Sweet. I managed to finish this chapter, and I don't think it took as long as the last one! Thanks all you fine people that have to deal with the waiting time between chapters. And thank you also to all reviewers, especially those that alert me about grammer and spelling errors. I actually really do appreciate that, and I do change it.
And once again, folks, I'm trying with Yuffie. I really am. Any ideas on a better portrayal of her are gratefully accepted, as is any other constructive critiscism as I say time and time again. Also, I realized that I missed out a Vincent and Lucrecia crystal cave scene in the last chapter. Sorry bout that. I went back and included it. (Smacks self upside head). Not like it's very important, cause all she really says is garbled words and "I'm so sorry", but still, it's a large part of the game.
So enjoy this, and please people. Don't ask me if or when or what or anything about Shalua's fate. You'll find out in the next chapter, so stay tuned!
Enjoy and Cheers!
Kyyrin
Chapter Six
The bubbling and soft whirring of machinery were the only sounds in the silent, brightly lit lab. The young Tsviet, Shelke, was suspended in a healing tube, unconscious still.
Shalua lay sprawled on the desk in front of her computer, having finally succumbed to the urge to sleep a while. Reeve had sent her greetings from Vincent, and a weight had been lifted off her chest when she had heard that he was alright. Reeve had also said that Vincent had ordered the both of them to get some rest. Shalua had laughed long and hard at that one.
"Get some rest? Is that supposed to be some sort of a joke?"
Shalua started to laugh, and Reeve joined in soon afterwards, obviously understanding what she meant.
"I mean, here we both were, trying to just get him to stay in bed, let alone sleep, and now he's the one telling us that we have to rest? I mean, this is just absurd……and funny".
She giggled again, but then sobered when Reeve spoke in a subdued tone.
"Shalua……well, I think he was actually being serious".
Shalua gaped at the image of her boyfriend on the WRO monitor.
"No way……""Yes way, Shalua……because he said……that he would rest as well if we did……so……humor him?"
Shalua wasted no time in answering. If Vincent was being serious, well then……
"Sure, I will……when I get around to it, that is", she stated. At the moment, she had just as much work to do as Reeve. "But you too!"
Reeve chuckled.
"I will too……when I get the time. But……we have to promise ourselves we'll get around to it. He's got a point, you know. We'll be no help at all if we're zombies from a lack of sleep. So……I promise. Do you?"
"Promise, Reeve".
"Excellent".
And now, she was sleeping.
"Happy, Vincent?"
And Shalua could almost swear she saw him smirk.
Shelke struggled to open her heavy eyes. Managing, after a while, she took a moment to take in her surroundings. This place was definitely not familiar.
"Where am I?"
Tilting her head upwards, she noticed an emergency deactivation switch at the top of the healing tube. Reaching up with effort, she pressed it, and the liquid immediately began to drain, dropping her on the floor of the tube with an unceremonious plunk. Shaking her head, she walked out the now open door, stepping into a brightly lit room.
It was only then that she noticed the women lying on a desk next to her sabers.
A brisk walk away, in the basement of the WRO Headquarters, Azul lay motionless in a heavily guarded room. He lay as if dead, sprawled lifeless on the metal slab in the middle.
But a glance at his face showed that he was most certainly not dead.
Eyes snapped open. Yellow, merciless pupils in pitch black sockets surveyed the confinement they were in.
It was time.
Shelke walked the few paces to the table where her sister slept, and glancing at her a moment, picked up the energy sabers that were lying next to her. Though she had by no means made much noise, Shalua stirred and moved to sit upright, eyes widening when she saw Shelke. Leaping up from her seat, she analyzed her sister.
"Shelke! How are you feeling?"
Shalua breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that her sister was well. She had began to wonder when and if Shelke would ever wake up.
Shelke gazed at her sister and let out a deep sigh. It sounded sad and strange coming from one who looked so young. A sign that she had more burdens to bear than an older person.
"You were a fool to let your enemy live. Now I'm going to kill you and return to Deepground".
