Me: Three more days! Three more days! Three more days!
Lloyd: What in mana are you mumbling about?
Me: No more snow, or ice, or blizzards! No more swim practice! No more school! Just ocean breezes and white sand beaches!
Lloyd: Is that the trip you won't shut up about?
Me: Not my fault I'm excited about Florida. I can't wait to get back to Key Largo and dive Shark's Ledge again! That was an awesome reef! And Devil's Den sounds cool too! I'm sooooo ready for it!
Lloyd: I can tell…
Me: I hope Thursday comes quickly! The only bad part is its 28 hours down on a school bus but oh well.
Lloyd: um… aren't you suppose to be writing the story?
Me: Huh? Oh yeah! Sorry people but I'm just really excited about this trip. I mean its 17 days in Florida. Not much beats that!
Lloyd: Yeah yeah, just get on with the story. I want to find out more about those Remnant people and Eria.
Me: Ha! Too bad this is a Flashback chapter!
Lloyd: What?! (sigh) oh well. Guess its better than nothing.
Me: You bet. Especially cause this will probably be the last chapter I get up till I get home on the 24th.
Lloyd: (sigh) OK. Jen Rem doesn't own ToS or FF. Only Tiamatt, the Oblivion Blade, Ash, and Eria.
Tiamatt was silent as the group moved through the Nibelhiem Mountains. Her sense of unease felt by everyone as they got closer and closer to the Mako Reactor that they had to pass by to get to Rocket Town.
"I want to get out of this area as quickly as possible." The Cetran ex-Turk said, flinching as an odd feeling entered the back of her mind and she began to get a headache.
"Huh? Why is that?" Barret asked.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Tiamatt replied, shaking her head as the pain increased and an all to familiar voiced whispered in her ear.
My Reunion…come to me…"Tiamatt?" Aeris asked in concern as she saw the other Cetra put a hand to her head as a pained expression clouded her face. Vincent and Cloud gave the woman curious looks.
"Make it stop." Tiamatt cringed, now holding her head in both hands.
"Tiamatt?" Cait said as the woman fell to her knees.
My Reunion…you…your powers…"Why can't you leave me alone?!"
"What's goin' on?" Barret asked
"I don't know." Yuffie answered as Tiamatt continued to have the breakdown. "Huh? Cloud are you ok?"
Cloud now wore a strange pained expression on his face as the same voice that spoke to Tiamatt, spoke to him.
My Reunion…it is…coming…you…you shall…be mine…"No!" Tiamatt screamed, pain racking her entire body as the Calamity fought for control.
"Tiamatt! Snap out of it!" Tifa yelled, grabbing the ex-Turks shoulders as she screamed in pain before finally going limp as she lost consciousness.
"What was that about?" Yuffie asked as Tifa helped Tiamatt lie flat on the ground.
"She was…arguing with someone." Everyone turned to look at Cloud. "It was something about a reunion."
"…I believe I have heard that before. But why did the two of you hear it?" Vincent asked, finally speaking up.
"Could it have something to do with the experiment's Tiamatt said she's been through?" Red asked.
"Possibly." Cloud shrugged. "But why did I hear it?"
"Cloud, have you ever heard of Jenova?" Vincent asked the swordsman.
"You talkin' bout that head monster that carved up the Shinra building?" Barret asked.
"Is that where it was last located?"
"Yeah, but why don't we talk about this after we get out of these mountains and set up camp." Cloud suggested.
"That sounds fair." Cait Sith piped, sounding worried with the mention of Jenova and of a reunion in the same conversation. "But how are we going to get her down the mountain?"
"I'd carry her down but can't really hold much with one hand, you know." Barret said.
"…I suppose I can carry her." Vincent sighed. "I have the least to carry anyways."
"Will Tiamatt be ok?" Aeris asked as Vincent picked the unconscious woman up.
"Don't worry Aeris. She'll be fine." Tifa smiled reassuringly. "She just needs some rest."
"Don't worry miss." Cait added as they began to move through the mountains once again.
Several Hours later…
The group had made it out of the mountains without much difficulty and was now sitting around a fire, filling Vincent, Cait Sith, and Yuffie in on the events of the Shinra HQ. Vincent went deep into thought as he learned of their own individual missions, including Tiamatt's, who had only recently regained consciousness. When he asked the former Shinra employee of her history, she closed up and refused to speak, causing curiosity to form in everyone's mind.
"My past is no ones business other then my own." Tiamatt replied very coldly, as Yuffie asked why she wouldn't speak. "I will tell you only that I doubt any of you could've survived what I've been through."
