bring its hand down to the ground with tremendous force. By then Vincent had gotten closer, he pulled out his shotgun and fired at the Chocobo Eater before it could smash Chole.
-ARRRGGH-
The Chocobo Eater reeled back in pain as the shot hit its side.
"Get back to the house I'll handle this" said Vincent to Chole.
Chole ran out of the pen and went to where the man and the boy were standing. Vincent then prepared to take on the Chocobo Eater. The Chocobo Eater lifted up its right hand again and brought it down swiftly to swat Vincent like a fly. Vincent leapt back and dodged the attack. I's hand left a crater in the ground. The Chocobo Eater opened its mouth wide and extended a long tongue. It seemed very angry that Vincent had interrupted its favorite meal.
"He's going to regret opening that mouth so wide" thought Vincent.
The Chocobo Eater rushed at Vincent. Vincent ran away and leapt over the wooden fence. The Chocobo Eater crashed through the fence after Vincent. It held both its hands together and lifted them both over its head as it prepared to strike at Vincent once again. The creature brought its arms down once again with tremendous force and Vincent rolled to the right and avoided the attack. Another huge pothole was made in the ground after that attack.
-GRAAAAAAHHHHH-
The Chocobo Eater opened its mouth very widely and yelled in frustration.
"You want something to eat eh? I hope this whets your appetite"
Vincent pulled the pin off of a grenade he held and threw it into the Chocobo Eater's gaping mouth. The Chocobo Eater swallowed the grenade and stood there with a puzzled look as if it had indigestion.
"Bye" said Vincent.
-BOOM-
The Chocobo Eater then exploded into a thousand pieces. Its gut's blew all over the grass and some of them got on Vincent's coat. All that was left of the Chocobo Eater were two stubby legs. A slight breeze blew and the two legs fell over on the grass. The man, the young boy and Chole all ran up to Vincent who was standing there trying to get some of the guts off of his coat.
"Thank you so much for saving Chole" said the man as he ran up.
"You saved the Chocobos!" yelled Chole as she jumped up and down.
"You blew it to bits!" yelled the young boy.
"Are you ok?" asked Vincent.
"I'm great and the Chocobos are safe thanks to you mister!" smiled Chole.
"Folks call me Chocobo Bill. This is my ranch and we make a living raising Chocobo. These are my kids Bill and Chole" said the man extending his hand to Vincent.
Vincent went to shake his hand then he noticed some Chocobo Eater guts were on it. He wiped it off then shook Chocobo Bill's hand.
"I'm Vincent"
"Those were some fancy moves you did back there. Looks like you got a whole arsenal right there in your coat. I'm thankful though you saved my daughters life"
"And he saved the Chocobo!" said Chole.
"Chole you almost got yourself killed. Saving the Chocobo is not worth losing you" scolded Chocobo Bill but he only did it out of love.
"Yes sir…" said Chole putting her head down.
"Well Vincent why don't you stay with us tonight. We'll clean you up and feed you. It's the least we can do after getting rid of that Chocobo Eater for us. That thing has been stopping by to snack on our Chocobo's for a while now and we've been losing a good bit of money because of it"
"Thanks I would like to get cleaned up…" said Vincent as he wiped a little more of the guts off of his coat.
(Next Scene)
Aeris sprawled out on the couch of her living room and talked to her mother on the phone
"How's everything in Icicle Inn?" asked Aeris.
"Still cold as usual what about in Square City?" asked Ilfana her mother on the other end.
"Not bad. I've been doing really good business lately. My flowers are selling like crazy. I also got a big order for the SeeD ball a few weeks ago that paid pretty well" said Aeris.
"I'm glad your knowledge of the planet is helping you grow beautiful flowers and make a living in the city" said Ilfana.
"Heh heh I guess being a Cetra isn't so bad" laughed Aeris.
"Have you talked to anyone about it?" asked Ilfana.
"No mom. Everyone would think I'm crazy or something. I mean how do you come out and tell people that you can talk to the planet? There are not many left that even know what a Cetra is" said Aeris.
"We are the last…Aeris have you been listening to the planet lately?" asked Ilfana.
"It's kind of hard sometimes mom. This city is so busy and noisy it's sometimes hard to hear. I've also kind of stopped listening to it…" said Aeris.
"Been focusing on other things? I understand. Aeris the planet is distressed. It is afraid of someone or maybe…a group of people. They are messing with something that they don't fully understand. It's something that man should not tamper with and the planet is afraid that they will uncover it" said Ilfana.
"What is it mom?" asked Aeris.
"I don't know exactly…I don't know who is doing it…or even what it is that they should not be delving into but I do know that it's something that if uncovered could only bring chaos and destruction to Gaia" said Ilfana.
"Mom…I've always been afraid that I would hear something like that from the planet…that's why I sort of tune it out sometimes…" said Aeris.
"Aeris listen to the planet sometime and see what you hear for yourself. You're younger and you should be able to get more in tune with the planet.
(Next Scene)
"Seifer…."
