KINGDOM HEARTS: BEFORE CRISIS
Author's note: As promised, the story has continued! Yet we are edging closer than ever to the ending now, and I'm looking for to it! By the way, there won't be any battles in this chapter. Just to let you know. Oh, and some of the scenes in this chapter are cross-overed from/with "Kingdom Hearts: Crisis Core".
I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Type-0, Sailor Moon or Pokemon. I do own Arien, though.
Chapter 10: Accepting the Memories.
Continuing from "Episode Legend and Cissnei"...
January ? [?]-Year-1996.
Realm of the Dead.
(~Evil Lurking*Xehanort's Theme-KH:BBS*~)
'Those insufferible fools. To have been reborn into a world where it has been destroyed, made into fragements. Yet humanity continues on and had spread across not one but two universes! This cannot go on!'
These thoughts belonged to that of a man who had died by his enemies many centuries ago. A man who tried to wipe out humanity for what he believed was for the sake of the world. He knew that humans had caused such destruction, and yet life continued to allow such disgusting species to continue thriving. Why? Has the world been controlled by the human minds and emotions?
It must have, because otherwise there would not have been a war that put the world in such ruin, each pieces build into many others with humans living in each and almost every one of them.
'I must find a way back to the Realm of the Living. I MUST restore Zinconiade. Free and rebuild the world to it's original glorly. Perhaps locating Kingdom Hearts will allow me to do that. But first...finding a way back.' He thought to himself bitterly.
It wasn't until he spotted something close by, something that made him gaze to his right. Small glimmers of light began to form, something very familiar. Set in pieces that were desperate to become one once more. It was that instant he knew...what it was.
He smiled cruelly and chuckled to himself. "Heh heh heh heh heh."
(~End Evil Lurking*Xehanort's Theme*~)
January 6th [9:44 PM]-Year-1996.
Realm of Light-World: Midgar-Militas Ultra HQ-Southern Midgar Ruins.
(~Steel Arm-FINAL FANTASY TYPE 0~)
They had been attempting to locate the pieces of the Support Materia for two years now. Yet the Organization only managed to succeed in finding only two of the required four pieces. The one within Veld's daughter was still missing along with the woman herself, and even Veld himself was missing. Mostly likely looking to cure his only child. Just as he had done before, Aulstyne knew without a doubt.
"It seems the threat against Rosalind Taylor's family had not stopped her sister Elena from rejoining the Turks." Qator remarked after he and Aulstyne had recieved the latest report that a few days ago that the Turks, having been down to three since Legend's death and Cissnei resignation, are now back up to four.
"One of the Turks must have inspired the little girl to become one, unaware she has returned to what she was before." Aulstyne grunted in agreement, facing the window with his hands behind his back. "It will not be long before they reach Midgar and then learn of the truth."
Qator raised an eyebrow, "But even so, that wouldn't matter if we find all of the Support Materia to use Zinconaide to destroy them and erase everyone's memories before we destroy it, would it?"
"It is a huge risk. But one we no longer have a choice but to use. Yet, that is not the only problem. Should Class Zero also remember, it makes things more difficult. Not to mention Sephiroth and Cloud Strife." The older man replied.
"And then there is Genesis. Who knows what that rouge SOLDIER is doing. Even that man who helped Highground and the Turks...I've seen him. A man in red robes but with no name, and those people in the black coats." Qator muttered in agreement. It was frustrating; so many enemies all around them, and one by one were beginning to learn of the truth or just simply get in Militas Ultra's way.
"For the sake of humanity and the worlds, our enemies must be destroyed. Or else it would only allow the Gods to gain full control and open up the gate...and the door to darkness to the heart of all worlds." The Commander continued.
(~End Steel Arm~)
"...Kingdom Hearts." Qator realized with a bit of a shocked frown.
January 12th [8:48 AM]-Year-1996.
Firing Range Practice Room-ShinRa Building-Edge.
Elena had been practicing her marksmanship ever since joining the team ten days ago. Her first patrol mission wasn't until next week once she got her bearings and made sure she would know how to use a gun. Yes she was skilled in martial arts, but seeing how her new boss Tseng, who had to be most good looking man on the Planet, and everything she thought what a Turk would be like, was as marksman, she decided to be one herself, especially since the Turks lacked gun wielders.
Reno had his EMR and his surpassed Martial Arts skills with such good speed, and Rude was a natural boxer, relying only on his fists to do the job and he had such good strength. Though Elena had to admit, while all three men were kind in their own ways, Tseng was the only one who was polite and serious with his job, which she wanted to be as well. The other two...would just talk about random stuff and while Rude was a strong, silent type, Reno was loud, obnoxious and somewhat lazy.
But she didn't dare to say that directly. They were her superiors, and Elena had to make sure she was a professional herself. Yet, for the past week and a half ever since joining the team, she couldn't help but feel like...it wasn't her first time with them or on the job. It was more like...she returned to the place and people whom she missed dearly in her heart, and given their reactions, oddly enough, they looked as though they were in the same vote.
"Haven't seen a natural with a gun since your sister left, other than Tseng, of course."
Shrieking in fright at the unexpected voice speaking to her, Elena spun around and aimed her gun at the intruder, only stopping herself a micro-second later from firing when she caught sight of Reno who just grinned while holding his hands up in mock surrender.
"Reno! Don't scare me like that." Elena growled, before realizing who she was talking to and looked a bit horrified, turning away as her face turned bright red in embarrassment for her unprofessional outburst.
"Geez, don't act so weak." Reno chuckled teasingly, approaching the younger Turk. "But sorry 'bout that. I was just comin' in to see how you were doing with the gun. Though from what I've seen from the window, the only thing I'm worried about is my health."
"What does that mean?" The blonde haired woman asked, now annoyed. She hated when he told her not to 'act so weak'. She felt embarrassed enough as it was. No wonder her sister made comments about him being obnoxious, even though she had caught tale signs that Rosalind looked...rather admired by him, and she could never understand why.
The redhead smirked, "'Cause if I'm not careful, you'll shoot me right in the heart or head and I'll be good as dead, and even though I'm the fastest of the Turks, I'm worried that you won't miss."
"I thought you just said you were fastest, and if even I did shoot you, you would just dodge anyway." Elena pointed out, with a bit of a smirk of her own.
