Somewhere ????
"You are not to harm her."
"I understand. Why do you keep harping on about that?"
"It is not for you to know."
"Listen, I don't like that I-am-omnipotent attitude of yours."
"Do you want to get revenge?"
"Of course I do. The little b&$ helped to kill me."
"Then listen to me. The Cetran child brought her here. They will need the girl to resurrect her and Jenova's progeny. The girl will recognize you though. So just follow her. Put traps on her path, monsters in her way, and doubt in her mind. Then we can catch her and use her for our purpose."
"I KNOW THIS ALREADY!!!!"
"SILENCE!!!!! I raised you from the dead, I can just as easily send you back."
"..."
"I am glad you understand. Go." The person to whom the other voice belonged left.
"I will rule this world. I will prove to you that I am not a failure, unlike YOU sister!!!!" The voice began laughing maniacally, as she watched her plans act out.
Back with Cressida and Gabranth ...
I stared at the dilapidated tower. "This is your base?" I asked drolly. It looked like it was falling apart.
"Yes. The people who we are currently working with worked in this building before they died," Gabranth replied, nimbly hopping off the bike.
I quickly followed him. "Ah sweet land, I have not truly appreciated thee until now," I mumbled, thankful to be off the horrid machine.
"What?"
"Nothing, Gabranth," I replied tersely and stretched like a cat.
"So you finally got yourself a girl, eh Gabranth?" a voice said. A man strolled into view. He had spiky black hair and an easy going grin. I frowned at him. Gabranth replied mockingly, "No Zack."
The man mockingly sighed,"Oh you had me so happy there for a moment." Gabranth shifted uneasily. I remember Basch mentioning that Gabranth had girl problems. Zack stared at me for a while, before turning back to Gabranth. "So what's she here for?"
"She's here to help," Gabranth replied heading inside the building. I shrugged and followed after. Zack laughed and followed us in.
We must have walked up fifty flights of stairs. I wished that there was a way-stone, however much I hated the stupid things. I found my mind wandering to the solitary man I had met earlier in the summon limbo. He was extraordinarily handsome...
"Stay here." Gabranth's voice jerked me out of my thoughts. Gabranth had brought us to a desolate room, about halfway up the tower. "Zack, stay here. I doubt she will receive a warm welcome from my friends." He slipped out of the room before either of us could protest.
"Stupid dumba$$," I swore at Gabranth.
Zack smirked at me. "Well you obviously aren't her," he said.
"Who?" I asked testily. Gabranth didn't have to be so rude, abandoning me like that. Of course, he probably had the harder job. He had to convince the other Judge-Magisters and Dr. Cid to accept me without killing me.
"An old friend of mine. So what's your name?" he asked pleasantly.
"Cressida," I murmured, thinking. Gabranth said that ALL the dead Judge-Magisters were here. So that meant Ghis, Drace (I never met her), and old Bergie were here. I smirked. Old Bergie. Penelo and I had had such a wonderful time tormenting him during the fight. It was Penelo who had come up with the nickname Bergie. He hated it. During the fight, we had called them that. Needless to say, he hadn't exactly liked that. During that fight Penelo and I had made mad dashes up and down the narrow hall trying to avoid his blades after we had called him that. He wielded two them. I remembered he died because he couldn't handle the full power of his nethicite-boosted swords. I worriedly glanced out the window; I had the feeling that Bergie was going to take my arrival the worst.
"What's the matter?" Zack's voice voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Nothing," I murmured. "What're you doing here?" I curiously asked.
He snorted derisively. "All my friends think I'm dead. I'm not going to burden them. Right now I'm working as a mercenary. And avoiding Hojo." The last part was added as an afterthought, but he obviously didn't really like who he was working for. I decided to ask the obvious question.
"Who's Hojo?"
I never got my answer. Judge Bergan, or Bergie as Penelo and I were so fond of calling him, came charging into the room, swords swinging, screaming "YOU!!!!!"
I did what any sane person would have done. I dropped to the ground and began to crawl away very fast. I will admit it. I suck at straight forward physical fighting. My punches are more like tickles. They suck. So I try to get a certain distance away, so I can use magicks or summon something. Unfortunately the room was too small to get a good distance away. Luckily, Zack surged forward and attacked with the biggest Faram-d#$ed blade I'd ever seen. It must have been in the room already.
Gabranth burst into the room followed by Ghis, Drace, and... ugh Dr. Cid. I studied each of them carefully. It seemed that all of the Judge-Magisters had abandoned their armor. Drace was the kindest. She wove her way past Gabranth and Zack who were calming Old Bergie out of his berserk state. "Are you all right?" she asked me. She wasn't the prettiest woman, being middle-aged and in possession of an untidy mop of brownish black hair.
I smirked. "Yeah I'm fine. Been through worse," I murmured, staggering to my feet. I took a better look at Bergie. He was even uglier without his armor on. He had red-blond hair and looked rather like an overgrown hawk. " 'lo Bergie!" He lunged at me. Gabranth and Zack managed to hold him back. I gulped and returned to silence.
An uneasy silence settled over us, only punctuated by Bergie's, excuse me, Bergan's attempts to maul me. At least until a round, corpulent man entered the room going "Tra-la-la-la." We all stared at him. Drace and I exchanged a glance, before bursting into quiet sniggers. I think we're going to get along just fine.
Bergan was the first to speak. "Palmer, what are you doing?" his autocratic nature evident in his voice. Hey, at least Bergan's attention was off me. Palmer said petulantly, "I was sent to fetch Zack. Mr. Shinra wishes to speak with him." He flounced out of the room. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. Zack only groaned.
"I better go see what that old fool wants." He sighed and shuffled out the door, saying what I'm sure were curses under his breath.
The room had grown serious after Palmer's visit and Zack's subsequent departure. I walked up to Bergan. "I know we were enemies in Ivalice. But all I want to do is what I can. But to do that we can't fight. So truce?" I asked and nervously extended my hand.
Bergan glared at my hand for a few moments, before reluctantly grasping it. "Deal, girl. But if you even do the smallest thing against our best interests, you will be dead meat." We shook hands, before quickly dropping them.
"Let's go upstairs to our quarters," Ghis grumbled. "They're more comfortable."
I groaned. Great more stairs.
Disclaimer: Still, I own jacksquat.
I would like to thank All of my reviewers:DragonessWarrior, Lady Karai, PhoenixCharmer116, and RonBurgandyIsGod. Thank you. You all recieve Kadaj Plushies!!!!!!!!!! And if you review this chapter, you will recieve a Zack Plushie!!!!!! So please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!