Shalua bit back the chuckle she would have let escape had the situation not been so serious. Shelke would kill her? That was a contradiction in itself…..
"I don't think so. I have to admit, I wasn't myself back there. Seeing you for the first time in ten years left me in a spin".
That was the truth. She had been shocked beyond belief when she had seen Shelke, he beloved sister, working for an organization that wanted to destroy the Planet. Though now…..
"But I've had time to recover. And I'm not letting you get away. Not this time. There's no way I'm going to let you kill me, and there's no way I'm going to let you go back to Deepground".
Her sister was so stuck here.
"I don't recall needing your permission to do anything", came the monotonous reply, marred by a hint of disinterest.
"And I don't remember you ever being able to win any of our fights, do you?"
Shalua noticed her sisters' emotionless expression shift a bit for a split second, and then return to its normal mask. She smirked. Shelke knew she didn't stand a chance. Sisterly feuds. They were completely normal…….
"How about it? You wanna try your luck?"
Back in the basement, WRO soldiers endlessly patrolled the door that led to Azul's cell. The past weeks of guarding them, however, had been fruitless. Not once had the supposedly dead Tsviet given any hint of suddenly returning to life. The members stationed there had become agitated, wondering why the Commissioner insisted on them keeping their assigned posts practically twenty-four seven with relief's, when the "stupid blighter" had "kicked the bucket" anyways. But the Commissioner had insisted, and they had obliged.
It was a normal patrol day for all the troops in the basement. Nothing out of the ordinary had happen….well, ever. And no one thought anything was about to.
A lone soldier walked past the foreboding door. As he did, he looked over at it, and shook his head wearily. This whole thing was so useless. Suddenly, his ears picked up a muffled sound from inside the room. Raising an eyebrow, the young soldier moved closer to the door, intent on confirming that he had indeed heard something.
The attempt, however, was short lived.
In a matter of seconds, the door was blasted open, and the soldier with it.
When he slowly regained consciousness, the terrified young man saw a massive, blue paw step out of the rubble.
The soldier's last thought was why he always had to be the curious one.
As quickly as Azul broke free of his confinements, Deepground was back in action.
Snipers silently infiltrated the innermost part of the Headquarters, reappearing everywhere after hiding out for so long.
Down went every innocent soldier, armed or not.
They didn't know what hit them.
Every soldier that happened to be walking through the main building at that moment was sentenced to an untimely death of a Deepground sniper. Eventually, they broke through the glass ceiling on the top floor, and leaped down, as more enemy soldiers made their way in through the main entrance.
They showed no mercy.
Their commander had awoken and he needed backup.
Reeve yawned wearily. He was desperate for some sleep. Hopefully with Shalua. But he had to wait for the goddamn officer to contact him so that he could issue orders to began mobilizing the troops he located in--------
"Commissioner!"
Finally.
"Sir, we've prepared the units and readied the troops, sir! Everything is ready to move at your command!"
"Understood. You may begin mobilization".
Reeve stifled another yawn, and made to cut the connection, when he heard muffled screams at the other end of the line. What the hell?
"Commissioner!", came the normally calm officer's terrified yell. "My go-----"
"Officer?", Reeve shouted back, a feeling of dread beginning to form in the pit of his stomach.
But all Reeve received in response was a heart wrenching scream. Reeve's heart sank. No. This couldn't be happening. Not now….not…..them.
"Deepground?", Reeve whispered, afraid to find out the answer. Suddenly, a noise behind him caught his attention. Spinning around, Reeve paled visibly, finding himself face to face with an enormous machine, massive gun in hand.
The last thing Reeve witnessed, was the giant unit blasting a large, dangerous looking missile in his direction. He faintly remembered just barely avoiding it, but coming down hard on his back, debris and shrapnel slicing him to ribbons. As he lay there half conscious, he registered a massive object flying in his direction. He turned weakly to avoid being hit, and shortly after, felt an unbearable weight and then excruciating pain in his knee.
His last thought before the world faded to a dazzling white before his eyes, was a fearful one.