The Second in Command stared at her, before looking at the target which had nothing but perfect hits right in the centre, and the same was said for the rest of the test dummies. "Yeah, whatever. That's got nothing to do with it."
The two Turks remained silent for a moment, though Elena couldn't help but notice how long Reno's hair was. It was tied up into a loose pony tail while the rest of his hair was short, messy and spiky. Unknown to her, Reno never borthered in cutting his hair in the all the years of being a Turk. He'd just let it grow until it was long enough for him to tie it up. Before the other Turks left, some of them commented that he looked better with it than without, which made the redhead feel flattered and...touched.
"Like what you see?" Reno smirked, catching in on Elena noticing his hair, which the female Turk blushed heavily and looked away. "Ah, don't worry. I don't mind. Just haven't bothered in getting a hair cut and it's pretty pricey. Heh, knowin' my luck, they probably wanna shave it all off and keep it to themselves."
She couldn't help it. Elena giggled at what her superior just said, and admitted, "Worst part is, I can actualy picture it, and you not having any hair would be horrible."
"Exactly." Reno chuckled in agreement. "I'm happy with my hair, thanks."
"Reno? Can I...ask you something?" Elena began after sobering a bit.
"What's up?"
"Have you...um...oh, this is going to sound silly and ridiculous but..." Elena sighed, bracing herself to be told off for over something that she knew was clearly impossible. But she felt the need to ask anyway. "Do you feel like...that we've done this sort of thing before? Like...the two of us, Tseng and Rude known each other for a very long time?"
(~Missing You-KH2.5 HD ReMix~)
To her surprise, she wasn't being accussed or told off at all. If anything, he looked...rather uncomfortable, like he was hiding something. This only just raised her suspicions that something was really up.
"Long time? Uh, well, um..." Reno began, awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head, not sure how to respond to that. Eventually, he ventured, "Yeah. I actually kinda do. It's been goin' on for the past six years...maybe a bit longer before I became a Turk."
"Really? That long?" Elena asked, surprised.
"Well, yeah. Not sure how to explain it, but...everyone in the team had the similar thing, ever since Militas Ultra began their attack. Actually, even before that. But it hasn't been that apparent until this whole mess started. Even Rufus had that weird sense of deja vu." The red haired man explained.
"...Even Big Sis'?"
"Yeah. Even your sister, Rosalind." Reno nodded a bit sadly. "Even now, none of us know how the hell this happened or why it's been happening. To tell the truth, Militas Ultra started the whole thing about the stupid 'Rebirth' crap, calling us Turks 'Legendary' from 8,000 years ago."
Elena quirked an eyebrow at that. "The Turks been around for 8,000 years? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." She said, though something inside her heart was telling that she was wrong, and she couldn't understand why.
"I know, right?" Reno shrugged. "But they just kept on going at that belief, and want to get rid of us for some reason. They're just a bunch of nutjobs, but very intelligent and extremely dangerous. 'Specially their top bosses Cid Aulstyne and Qator...Bash-something. A couple years ago, we came up with a theory that they had a mad scientist spreading some invisible chemical to mind-control people into their bidding because...well, of the weird images that kept on coming to us in our heads...and not in a nice, dream-like sleep way. More like really bad headache shattering your skull way."
The younger Turk gasped in shock, with a horrified expression. "Did you...manage to stop the Scientist at least?" She asked.
"That's the problem. We haven't found any proof of that. Even goin' to Nibelhiem didn't help, but at least...well, you'll find out someday when you're not a rookie anymore. Most of this is high top secret, and you're new to the job. But yeah, that theory went right out of the window." The Second in Command shrugged.
He sighed, and added, "Still...they feel familiar but, at the same time, there's no way any of the stuff most of us kept on seeing really did happen, and this rebirth thing is impossible. I mean, seriously. There's no way anyone can be born twice."
"You're right. That's just silly." Elena nodded in agreement. "Though, I hate to admit it but...I've been feeling these strange feelings of...familiarity, and...seeing things that seem like it happened before, but I keep asking myself how it was possible."
"You and me both, 'Lena." Reno replied, before softly gasping, realizing what he just said and...it felt like it was something both would having a heart-felt conversation on. "Wait, did I just say that?"
"Y-yeah, you did." Elena nodded, looking a bit terrified but...calm at the same time. "I don't know why but...I feel like you've called me 'Lena before, and while it sounds too silly...I actually feel like you said that."
Before both Turks can think of why the feelings of deja vu had gotten even worse, Reno's PHS rang. He quickly answered after the first ring. "Reno here."
"Reno, I need you to meet me in the President's Office. Rufus has requested all Turks to be assembled." Tseng spoke on the other line.
"Got it. I'll bring Elena with me since we're both in the firing range." Reno responded, all in serious business and his concerns over the deja vu pushed into the back of his mind.
"Good. It saves me having to call her. Get here now." The Turk Leader ordered.
"Understood." Reno replied, hanging up and turned to the rookie. "Tseng wants us and Rude to meet him and the Prez' in his office immediately. We'll come back to practice later."
"Yes, sir." Elena replied, quickly putting away her gun, and left the castings into the box before following the redhead out of the door to board the elevator to the President's Office. There was no time to worry about whatever they felt. They had important work to do. It did surprise her that Reno had become serious about this all of the sudden...
But he's been that way...Elena mentally shook familiar thoughts out of her head. They would have to wait. (~End Missing You~)
January 12th [9:01 AM]-Year-1996.
President's Office-ShinRa Building-Edge.
(~Sign-FINAL FANTASY VII: ADVENT CHILDREN COMPLETE~)
Rufus had his hand over his face, breathing in and out slowly to calm his nerves. He should not feel this way. He should not feel the pangs of the strange brooding of guilt, fear, and...familiarity that was impossible. But he did. Just now, he'd seen more of those...as Reno would put it, 'fake' memories, and the more he'd seen them, the more he wanted them to stop.
He'd seen himself...in a different, but similar and very familiar office, in a stormy day, or not. The young President just stood there...as a giant fearsome monster fired at him, causing the entire office to explode with him in it...but somehow he'd survived, because the floor beneath him after he pushed some escape route button gave way and he'd found himself in a safety room.
But there were two things that seemed very clear to him. Rufus had actually heard the first part of thoughts that were very much like his own.
'This is it...? I see...Cloud...Sailor Moon...the rest...is up to you two now...'
