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Edge
Marlene and Denzel stood outside 7th Heaven Bar, appearing visibly shaken. Marlene trembled slightly remembering the booming voices and colorful language that she had awoken to. Not to mention the panic she felt when she noticed the weight of an unidentified person on top of her (who turned out to be Yuffie, sneaking into her bed again). It was a little too much for a girl of eight years to handle.
Denzel's distress was less noticeable as a boy of ten years though inside he was a whole mess of emotions. He woke up to find himself being lifted up in the big, muscular arms of Barrett only to be hurled down the stairs at an unsuspecting Cid. Fortunately, Tifa had knocked Cid out of the way and caught the boy just before he hit the hard, cold tile floor.
The two children merely stood outside the bar until two familiar friends snapped them from their daze. "Well, well, well! If it isn't the young lass and lad! Sounds like they're having another arousing morning again, eh!" commented Cait Sith riding atop an irritated looking Red XIII, referring to the crashing sounds coming from within the house.
"More like a 'mind-blowing' morning if you ask me…" muttered Red XIII—a.k.a. Nanaki— with sour humor at his "mind-blowing" joke— obviously displeased with the amount of noise coming from the place so early in the morning.
"Aah, don't be such a sour puss, Nana, just because we had to do some over time for Reeve." Cait Sith soothed while stroking Nanaki's head.
"DON'T CALL ME 'NANA'!!!" Nanaki roared, shaking Cait off of his head.
"Yes, yes. Let's be civilized folk now. There's no need to be rowdy so early in the morning, eh Nana- Kichi?"
Red growled until a smiling Marlene patted him on the head with a soothing hand and a pleading finger to her lips asking him to hush. At this the fire red cat cooled down and soon he was purring slightly at the young girl's touch.
"Red, Cait Sith— it's so good to see you two! Denzel and I were so sad when we heard you guys couldn't make it."
"Oh yes we are so very sorry to have troubled you, lass, but you know old Reeve. Work comes first to the old fellow, especially when it involves strange phenome—" the plush robot began to explain until the red beast to his right let out a low warning growl. Woops, forgive me Nana-kichi. I almost spilled the beans— Cait thought when Marlene cut him off.
"Ah, I understand now. Reeve detected some strange phenomena and had you guys check it out for him."
"Which probably means that the two reasons why you guys are here is either to report your findings to Cloud and everyone while they are all gathered at the bar or the strange phenomena itself is lurking somewhere around Edge or even in Midgar, so you've come to investigate?" Denzel chimed in.
The two cat-like creatures could only stare dumbstruck when the two young children had finished uncovering their true motives. Only one mutual thought came to each cat's mind: Do not underestimate these children.
Cait Sith laughed nervously while Red bowed his head in shame. The two children on the other hand stood tall with their arms crossed and their cocky smiles stretching wide across their faces.
"Well now that that cat's out of the bag, why don't you tell us what reason you have for being here?" Marlene now dictated, hands on her hips and leaning toward the two felines.
"Well—" Cait Sith began before he was cut off by Red.
"Allow me to explain. Sometime around 20:00 hours, Planet Monitor Machines—which are used to detect changes in the planet and Lifestream—or PMM for short, detected a disturbing presence appear deep within the depths of the Northern Crater. Later, at around 23:00 hours the PMM detected the appearance of a similar though less menacing presence around the Edge-Midgar area. Cait Sith and I have been sent to search this area for any abnormalities."
"Also," Cait added, "Please understand lass and lad that we are here on very urgent business and not only are we to investigate the strange presence but we will be on the look out for the sudden appearance of sketchy characters as well. Which is why I advise you two to stay inside for today, we don't want a repeat of the Reunion Crisis from two years ago."
"Well Cait, I doubt we'll be running in to Kadaj and his gang again any time soon so Marlene and I will just be out exploring Edge as usual. Besides we can't go inside right now, it's not safe with the adults being hung-over and all…" Denzel trailed off shuddering slightly.
"I'm afraid it wouldn't be a show of good judgment to Cloud and the others if we let you two wander around on your own with the current situation. Now I think it would be best if you stayed as close to the bar as possible just as a precaution." Red countered growing wearing of this squabble.
The three males continued with their debate until Marlene pitched her idea.
"Well I know the perfect place to spend the day if we have to be somewhere safe."
The guys stopped talking, curious to hear Marlene's suggestion.
"Why don't we go over to big sister's church?"
"…"
"Well Cait, Red, it's up to you two. Can we please wait out the hangovers at the bar over there?" Denzel added half begging.
Cait Sith and Red stared at each other for a moment, then at each of the children, then at each other again.
Finally Cait Sith sighed and said, "Alright you win lass, lad. We'll let you two go over to the good lass's church."
"But," Red continued, "We will be the ones to escort you from here to the old ruins so that you don't run into any unnecessary trouble along the way. Personally I don't think this is such a good idea…" The last part he muttered uneasily, trailing off.
To that Marlene, not missing a beat, reassured the red cat saying with a carefree smile, "Don't worry. I know that big sister will be watching us."
Midgar- Aerith's Church
The old, empty, ramshackle church stood quietly in Midgar's Sector 5 Slums. Sunshine filtered through the broken windows as well as the crumbled parts of the wall and many stubborn flowers bloomed through cracks in the concrete on the ledge at the water's edge. A light breeze fluttered across the surface of the pool of water where the yellow and white flowers once grew. The breeze soon built up into a violent gale that shook the whole foundation of the aged building. The great winds outside rolled the clouds by and for a moment they blocked out the sun. When the great yellow circle was visible once again, the winds died down and the empty church wasn't so empty anymore.
-------
"…"
"…"
Wha-?
What's happening?
--Zap--
Ouch! What was that?! What's this burning feeling I'm getting all over my body?
--ZAP-- ZAP--
Ouch!! That really stings! Now what's this pounding in my chest…
It's warm...
… So warm, I think I could sleep here forever…
No!! You can't sleep now! You have to wake up!!
--ZAP-- ZAP-- ZAP---
Ow! Now it's so cold and wet…!!
My lungs feel like they're on fire…!! I can't breathe…!!!!
-------
-SPLASH-
-Cough, cough-
"Hey, you okay there Aerith?"
