March 7 Me: (sigh) I can't believe I leave tomorrow…
Lloyd: huh? Aren't you really excited?
Me: Yeah of course but I guess I was caught a little off guard at how fast the week went by. Oh well, I've got my supply of Amp and Monster ready for the bus ride down and plenty of Swedish Fish to keep up the sugar rush to drive the 1st years insane. And then while they sleep, (evil grin) I've brought Duck Tape and a permanent marker.
Lloyd: Thank mana I'm not going on the trip!
Me: Hey! The 2nd years did that to us last year and now it's our turn to torture people!
Lloyd: You're enjoying this too much…
Me: Just the way I am I guess. Anyways, I decided this would be another flashback cause I need to hurry through them and I want to stall Eria's reveal as long as I can but I'll probably put the chapter up after I get back from Florida if I'm not too tired so …yeah.
Lloyd: (sigh) why do you seem kinda hyper like you've had sugar or something?
Me: Oh I was mixing Monster, Red Jack, and Rip It this morning and it's still in my system. As my friend AJ says, "We were playing 'Shots'"
Lloyd: OK…can we get going now?
Me: Darn it! I can't get "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes" out of my head! It's one of the few good songs on "Take this to Your Grave" and I can't stop singing it! "And when it all goes to hell, will you be able to tell, I'm sorry with a straight face." It's almost as bad as when I had "Haruka Kanata" in my head and that was in Japanese!
Lloyd: That is bad…
Me: (sigh) I know… OH! Yeah! "Finding a Good Man"! I love that song! The vid is so funny too!
Lloyd: (sigh) Why me?
Me: "To the liars and the cheaters and the cold mistreaters, to the momma's boys who can't make a stand, TO the superficial player, and the love-ya-too some sayers, if you hear me girls raise your hands!"
Lloyd: …
Me: Sorry…um… On with the story!
Lloyd: Jen Rem doesn't own ToS or FF. Only Tiamatt, The Oblivion Blade, Eria, and Ash.
"I can't believe we just had to fight in the Battle Arena to get the Keystone." Cloud sighed as Aeris held the gold orb carefully.
"At least that was all we had to do." Tifa added.
"So now that we got the damn stone, what are we suppose to do?" Cid asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.
"We'll need to take the Tiny Bronco to the Temple of the Ancients." Tiamatt answered. "I suggest we leave now."
"Well aren't you just rearin' to go." Barret laughed.
"Sephiroth is there. I must try to help him regain his senses." The Cetra replied, turning to glare at the entire group. "If any of you try to stop me then I will have no choice to kill you."
"Tiamatt, we said we'd give you a chance just…be careful." Aeris gave a reassuring smile.
"Yeah kid, if he really means that much to ya then go for it." Cid encouraged.
"Thank you." Tiamatt bowed her head slightly in thanks. "I believe the Temple is to the south in a forest."
"Don't you guys think you should get a good nights rest before you confront Sephiroth?" Cait Sith asked, hopping in front of Cloud who was starting to head for the exit of the Gold Saucer. "It's is starting to get late and you are gonna need all your energy."
"Cait has a point." Yuffie agreed with a yawn. "Besides, I'm beat." Cloud sighed but nodded as he realized the rest of the group was also exhausted.
"Alright but we leave in the morning." The swordman sighed.
"…"
"Don't worry Tiamatt. We can get there tomorrow for sure." Tifa smiled, putting a hand on the older woman's shoulder.
"…Sephiroth…" Tiamatt whispered sadly as she gave in to the group's decision. "Please hold on…"
"I know the people at the inn so you should be able to stay for free." Cait cried cheerfully as he led the group through the amusement park to the Haunted Inn. "It's also couples night so the rides are free to all couples."
Tifa glanced quickly at Cloud before looking away, face red as the others nodded and Tiamatt's face fell even more.
"Don't worry kid." Cid said as he pat the woman on the back. "Everything will work out."
"Whatever…" Tiamatt replied, brushing the man's hand away and walking into the inn to get a room.
"Maybe we should have gone." Yuffie muttered as the group saw the ex-Turk disappear into a room.