'I have heard a small detail of Cloud...Cloud Strife, the chocobo farmer and guide who helped two of my Turks four years ago. But...who is this...Sailor Moon?' Rufus thought to himself. He couldn't understand why, but while Cloud was definitely real, and somehow connected to this mess, the name Sailor Moon...was extremely vague yet slowly becoming clear. Almost as though...she was just beginning her quest.
'She? Why did I think of this Sailor Moon as a woman? A young teenage woman at that...?' Rufus's frown deepened. This could either be more of Militas Ultra's disgusting twisted mind games with the still un-curable chemical disease invisible in the air, or...something more important.
Either way, this 'Sailor Moon' is one of the important links now. Another important link to the situation is...the crippled building that is the tallest of the Midgar Ruins. For one reason or another...Midgar may be a key to solve the mystery behind the meanings of Militas Ultra. Either way, Rufus felt it was important to investigate it. No one has ventured to that building since it's collapse in years. Maybe now would be the time to change all that.
The telecom then buzzed to life, bringing Rufus out of his musings. Turning, the young President approached his desk and pushed the button which meant that his attendant was calling him.
"Sir? Director Tseng and his Turks have arrived." A female voice reported.
"Send them in." Rufus ordered. After recieving a quick 'Yes, sir', the door unlocked from the other side, and opened to reveal Tseng, Rude, Reno and their newest but familiar addition Elena who stepped inside, standing professionally before him. "Good. You have arrived. I have a new assignment for all of you and...This time, I will come with you."
"Sir?" Tseng asked, mentally shocked while the other members of the team looked shocked before quickly schooling their expressions. Still, Reno couldn't stop the soft gasp that escaped his lips when Rufus announced his attention to join them on the new assignment.
"While it could very well be more of Militas Ultra's mind games, there may be a clue in the abandoned majesty of Midgar Ruins." Rufus informed. "I saw myself in the very top office. In a strange twist, the thoughts I heard myself think were...Cloud, and a young woman named...Sailor Moon."
"Sailor...Moon." Tseng muttered. That name sounded strongly familiar to him too. Someone quite young and...very kind at heart. From the thoughtful and confused sounds and expressions from his Turks, it sounded familiar to them as well.
"Why do I feel like I know that person?" Elena mumured in thought.
Reno folded his arms to his chest with a thoughtful expression. "Sure is a weird name for a kid, but...she feels familiar to me too."
"That is not all." The President informed, "Another thing I should inform is that...another name is familiar, but this one not a person but...a powerful secret; Kingdom Hearts."
This time Reno didn't borther to hide his shock, because he gasped a bit louder this time as his eyes widened in disbelief. "I know that name! Rosalind heard that eye-patched guy say it six years ago!"
"Eye patched guy?" Elena asked, confused.
"Yeah. One of those weirdos in the black coats. They aren't with Militas Ultra, but they ain't friendly either. I don't even think they're even human despite lookin' like normal people." Reno explained, as the memory of the first day of this mess returned to his mind.
Flash-Back:
He then asked the whereabouts of the one-eye-patched man, "Where's that-?"
"He's gone." Rosalind kindly cuts him off, explaining what happened despite not knowing whether it was just her imagination or not. She then concluded, "...I think that one mentioned something about..."Kingdom Hearts"."
"Kingdom...Hearts?" Reno repeated, racking through his brain to try and figure out the meaning of the strange combination of words. While it sounded strangely familiar as though something deep within him was struggling to burst out, but when nothing came up, he shrugged cluelessly, "Nope, doesn't ring a bell."
End Flash-Back:
"But, now that I think about it, Kingdom Hearts did sound a bit familiar, but that hasn't come up again after that...at least until now." The redhead concluded after he explained what he remembered.
Rufus frowned deeply. So many questions, so little answers. This could not go on any longer.
"If Militas Ultra know something we do not know...perhaps they seek information on Kingdom Hearts, which we only know little of." Tseng thought in concern. "Perhaps even Kingdom Hearts itself, if it exists."
"I thought they were after the Support Materia." Reno pointed out, before groaning as he placed a hand to his face. "Ugh! What the hell do those creeps want!?"
"World domination. That is what I believe." Rufus guessed. "This cannot wait any longer. I want us to arrive in that tower in 30 minutes. No objections."
While the Turks didn't like the idea of putting their President into grave danger, given that Militas Ultra could be anywhere, when Rufus gave his word, they were to obey him without question.
(~End Sign~)
"Yes, sir." Tseng nodded.
January 12th [9:55 AM]-Year-1996.
Abandoned Tower-Midgar Ruins.
(~Night of the Dark Dream-KH:BBS Secret Episode/0.2~)
Everyone arrived in a good under shade of almost half an hour after leaving the ShinRa building in Edge. The Turks and Rufus brought a couple of SOLDIERs and a pilot to take them since neither one wanted to take any chances in case Militas Ultra were there already. Yet, even though Midgar was covered in years of overgrowth, the five of them could clearly imagine Midgar as a blustering city, with the giant reactors glowing in green light. Even the destroyed crippled building had a strong familiarity to it.
Once the pilot made the all clear that there are no other air crafts waiting to attack, he had the chopper land on the safest and more spaced area to land on despite that the building landing area which looked like what used to be an office wasn't very promising.
"I think it'll be a good idea to just drop us off and then have the chopper land somewhere else and then call back when we're ready to head back home." Reno reported through the headphones he and everyone else were wearing. "This landing spot doesn't look safe."
"Agreed." Tseng replied. He turned the intercom on after Rufus nodded in permission. "Land until we're off the helicopter, then land somewhere out of sight. We will inform you when you can pick us up."
"Yes, sir." The Pilot replied through the speakers.
They hoped it wouldn't take long, but there was a strong forebrooding feeling all of them felt just as they were about to land. Carefully one by one, the Turks climbed out, and helped Rufus before guiding him safely to the closest and safest path into the ruins of the building. As soon as all five of them were out, Tseng gave the pilot and the two SOLDIERs a signal which the three returned before taking off into the air before flying off to land nearby but not within sight.
"Whoa. This place is taller than I thought. I mean, look! Ya' can see the entire Ruins, City and fields and then some!" Reno said in awe. He was right. From where they were standing, they see everything for miles and miles. It was such a breath-taking sight, and the fields looked beautiful. Some of them thought the sight would be more specatular if they had been here earlier and watched the sun rise.