"…"
"Planet to Aerith, are you in there?"
"I'm just fine so you can stop playing cute Zack" Aerith croaked at last.
"What? I'm just being a concerned friend. Good thing Hikaru's voice woke you up when she called out. Otherwise I would've had to carry you out of the water myself and give you mouth to mouth CPR," Zack remarked sarcastically, his goofy grin in place.
"Fine, fine—where are we exactly?" Aerith continued coolly brushing Zack's sarcasm off, "We've got work to do and I'd like to figure out which 'familiar place' Cosmos decided to dump us in…" she mumbled as she gingerly got up from her sitting position in the water, wobbling slightly.
"What better familiar place to be dumped into other than the old Sector 5 Church, eh Aer?"
At those words Aerith immediately steadied and she glanced at her surroundings to make sure he wasn't joking. He wasn't. Just as he said, they were standing in the pool of healing water where her flowers once grew. The light shone through the two holes in the ceiling where her uninvited guests first made each of their respective entrances. Aside from a few missing pews and the pool of water she now stood in, the old place looked exactly as she had left. It was the same spot of sanctuary that she remembered—her church.
"Wow," Aerith uttered breathlessly as she removed herself from the pool, "I can't believe Cosmos actually dropped us off here. I haven't checked in with the old place since we visited everyone two years ago."
"Well you know what they say, some things stay the same." Zack commented standing beside her on the old wood floor.
Aerith smiled. "Then I'm glad if that's the case. But if you ask me there seems to be a new glow about this place now. Maybe it's the essence of joy left by the other people whose geostigma was healed here."
"Heh, well those joyful others should be thankful that you gave them this healing water. After all if it weren't for you there would still be children like Hikaru dying of the illness that guy created." Zack finished in a bitter tone.
"Yes, this is why we will find that guy and bring him peace so that he doesn't have to return every other year just to give our friends a heart attack!" Aerith responded jokingly so as to lighten the mood.
When Zack didn't smile Aerith leaned toward him and said, "Well if you're so intent on getting rid of the guy so much then you're going to need a weapon. Lucky for you it looks like Cloud left you a present," she nodded to the item stuck in the concrete ledge on the far side of the pool behind him.
Following Aerith's gaze Zack turned around slowly asking, "Huh? What do you mean Cloud left me a present—WHOA!"
Zack had good reason to "whoa" since the "present" Aerith was referring to was in fact the weapon wielded by his old mentor, Cloud following his passing, and himself— the Buster Sword. The sword looked different from what he remembered as an old and often dirty weapon. If anything the giant sword looked brand new with its blade looking sharp and shiny in the sunlight.
Soon Zack was quickly making his way around the pool, eager to be reunited with his old weapon. After reaching the ledge he gripped the hilt and easily removed the blade from its resting place.
*whistles* "Cloud sure did do a good job cleaning the old thing up. I could sense all the rust and dust collecting on it but it looks like he was able to wipe away all those bad memories at the end of it all, right buddy?" Zack stated with a hint of sadness in his voice. "Well I hate having to do this but I'm gonna be dirtying this sword up again. Hope Cloud doesn't mind," he continued half-jokingly now with an amused look on his face.
"Oh don't worry. I'm sure he won't mind you dirtying his sword. And let me tell you right now, he is really going to appreciate it," Aerith pointed out sarcastically. "In any case, we're here to take down the enemy and not to visit old friends. So as long as we're here remember Zack this is not a vacation."
"Don't sweat it Aer. I'll focus only on the mission and not act like we're on vacation," he started heading swiftly for the door, "When hell freezes over," he finished flashing Aerith a playful smile before disappearing outside.
"ZACK!!!!" Aerith yelled as she stood enraged and amazed watching him go out the front door.
I swear, when we get back to the Lifestream I'm having Cosmos put a leash on you, you wild puppy!!
And with that thought Aerith chased after the old joker before he could get himself into trouble.
7th Heaven Bar
Things had calmed down considerably at the bar. Barrett and Cid both sat at the bar counter; each had an ice pack on his head and a bottle of remedy to relieve some of the headache. Yuffie now lay exhausted on the bar floor, oblivious to the masses of germs that lurked there. The full force of the hangovers had tamed each of the three fuming fools after Tifa had broken up the distraction (the fight) that had kept the pain unnoticeable. The pain struck each individual repeatedly, now rendering them immobile.
For that Tifa was grateful as she was the one who had to clean up the mess the trio had left behind in the kitchen. Broken glass was scattered everywhere and to Tifa's dismay the three did indeed manage to shatter five of her good plates.
"Honestly, you guys have no concern for anyone other than yourselves. How selfish," she began lecturing as she walked out of the now clean kitchen.
However, she froze when she noticed the spiky headed blond coming down the stairs. Thinking that he might be upset about having to wake up to another thunderous morning she quickly busied herself with trying to move Yuffie from her place on the floor near the doorway. This task proved to be more difficult than she thought and she could only pull hopelessly on the surprisingly heavy ninja's shoulders while trying to lift up her legs.
"Come-on-Yuffie-you-heavy-butt-ninja," –pant- -pant-, "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN EATING?!?!" she roared finally lifting the ninja girl up easily over her head.
"HEY! Take it easy Teef, she's not just some boulder you can toss to the side…" the two old men said fiery in unison before the pain silenced them once more.
"They're right Tifa; you need to be gentle." Cloud agreed walking up to her and taking the ninja from her arms. He walked over to one of the booths against the side of the wall and laid Yuffie down on one of the soft leather seats.
Immediately Yuffie snuggled her face into the plush leather booth and began to snore softly (to which the old men began to sniffle and sigh, forgetting all about her attack on them earlier that morning).
"There you go," Cloud whispered nodding contently. He next turned around and faced Tifa who was now blushing slightly. "You okay Tifa? You look kind of red…"
"I-I'm fine," she stuttered blushing even more, "Sorry if we woke you up!" She turned then gesturing to Barrett and Cid to apologize to him too.
"Oh, right. Sorry for the noise problem Spike!" Barrett started first standing up.
"Yeah, sorry if we woke you up from your beauty sleep kid." Cid continued standing up as well.
Cloud shrugged, "No hard feelings. I needed to get ready to head out when you guys started up anyway," he mentioned as he strode toward the door.