Seifer lied down in his bed. It was the middle of the day and he was still asleep. His bedroom was a mess. Dirty clothes were strewn all over the floor. Seifer tossed and turned in his sleep. It was as if someone was calling to him. In his mind he could hear the faint voice of a woman.
"Seifer…my knight…so much potential…"
Seifer turned over on his stomach still fast asleep.
"So much greater than them all….Seifer"
Seifer began to dream.
(Seifer's Dream)
Suddenly Seifer found himself standing outside of the SeeD's Garden. He was outside of the main gate in the parking lot.
"You were much too good for them Seifer…those kursed SeeD's"
Seifer turned around to see Ultimecia, the strange woman he had met a few weeks before.
"It's you!" said Seifer somewhat startled.
"Don't be afraid. You and I want the same thing…." said Ultimecia as she walked toward him.
"What is that?" asked Seifer.
"Turn around…"
Seifer turned around and looked at the SeeD Garden. Moments ago it looked normal but now it was engulfed in flames.
"You can crush all those that mocked you. I can help you. We will destroy the Garden and every last one of those kursed SeeD…even Squall" said Ultimecia.
Ultimecia walked behind Seifer and began rubbing his back. Seifer felt like he was under some sort of trance.
"Squall…" said Seifer slowly as he continued to look at the burning Garden.
"Yes you can get even with him and Rinoa. I can help you gain the power to do so. Come to me Seifer…come to me…you'll know where…"
(End Seifers Dream)
Seifer woke up and sat straight up in his bed. He soon got out of bed and put on his coat. Seifer was putting on his coat when he thought of something. He reached under his bed and pulled out a case. He set the case on his bed and opened it. Inside was Seifer's gunblade the Hyperion. He hadn't used it or looked at it in a very long time. Seifer pulled Hyperion out of the case and strapped it to his side on the inside of his coat. Fujin and Raijin weren't there at the moment. Seifer left the apartment without leaving a note or anything. He simply closed the door behind him and didn't look back.
(Next Scene)
The sun was beginning to set and Tifa and her crew of moogles were working on setting up the club.
"Tifa you said you needed a DJ and I found this Hypello that's interested 'po" said Mog.
Mog introduced Tifa to a Hypello that wanted to be a DJ for the club.
"Hi there" said Tifa.
"Hellosh yoush are interararested in hiring a Deee Jaaay?" said the Hypello in his slow distinct Hypello manner. (Note: I meant to spell interested like that)
"Why yes I am" smiled Tifa.
"Good becaush I like to Paaaaar taaaaay! Wave those handsh in the air and wave them like yoush just don't care!" the Hypello began to raise his hands in the air and wave them…like he just didn't care…
"Well that's nice you seem like you could really keep a crowd going. You're hired Mr…what's your name?" asked Tifa.
"See that's the thing 'po. I really don't think Hypellos bother with names. Other people usually just give them names based on what they do. I knew this one Hypello named Barkeep and everyone just called him that because he was a barkeep. Why don't we call him DJ Hypello? 'po" asked Mog.
"How about we call him DJ Hype for short?" asked Tifa.
"Soundsh good to meeeee" said the Hypello now known as DJ Hype.
Tifa and the crew continued to work a little more on the club for about a half hour. DJ Hype helped too. The sun had completely set and it was getting dark outside.
"Kupo! You were right Tifa this place is looking very nice!"
Mog bounced around excitedly. The club was looking a lot nicer now. From the entrance, on the right side of the place stood a dance floor and a stage with a DJ booth on it. Directly across from the entrance was a long bar with stools around it. Toward the center of the place were several chairs and on the far left wall were booths. In the back was a swinging door that led to the kitchen which would be Quina's domain. Tifa had been sampling some of his…hers…its cooking and it was some of the best food she had ever tasted in her life. A few of the moogles carried a few boxes around while some others wiped off the tables and swept the place.
"I told you it didn't matter what it looked like. The only thing that matters is what it can become" said Tifa as she smiled looking around the place. She couldn't believe that her dream seemed to be coming true.
"I wish Rude could come and see this" thought Tifa but Rude told her that he had some business to take care of with the company so he was going to be gone a few days.
Meanwhile up the street from the club a group of thugs plotted against Tifa. In an alleyway four guys dressed in black and wearing ski masks prepared to rob the place.
"The only ones in there are some chick, a few moogles, and a Hypello. This should be easy pickings" said one of the guys pulling out a pistol.
"Let's do it" said another guy readying his gun.
The four men in ski masks ran up to the club. By now it was dark outside. They burst in and drew their guns on everyone inside.
"Give us all your cash!" said one of the men.
"This place hasn't even opened yet 'po!" yelled Mog.
"We don't have any money at all so just leave" said Tifa.
The gunman just kept holding their pistols on everyone.
"You heard the lady" said a voice behind the men.
They turned around to see Volt, Sion, Kou, Echidna, and Dominique standing there.
"She wants you to leave" continued Volt.
The men turned to aim their guns on them but they were just too slow. Volt grabbed the first gunman's hand quickly and squeezed it with so much pressure that the man dropped the gun.