Yet somehow, this sight was familiar, but the image each of them saw in their minds a Wasteland outside of Midgar which, while blustering, the outside looked dead and depressing. Yet in reality it was the opposite, though the greenary made a bit of a difference. (~End Night of the Dark Dream~)
"While I am content to enjoy the view, I would also like not to waste anymore time." Rufus reminded. "Shall we?"
Remembering that they were on a mission, the Turks nodded before they and the President proceeded in venturing and carefully climbing down inside the building, using the vines, broken debries and madeshift steps to reached at least part of the top floor of the ruined building. As they did, they saw the intensed damage that somehow ripped them from inside out. The devastation done 8,000 years ago was worse than they thought, though some of them felt that the Calamity wasn't the only thing that destroyed the building.
"Did the Calamity really do this?" Elena asked, looking around in disbelief at the destruction done long, long ago.
"No. Not just the Calamity...a weapon beyond imagination." Tseng answered, almost knowingly.
Reno let out a low whistle. "Damn. No wonder no one's considered in rebuildin' this place."
"It has been beyond repair for years. That is why they called it 'Midgar Ruins'." Rufus stated knowingly.
"I heard that the Calamity was a Meteor that almost destroyed the world." Rude spoke up.
"I heard it took the world itself to stop it." Reno recalled.
"I think I remember that someone actually summoned the Meteor and it took a group of people to stop him." Elena said, thoughtfully. She quickly admitted, "I don't know where I heard it from but...it sort of makes a weird kind of sense."
Tseng surprisingly nodded in agreement. "I believe you may be right, Elena."
"Not that it makes any total sense, but that kinda sounds right in a weird way." Reno shrugged, and Rude nodded in agreement.
Rufus felt in the same agreement as the Turks, while looking around the strongly familiar office despite that it shouldn't be even possible. But as he did, something caught his eye. It looked like a picture frame of sorts. Now why did that look oddly familiar? The young President approached it to take a closer look at it, and even bend down for an examination. He brushed away the years of dirt, dried up branches and a view other things that had been growing on top of it. But as it did, his eyes widened in complete shock, disbelief and...
Recognization and maybe horror, many things he rarely ever felt. That frame...the diamond-shaped logo in red, which also faded behind the cracked glass...even the name...no doubt it was easily recognizable.
(~Shaded Truths-KH:BBS~)
"I-it cannot be...!" Rufus stuttered, which caught the attention of the Turks who, hearing his quivering voice made then turn and saw that, he had frozen stiff. Hearing his voice was already enough to put them on high alert.
"Sir, are you alright?" Tseng asked, worriedly as he and the other Turks bend to see if something was very wrong with the young President. But as they did, Elena caught sight of what had the President horrified, and she quickly shared it, gasping in horror and disbelief herself.
"T-Tseng!?" Elena squeaked.
The Wutaiian Turk looked to see what was it that had the President and now Elena shocked. As he, and soon Reno and Rude did, their expressions matched the other two; it was the ShinRa Company Logo, an 8,000 year old one. That, combined with what they and their former Turks had found two years ago, just increased the truth that Militas Ultra somehow knew all along, yet neither knew how or why.
"Impossible...!" Tseng gasped, his eyes wide.
"How...!?" Rude trailed off, mouth gapped open.
Reno felt a bit faint, his throat closing and squeezing shut. He managed to regain his voice, as he stuttered, "...That's the ShinRa Logo! But...how...what the hell is goin' on!?"
Just as the words left his mouth, Reno, and even Rude, Tseng, Elena and Rufus all felt the same but much, much more intensed painful jolts that seemed worse than it had been through out the previous six years of the war against Militas Ultra. The group stood up but that only made things worse. They hissed and grunted in pain, holding their heads and squeezing their eyes shut. Their ears were ringing with...voices. Multiple images ran through their minds like someone pushing the fast forward button.
Soon, one by one, they fell onto the floor, losing consciousness. Elena screamed before passing out. Tseng cried out her name, before he too grunted and then lost consciousness, falling onto the floor. Rufus was next, then Rude.
"...Ugh..! No!" Reno cried out, trying hard and failing to stay awake as he saw his friends and superior passing out. Finally he let out an agonized scream as it was finally too much for him before he fell flat onto his back with a loud thud, hitting his head on the floor as his world went black.
It didn't stop there, because one by one in each of their hiding places in order to keep everyone they cared about safe, the former Turks-Veld, Rosalind, Rafe. St. Andrew, Freya, Arien, Jake, Alana, Patrick, Cissnei and Balto-and even Felicia and Shears all felt the painful jolts across the world, which was far, far worse than ever before, and they too now passed out and lost consciousness, falling into slumber of what they were about to see...
And finally understand.
In New Banora were Rosalind had decided to stay, she was taking a stroll in under the Dumbapple trees, she screamed as she felt the pain in her mind before dropping onto the ground. She was having trouble breathing, before finally...
Her world went black...(~End Shaded Truths~)
(~Fragments of Memory-DIRGE OF CERBERUS FINAL FANTASY VII~)
It ran through everyone's heads like they were witnessing every single memory in a flash before their eyes; They saw so many run by that they somehow understood, at least most of it.
AVALANCHE, a group lead by Elfe, Shears and a man whom Rosalind had discovered was Fuhito, anti-ShinRa group attempting to take down ShinRa and destroy the Mako Reactors and going into war with the Company itself, but mainly conflicting with the Turks who for six years, much like with Militas Ultra in reality, or rather, in the present, struggled against them.
Rosalind and her fellow Turks soon met others who would get caught in the conflict slightly, but St. Andrew teamed up with Cloud who had been part of an army and even though he failed to become a SOLDIER and didn't know about using a sword, handled it with ease. Many successes and failures to stop AVALANCHE who were funded by Rufus who wanted to kill his father and take over the Company before Fuhito betrayed him and left him to be captured and recovered by the Turks, Veld discovering that Elfe is his daughter, who had been experimented on by Hojo, ShinRa's top but evil scientist who wished to prove a theory that would destroy the world.
Soon due to Veld leaving and the Turks having had a strong bond with him, along with the other crisis of Zack Fair's involvement with Genesis, the lost of his mentor Angeal Hewly, Sephiroth burning down Nibelhiem which Rosalind, Cloud and Zack had been there, Cloud and Zack both passing out after suffering injuries in defeating Sephiroth who had lost his mind, Rosalind calling for help for a rescue operation, but it was in actuality a cover-up mission as Hojo saw this as a chance to experiment on survivors while ShinRa would hide the truth and rebuild it.