"Ah, wait! Would you like something to eat before you go?" Tifa asked worriedly touching him lightly on the shoulder.
At her question he turned slightly, gave a small smile and said, "No thanks, but I'll be back for dinner later," before heading out the door.
The two men stared at the young woman as she watched the retreating back of the blond haired man out the door.
"Think he'll come back when he says he will?" Cid questioned sourly.
"Pfft. He better come back by dinnertime otherwise I'm gonna give that pointy haired head of his a good mussing," Barrett answered rubbing his hands together.
Tifa sighed and turned smiling at them. "Don't worry; he'll be back. He just needs some time to himself every now and then. He is adjusting to having everyone around more and more often."
"Tifa's right. Let old spiky head be. He's a grown man after all." Yuffie chimed in from her position sprawled out on the booth seat.
Just then they heard someone stomping down the stairs. "You-guys-are-unbelievable…" came the muttering, dark voice of Vincent from the stairway—obviously in a bad mood, "I'm amazed that just four people can make so much noise when the day's hardly started."
Hardly started? It's almost 12:00!!! The four thought mutually.
"Uh, I think I'll go make his breakfast now." Tifa uttered before disappearing into the kitchen. Good Luck you guys…
Damn it Tifa… leaving us to deal with the morning demon. The remaining three thought betrayed as they could only wait helplessly for the "demon man'" to condemn them.
Edge- City Square
By this time the city of Edge was bustling with people going about their daily business. However the people of Edge were greeted by an unusual but adorable sight when a party composed of a young boy, a young girl, and two cat-like beings came parading down the street. Adults stopped and stared while little boys and girls pointed and giggled in awe and amusement at the sight of the smaller cat riding atop the larger one's head. Those close enough to this odd little pack could hear the sounds of light small talk as they strolled down the way.
"People are staring…" Red grumbled unnerved by the attention they were drawing.
"I wish the sidewalks were a little wider…" Marlene thought aloud.
"Yeah, it's hard to find our way because we're so short and this crowd of people just keeps sweeping us along. I don't even know what street this is…" Denzel agreed.
"Really, there's no need to be moping about children. And you shouldn't be such a downer, Nana-kichi." Cait responded chattering in a sing-song tone.
"DON'T CALL ME NANA-KICHI!!!" Red roared.
Suddenly the sidewalk in which the party had been traveling down cleared before them.
"Ah, it looks like we made it to City Square." Denzel commented unfazed by Red's roar which had jolted the people in front of them to move out of the way in an instant.
"There, there Red." Marlene soothed, hugging the fire tailed cat around the neck while petting him gently. "Come on Cait, don't upset Red so much. If he doesn't want you calling him Nana-kichi then could you please think about what he wants?" But that is a cute nickname… she wanted to add as an afterthought but decided to keep to herself.
"Ahhh… alright lass, if that's what you want. I'll call the old fellow 'Red' for the rest of the day. What do ya say to that, Nana?" Cait asked already not committing to his promise.
Marlene sighed and put a hand to her forehead. He just doesn't get it… she thought and gave Red a sad look of understanding. "It's your call Red."
"… Fair enough." Red returned defeated.
"Al-rrr-ighty then! Let's get this show on the road!" Cait accepted, getting pumped. "Where's Denzel by the way?"
The other two noticed this and began to look around frantically until Marlene stopped and pointed, "OH! There he is! He's by the memorial."
Marlene rushed off to catch up to him with the other two following close behind her.
-pant- -pant- "Denzel, why did you go ahead of us like that? You had us scared for a moment." Marlene asked feeling hurt.
"Ah, sorry everyone," he turned with his face to the ground , "I didn't mean to make you worry like that!"
"Haaah… it's alright lad." Cait reassured him.
"Just don't wander off like that again. In fact, why did you go on without us so suddenly?" Red questioned suspiciously.
"Huh? Well," Denzel turned to face the newly rebuilt meteor shaped memorial for Midgar once more, "I just got this feeling that drew me to it. Like something was calling me."
"Actually, now that you mention it I've got that feeling too; like something's calling me."
Cait and Red exchanged a look then. Then they nodded.
"Hey kids, maybe it's not such a good idea to head over to the Sector 5 Church after all." Red stated as Marlene and Denzel turned to him questioningly.
"Why not?" Marlene asked in a slightly offended tone.
"Well lass, if you and the lad are feeling this odd 'calling' that's drawing you to the Midgar Memorial then it might not be such a good idea for you to be in the Midgar ruins itself. I'm afraid that this 'calling' you over just might be evidence that there is some type of weird phenomena in the area. It's not safe." Cait explained solemnly.
"Yes, this is strictly business of the WRO now." Red acknowledged.
"Well if it's business of the WRO then let us help you. Actually we're junior AVALANCHE members now; we can take on anyone or anything that comes our way." Denzel shot back already taking off in the direction of the Midgar area.
"That's right, we are and we can! So let us help you!" Marlene echoed hot on his heels.
"HEY WAIT YOU TWO!! THAT LECTURE WAS SUPPOSED TO SCARE YOU INTO GOING BACK HOME, NOT ENCOURAGE YOU TO DIVE HEADFIRST INTO DANGER!!" Red roared at the retreating children causing more people to scatter.
"RED'S RIGHT!! YOU NEED TO GO HOME!!!" Cait called dismally after them. "ARGH! It's no use Red, let's go after them." Cait forfeited, climbing back onto Red's head.
"UGH, I am not going to get turned into cat bits by Barrett at the expense of these kids; LET'S GO!!" Red howled dashing off after them.
Edge- Outskirts
-pant- -cough- "Hah, hah, hah… I can't believe you had me chase you all the way from the church in Sector 5 to the outskirts of the newly developed city near the area that was formerly Sector 7. We ran, like, almost fifty-seven blocks? Zack Fair, you are truly something else." Aerith panted breathlessly when they finally came to stop just within the outskirts of the unfamiliar city. "Hah, hah… and that's not even the most amazing part. The most amazing part is that even though that was a little over an hour long jog, you don't seem at all tired. Why?" Aerith moaned dropping into a squatting position near the ground.
"What can I say? I guess that's just the ex-SOLDIER training still kicking inside me. Heh, I've been a dead SOLDIER deserter for several years now but it feels like my body hasn't aged at all since then." Zack answered simply.
