Tifa stared at Reno and Elena. "That's impossible," she said to the two Turks.
"Well it's true," Elena replied grimly.
"How can you even tell how much Lifestream there is?" Tifa asked. They had to be joking. They had told her Lifestream was still being depleted, but not by mako usage. Something else had. Rufus had sent the two Turks to inform Cloud about the situation, but they had missed the blond man, who had gone out on a delivery. So they had informed Tifa so she could tell Cloud.
"It's a new invention yo," Reno said, shrugging. "Don't know how it works exactly. Something 'bout figuring out how much Lifestream goes into the remaining reactors and then how much Lifestream remains in the planet."
"That makes no sense," Tifa replied.
Reno shrugged. "I said I didn't know how it worked yo. Just tell Cloud we stopped by and that Rufus wants to talk to him." He turned and headed for the door.
Tifa stared at his retreating back before returning her attention back to Elena. "Where are you guys headed?"
Elena had already begun to leave. She stopped and turned back. "We're meeting up with Tseng and Rude and heading to the old Headquarters. Rumors have been floating around that there are people living there. See ya, Tifa." And with those parting words Elena trotted after Reno.
'Why would anyone go live in the old Shinra building? It's completely in ruins.' Tifa thought to herself.
The door's gentle opening and its not as gentle closing startled her out of her reverie. Cloud had arrived home. "Cloud," she called out joyfully. Cloud didn't answer. He walked past her and up the stairs, saying not a word the whole time. Tifa heard the door to the bathroom shut and the shower being turned on. Tifa walked upstairs and called out to Cloud, "What's wrong??" There was no answer, except for a go away. Tifa shook her head. He was in one of his I-will-not answer moods. She sighed. "Reno and Elena stopped by. They said that Rufus wants to talk with you," she informed Cloud.
Cloud responded, "I'll deal with this later. Just leave me alone."
Tifa returned to the counter of the bar and began to clean glasses.
Back with Cressida...
"Okay so let me get this straight. Somebody is filtering through the Lifestream looking for a specific soul. And the Lifestream is similar to Mist, except it's made up of dead people's souls? So that means whoever is looking this particular soul, if they run across another soul that isn't the soul they want, yet is still strong, they raise it and cast it out into the world to cause confusion and chaos? Is that right??" I asked to confirm what they said meant what I thought it did. I rubbed my shins. They kind of hurt. I had tripped on the way up and had fallen down. The result being that my shins now hurt like a b&# and Dr. Cid had the Nethicite. That last part troubled me. Back in Ivalice, he had been mad... strike that he had been downright crazy. Obsessed with Nethicite. I dreaded whatever he had planned. He had already scurried off to go talk with a Dr. Hojo. I didn't have a good feeling about this new scientist.
Gabranth nodded in agreement with my statements. "You've already met one of the others who has been raised."
"Zack??" I asked taking a wild guess.
"Correct," he replied, "along with several others who used to work with the Shinra Company. Another three left because they refused to work with them."
"Tell me, did you meet a man named Reks?? Or a woman called Violet," I asked hopefully. Perhaps they had been raised. My best friend, Vi, back from the dead. I ignored the mention of the Shinra Company. I didn't know who they were and quite frankly, I didn't give a d$&#.
"No, sorry," Gabranth replied. My spirit fell a little. Perhaps they were alive, just not here, perhaps... No. I shoved those thoughts to the back of my mind.
I could hear Zalera ranting in my head about the whole dead returning to life situation. He was saying, excuse me shouting, and I quote:
"THOSE GODD$#& B&$# B!#$&!!! IT'S MY F$&# JOB TO JUDGE THE MOTHERF&$&# DEAD!!!! WHO THE HELL DO THEY THINK THEY ARE??? WHEN I CATCH WHOEVER IS DOING THIS I AM GOING TO RIP THEM A NEW A#$!"
And so it continued, his rant punctuated often by various expletives. I felt really sorry for Alaine. That's the shamaness Zalera kidnapped.
She's really the only one who can calm him down. Which it would be really nice if she did. Zalera's ranting was giving me a headache. But it seemed like she was going to let him rant. Of course she likes him. Don't ask me why; it's certainly not because of his looks. He has a fricking SKULL for a head. With no skin on it. Shiver.
I turned my attention back to Gabranth. "So what are we doing about it??" I asked.