Veld organized it while Tseng, Reno, Rude, and especially Rosalind did not agree to it, but knew there was no choice. Tifa, however, was taken away before she would be used. Yet, four years after Nibelhiem's destruction and reformation, Zack, after years of being experimented on, escaped with a comatose Cloud and Cissnei, after seeing what had happened, allowed them to go free, but soon encountered Veld who was searching for the Support Materia to cure and save Felicia, briefly meeting Veld's supposed to be dead partner Vincent Valentine, a former Turk who sealed himself away after a mission gone wrong years bfore.
Yet AVALANCHE, now under Fuhito's command in his goal to summon the most dangerous creature Zinconiade to destroy humanity to 'cure' the Planet, stole the pieces of the Support Materia from Veld who was forced to escape, yet the army saw Cissnei with him, and thus the President assigned the army to disband and kill the Turks for following Veld's loyalty. Not long after the failed mission to recover and save Zack who vanished, and Cloud who disappeared, the Turks were now being hunted down.
Yet they continued their mission to save Felicia as the knew that if Fuhito won, the Planet would be destroyed and ShinRa with it. After Rosalind was forced to save her sister Elena by surrendering the piece of the Support Materia to the Ravens, experimented and mind-controlled by Fuhito, he succeeds in summoning Zinconiade and offering himself and Felicia, Shears kills him but not before suffering fatal wounds that ended his life, and he gave his final request to Rosalind to save Felicia.
While most of the Turks, including Legend and excluding Elena who had not been a Turk at the time, went to confront Zinconiade, with Rufus's aid despite him being under House Arrest, Tseng, Reno and Rude went to rescue Veld who was captured and sentenced to death. But as they did and rescued Felicia, they were cornered by the army who, under orders by the President-and as an agreement with Tseng and Rufus as this was the only way to save their jobs-informed that should the Turks kill Veld and Felicia, they would be pardoned.
To Reno and Rude's horror and devasation, Tseng had done so, but in reality, he made it look convincing so that the two could be charted of for recovery and go into hiding to live in peace. The Former Turks in the meantime went to confront Zinconiade which, despite being powerful, wasn't fully completed.
While most of the images faded away from the minds of everyone else, Rosalind's continued, where she confronted Zinconiade alone...yet after it's defeat, the former Turks vanished once more, and Tseng, Reno and Rude were saved from being executed by Rufus who convinced his father to spare them due to their loyalty to the Company by executing Veld and Felicia, and would put their full loyalty to ShinRa.
To the trio, Rufus and Elena, they saw more vague images and voice after that; encountering a new but more heroic version of AVALANCHE led by Cloud, Tifa, and others, including a silhouette of a girl, another of a humanoid mouse, and a third of a large lizard, as they, and another group fought the Company as well as the return of Sephiroth, and an evil Sorceress who attempts another goal that would destroy all of reality...
Then with more images, the last confused them the most. They were all floating in a green and white light river that flowed all around them. They could hear someone calling out to them, but they didn't understand who, though.
"It's time..."
Turning to look behind them, they and many others saw...a white light with a silhouette of a woman in armor before them. They couldn't see her face, but she felt...warm and powerful.
"A mother of the true chosen who wished for the rebirth of her daughters, and others whom she gave her life for...grants you all the same, but in many worlds. Each and every one of you who stood by the future self of the chosen will all be reborn with no memories, until the time comes for your destinies calls upon you once more. But only when her destiny is about to begin. Please accept this task, and only then should you all live true, peaceful lives. But be warned...evil would continue to rise...Good luck...all of you."
With that, the images and voices faded and soon the Turks, Felicia and Shears saw no more...and would soon awaken back in reality...now with most of their memories...
(~End Fragments of Memory~)
Reno's Dream.
Reno felt a bit disorientated, but there wasn't a single pain in his mind. He felt actually...quite comfortable. He could feel a gentle breeze. He felt that he was laying on wood. As the redhead opened his eyes, he found that he wasn't in the building, but rather...outside, in a mountain area.
Sitting up, Reno realized he was sitting on the veranda of...a lodge, one that is very, very familiar.
"...Healen Lodge." He muttered, before blinking in surprise that he knew that name. It was then, given what he'd just seen...it was true. Militas Ultra had been right.
'But...how?' He thought to himself.
"You awake yet?" A familiar girl's voice asked.
Blinking again, Reno turned to his left and saw Arien sitting next to him, smiling at him.
"Arien?" Reno muttered.
"If he isn't, he's turned into a zombie." Another voice, male this time and close to his heart teased. Reno turned and saw Rude sitting by his right. At first Reno didn't understand, but then he began to think...and remember, how they used to sit here like this together since Meteorfall.
(~Memories with Lucrecia-Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII~)
"...Not to sound stupid but...I think I remember now." Reno sheepishly shrugged. For some reason, it didn't freak him out. Not anymore. He felt at ease, like he'd gone back to a place that was precious to him. In fact, he found that he liked this a lot. He could just sit here with two of his best friends all day.
"Reno." Arien began, "Do you remember?"
Reno blinked in confusion, asking his female co-worker, "Remember what, Arien?"
"That promise you made us." She replied. "That you'd find us when everything would be alright again."
Somehow remembering now from long, long ago, Reno smirked, and said, "Right. That we'd all be together again soon."
Rude on the other hand shook his head and muttered to Reno, "You tend to forget a lot."
"Hey!" Reno pouted, before he and his two friends broke into laughter, as they gazed up at the sun which shone, setting behind the forest of trees and wonderful waterfalls. Reno smiled warmly, muttering to himself, "Friends forever."
(~End Memories with Lucrecia~)
Yet as soon as it happened, everyone turned black as soon as Reno closed his eyes...and he would soon awaken from this dream.
January 12th [11:56 AM]-Year-1996.
Old ShinRa Building-Midgar Ruins.
(~Organization XIII-KH2~)
At first, all he could see was blackness, as Reno was starting to stirr awake. How he ended up knocked out or passing out unexpectly, he would never know. For one thing, his world was starting to return to him. He breathed in and out a few times. He was still alive, and he wasn't injured.