"Well Cosmos did say that we would be in our original bodies with slight modifications. I guess that explains why you're so energetic… she must have given you a little extra juice." Aerith ground out glaring at him enviously.
"Hey, don't hate me just because I'm more physically fit than you," he defended backing away from her a little.
*Sigh* "Whatever. So much for acting casually when we reached the surface…"
"Actually, I believe she said to act naturally once we got to the surface." Zack corrected before Aerith gave him a look that made him back up again.
"Okay, okay I know you're mad. But on the bright side our clothes dried out from all that running. Now we don't have to worry about hanging them out to dry. And let me tell you, that dress was clinging to you like—" he stated truthfully when Aerith stood up and rushed at him so fast he had to drop to his butt to dodge Aerith's slap.
"Zack as flattering as that compliment would've sounded I don't think I would've wanted to hear it from my ex-boyfriend," she explained in a voice of mock calm, towering over the dark haired man.
"Alright, alright I get the message," he admitted standing up, "Of course you didn't want to hear that from the long, black, spiky headed man but it would send you over the top if you heard it from the blond spiky haired—" Zack began raving again until Aerith went and proceeded to punch him. This time she didn't miss. *SMACK*
"Ow… right square in the left side of my jaw. How ruthless for a healer…" he complained chuckling slightly from his spot on the ground again.
"Admit it, you deserved that one." She retaliated with pure bittersweet rage lacing her voice.
This time he recognized the seriousness and the hardness to her usually melodic voice and immediately he regretted having teased her so much. "I am so sorry. Please forgive me," he pleaded kneeling with his head bowed.
Realizing that he was truly sorry for his rudeness, Aerith turned and knelt before him. Placing her right hand on his left jaw she began to heal him.
"I'll say sorry for hitting you so hard but honestly, Zack, you really did deserve it."
"I understand. But you know me. I joke around a lot and sometimes I get carried away."
"Huh, well you never used to joke around like that before. The SOLDIER- First Class that I fell for had more class than to joke around like that with a girl."
"… Again, I'm sorry." Zack repeated feeling as if he'd reached a new and incredible low.
*Sigh "But you're right I do know you, Zack Fair, and you're a real handful sometimes so I'll let that smart comment slide… there. Your jaw's all healed now." Aerith remarked as she began to withdraw her hand from Zack's face when he grabbed it.
"Wait…" he murmured softly, "Thank you, Aerith," he finished pressing his lips to her palm in a soft kiss.
Aerith's cheeks tinged pink at this unexpected act and she removed her hand the moment his grip loosened. Soon after Aerith had her hand back the echoes of a thunderous roar and howl could be heard in the distance.
That sounded like Red's roar… We better move. Aerith observed inwardly.
"Oh come on Zack we don't have time for this. Now's not the time to be flirting you know," she scolded playfully as she stood up. "Now hurry up, we need to head back into Midgar and find some kind of staff or rod I can use for a weapon. You're more like a bodyguard than a partner but if I'm going to take on Sephiroth then I will need a weapon of my own." Aerith began rambling in a businesslike manner, heading back into Midgar.
Ah man, she brushed off my flirtation technique so easily. She really must be head over heels for that guy. Zack thought a little disappointedly before shaking his head and tagging along behind Aerith.
Edge- City Streets
Cloud absentmindedly made his way through Edge's busy streets dodging everyday shoppers and business people alike. Lucky for him it was his day off from work and so he could take a nice walk around the city to sort out his brain. Even with all the sights and sounds around him such as vendors trying very hard to get him to buy their products or the occasional lady trying to catch his attention plus children all over the place who would be yelling or screaming or laughing way too loud, none of these things seemed to penetrate the blonds' deep thought.
So he says he's coming back. Well it doesn't bother me so much to know that he's coming back. In fact it's better to have a little warning than for him to just evolve from a total stranger like the last time. The thing is should I tell the others? I mean, I don't even know how serious that dream really was. Hell, it could've just been another one of those nightmares, right? Yeah that's probably it. Just another nightmare, there's nothing you need to worry about.
Thinking he had solved his dilemma Cloud nodded his head smiling slightly as he strolled down the sidewalk muttering, "It's alright. Deepground was dealt with, Omega was taken down, and Sephiroth is not coming back. It was all just a nightmare, all just a—"
'Nightmare' he was about to say when a great roar shook him from his personal pep talk. Cloud nearly tripped at the noise but caught himself and came to an immediate halt right in the middle of the sidewalk.
"I know that roar… That can't be good," the blond started, his hopeful thoughts shattering and disappearing into oblivion.
Within the blink of an eye the spiky haired man was high-tailing it back up the sidewalk, weaving through the crowds as quickly as possible for the bar where he would explain the situation to his friends.
Red's roar just now… wasn't a greeting or a battle cry. It was an angry warning call… Cloud began to assess when a booming howl filled his ears, disturbing his thought once again.
"Man that howl…" He sounds pissed. I better hurry up and get to the others. If that guy is here then they need to know about my dream before they go chasing after Red. AGH! This is so irritating! … Wait, Marlene and Denzel where are they?! They went out today too right?! Dammit! I gotta hurry and find them too!
Feeling the fear and anxiety settling in his heart Cloud dashed off again in the direction of the bar.
7th Heaven Bar
At the bar everyone was in their usual post- Scary Morning Vincent traumatic state. The two older men lay flat on the floor with ice packs covering each man's face. Compared to the ninja girl one could say that the two men had had it quite easy dealing with the demon dressed in scarlet than she had. Yuffie was curled up into a ball in one corner of the bar rocking herself back and forth, blabbering all sorts of nonsense to no one in particular. Tifa was in the kitchen quietly washing dishes and her face had paled considerably from the blush that it was earlier while Vincent, the morning demon himself, sat coolly at the counter sipping his herbal tea in peace. Just the aftermath of another chaotic afternoon at the bar…
… Until a certain blondie came bursting through the door.
And just like "that" everyone was well enough to huddle around the doorway, anxious to hear what had happened.
"What's wrong Cloud? Are you hurt? Are you in pain?" Tifa fussed leaning in as she began to look him over.