Tiamatt closed the door behind her and sat down on the bed. She sighed as she pulled the pendent out from under her shirt and looked at it sadly as she remembered the promise Sephiroth had made. She stared it for hours, hearing the others talk below her in the main hall before they retired for the night. Finally she grasped the pendent tightly and stood up, grabbing her weapon and supplies before quietly leaving the inn…
The next morning…"I'm sorry." Cait said sadly, both the heads of the moggle doll and his own automatronic cat doll bowed. "I was doing only what I was instructed to do."
"I can't believe you work for Shinra." Barret growled, good hand clinched in a fist.
"Please forgive me." Cait Sith asked.
"You gave them the damn Keystone! Now you're asking us to forgive your Shinra ass?!" Cid swore loudly.
"Please. I won't betray you again. I can help you." The doll begged.
"…I guess we can give you another chance but one more mistake…" Cloud glared.
"I understand." Cait replied happily. The others looked at Cloud but nodded in agreement.
"Where is Tiamatt?" Red asked suddenly, finally realizing the Cetra was missing.
"Maybe she slept in?" Barret said, looking around.
"I believe I heard someone leave late last night." Vincent stated, finally joining the conversation.
"You don't think she…" Aeris started, looking worried.
"Dammit! She better not have not taken the Tiny Bronco!" Cid yelled as he sprinted out of the building towards the cable car with every else close behind.
The group rushed down to the coast and sighed with relief at the sight of the down airplane. However, Tiamatt's disappearance raised some questions. Cloud and the others knew what they needed to do though and loaded the plane for the Temple of the Ancients.
Upon arrival, they spotted a cloaked man muttering about Sephiroth being inside. Rushing in, the group found an injured Tseng, who gave them the Keystone as he told them they would find both Sephiroth and Tiamatt further in, though Tiamatt had entered just moments before their arrival. Sure enough, as the group entered the maze of the temple, the ex-Turk Cetra stood nearby, surveying the landscape.
"Tiamatt, how did you get here?" Cloud asked as the woman turned towards them.
"Let's just say I have connections…" she replied simply, turning back to the maze and stepping up to the edge of the ledge.
"Are you suicidal or something?" Barret cried, wide eyed.
"Don't tell us you're thinking of jumping?" Tifa added as she approached Tiamatt to pull her away from the edge.
"…I was hoping to hide what I have become but…" Tiamatt muttered, looking back over her shoulder. "This is the quickest way to Sephiroth."
Tiamatt leapt off the edge, diving headfirst towards the ground below as the others watched in horror. The ground approached fast but before the Cetra could impact the ground, large, scaled wings erupted from her shoulders and pulled her to a low horizontal position. Cloud and the others watched in shock and amazement as she flew nimbly through the arches before disappearing into a doorway.
"Let's follow her." Cloud ordered, running down the stairs and through the maze in an attempt to follow Tiamatt.
They raced after the flying Cetra but continuously had to stop because of obstacles. Halfway through, the group reached an area where a hologram like screen showed the other Turks be defeated by Sephiroth and Tiamatt finally enter the last chamber.
"Do you think she'll succeed?" Aeris asked as the hologram began to repeat itself.
"I don't know." Cloud replied watching it over again.
"What did the Shinra turn Tiamatt into?" Cid growled, clutching his fist.
"…" Vincent stared at the winged woman, thinking of the past. "We should continue on."
The final Chamber…"Sephiroth, please stop this!"
"Why do you fight Mother's wishes, my love?" Sephiroth cooed, taking a step towards Tiamatt. "She will allow us to be together if you would only help her."
"Seph, Jenova is not 'Mother'. She killed my people and you're asking me to help her destroy the world we've worked so hard to build. Please help me stop her." She begged as Sephiroth continued to approach.
"Tiamatt…she will fix everything." Tiamatt shuddered as the demented man brushed his cold fingers across her cheek.
"Please come back to me." The Cetra asked. "Let the real Sephiroth return." Sephiroth looked shocked by her words and took her hands.
"Am I not the man you love?"
"You've changed since the day in the reactor." She could look at him as she answered but neither did she pull her hands from his. "I… I thought …the promise…"
Tiamatt could feel hot tears begin to slide down face and heard each drop hit the floor as she continued to look down. But strange cries and the removal of Sephiroth's hands caused her to look up. The tall man was now clutching his head trying to regain total control of himself. Finally, his hands dropped to his sides and he looked up with green yet normal eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"Sephiroth…you fought back…" Tiamatt said, eyes filling with hope.