"Wha..." he groaned, as he managed to flicker his eyes open, seeing a ceiling covered in fern, moss and leaves that grew within the building, the original ShinRa building, he, the other Turks and Rufus came in somewhat possibly an hour or two ago. He had no idea how long he'd been out.
Reno was lying on his back, he noticed. Turning himself over to his front, he pushed himself, muttering, "My head..." before whispering the name, "Arien?"
Standing up and feeling disorientated, the man wobbled a bit, feeling dizzy, before shaking it off. He then gazed at the window that was over looking the ruins of Midgar. He could also see his reflection, and, saw himself as the same as from his dreams...
No, memories from his previous life. But what he saw just now was a dream based on one of his most favorite memories, and it was...soothing, and comforting. How could he have denied it all this time, when his heart was trying to tell him that everything Militas Ultra had said was true?
Now he understood. ShinRa had been rebuild but no one had remembered that...until now. At least...Reno thought he understood. There was still some memories missing, he just knew it.
Hearing groaning behind him, Reno turned and saw his partner, Rude, Tseng, Elena and Rufus all sprawled onto the floor, having had the same painful sensation as he just had.
"Sir, Rude, Tseng, Elena." Reno muttered worriedly, but he breathed a bit of relief when his partner and leader were slowly standing up. Reno then thought of another thing, and walked closer to the window to get a better look at himself. It was true. He was just as the same, which included his aqua-blue eyes, his goggles, and the red facial tattoos on each side of his face. He had the tattoos done when he was sixteen.
Everything, and everyone...were just like before. Even...Reno tried not to think about the painful memories of...his wrong doings in his previous life, wishing that there were some memories were kept best forgotten. Except that there were a few things missing when it came to rebirth.
While Rude wobbled a bit, disorientated, Reno muttered to himself in concern, "I guess Hojo doesn't count." for he realised that the scientest they thought seemed to be causing some trouble to the situation they were currently having was no longer around and would never be again.
But Reno then realized something else, as there were others missing he'd hadn't seen. "But, what about AVALANCE and..." Reno gazed at his reflection, as he said the one name made him worried, "Cloud?"
(~End Organization XIII~)
A day earlier...
January 11th [11:56 AM]-Year-1996.
Chocobo Farm.
(~Discovery in Sadness~)
Cloud didn't want to leave, but he couldn't take the constant nightmares that had been repeating for a long time any longer. They meant something, and while he hoped it wouldn't come to pass, he had to figure out why they kept on happening. Carter had left a year ago after she announced that she had to meet up with some friends she remembered but didn't say who they were beyond that, 'They're my family' before she vanished in her search.
It didn't that a year ago that Militas Ultra had taken both his mother and Tifa's father and killed them while the said two had been out. Now both of them were the sole owners of their homes. But these nightmares...
The nightmares of Sephiroth burning down a village familiar to him haunted him. Cloud felt guilty...for everything that's happened.
He now wore a gray sweat shirt, black pants, brown gloves, leather zipper boots.
"You're really leaving, aren't you?"
A bit startled from his packing his travel bag, the young spiky-haired man turned to see Tifa, who now wore a white tank top with black shorts and dark red strapped over her shoulders, long thigh high socks and red boots, with black cloth arm bands and red fingerless gloves. Her hair had grown longer and was now tied in a very loose pony tail.
"...I have to. Don't know why but...I have to find out about these nightmares." Cloud admitted, looking away from his childhood friend.
"And you don't want me involved?" Tifa asked, a bit challengingly and upset.
"I just..." Cloud trailled off, before trying again. "Militas Ultra are still out there, and it's too dangerous. We lost our parents to them, and I'm not going to risk in getting anyone else hurt or killed by them or other dangerous people out there."
Tifa glared a bit, but her anger had cooled off in the meaning of Cloud's words. He was right; Militas Ultra had taken almost everything from them, but at the same time, he could easily get killed too and...he was all she had left now. Yet given that Cloud had been training since four years ago, she would have to take his word for it.
"You will keep in touch with me, right?" Tifa inquired.
"Yeah." Cloud nodded, and he would. He felt relief that Tifa was staying behind, because if anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself. Somehow he felt twinges of guilt of failing to save friends before...but he didn't understand why.
"Be careful out there, okay?"
"I will."
With that promise in mind, Cloud finished packing before saying goodbye to Tifa, also promising that he would return home as soon as he figured out the meaning of the dreams. His first trip would be to Junon for a little while, before heading towards Edge after that. Thankfully, WRO had been kind enough to give him a lift, and that charges wasn't needed. For some reason, Reeve Tuesti didn't mind, but Cloud had insisted in working for the army for a bit to repay him for the trouble of transporting him.
Yet Cloud and Tifa were fully unaware of what is yet to come. (~End Discovery in Sadness~)
January 12th [12:10 PM]-Year-1996.
Old ShinRa Building-Midgar Ruins.
Not long after Reno, Rude and Tseng woke up, both Rufus and Elena were still unconscious and would not awaken. The three of them had come to a firm agreement of what they discovered so far, and decided to continue investigating the building just in case. So the three men carried the two into the remains of the lounge which was a task in and on itself due to the elevator beyond wrecked, and the stairs cripped. But they managed to enter the ruins of their original Turks Headquarters.
"Think they're gonna be okay?" Reno asked, in concern as he, Tseng and Rude closed the remains of the door behind them to leave both the President and the youngest Turk to rest.
"We'll keep an eye on them until they've recovered." Tseng replied, before asking, "And you two?"
"Still in a bit a shock, but kind of accepting that our memories are not fake." Rude admitted.
Reno scratched the back of his head, not sure what to say. Sure he was in the same vote but, it made him feel uneasy. "...I'm okay, to say the least. Just kinda freaked out about this. But other than that, there's no sense in denying the fact the memories we've been seeing aren't fake and there is no chemical or whatever."
He then sighed and added, "But what I wanna know is, how the hell did Militas Ultra know all that and why do they want to kill us? Far as I can tell, they weren't there in our past or something. If this whole thing is true."
"Until we know for certain, we have to find any surviving files that may provide us a clue. Though I doubt any had survived, it would be best to investigate, just in case." The Wutaiian Turk said. "Reno, you check the lower levels. Rude and I will up here."
"You got it." Reno replied, turning to leave, but paused and said, "Call me if there's any trouble."