"Dear Planet………Shalua………"
"Well this is really getting somewhere", Shalua thought sarcastically as she faced her sister, ready for a fight. "Might as well make the best of it….."
But before they could start any fighting whatsoever, the room began to flash red and the familiar whine of an alarm blared through the Headquarters. That could only mean one thing.
"They're back!? But why?", Shalua murmured, glancing around the room. Fear began to build inside her. Deepground showed no mercy.
"They were waiting……for Azul".
Shelke's monotone voice and blank stare penetrated her. Shalua cocked an eyebrow. Azul? What the hell?
"Azul?"
"His death was merely a prologue to the true terror".
At this Shalua's eyes widened. Azul had already been dangerous before, but now Shelke was making it sound as if this was ten times worse. And she was beginning to think that that was what it was. And then, only one thought crossed her mind.
She had to get to Reeve. There was no way she'd leave him to fend for himself. Shalua turned to her desk, and grabbed a white envelope off the top of a pile of paperwork. Snatching up a pen, she quickly addressed the letter to Reeve.
The strange feeling that she would never see him again hadn't let her go since she had come back to her lab. She knew it was odd, but she had, in her fear that she really wouldn't she Reeve again, written something of a letter, explaining some things to him. And a picture. Of her. Shalua knew full well that that was probably the most absurd idea she had ever come up with in her life, and was certain that she would have to give it to anyone to deliver to him, because she wasn't going to need it…….
……...Right?
But one of her mindsets was that it was better to be safe than sorry, so the letter was a precaution in the out of ordinary case that anything did go wrong.
Pocketing the letter and holstering her gun, she turned to find her sister still staring at her passively. Shalua wondered why the hell Shelke hadn't already tried to make a run for it, especially with the circumstances being to her advantage. Hm. Perhaps she was getting somewhere with her little sis.
But now Shalua was leaving, and that meant Shelke was coming too. Grabbing her sister's wrist, she pulled the young girl out of the lab and into the corridor. Shelke fought against Shalua's grip with all the strength she possessed, but began to think that her sister had been right in stating that Shelke was no match for her. It certainly seemed so at the moment.
"Where are you…..? Let me go!", Shelke protested, as her sister dragged her down various hallways at a rather speedy pace. But Shalua made no move to stop and explain it to her. If anything she just tightened her grip and ran faster.
They turned a bend, and Shalua's paced slowed as they surveyed what lay before them.
The one corridor that led to the main building and to the command center was completely caved in. Debris, rubble and flames blocked the path of anyone attempting to use it. Shelke felt her sister tense, and looking at her siblings face, saw an odd look of acceptance cross her features. Not knowing what to make of it, Shelke decided she would use her sister's momentary distraction as a potential opportunity to escape.
And she tried. But apparently Shalua was not as zoned out as Shelke had thought. Her sister whipped around, and caught her by both wrists, looking deep into her eyes.
"You're not going anywhere, Shelke", she stated in a voice that left no room for protests. "The only other way into the main building is through the basement. And I have to get to Reeve, no matter how many Azuls stand in my way. Got that?"
Shelke was so dumbfounded by this statement, that she merely nodded and let Shalua drag her off in a different direction. Staring at her sister's determined expression, she realized that Shalua must care deeply for Reeve Tuesti. In fact, so deeply that……
They lurched to a stop in front of a smaller door. Shalua gripped Shelke's wrist tighter as she typed in the code to Reeve's quarters in record time. The door slid open to reveal Reeve's rooms, still intact. Deepground hadn't made it here. Yet……
Marching into the room, Shalua pulled out the envelope, and placed it in the middle of Reeve's bed. When all this was over, and he found it, she could still tell him it had been the insane ramblings of a stressed out, sleep deprived mind. If they both ever-------
Shalua forced her brain to stop thinking about that, even though the feelings of dread wouldn't leave her alone. The blocked corridor had been an omen of sorts. Turning abruptly, she threw off her lab coat, doubting that she'd need it for any fights that lay ahead, adjusted her grip on Shelke and the both of them made their down in the direction of the basement.