"Hey Teef, you oughtta' give Spike his space there." Barrett warned. "He needs to breathe too y'know."
"Right! Giving him space!" Tifa remembered immediately stepping back.
"Okay Cloud, what's on your mind that you had to rush back after only… um… a few hours away from this hole?" Yuffie expressed thoughtlessly. "It's like only 16:30 right now. You left a few minutes before 12:00. Usually you're back way later than this."
Cloud looked up at them with a confused gaze. "You mean you didn't hear him roar?" Cloud asked incredulously.
The bartender and three bar bums stared at each other before looking back to the blond.
"Who's he? And what's this about a roar?" Cid queried suspiciously.
Cloud heaved a great sigh and couldn't help but roll his eyes and straighten from his squat as he replied, "I'm talking about Red! Have any of you guys seen him?! I heard his roaring and howling coming from the square; it sounds like something's up! I don't know where Marlene and Denzel are either!" he continued, swaying where he stood on the verge of hyperventilating.
"Calm down Cloud! You need to slow down!" Tifa cut in rushing to his side and grabbing his left arm to steady him.
"Actually now that you mention it, I remember faintly hearing the sounds of some sort of thunderous noise echoing in the distance." Vincent admitted quietly.
Two of his three fellow bar companions could only look at him open mouthed while Yuffie took this opportunity have her revenge on the scarlet cloaked man. She gave him a good whack on the head.
"IDIOT!! SAY SO SOONER SO THAT YOU DON'T GIVE ANYONE A HEART ATTACK!!!" the ninja scolded.
Totally ignoring the shorter girls' complaints Tifa turned to Cloud and asked, "So what's the problem? Are the kids going to be alright? Or is Red trying to tell us that something's wrong?!"
Cloud shook his head. "I don't know. But we'd better make the rounds around the city just in case."
"The kid's right. We better head on out and make sure no one's causing some kind of trouble." Cid agreed.
"Feh, if it's those three silver haired bastards again then, I'LL SHRED THEM TO PIECES WITH MY GUN!!" Barrett reveled.
"Wait, before you do any shredding there's something I need to tell you…" Cloud started uneasily.
"…"
"… And that's what I wanted you to know," the blond concluded summarizing his dream.
"EHHHHHHHH?!?!"
"IF THAT'S THE CASE THEN YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD US BEFORE, DUMBASS!!!!! MARLENE! HANG IN THERE!! DADDY'S COMIN'!!!!!!" Barrett hollered before pounding out the door.
"… He has a point Cloud. If you had a serious dream like that you really should've told us from the start." Yuffie nagged.
"I know that now. Sorry about that." Cloud acknowledged now feeling downcast.
*Sigh* "Well there's no point in scolding you now. No one could've known that a dream like that would actually be serious so it's okay Cloud." Yuffie returned apologetically. "In any case we better get moving. Vin and I will go check the city along with Barrett. Let's all meet back here at around 21:00, okay? 'Kay, we're off!!" she finished, dragging Vincent out the door behind her.
"So the others have their assignments, what are we going to do?" Tifa inquired hopefully.
Cloud stood up tall then and Tifa, discouraged, dropped her hands from his left arm.
"I'm going over to Midgar to look for Red. Knowing him, he's probably here on duty with Cait Sith. They should be able to handle themselves for a little while but if things get tough, they're going to need me. You and Cid should join the others later in securing the city. Damn, it's already 17:30. A whole hour's already gone by since I got here and started explaining," Cloud cursed glancing at his phone, "But you heard what Yuffie said; meet back here around 21:00. I'm going." And with that the spiky blond haired man was out the door once again, this time set on searching Midgar.
*Sigh*
"Hey, don't let that boy get you down okay Tifa? He doesn't know what he's missing." Cid comforted in a fatherly tone.
She smiled. "Its fine Cid, I don't need comforting. I don't have to be his number one. If I can keep on supporting him in any way I can, even as a substitute for the one he's missing, I don't care."
"TIFA—!!" Cid exclaimed appalled that she would say such a thing.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Now enough talk, it's time we get out there and smash some faces."
And without another word Tifa bolted out the door, Cid following close behind, as she thought: So long as he needs support I'll stay by his side; always.
Midgar- Sector 7
In the remains of the Sector 7 Slums/Plate area, the two children came to stop in a clear portion of the wreckage to take a breather from their running.
"Hah, hah … think we lost them?" Denzel wheezed clearly out of breath.
"Hah, hah, hah… I think so…" Marlene replied equally wiped out.
"Great," he sighed exhausted, dropping to the ground.
"Here, drink this." she comforted settling down next to him handing him a bottle of potion she had been carrying in her pocket.
"Thanks," he remarked gratefully taking the item from her.
He took a sip. "So now that they're gone, are we still heading for the church? I mean we might run into to them if we head there."
Taking the bottle from the older boy Marlene took a few large gulps herself before responding, "Well if we head home, we're sure to meet up with them there later so either way we're gonna have to deal with them. It's probably better if they chew us out while it's just the four of us at the church instead of us going home where we'll be embarrassed in front of everyone."
Denzel pondered that idea for a moment and he nodded his head in understanding.
"You're right. If we go back home we'll probably just end up in more trouble, so the church it is!" he exclaimed jumping up. Taking back the potion bottle, the boy wolfed down the rest of the health restoring liquid until there wasn't a single drop left. Then he grabbed a thin steel bar that was a little taller than himself and began parading around the younger girl.
"Mm!!" Marlene sounded her approval happily feeling the strength returning to her legs as she shot up excitedly.
Suddenly, a low growling reached the two children's ears and they stopped their little celebration to listen.
"Red…?" Marlene whispered feebly.
Denzel nervously glanced around before calling out in a stronger voice, "Red? Cait? Are you guys here?"
Next there was the clattering of metal and Denzel tackled Marlene to the ground right as a dark figure passed over them.
Quickly recovering Denzel looked back up in time to see the Shadow Creeper charging at them again. Still gripping the metal bar, Denzel jumped up and rushed to meet the beast. He successfully impaled the monster with the pointy end of his makeshift weapon and continued to stab at the beast until it was flat on the ground. Finally he jumped up and finished the monster off with a downward stab to its back. The creature let out a piercing squeal before dissolving into a thick black smoke that vanished into thin air.