"Of course." Tseng replied, "Same to you."
"I'll be fine. Worse case scenario, I run into a couple of Militas losers, get a couple of scrapes and take them down." Reno waved off casually, not worried.
"Still, I expect an emergancy, just in case." The Turk Leader said firmly.
Reno rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, boss."
Two hours later...
Reno had been hunting down the surviving files of anything that would prove their previous lives for a couple of hours now in as many abandoned offices and rooms as he could, while thinking about the said past lives that Militas Ultra had been trying to get across to them for six years.
Only problem is, what was the opposite Organization's problems with that and how they even know that? This what bugged Reno the most. As proof, every surviving shards of files(how they survived after 8,000 years, Reno will never know) which are almost exactly the same as the current ones ShinRa had in the documents storage rooms in Edge.
But that didn't solve the mystery on how or why it had him, his co-workers, former co-workers, former director, current President, Cloud, Tifa, Felicia, Shears and most of the people he met through out his life are even here to day or why they had two lives.
"What the hell's goin' on?" Reno sighed, his hands in his pockets. "I've turned this place upside down."
He eventually arrived in the original main Turks' office, pushing the door open, and found two of his fellow Turks, Tseng and Rude, searching through the broken desks, and through the drawers. Like the rest of the building, this room was also filled with years of trees, flowers and fern. So Reno was a bit surprised that the inside of the desks were only musty through out 8,000 years. It felt strange to be standing in a 8,000 year old city that was just like the current city now, not like in those sci-fi futuristic movies he'd seen when he was a kid.
Noticing the absence of Rufus and Elena, Reno spoke up to get his friends' attentions, "Yo. Boss and rookie still out cold?"
Neither men answered the redhaired man at first, until Rude replied without looking at his partner, "The President and Elena are conscious, but still have dizzy spells. They resting inside in the lounge."
Reno acknowledged the answer with a nod, saying, "Gotcha." before looking around again, then asked, "So, found any clues yet? So far I've seen an old file on Reeve, but that 8,000 year old file says he was Head of the Urban Development rather than the Comissioner of WRO."
"There are files with our names on it; everyone including the former Turks." Rude answered, pulling out file by file, which were very fragile due to years of being untouched.
The youngest man felt rather icky in the stomach and perhaps a little scared at the new information, but he wouldn't let that show. Instead, he felt a confused expression as he approached a desk that felt strongly familiar to him and decided to look through there.
Reno then asked to Tseng, "So, we have most of our memories back, but what does that mean with our lives right now?" voicing his worries he had since waking up from the memory shock a few hours earlier. While he had certain memories of his past, Reno also still had memories of his childhood he spent in Edge and growing up into the man he was now.
"I highly doubt our current memories are lies." Tseng began, having sensed more than heard the worry in his second in command. "I have to admit, as a young child, I've repeatedly been having familiarties that has gotten stronger as I grew up, and I could never understand why Veld or Cissnei or either of you were familiar, until now."
"I get your point." Reno sighed in agreement, "When I was kid," he chuckled with a shrug, correcting himself, "In this life I mean, I kept on having dreams of deja vu too." pausing at the desk as he gently ran his fingers on the wooden surface, and while it was covered in fern now, he imagined he could touch it's smooth wooden surface.
The redhead then continued, "And the fact is, we're here now in the future. I still don't get how that's even possible. It's totally crazy to go into the future and then have no memories, while being born as a baby again, then grow up to who we are now and then remember our past. Ya know what I mean?"
The Wutaiian nodded, replying, "I agree. It is strange."
Sighing almost dramatically, Reno grumbled, "What a drag." before asking, "Could others like Cloud and them be around too?"
The moment he said that, though, Reno mentally kicked himself in the head. Of course Cloud and Tifa were around. Arien and Rafe met them four years ago. He reminded himself on that. What he should had asked as that if Cloud and his friends remembered much too.
"Most likely." Tseng nodded, pausing his work and turned to face the younger man, continuing, "I do have a theory on how this was possible. Perhaps all of us were reborn into the future long after our deaths 8,000 years ago."
Chosen to be reborn into the present century, huh? Reno finally figured that made a bit sense, but what also concerned him was that they were many of the chosen to be reborn.
"Why us, though?" he asked, before suddenly sensing that he remembered something, and turned to the drawer of the desk and drew it open, finding a single file. He carefully picked it up and gently rested it onto the desk.
"Hmm, maybe-"
"Ah! Forget it." Reno cuts his superior off, then decided with a shrug, "You know what? Maybe this is our chance to redeem ourselves." as he scanned through the file he found, and suddenly found himself smiling.
"Hm? How do you intend to do that?" Tseng asked, curiously. Rude stood up straight, finding himself also curious.
Reno smirked his trademark smirk, saying to his co-workers, "I'll figure out a way. I always do." as he gazed down at the information profile...that had his name on it-his photo and everything, just like his current profile he had back at home right now.
He will atone for his sins in the past. Plus if Reno had been given a second chance, he wasn't going to waste it.
January 12th [12:10 PM]-Year-1996.
New Banora-Galbadian Prison Area.
"It's true. We've been ordered to carry out your assassination, but I... I...I won't do it! I don't want to kill you, sir!"
"You would betray the Turks and the Shin-Ra Company?"
"I've been giving this a lot of thought lately. The company will use any means to achieve their ends. But the fact stands that without ShinRa, many people would be suffering. I want to stay with the Turks because we are what you made us. You made the Turks what they are today. That's why I'm going to help you. It's the least I can do now..."
"VELD!" Rosalind screamed herself awake the moment her visions-no, her memories of her past life repeated itself over and over. She pushed herself up and panted, before groaning as she made herself dizzy doing that. Breathing in and out slowly, the disorientation faded and then the young woman thought about what she had just seen.
Now she understood most of what she had seen, and what Militas Ultra had been trying to say for six years. Though when it came to what happened before, her dreams, her memories of her past life...Zinconiade and Fuhito...how would the enemy know all this? Rosalind wanted to find out, and wanted to see if her former fellow Turks were alright. But at the same time...she couldn't.
Not with her family being in danger if she returned as a Turk.
"Are you alright?" A familiar voice, one she hasn't heard in years, spoke.