Vincent blinked his eyes open sleepily. He expertly stifled a tired yawn, and moved his eyes to the other side of the vehicle. Yuffie sat on the bench across from him, polishing various materia with her hair ribbons. Vincent sighed. Yuffie. Still as obsessive as ever.
She lifted her head and looked at him, realizing that he was awake. A smile formed on her features.
"Hey Vince! Are ya feeling better?"
Vincent grimaced, and assessed his health. Hm. Well "feeling better" was a massive overstatement, as far as his chest was concerned. It had continued to heal, and felt better than before, but whenever he moved, the tight, throbbing pain was still there. All in all, he had had better days.
"Hm. Somewhat, Yuffie. Having……fun?"
Yuffie blinked, looking from Vincent to her materia and back again.
"Yep! All this purdy materia and it's all mine! I've been collecting over the years, ya know. I could almost open a museum with all the materia I've got! I'd let you in for free, of course…….although, maybe charging ten gil wouldn't hurt…….."
"Rip off……", Vincent thought wryly, attempting to picture Yuffie as the curator of a materia museum. Oh the chaos………
They both looked up when PA system crackled to life.
"Mr. Valentine, Miss Kisaragi, we'll be arriving shortly and---------what the hell?"
Vincent stood, ignoring the pain in his chest.
The truck began to shudder violently, and the bumps increased. Vincent turned as Yuffie let out a squeak and tumbled off the bench, materia and all, rolling towards the front of the truck and hitting her head with a sickening thud on the far wall. She lay still and unmoving.
The truck lurched to a stop, and Vincent's eyes widened in concern as he moved to Yuffie and knelt beside her unconscious form.
"Yuffie……Yuffie wake up!", he gently rubbed one of her shoulders, attempting to rouse her. Eventually, she let out a soft moan and her eyes fluttered open. She looked somewhat disoriented, and Vincent searched the floor for a potential cure materia to heal the wound on her head. Spying one, he grabbed it, and held it to her brow, murmuring the spell softly. Relief flooded through him as her eyes cleared and the wounded healed. Although he mostly viewed Yuffie as one, if not the, most annoying human being on the Planet, she was also his friend. And it would be a lie to say he didn't care for her. Perhaps not as much as he did for Reeve, Shalua or Cait, but enough to assist her in trying situations. She had saved his life as well, after all.
"Thanks, Vince", came the soft mutter as Yuffie raised a hand to her head. She then placed both hands on the ground, attempting to push herself up, but Vincent could see that she wouldn't make it far.
"Whoa, dizzy……", was the only thing he needed to hear before he grabbed her arm and helped her to one of the benches. He sat down beside her, and reached into her cloak, pulling out a Potion. Uncorking it, he handed it to her with the words, "Here. Drink it slowly, Yuffie. I will go take care of any enemies, and you can follow me once you have recovered. Rest a bit, and we will see each other at the Headquarters".
He stood and made for the door, when he felt a hand gently grasp his human one, pulling him to turn. Vincent did, and he saw Yuffie looking up at him, a pleading gaze in her eyes.
"Please, Vince! We have to help Reeve and Shalua and Cait and the WRO and……..we can't let them……..I just hope…….."
"Yuffie", Vincent attempted to let his voice take on a gentle tone. "I will do my best. You will do your best. That is…..all that matters. And in regards to the others………I cannot give you my word that they will come to no harm, but I can assure you I will do everything in my power to prevent them from being injured or……..killed. I promise, Yuffie. You have my word".
A small, shaky grin spread over Yuffie's face. She knew that when Vincent Valentine made a promise, it was nothing to be taken lightly.
"A-Alright. But…….just promise me……you'll take care of yourself too. Right, Vince?"
She squeezed his hand kindly, and he nodded, hesitating a bit before squeezing her hand as well and letting go. He turned and opened the doors, stepping outside into the bright sunshine. It seemed they had crashed on the mountain pass, not too far away from the Headquarters. Vincent could hear shots and cries as well as explosions in the distance.