"Tiamatt, maybe if you tell us, we can help you feel better." Aeris offered.
"Humph, sometimes I still think it would have been better to die than live on as what I am now." Tiamatt muttered.
"What do you mean, "what you are now"?" Cloud asked.
"Nothing… just leave me alone." The Cetra ex-Turk replied, standing up and walking away from the group.
"hmm…"
"What's ya think about Vincent?" Barret asked the capped man.
"…it's nothing." The gunman replied, wrapping his cape tightly around him.
"Well, we should all try to get some sleep while we can." Cloud suggested, adding more wood to the fire. "We're moving out early."
Everyone except for the still absent Tiamatt soon fell asleep under the stars as the fire crackled happily. When they woke up, Tiamatt had returned and actually seemed happy as they journeyed towards Rocket Town. Upon entering the town, Tiamatt told the group of someone who might help them as they had just gathered news of Sephiroth being somewhere across the sea.
"He's an old friend of mine." The Cetra smiled as the group approached a house. "I'm sure he'll help us."
"Is he that 'Captain' guy everyone here keeps telling us to see?" Cloud asked.
"Should be." Tiamatt replied, knocking on the door of the house. "Shera! Cid! You guys home?"
"Who is it?" a familiar red haired woman asked as she came to the door and paused at the sight of Tiamatt's return. "Tiamatt! You're alive! I thought the Shinra had captured you!"
"Well, they kinda did." The woman replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I'm through with Shinra now. Um, anyways, I was wondering if I could ask a favor?"
"Sure. Why don't you and you're friends come in?" Shera said cheerfully. "Would you like some tea?"
"No thank you." Everyone replied at once causing Shera to laugh.
"Anyways, I was wondering if Cid might have some way for us all to get across the ocean?" Tiamatt asked.
"Hmm… I'm not sure. You'd have to ask him." Shera replied. "He should be at the rocket."
"The rocket? I thought they launched it?" Tiamatt cried in shock as the others just watched in amazement at the change in character. "What happened?"
"It was my fault. I screwed up the launch and after that, Shinra cut down of profits for the space program." Shera answered sadly.
"That's too bad." Tiamatt mumbled, as she looked out the window to see the rocket that now sat at a dangerous angle. "I would love to study the mechanical aspects of the rocket."
"I didn't know you like technology." Tifa said, as she and the others also looked at the rocket.
"It's just a hobby." The Cetra shrugged, moving towards the door. "Let's go meet up with Cid."
The group made their way to the rocket, where sure enough, the foulmouthed blonde was standing inside the ship, daydreaming of space.
"Are you the Captain?" Cloud asked as he approached the pilot.
"Yeah but what's it to ya?" Cid replied, snapping out of his daydream.
"Just thought we'd ask a favor?" Tiamatt piped in with a smirk. Cid's eyes widened in shock and his mouth fell open, causing his cigarette to fall from his mouth.
"I can't believe it. You can't possibly be the half staved squirt I saved seven years ago!" Cid gawked. "How the hell did you escape?"
"That's a long story." Tiamatt replied, once again rubbing the back of her neck. "I was wondering though, do you have some why for all of use to get across the ocean?"
Cid sighed and lit another cigarette. " Sorry but…the Tiny Bronco the only thing I have left and she's my pride and joy. I can't let you use it nor that bastard Rufus."
"Rufus? He was here?" Cloud snapped.
"Nah. But he should be here soon." The pilot replied, blowing out smoke. "Let's get back to my place to talk and catch up."
Soon the group was once again back at Cid's but the conversation didn't get far as the blades of the Shinra chopper sounded outside.
"Quick! Everyone out back!" Shera hissed, pushing the group into the back yard where a Shinra executive stood, attempting to steal the small aircraft.
"Well if it isn't the traitor and the criminals." Palmer chimed.
"Palmer! What are you doing here?" Tiamatt snapped.
"Mr. President wants this plane and I am getting it for him." The large man laughed.
"Not if we can help it!" Cloud yelled, pulling out the Buster Sword and intitating a battle.
Palmer went down rather easily as Vincent shot him in the leg causing the man to stumble and moan in pain. However, the Shinra executive had enough time to start the engines of the Tiny Bronco so without hesitation, the group jumped on board and swung around to grab Cid. Unfortunately, as they did so, Shinra soldiers shot at the plane, causing the craft to crash in the ocean, it's only use was now as a raft.