"It's only temporary. Jenova won't give up easily." He replied with a small but sad smile. "I think… if you can find my real body then maybe we can both be rid of her but…"
"Real body? What do you mean?"
"This is only of piece of Jenova, herself, that has mutated to my shape and image that my consciousness can inhabit. My real body is incased in materia at the center of the Northern Cave. Be cautious though." Sephiroth warned. He suddenly flinched and grabbed his head again. "You need to leave this place!"
"Seph…I don't want to leave without you…"
"You fool! If she gets you then there's no hope. Go now!" Sephiroth screamed.
"Tiamatt!" the woman turned to she the others rush into the room.
"They've returned again Mother." Everyone looked at the caped man, whose arms hung loose at his side as he stood in a slightly hunched position and began laughing.
"Sephiroth! Snap out of it!" Tiamatt cried, grabbing his shoulders.
"Will she help us Mother? Will she aid us in our plan?" Sephiroth muttered, lifting his head slightly to look at Tiamatt with piercing green eyes through his long silver hair. She yelped and leapt away towards the group as he laughed.
"What are you talking about? What plan?" Cloud snapped, sword drawn. "Tell us now!"
"How impatient. But I guess if you want to know so bad then I can tell you." Sephiroth stood straight up and approached a wall that should a meteor approaching the planet. "The Ultimate Destructive Magic, Meteor. With it, Mother shall take back this planet."
"Meteor? But that will destroy the planet and everyone on it!" Aeris cried in alarm.
"Foolish girl. How else can Mother purify this polluted world?" Sephiroth grinned as he approached an alter with a model of the Temple. "All we need is the Black Materia."
Sephiroth suddenly disappeared leaving the group to comfort a saddened Tiamatt and study Sephiroth's words. After looking at the model of the temple, they learned the materia was the temple itself and anyone trying to steal it would be crushed as it shrunk.
"…I do it. I'll stay behind." Cait said after a moments dispute of how to retrieve the materia to insure Sephiroth wouldn't get his hands on it. "It's my fault this happened. Besides, my body is just a doll. I won't truly die."
"Are you sure?" Cloud asked as Cait Sith jumped up to the alter.
"Don't worry. I have it covered." The doll smiled as he examined the model. "You just get everyone else out safely."
"Thank you." Cloud said as he turned and began to lead the remaining group out of the temple.
However, a monster known as Monster Wall blocked the exit. Everyone fought hard in attempt to escape quickly but Wall cast Reflect and Barrier to protect itself and only after a long, tiring battle did it finally accept defeat. And just in time, as everyone stood in front of the temple, the build shook and shrunk till all that remained was a small black orb.
"I'll go get it." Cloud said as he leapt down the sides of the pit towards the materia, but something was wrong. As he grabbed the orb, Sephiroth appeared again and Cloud went rigid. His eyes clouded over and he began to walk towards the deranged man in black with the Materia in hand.
"Cloud!" Aeris cried as Sephiroth took the offered Black Materia from Cloud's hand and vanished once more. Cloud staggered a moment, eyes clearing before his lids closed and he fell face first to the ground…
Me: Sorry everyone bout the whole 'was gonna put up before I left' thing. I really didn't have time but now this is done and I'm home once again. No more fire ant! No more hard ground! No more leaky tent! No more 30 hours bus rides! (though I do want to go next year!)
Lloyd: did you enjoy you're trip?
Me: What? Of coarse! It was Florida! The only thing is that I want to go back to Key Largo so I can Dive Molasses Reef again and also Devil's Den. Man, the pics from DD are insane. They look like paintings of space or something. Not a dive site.
Lloyd: I don't know half of what you said but at least you enjoyed it.
Me: It was so cool! I received
Marine Mammal Rescue Training from the Marine Mammal conservancy and
got to feed a manatee! I also had a Green Sea Turtle (endangered
species) approach me with we dove at Molasses Ledge. Oh and the
Florida Aquarium in Tampa was awesome. Same with Mote's Marine Lab
and The Turtle Hospital in Marathon Key. And you can't forget
Believe at Sea World!
Lloyd: Wow that's a lot!
Me: And that's not everything. Oh well. Enough of my blabbering. Read and review please. I still want to know what people think of Eria so reviews on her are most welcome. Thanks!