"As of right now, Cid and Hojo are doing several experiments to see how similar the Lifestream and the Mist are. They were at a setback without an actual sample of the Mist. Of course now that they have that piece of Nethicite containing a Mist sample they can proceed.
Where did you get that piece of Nethicite anyways??" Gabranth said to me.
I flushed slightly. "Not telling," I stated firmly. I had stolen it from Cid during the fight at the Pharos Lighthouse. Not that I was going to admit that. I HAD been aiming for his gil purse, but I accidentally grabbed the Nethicite. Oh well. I actually didn't start really carrying it around until I started traveling alone. It was simply amazing how many creatures attacked with magic. And the Nethicite didn't hamper my summoning ability, so I kept it with me. But deep down, somewhere, I was rather glad to be rid of it.
Gabranth gazed out the broken window. And saw something that he didn't expect. He stood up quickly. "Drace go tell everybody that there are Turks approaching."
"Who??" I asked. 'Who the hell are the turks??' I asked myself.
"Bad news for us," Gabranth replied stoically. "You will have to hide."
"What?!?!?!?" I shrieked.
Gabranth turned to look at me. "These people carry stronger weapons than you know. Fast guns, electro-rods... etc. etc. You won't be able to stand up against them for long, even with your summons. They attack to kill. So you will hide."
"No way Jose," I said stubbornly. I didn't see Bergie sneak up on me from behind. He knocked me out. D#$ B$&.
I woke up in a tight, dark location. I immediately began hyperventilating. I HATE DARK SMALL PLACES. They make me freak out. I struck out blindly, desperate to get out. I don't know what I did exactly, but one moment I'm pounding on the walls that surround me, the next I'm sprawled on the floor, soaking in the sun, the glorious sun and feeling free, so very free. Now where was everybody??
In The Summon Limbo...
Sephiroth eyed his remnants with distaste. They were fighting amongst themselves. Again. The repetitiveness was quite irritating. "SILENCE!" he hissed.
His remnants paused in their argument. Loz and Kadaj stood stock still, their hands still wrapped around each others' necks, their weapons lay forgotten. Yazoo smirked. He had stayed out of the fight. His brothers were an endless source of amusement for him when they were arguing. It just tickled his sadistic side. Which, the narrator would like to add, is his dominant side.
"What are you two fighting about??" Sephiroth asked dispassionately. He had more important things to worry about. Like how to escape this infernal place, find Mother, and figure out who that Aerith look-alike was.
Kadaj and Loz sprang apart, looking rather like schoolboys who had just gotten caught stealing. Then the accusations started flying.
"Kadaj started it!!" Loz cried.
"What do you mean I started it??? You d#$ crybaby, you're the one who embarrassed us in front of that girl, " Kadaj retorted.
"She was the mean one! She called me an overgrown wyrm,"
"SHUT UP!!!!!" Sephiroth hissed. He had not come here to settle a petty argument; he had come here to see if the Remnants would be of any use. Perhaps they would. If this girl was the same one he had seen, maybe they would know something about her.
"Who is this girl you mention??" he inquired.
"Dunno. She never gave her name. She looks like the Ancient you described. She had red hair though," Kadaj replied sullenly. He glared at Loz. Loz quivered slightly, but stood his ground.
"Her name is Cressida," Yazoo stated, bored. There was nothing fun to watch since Sephiroth had broken up the fight.
"How do you know?" Kadaj demanded angrily.
"She told me," he replied to his brother's question.
"She did??" Kadaj asked not believing Yazoo. Which isn't that hard to believe since Cressida had refused to divulge her name earlier when Kadaj had tried to find it out.
Sephiroth on the other had was pleased. He knew the girl's name now; he could ask the other inhabitants of this void about her. He departed silently as his remnants resumed squabbling amongst themselves.
I Own Nothing.
I'm sooo sorry this took so long to update. I had writer's block. So in this chapter I managed to mutalate Cloud's personality as well as Seph's. Joy. (Sarcasm) Anyway I hope you liked it.Also any part from now on that doesn't have Cressida personally witness it will be in 3rd person. I'm not going to get into Chocobohead's head.
Thanks to my reviewers: Sangoshadowmage, Levuica, DragonessWarrior and Lady Karai. Thank you for reviewing!! Zack plushie's for all!! This time if you review, you'll recieve a Sephiroth plushie!! Please review!!