Remembering Marlene was still huddled on the ground Denzel hurried back to her side.
"Marlene! Are you okay!? Are you hurt?" he ranted looking over her worriedly.
Slowly the young girl sat up and shook her head, giving a shaky smile. "I'm fine just a few scratches, that's all."
Relieved, Denzel sighed and patted her head with brotherly affection. "So long as you aren't bleeding then I'm happy. After all, I'd have a triple threat waiting at home to kill me if you were," he commented half jokingly, referring to Barrett, Tifa, and Cloud.
At this the two laughed when they heard a rustling sound and more low growls. They turned their backs to see several pairs of red eyes glaring at them from a pile of debris. Getting the hint this time around, the two children leapt up and started running.
"Wh-What do we do, Denzel!?" Marlene screamed trailing behind the older boy as they ran.
Grabbing her hand with his free one Denzel yelled back, "We'll stick to the plan. You said the church is a safe place. If we head there maybe big sis will protect us. Besides, if we go back to the city now we'll just be putting more people in danger."
And so hand in hand, the young boy and girl rushed madly for the church in the Sector 5 Slums where they hoped to be safe.
-------
Following just a little later behind the kids were Cait and Red. Red was on the verge of going berserk with frustration while Cait was trying to calmly fit together their next move. They soon found themselves in the same open space Denzel and Marlene had stopped in just moments before. Noticing the empty potion on the ground and some stab marks in the dirt the two stopped to investigate.
Jumping off of Red's head, Cait hurried over to the empty potion bottle and began to examine it. Red on the other hand made his way over to the stab marks in the dirt and started sniffing for clues, still greatly enraged. That rage was gone in an instant however when the fire red cat caught the scent of monsters. Confused and disturbed, Red sniffed the whole open space before coming to the horrible conclusion. With the feeling of anxiety now drowning out the fire of his anger, Red swiftly picked up Cait and tossed him on his back before charging along the scent trail left by the pack of shadow creepers.
Startled by his sudden course of action Cait Sith bitterly asked, "Oy man! What are you doin' now!? Can't you see I was examining a very important clue!?"
"What, the potion bottle? That doesn't matter Cait! It just shows that those kids needed a drink! My sense of smell tells me something much more urgent and if we don't hurry those kids will be nothing more than bleached bones in this sorry ruined city!! A big pack of, I'd say, fifteen shadow creepers is chasing after them!! They'll literally be sitting ducks unless we can catch up to them!!!" Red barked back.
Shocked with this new revelation Cait pulled out his megaphone from his belt and shouted, "HANG ON DENZEL, MARLENE!!!! CAIT SITH AND RED XIII ARE COMING TO RESCUE YOU!!!!!"
To that announcement Red let out another thunderous howl as he plowed on following the scent of the children and their tormenters.
-------
Deeper within the ruins of Sector 7 Zack and Aerith were digging through the wreckage in search of a bar of sorts for the healer to use as a weapon. Sadly their efforts were fruitless as Aerith was still without a weapon and the sun was already starting to set for the day.
Zack heaved a heavy sigh as he plopped down on a giant piece of metal tubing. "So much for finding a weapon…"
He glanced up at Aerith to see if she would show some kind of reaction to his complaint but the emerald eyed girl seemed not to have heard him. Instead she was looking up at the sky with a troubled expression crossing her usually serene face. Zack was about to ask her what was wrong when a glowing figure appeared before them.
"HIKARU?!?!?" Zack exclaimed shocked by her sudden appearance, slipping off his seat.
Aerith however didn't seem at all surprised by the Lifestream girl's appearance and instead she got directly to the point, "What's happened?"
Hikaru, glowing with the light of the Lifestream that made her appearance on the surface possible, uneasily responded, "It's those children that you are familiar with: Denzel and Marlene. They are in great danger and although the special WRO agents Nanaki and Cait Sith are hot on their tails, they won't nearly be enough to take on the fifteen shadow creepers that are hunting those children. Cosmos has sent me to warn you of this but she is not forcing you to take on any course of action since coming to their aid will mean revealing yourselves to them."
"So what are we supposed to do?" Zack urged on with deep concern in his voice.
"… It's Aerith's call. She knows them better than any of us. It is her choice whether she will rescue them or not." Hikaru answered looking back at the older girl. "What will you do?"
"… What does Cosmos have to say about me deciding to help them? What does she want me to do?" Aerith asked emotionlessly.
Hikaru sighed and replied, "You know how she is; she wants you to follow your heart."
At this the healer smirked before querying, "Do resurrected beings even have hearts that they can claim are truly their own?"
Now it was Hikaru's turn to smirk as she gave her response, "Don't be silly. Of course they have hearts that truly and rightfully belong to them. Each heart is unique; special. Your heart is yours in life and in death even if you claim to have left it elsewhere; that includes the people you have loved and have left."
Aerith turned her back on her two companions as a few tears rolled down her cheeks before she hastily brushed them away. When she turned to face them once more her signature smile was in place and she announced, "Well then I guess we better get going Zack. We don't want to keep them waiting. Besides, the old place won't last much longer if the people fighting there can't fight more gently."
Zack scratched the back of his head before nodding his agreement. "Right, let's get this show on the road!" he shouted pumping a fist into the air.
Hikaru giggled slightly before turning serious again. "Very well, I will report your decision to Cosmos," she stated with a determined look on her face which melted into a warm smile in the end. As the lights of the Lifestream danced around her in a whirlwind-like manner she managed to call out a loud 'good luck' before she disappeared.
*Sigh* "Alright Zack, it looks like we're going to meet up with some old friends after all. But please do me a favor and don't make a big deal out of it." Aerith pleaded.
"Heh, we'll see. This will be my first time meeting some of the new friends you made while I was away. Heh, I'm going to enjoy this." Zack commented chuckling with dark humor before speeding away in the direction of the church.
"Oh no… ZAAACCKK!!!!" Aerith groaned as she chased after him, already knowing she would have her work cut out for her when this was over.