"OWW!" screamed the man in pain.
At the same time Sion kicked another mans gun out of his hand before he could point it. The gun slid across the ground. The man threw a right punch at Sion's face. Sion blocked with his left hand and countered with powerful reverse right punch to the man's stomach knocking all the air out of him.
"Oooff!" the man held his stomach in pain and knelt to the floor.
"Too easy" said Sion.
Meanwhile Kou and Echidna front kicked the last two men's gun out of their hand. Kou unleashed a combination of fast kicks that connected with his shin, knee and stomach which knocked the man to the ground. Echidna got into her Capoiera stance which looked some what like a dance. She alternated her arms swing them a little in front of her and alternated her steps with her feet.
"That some kind of dance?" said the man puzzled.
"You wish…" said Echidna.
With blinding speed Echidna spun around and kicked the man in the jaw. She then spun again and kicked him in the stomach knocking him back several feet. The guy slid across the ground. The guy recovered and reached in his pocket pulling out a knife as he got up form the ground.
"Look out!" yelled Tifa.
Tifa grabbed the guys hand and kneed him straight in the stomach. The guy hunched over a bit from the pain. Tifa slapped the knife from his hand then tripped him. The robber fell on his back hard.
"Wow that was good!" said Kou impressed.
All the robbers were now subdued.
"Mog call the cops" said Tifa.
"Sure thing 'po" Mog went off to call the police.
The police got there rather quickly and carried the four robbers off to jail. Volt, Sion, Kou, Echidna, Dominique and Tifa stood on the sidewalk watching the cops shove the men into the back seat of the cop car.
"Thank you all so much for you help, I'm Tifa"
"It's no problem. We saw them rush in and figured we had to help. I'm Volt"
"I'm Sion"
"The name's Kou and those were some nice moves you did Tifa"
"Thank's" smiled Tifa.
"I'm Echidna"
"I'm Dominique"
"I'm glad to meet you all" smiled Tifa.
"Tifa we heard you were making this club and we came over here to actually ask for a job. You see we used to work at a bar called Fate over on Dog Street and it burned down. We all need a job badly and none of the places around here are hiring" said Volt.
"Me, Volt, and Sion could be your bouncers. We'll keep security tight and make sure no goons like that ever mess with you" said Kou.
"We'll do our best" said Sion.
"I can mix a mean drink" said Echidna.
"and I can be a waitress" said Dominique.
"You're right I do need some security and you all have shown you're quite capable of that. I could also use some more help around the bar and the restaurant. You're all hired" said Tifa.
"That's great we won't let you down" said Volt.
(Next Scene)
"YOU STUPID PILES OF PEREGRINE POOP PUSH HARDER!" yelled the loud officer.
Cloud, Zack and all the other recruits did push ups inside the SOLDIER underground facility. Cloud and Zack were now dressed in the SOLDIER uniform with there swords connected to their backs with a magnetic lock that was issued. Both Cloud and Zack felt like their arms were going to fall off. They had been doing push ups all day. A few of the recruits fell to the ground from exhaustion and needless to say they were chewed out by the officers immediately.
"Holding out ok buddy?" whispered Zack under his breath.
"Yeah I'm not giving up so easily" whispered Cloud as he pushed even harder.
"SQUAD, ATTENTION!" yelled the loud officer.
The recruits got up from the ground and stood at attention. The calmer officer came forward and spoke to the squad.
"You've completed your exercises for today. Go to your beds and rest up…today was the easy day" said the calm officer as he dismissed them.
Cloud, Zack and the the others began to leave. In the distance Cloud saw Rude and next to him was Reno. Rude saw Cloud and simply gave a half smile.
"Friend of yours?" asked Zack under his breath. He tried to make sure no officer saw him talking and he was actually getting better at it as the day went by.
"No.." whispered Cloud as they left the area.
"That kid with the blonde hair was Tifa's old boyfriend or something like that" said Rude to Reno.
"He looks like a chump. I hate when we have to come to these tryouts it's so boring" said Reno.
Meanwhile Sephiroth sat at the edge of his bed in his quarters. He rubbed his head because the strange buzzing headache returned. Sephiroth kept feeling weird ever since he saw that blonde haired young man back at the station.
"Who was he? Where do I know him? What is this feeling AAGGGH!"
Sephiroth grabbed the Masumune and in a fit of anger sliced at a desk that stood beside his bed. He cut it straight down the middle and it split in two. Sephiroth stood their panting and finally the feeling went away.
(End Chapter 13)
Recap: Cloud and Zack started off on the wrong foot at SOLDIER tryouts. Yuffie and Zell have become good friends. Hawk is acting pretty strange lately. He seems upset about Alkaiser. Tifa has hired a lot of people and it looks like her club is well on its way to getting started. Aya is recovering but she is upset that they have no more leads. Finally we see what Vincent has been up to and Zidane finally got the part he wanted. It also looks like the villains were pretty busy in this chapter. Please check out the next chapter to find out what happens next. Take care.