The Return of Evil:

Chapter Two

Cid took another sip from his beer as Barret grasped his bottle. "Well, old chap, funny how everything is over, with?" he spoke in a peculiar English accent.

Barret nodded. "Very, very strange, I must say. Another bewildering thing is how there is a bar in Kalm."

"Yet wasn't there?"

"No, no, I doubt there was…"

"What chu' foo's talkin' 'bout?" Red XIII barked as he jumped on the bar counter clutching a beer bottle in his mouth.

"Please, Nanaki, step down; people are trying to enjoy a nice drink."

"In the mornin', yeah right!" he answered before laying down. Suddenly, though, the sound of boots against the floor could be heard.

"Well, well, well, I see you guys have been having fun," Tifa stated seductively while placing her palm on the counter and leaning forwards, smiling; her expression was somewhere between deceitful and lustful.

"Uh… Hello, Tifa, I must say you look exceptionally stunning today," Cid commented, nervously, a bead of sweat falling down his right temple. Barret nodded, chuckling in the same manner as she sat atop the counter, crossing her legs. She began to pet and scratch Red XIII's chin, gaining a purr, as Cid regained his composure.

"So, Tifa, is there something you need?"

"Actually, yes, there is… Have you boys, by chance, seen Cloud around?"

Red XIII continued purring as Barret shook his head. "Cloud? Well, no, we have not seen our companion; why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason in particular; just wondering where he was…" Tifa stood up and walked over to the door. She looked back at them and smiled, winking before opening the door and departing.

"Tifa seemed… unlike her usual self… don't you think?" asked Barret as Cid nodded. "She seemed… a tad sadistic towards us, and most definitely very sexy. Her tone, the way she moved, extremely different."

Red XIII purred once more. "I likey…"

"Idiots," Tifa muttered harshly while scanning the area. She noticed Yuffie still rolling and foaming at the mouth. She sighed and looked towards the diner. "You can't hide, Cloud… I'll find you…"

Cloud grinned gleefully as the waitress placed his moogle head shaped pancake. "Thank you!" he exclaimed before quickly beginning to cut a small portion of the pom- pom out. However, he froze and stopped once he noticed Vincent staring at him strangely.

"What?"

"Nothing…"

"Okay!" Cloud then plopped the pancake piece into his mouth as Vincent cleared his throat. "Now, Cloud, have you noticed the actions of our comrades?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, like I said, Tifa was seducing me and Yuffie seemed like she had Rabies…"

Vincent nodded. "All right, well, while you are enjoying that, could you listen?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. Now, do you remember that Tonberry which entered the inn last night?"

"Oh yeah! He gave us all cookies… but I was the only one that didn't eat one… and you didn't, right?"

"Correct."

"Oh… Barret, Cid, and Red all ate two, but Tifa ate one… Now that I think about it, Yuffie had three…"

"How many were there in total?"

"About twenty, why?"

Vincent thought for a moment. "I believe, Cloud, that something peculiar within those cookies alters the personality, and, or, mentality of the person who eats them. From what you described of Yuffie, she ate three; the most compared to everyone else?"

"Yeah, I didn't see Cait Sith around, anyway…"

"Then that explains why she is acting the way she is. Have you seen or met with Barret, Cid, or Nanaki?"

"No…"

"We have to find them, then. The way you spoke about Tifa… if the three of them ate two, they might be in a worse condition…"

Cloud watched as Vincent stood up and stared out the window. He glanced down at his pancakes and noticed he had devoured over 80 of them.

"Huh… didn't even notice…"

He began to stand as Vincent folded his arms. "I see Tifa is out…" Cloud made a peculiar noise and darted behind him. "Where!" he demanded fearfully while looking out the window. "Oh… Where's she going?"

"I cannot be sure…"

Cloud sat back down. "Yeah, well… We can't let her find me, really… I'm not exactly sure what her intentions are."

Vincent nodded. "For now, though, we must locate that Tonberry; someone is planning something."

Sephiroth sat on the cool, concrete floor, pondering about his situation. "Very strange… I was murdered only a short while ago, but… I thought she was…? No, I don't have time; have to think of a way out of this place. Mother and I will not be denied!"

He stood up and began pacing around the small chamber. While the room may have been huge, he was trapped in an invisible cell in the center; the walls were a barrier of some sort, discharging a tiny amount of Make energy when touched.

He stroked his chin and thought carefully of the situation. "Thought of every thing, yeah… Wait, that's it! Oh yes, you're smart Cetra, but I am most defiantly smarter!"

(The story's starting to shape up, I'll say.)