-------
Just on the outskirts of the Edge/Midgar area, Cloud was making good time playing catch up with his friends on foot. He cursed venomously when he remembered that it would have been faster to get to Midgar on Fenrir, but he was against returning to the bar to retrieve it since at that time he was already passing the memorial statue in the square which meant that going back now would be a complete waste of time. As he passed from the new developments of Edge into the old city with its ruined buildings the spiky haired blond decided that he had made the correct decision to keep going on foot after all.
As he pressed on along the broken road he thought: Denzel, Marlene; I'm coming. Wait for me.
Sector 5 Slums
After a tiring run to escape the shadow creepers that followed close behind Denzel and Marlene had finally managed to shake the pack of monsters off their tail. It took a lot of stabbing, running, and some climbing but the two children were able to escape by stopping to take a few stabs at the head of the pack followed by more running while the rest of the group was distracted. When the pair had put some distance between the monsters and themselves, they climbed through piles of scrap metal until they were just a little ways in front of the church.
-pant- -pant- "Look—there it is!" Marlene cried exhausted, removing her hand from the older boy as she hunched over with her hands on her knees and sucked in deep gulps of air.
The moon became visible in the sky and somewhere not too far away the two children could hear the squeals of shadow creepers, calling out in anger and excitement.
When Denzel heard the noise he knew that they couldn't stay out there for long so he bent over and called, "Marlene get on my back! I'll give you a piggy-back ride to the church! We need to get inside before those shadow creepers find us!!"
The girl hesitated until the cries of the shadow creepers filled the air once more and the next moment she was on Denzel's back as he swiftly headed inside the church; the sounds of the shadow creepers drawing closer. Once the pair of children had made it safely inside the church they made their way over to the pool in which Denzel came to a sudden halt noticing that the giant Buster Sword was missing.
"Wha-?! Wh-Where's the Buster Sword?!" he exclaimed panicking.
But the boy did not have time to start searching the place for the next thing he knew he was falling into the pool while Marlene made her way to the ledge opposite the entry way. Annoyed, the boy shot up from the water and was about to give Marlene a good earful about pushing him into the pool when the low growling of a shadow creeper brought him back to his senses.
"DENZEL!! BEHIND YOU!!" Marlene screamed.
The boy ducked back into the water just missing the sweep of the shadow creepers' claw. He sprung back up with a good upward stab to the beasts' head using the steel bar he still carried. Pulling back the monster cried out in pain. Denzel used this opportunity to swim over to the ledge where Marlene watched terrified. He pulled himself up on the ledge and turned to see the rest of the pack filtering in wildly through the door. Now backed into a corner Denzel stood up ready to fend off those fiends when a pair of familiar friends came charging through the open gap in the side of the church and slamming into three of the shadow creepers at the front edge of the pool.
"OY! LISTEN HERE YOU HARD HEADED BRUTES! YOU ARE NOT TO HARM THIS WEE LASS AND LAD OVER THERE!! YOU WANT'TA PICK'A FIGHT?! YOU FACE CAIT SITH AND RED XIII RIGHT OVER HERE!!!!" Cait Sith announced loud and clear on his megaphone, standing on Red's backside as he tore the three shadow creepers beneath him to bits.
A cloud of thick black smoke puffed past Red and disappeared as one shadow creeper was defeated. The other two however knocked Red off of them and sent the two cats flying. Red landed in the water while Cait landed just on the edge of the pool's center facing the main entrance. The twelve shadow creepers in the walkway crouched down, poised to strike. The other two on Cait's left followed suit.
So fourteen creepers all together, eh? Heh, Red an' I can take on these rascals easy! Cait thought smugly.
"ALL RIIIGHT RED!!! LET'S ATTACK!!" Cait yelled into his megaphone as he charged to meet the first shadow creeper head on.
Red jumped out of the water to face the two shadow creepers that had thrown him off before but took a moment to shake the water from his coat while the two monsters drew near. As the water droplets touched them however the monsters shrank back and squealed violently, as though they had been burned.
"Oh? What's this?" Red murmured in surprise before he turned to the others and announced, "Hey kid! It looks like you can help out a bit after all! Soak your weapon in the water and use it on those creepers for an instant kill! Seems like this water hurts them! Marlene! Go and splash some of that water on yourself to repel those monsters from your spot!! We'll take it from here!!!"
"Marlene, do exactly what Red told you. I'm going to fight now, so I want you to stay here and be safe." Denzel ordered, dipping his steel bar into the water before joining in the frenzy.
"O-okay," was all she could stutter as she bent close to the water to splash herself with the protective liquid. I hope this works. She thought uncertainly.
Surprisingly the party of two cat-like creatures and the boy with limited fighting abilities did a good job fending off the fourteen shadow creepers. Red bit and tore at the creepers and Denzel swung and stabbed with his steel bar while Cait danced around enthusiastically shouting spells into his megaphone. It was only a matter of time until the fearsome swarm was reduced to only three shadow creepers, one for each fighter. Not wanting to drag out this battle an longer than it had Red pounced on his enemy and landed a fatal blow to the head. Cait finished his opponent soon after with a great Firaga spell.
A single shadow creeper stood facing off against Denzel in the church's doorway growling threateningly. In a flash it charged towards him but in one swift fluid motion he slashed at the squealing creature, sending it into oblivion.
"Bravo lad! Yeh've done it good an' right!" Cait cheered happily.
"I have to admit kid; the robot's got a point. Nice work taking out that creeper." Red approved nodding his head.
"Thanks…" Denzel murmured weakly as he turned to face them.
"OH! DENZEL YOU'RE HURT!" Marlene shrieked pointing at the gash on his right shoulder.
Now noticing the wound on the boy's shoulder the felines rushed to his aid. "Come on kid, get on." Red ordered.
"It's not that bad Red, you don't have to—" Denzel began but was cut off by Red.
"JUST GET ON BOY!!!" Red barked, irritated.
Reluctantly Denzel climbed onto Red's back as he carried him over to the ledge where Marlene sat quaking with worry, tears flooding her eyes. When Denzel had finally been set down on the ledge he was forced to lean against the wall as his injury was examined.
"Well lad I'll tel'ya one thing, you're very lucky that it's a small wound. I'll have you fixed up in no time." Cait finished when piercing squeals filled the air once more.
"More shadow creepers?!" Marlene cried alarmed.