(~Understanding One Another*Roxas's Theme Coded Version-KH2.5 HD ReMix*~)
Startled slightly, and feeling her heart leap with a glimmer of hope, the young woman looked to her side and saw, to her relief and confusion, was the familiar old man who looked a bit older than before, the small signs of gray appearing in his hair and beard, but still the same as ever except that he now wore a grey suit...same as she'd seen him in their past, bending down beside her.
With him though is a young man about her age, short blond hair and blue eyes, and he wore a white short sleeved shirt and black vest, black gloves, black pants and leather shoes.
"Veld, sir!" Rosalind exclaimed in relief. She wanted to hug him, but restrained herself. Even though they were no longer Turks, she still respected him as her superior and leader.
"It's been too long." The former Turk Leader nodded, relieved that the young woman was alright. "What are you doing here? And not in uniform?"
"I...I resigned not long after you did, sir." Rosalind admitted sadly after a couple of moments of hesitation and silence. Especially since she'd been wearing a dark blue shirt and jacket, dark blue jeans and black and grey shoes today. "Militas Ultra...they threatened to kill my family if I didn't resign. I-I didn't have a choice, and I couldn't return home so...I moved here to New Banora."
"I see. Understandable." Veld nodded, while the young man with them glanced back and forth between the two former Turks, seemingly wondering what is going on.
"But...just now...I saw..." Rosalind continued, though she felt that with this stranger with them, it wasn't the best time to be saying anything.
"Most of the memories of our past?" Veld guessed, and when Rosalind looked up at him in shock, he continued calmly, "I saw the same not too long ago. Though given the guess, Militas Ultra are not who we at first believed they were."
"What do you mean, sir?" The young woman asked, confused.
"I can explain that." The young man spoke this time, "I heard parts of what Veld had said. Cid Aulstyne, leader of Militas Ultra...is the leader of Milites."
"Huh?" Rosalind blinked, even more confused. "How do you know who they are?"
The young sighed, "Because...though I'm not sure how or why but...it's the same with me and the enemy, and all of my friends. At least...some of them. The thing is, my friends, Militas Ultra and I...we were reborn from another world which is most likely gone now."
"W-what!?" Rosalind gasped in shock and disbelief.
"It's best explained later. This is Ace, a young student of another group and, from what I heard just a little while ago, he and his friends had a longer history with Aulstyne than the rest of us." Veld explained. "However, he offered to help me in helping Felicia."
Even though she wanted to desperately know more about the origins of Militas Ultra, or rather Milites, Rosalind knew that, with Felicia now in serious danger, this was more important.
So the young woman nodded, "I know. The Support Materia. One of the pieces somehow ended up inside her body again, just like in our previous lives. If we don't find them, history will repeat itself, only the enemy won't be Fuhito this time...At least, I hope he isn't back."
"I agree. That man was a traitor to humanity, and the true mastermind of what happened." Veld sighed, mentally shuddering over the very thoughts of the man who attempted to kill humanity by starting with his daughter.
"Sir...I know I'm risking everything I have but...I want to help. I want to help you cure Felicia." Rosalind finally continued, her determination to save her boss's daughter renewed. She then repeated what she told him in their previous lives. "I've been giving this a lot of thought lately. The company will use any means to achieve their ends. But the fact stands that without the ShinRa, many people would be suffering. Despite my resignation, I want to stay with the Turks because we are what you made us. You made the Turks what they are today. That's why I'm going to help you. It's the least I can do now..."
"Rosalind..." Veld muttered, stunned by the young woman's determination, remembering the last time she offered this. Except unlike the last time, ShinRa would not come and kill them. They were free to do this, so the only real problem they would thankfully be having, other then Genesis possibly, Militas Ultra attempting to do something with the Materia.
In the end, Rosalind had already made up her mind, and he was grateful for it. Even though she'd never admit it, nor did anyone else due to the seriousness of their job, she and all of the other Turk saw Veld as a father to them.
"Thank you." Veld nodded. He stood up and offered his left hand to Rosalind who took it and she was pulled back up standing while Ace stood up as well.
"I'll help too. It's the least I can do." Ace volunteered. (~End Understanding One Another*Roxas's Theme Coded Version*~)
"Thank you, Ace." Rosalind nodded. While they only just met, Ace seemed like a caring young man.
The young man nodded, before inquiring, "So, how can we cure your daughter, sir?"
"We need to recover all of the pieces of the Support Materia, and carefully remove the piece that is in her body. So long as that materia stays embedded in Felicia's body, it will eventually kill her." Veld replied.
"But we have to do this carefully without summoning Ziconiade. Our old enemy Fuhito from 8,000 years ago tried to use it to wipe out humanity in his delusional belief that the world was telling him to do so." Rosalind added firmly.
"Right that now that materia in her body is incomplete and is draining her life force in order to compensate. With all of the materia gathered in the same place, the materia will compensate for the one in her body and it will stop using her as an energy source." Veld continued.
"So right now we need to find the other three." Rosalind concluded. "We have to find them no matter what."
"Understood." Ace nodded firmly.
Rosalind couldn't but blink at Ace's rather formal position. "You seem like you worked for an organization once."
"...I used to fight in a war that never seemed to end. In Time-Line sense. Back then...fighting, following orders and war were most of what I knew." Ace admitted. "I'm just glad that no one loses memories of when someone dies anymore."
Rosalind and Veld both shared a glance, wondering what Ace was talking about. Either way, they decided to worry about that later. Right now, they had to find the rest of the pieces of the Support Materia.
One whom Felicia still had inside her, one that was still missing...and two that were already in Militas Ultra's hands.
With most of their memories having returned to them all at once, the Turks, Rufus, Felicia and Shears now accept and fully understand of their lives of the past and accepting the life they were given upon being reborn.
However, Militas Ultra already has two Support Materias with them, and Felicia's life continues to deteriate, while the final piece remains to be found.
So as Rosalind rejoins Veld to find the other pieces, with a new ally Ace, and soon his friends which included, to their surprise, Machina and Rem, aiding them on the new mission, the remaining four Turks and Rufus continue to investigate Aulstyne's true goal.
Yet all of them were fully unaware of an old enemy set to return, and that Zack would soon arrive in this world in his conquest to chase down Genesis and hoping to bring Angeal back to his senses.
A/N: So now Class Zero are becoming allies with the former Turks, while the remaining Turks and Rufus continue their investigation, as they all finally realize of their past lives. But they are not out of the woods just yet.
See you in the next chapter!