"Dammit! Look what you did to my plane!" Cid screamed as they rode the plane to a beach near the Gold Saucer.
"We're sorry but…" Cloud started.
"But what? You ruined my fucking plane! How the hell are you gonna fix it!?" Cid barked.
"Cid, We're truly are sorry." Tifa added.
"I'll help you rebuild it after we're done." Tiamatt promised.
"…Fine." The pilot sighed. "I'm keepin' ya to your promise kid." Tiamatt nodded in reply.
"So what gonna do now?" Barret asked.
"I heard Sephiroth was heading to a place called the Temple of the Ancients." Cait Sith piped.
"True, but you need the Keystone to get in." Aeris nodded.
"So where's this Keystone?" Yuffie asked, twirling her shuriken lazily.
"Dio at the Gold Saucer has an entire museum devoted to odd things. Maybe we should check it out." Tifa suggested, remembering the first trip to the Gold Saucer.
"Then what are we waiting for folks? Let's get moving!" Cid yelled, marching towards the desert.
The group couldn't make it back the Saucer by nightfall so camped outside North Corel where they would take the gondola back to the amusement park.
"So how'd you manage to escape the Shinra? I know they were searching all over for you kid." Cid asked Tiamatt as they at dinner.
"I managed to evade them for a couple months but then they sent Sephiroth after me. If they had sent anyone else, I would've been killed or turned in on the spot but he tried to protect me." Tiamatt replied quietly as everyone listened in.
"Why were you fleeing from the Shinra in the first place?" Red asked, shaking his mane.
"…I …I escaped from a Mako Reactor." The Cetra whispered. "In fact it was the Nibelhiem reactor. I was the only survivor."
"I've heard of this experiment. Hojo believed that the exposure would increase one's natural abilities and cause materia to form within the body itself." Vincent stated.
"So what happened after you were caught again?" Tifa asked.
"…more experiments…ones that I'd prefer not the talk about…" Tiamatt said quietly, looking at her hands and clinching them into fist as she remembered the first transformation. "Hojo will pay for what he has turned me in to."
"…"
"Hey Cait Sith, what are you thinking about?" Yuffie asked the automatron doll.
"Nothing. Just that…It has to be hard to life with that pain." Cait replied sadly.
"…I wish everyday I had died, then… none of this would have happened. Sephiroth never would have…" Tiamatt trailed off. "It's all my fault. I should have died."
"What are you talkin' about kid?" Cid asked, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Nothing your fault."
"you don't understand… If I hadn't been at the reactor that day five years ago, Sephiroth would have never found Jenova. If I had able to fight back none of this would have happened."
"…Five years ago…" Cloud muttered quietly. "I…think I remember. Sephiroth gave you a necklace didn't he?" Tiamatt looked at the swordsman, in shocked that he remembered that of all things.
"How did you remember that?"
"You were so excited about it. You must of showed it to everyone in town." Cloud laughed at the memory. "You kept saying it was his promise to you or something like that." The Cetra blushed as she grasped the pendent tightly.
"Hm…" Vincent looked at the pendent and thought about what Cloud had just said.
"I can see why you still have hope." Aeris said with a smile. "Maybe it will work out."
"And your talking about the same guy you guys are chasing down right?" Cid asked, scratching his head.
"Yeah. Believe it or not." Cloud sighed. "Well, everyone get some rest. We're leaving in the morning."
Me: (sigh) Long but oh well, like I said, it well probably be the last thing I put up though I was considering revealing Eria's true identity but… I might just make you all suffer. Especially you Chris cause you're oh so fun to torture. (big evil grin) Pain in others is fun, especially mental pain!
Lloyd: I can't wait till she leaves…
Me: What did you say!?
Lloyd: Nothing!
Me: …Fine…Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle! I want to ride my bicycle! I want to ride my bike! I want to ride my bicycle! I want to ride it where I like!
Lloyd: …not more singing…
Me: The DA is addressing the lines, in the mirror he's practicing all his lines, to his closing argument, 12 hearts beat in favor, I'm guessing that he read the morning paper, the headline reads that the man hangs but the jury don't read…
Lloyd: How does she go from Queen to Fall Out Boy?
Me: Wellllll! Klye's mom's a bitch! She's a big fat bitch! She's the biggest bitch in the whole wide world!
Lloyd: WHAT!!??
Me: Sorry. I'm bored yet hyper so pardon the random songs. Umm….Please review! (to self) I wonder where Rebirth been? I haven't received a review from them for a while…