"Damn it! They just keep coming in waves!" Red roared as he dove into the pool and jumped out on the other end. "Listen Cait, it sounds like there are even more of those creepers than before. At this rate, with the boy bleeding and the girl unable to fight, we're dead meat. Cait, I want you to stay by the kids and start casting spells at any of the creepers that get to close to you guys. I'll take down as many as I can here up front. We'll keep this up until all of them are wiped out and when that happens we'll make a run for it! Got it?!" the red cat explained as he attacked the first shadow creepers that came surging through the door.
"A-alright Red! We'll do that!" Cait called back fearfully.
"Cait, can't you just use a healing spell on me or a potion? I can still fight! See? I even have the steel bar." Denzel pleaded as he struggled to stand.
Cait shook his head and he headbutt the boy, forcing him back down. "Can't lad, sorry. Red an' I have no items on us right now an' the truth is I don't think it's such a good idea if we let you continue fighting right now. Just sit back and relax. Red an' I will take care of the rest, no problem."
But there was a problem. In moments both Cait and Red were overwhelmed by the sheer number of shadow creepers and they seemed to be fighting more fiercely than before. To top it all off, both felines were starting to lose their fighting edge as the battle raged on.
Can't… lose!! Red thought bitterly as he forced himself to keep standing.
Can't… carry on like this!! Cait thought tiredly as he forced his enemies back with another wave of blizzard spells.
A cloud blocked out the light of the moon overhead when suddenly Red collapsed just at the edge of the pool while shadow creepers eagerly crept up to the fire red cat only to jump back hissing at scent of the protective water that soaked his fur. Other shadow creepers quickly made their way over to the ledge where Cait immediately responded by casting wave after wave of Thunder spells. All seemed lost when a spiky haired person came crashing down from the ceiling, wiping out dozens of shadow creepers with the shockwave of the landing alone. His face shadowed by the cloudy sky, the spiky headed figure easily dispatched the confused shadow creepers with every swing of his hefty blade. By the time the cloud cover had passed by the church was clear of shadow creepers and the mysterious spiky haired savior stood in the shadows, his face hidden in the darkness.
"I know those spik'ey locks… CLOUD!! YEH'VE SAVED US ALL!!!" Cait cried in relief and joy as he started bounding towards the spiky haired man but was pulled back by the tail by Denzel.
"Wait…" Denzel uttered in a voice so low it was barely a whisper. "That's not Cloud."
"EH?! What in the world are yeh talking about lad? Of course he's Cloud! What other man do you know has hair that defies gravity like that, eh?" Cait objected doubting the child's words.
"He's right Cait, that guy isn't Cloud. He may look similar to Cloud but his scent is totally different. Cloud smells like motor oil and packages just like your average delivery boy. This guy smells like earth and, if I'm not mistaken, the lightest touches of Lifestream; like he's fresh out of a Mako shower." Red elaborated growling at the unknown person while he tried to force himself to stand again, only to fall back down with a 'thud'.
"RED!!! WHY YOU—IF YOU HURT RED I SWEAR I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!" Denzel started now standing, pointing the steel bar in warning.
"Denzel you shouldn't what if he—" but Marlene was unable to finish her sentence before Denzel began advancing on the intruder, even in his wounded state.
He was about to strike when the man thrust his blade in front of the boy's face, the sharpened tip just inches from his nose.
"HEY! DON'T PUSH IT, YOU! LOWER THAT SWORD BEFORE YOU INJURE HIM ANY FURTHER!!" a furious feminine voice ordered from the doorway. "Honestly Zack, I'm going to die of heart failure before I can finish what I came back here to do."
Zack??? Who the hell is that? And came back? Meaning she's been here before? Denzel thought curiously as the blade moved away from his face.
Hmm? That woman's voice… it sounds so familiar… Marlene discerned suspiciously.
"Hey! He's the one who started charging at me with the pointy end of that spear!" the male's voice, apparently Zack's, retaliated with fake hurt.
"Oh Red, are you okay? What am I saying—of course you're not okay you're struggling to stand as it is…" the concerned feminine voice questioned, ignoring Zack. "Here, let me help you out…"
Before the fire red cat could object green light shot out from the woman standing in the doorway and began to swirl around Red in a Curaga spell.
"J-Just who are you people?!" Red questioned, on the defensive after receiving help from the unknown woman.
"You don't remember me Red? I'm sad… we only knew each other for a short time but I thought that you would at least remember my voice," the woman commented sadly as she moved up the walkway toward the edge of the pool where the moonlight poured in. She was just about to step out and reveal herself, when the Zack man did so first by coming into the light while blocking her path. He was a tall man, taller than Cloud anyway, with long black spikes that stuck out on the back of his head. He wore what appeared to be an old SOLDIER- First Class uniform and he had his back to them so they had yet to see his front.
"Are you sure you want to do this? There's no turning back after this, Aer." Zack asked the woman seriously.
"Of course Zack, now will you please move? The boy is bleeding for crying out loud!" the woman assured, irritated, as she pushed Zack out of the way and stepped into the moonlight.
There was a collective gasp from the two feline creatures and children. Denzel gasped in awe at the woman's beauty but that did not seem to be the case with the other three.
"Great Cosmos! It can't be—!" Cait gasped.
"How?! Is it—is it really you?!?" Red stuttered.
"What's wrong with you guys—?" Denzel asked thoroughly confused.
Marlene stared silently at the woman after gasping for a brief moment before finally speaking:
"Big Sister?"
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A/N: Hellllloooooooooo!!! I know it's been a verrrrryy long time since the last chapter but, I'm baccckk (smiles from ear to ear)!! So sorry for taking soooooooo long on this update but I wanted to make sure everything was carefully planned out so I spent a lot of time gathering information for the story. Cait Sith and Red XIII (Nanaki) finally made their appearance this chapter so I had to make sure I accurately presented their characters. I was taking forever editing things too since my own sis' kept on giving me all these pointers (ugh) but I'm really grateful for all of her "creative criticism" since it definitely feels like I accomplished more this chapter. A little heads up for the following chapter (which I have no idea when it will come up) I have plans of introducing another, err let's just say, "deity" who will also play a very important role in the story. There will be an update on the status of things on Sephiroth's end as well as Cloud and the gang. Again sorry for taking so long but here it is, thanks for reading!!!! And Happy New Year!!