Jumping to the ground, he walked a few steps before he was stopped three hovering machines, intent on blasting the life out of him. He sighed. It seemed that at the moment, everything was intent on blasting the life out of him. Those must have been the reason that the Shadowfox had crashed. But now was no time to reflect.
He rid the Planet of the machine trio, and hurried on through the jungle. Every few minutes, hounds would leap out of nowhere and attempt to tear him to pieces. They where dead before they hit the ground. In situations like these, Vincent showed no mercy. Then again, he rarely showed any of his enemies any mercy at all.
Vincent eventually came upon a camp of Deepground soldiers, and odd insects that were once again intent on killing him. They were disposed of in a matter of minutes. He was fueled by his desperate worry and need to help his friends. Rounding a bend, he finally came upon the outskirts of the Headquarters. Before him stood a handful of WRO members, hopelessly attempting to take out and larger group of Deepground soldiers of all kinds and sizes.
Loading and cocking Cerberus, Vincent assisted the members, who were indescribably grateful that they had not been murdered by those bastards as well. But it was far from over.
Vincent raised his head to the sky when he heard the loud sounds of whirring. It sounded like…….
"Helicopters. Take cover. Now!", Vincent commanded the young soldiers. He did not wish to see them gunned down. Their weapons would have little effect on the monstrous Deepground creations.
When they didn't move an inch, Vincent felt annoyance build. Why weren't they leaving?
"Yes, sir. I-I mean, no sir", stuttered one of the members, all of them saluting. "With all due respect, sir, this is our home. We won't run, we'll fight! Permission to assist you, sir!"
Vincent was surprised to say the least. Did these young men really want to die? But he supposed he understood. They seemed to be undyingly loyal to Reeve. Reeve…….Vincent found himself wanting to hurry this up.
"Alright then. Aim well, and don't……get in my way. Follow my lead".
As the first helicopter appeared on the horizon, Vincent sprinted across the plateau towards a machine gun he had seen earlier. Sitting down, he motioned the soldiers to fire at will, and began to shoot relentlessly at the helicopter.
This went on for some time. One or two helicopters would come, and then there would be a short break. Vincent looked around each time, seeing to it that no soldier had been harmed. It wasn't until the last chopper that…….
"Ugh!!!", a scream erupted from his left, and Vincent eliminated the enemy before turning to the direction from which the yell had come.
To his horror, he saw the young soldier that had spoken on the behalf of them all earlier, lying on the ground, surrounded by his comrades. His face was contorted in agony, and his breaths were laboured. Vincent stalked over and knelt beside the man, making to pull a potion out of his cloak.
"N-No…….", came the weak whisper. "Save it…..f-for the others……."
"Hey Laurel! Are you insane, dude? He wants to heal you…..c'mon man!", the voice of one of the man's buddies came through, cracking slightly. Vincent pulled the potion out, and held it to the man's lips.
"Drink it, soldier", Vincent pushed gently, attempting to get the young man to drink the healing liquid. But the soldiers lips didn't so much as budge. "Please. Drink it", Vincent pleaded urgently. The man's time was running out.
But he was only rewarding with a weak, shaky smile from the dying soldier.
"I-It's…..alright…..sir. I've lived……a good life".
And with that, he took his last breath and closing his eyes, returned to the Planet.
Vincent found himself staring stupidly at the body of the young soldier. He could have been able to prevent that. He should have been able to prevent that.
"Aw….n-no…..what the hell?", came the sob from one of the men. "N-Not Laurel too……goddamnit, man. Stupid shit…..why didn't he…..drink it?"
"I am…..sorry", Vincent managed to voice awkwardly. But the others paid him no heed.
They grieved.
"Have I lived a good life as well?"
This thought entered Vincent's mind as he stood mechanically, and turned away. It shouldn't have ended like this……not for such a young soul. He began to walk, leaving the rest of the soldiers to mourn the comrades' death. And he picked up the pace at the next thought.
There were people in that building whose selfless nature surpassed even that of the young soldier.
Reeve and Shalua.
He had to find them.
Sad...but that's not all, my friends. Cheers!