A call
Kat woke up early getting up she saw her blue kimono had been washed and the rip had been stitched up. Aya was still asleep when Kat walked down stairs. The crisp morning air helped Kat wake up. On her way to the gardens Kat stopped at room 13. She hadn't noticed how much she had started to like having the final fantasy characters around her all the time. Continuing on Kat slid the door to the gardens open. Putting on some slippers she continued on following the stepping stones. The gardens had a thin layer of fog that formed from the steam that came off the open air baths. Kat found her way back to the small lake that she had been lead to by Aya the other day. Around the edges of the lake there was a thin layer of ice promising the cold winter to come. Kat walked out into the lake making sure to not slip off the stepping stones. Stopping at the large stone at the end of the path Kat looked in the water at the koi fish. They swam around the large stone expecting food. At times they even came up to the surface with large toothless mouths open to receive their food. Kat knelt down next to the water and watched the koi fish through her rippling refection.
"They're so pretty." Kat said to herself.
"Yes they are." Vincent's deep voice replied.
Kat looked up to see the gun slinger in the Bath house kimono standing next to her.
"Hi Vincent." Kat said standing up strait.
"Good morning." he replied.
"I thought you were asleep."
"Hmm no, I don't really sleep."
"Oh, so I guess you herd me walking out then?"
"Yes. I figured that you might want to talk to someone." Kat noticed that even though Vincent was looking at the koi fish he was smiling slightly.
"About last night, I'm sorry that I ran into you like that. I am just really scared of foxes."
"That's alright. But I have a question for you."
"Um.. Ok."
"Why are you in Tokyo all alone? Why aren't you with your parents?"
Kat looked down at the water.
"Because, they are dead, they died when I was 13. After they died I moved in with my aunt and uncle in Osaka. When I entered high school they told me that my parents wanted me to go to Tokyo U. some day. My parents had saved up enough money to pay for my tuition, and enough to pay for an apartment. My aunt took the money that went to my apartment spending it on drinks she kicked me out of her house. Then I moved to Tokyo so I could go to Tokyo U." Vincent was looking at Kat now and said.
"That is sad, Kat, is that why you summoned us to this world? Because you are alone?"
"Vincent I don't know how you three got here. There is no such thing as magic. So why do you three think that I summoned you here?"
"I'm sorry, I guess we just thought that because we appeared in the world around you."
There was a long pause.
"Maybe I am lonely. With no friends or family, I guess that I am alone." Kat leaned against Vincent.
"We are here for you." He said softly to Kat.
-back at the bath house-
Aya was sitting in the front room sipping a cup of tea. Jasmine incense sticks were burning. Cloud walked out of room 13 and walked over to Aya who was still drinking her tea haply.
"Where is Kat?" Cloud asked rubbing his eyes. Aya set her tea down and said.
"Kat is out in the gardens, Vincent is with her."
"I never knew Vincent to be this caring." Cloud said taking the tea cup and taking a sip. Cloud nearly spat up the tea.
"What is this!" He asked setting the cup down. Aya looked mad at him.
"That is sage tea, it is very strong and wakes me up."
"I don't see how you can drink that."
"Well if you had just asked for a cup instead of taking mine then I could have told you what kind of tea it is!"
Sephiroth walked out of the room and said.
"Will you two shut up? Your going to wake everyone here."
Aya took the chance to smack Cloud across the back of the head when he turned to look at Sephiroth.
"Hey! That hurt!" Cloud complained.
"Wimp" Aya retorted.
Kat and Vincent walked in from the gardens.
"Where have you two been?" Sephiroth asked.
"Out in the gardens." Kat replied looking at Cloud who was rubbing the back of his head.
"Kat, don't you have a cat?" Aya asked.
"Ya we should probably head back. I'm sure Chi is pissed that I wasn't there last night."
The four of them went back to Kat's apartment. Chi greeted them at the door with little meows.
"Hey Chi, sorry I left you here alone." Kat said walking in and filling Chi's bowl.
"Kat you have some messages." Cloud said. He was standing by the phone. Kat walked over and listened to the message machine as it read out Kat's messages.
"You have 3 unheard messages. First message…. Kat sweetheart! This is you auntie calling to see if you wanted to come out for the holidays. I guess you must be studying for your exams I'll call back later. Love ya!….Second message…. Kat honey pick up the phone I know how much you are studying but I really want to talk to you. I'll call back later!…Third message… Kat sweetie I mailed you plane tickets, and I talked with you teachers, so you can come home for the holidays! Isn't that great? See you tomorrow!…End of messages replay press 1 delete press 2 to save it in the archive press 3" Kat pressed 2 there was a loud beep then all way silent.
"I'm not going." Kat said her finger still on the phone.
"They are you family Kat, you should go." Cloud said.
"I wont go, that's that I will not go." Kat walked over to the counter and grabbed her keys. She walked out of the room and down the hallway to the mail boxes.
"Cloud, you can't make her go if she doesn't want to." Vincent said.
"Vincent has a point, wouldn't it be her parents that would call to tell her that she had plane tickets in her mail box?" Sephiroth said.
"Her parents are dead, her aunt is the one taking care of her now."
"Vincent how do you know that?"
"She told me."
"She has been attaching to you most of all. Be careful not to upset her."
"We would all do well not to upset her."
The door to the apartment opened again and Kat walked back in with her mail. She tossed the plane tickets in the trash then flipped through the rest of her mail. Setting down the mail with a slap she walked over to the phone and dialed a number,
"Aunt, I appreciate the fact that you bought me those plane tickets but they never showed up. Yes I know they were expensive. I also called to tell you that I'm not coming out…I have work, I am behind on my rent for this month. What! Your coming out then, but I am going to be working all through break. I don't have room, I know there is a guest room but I changed it. But!" Kat slammed down the phone. And yelled
"Great now they are coming out! I don't have room for them!" Kat stomped off to her room slamming to door behind her.
"Damn she is scary when she's mad." Cloud said looking over at the door to Kat's room.
"Wouldn't you be mad if you were over due on your rent payments? And you had to supply food for your family along with three guys?" Sephiroth said leaning against the wall."
"I could understand why she is so pissed." Cloud said, he was now sitting on the couch.
"We should do something to get some Gil for her. It is the least we can do for her."
"Ya, but what can we do?"
"Well we can start at the game shop she works at."
"Ok-" There was a loud bang from Kat's room followed by cussing.
"Lets go, now." Cloud said as another bang came from Kat's room.
The three still in their character clothing walked outside of the apartment complex. They walked to the game shop. Some girls were walking out grumbling about the final fantasy characters not being there. Walking in the shop John yelled at Cloud.
"There you are! We have lost so many customers ever!" he paused looking at Vincent and Sephiroth with shock. Then asking.
"Where is Kat? And why are you three here alone?"
"Kat's family is coming out and she is behind on her rent. We came here hoping there is some way for us to get Gil." Sephiroth said.
"Holy shit you guys are from Final Fantasy aren't you?"
" Did you not hear Kat when she said I was from final fantasy?" Cloud asked looking a little pissed.
"Ok, Ok I'm sorry will you please just go out front and get people to come." John asked desperately. Mr. Soma walked to the front of the shop. He was stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the Final Fantasy characters.
"You are Kats friends right?"
"Ya" Sephiroth said looking at Kats employer.
"I herd you from the back. If you guys just work today and tomorrow I'll pay you."
"Alright, then we will work here." Vincent said walking out the door and standing next to the door. Cloud went by the front desk. While Sephiroth stayed by the door way. Before long the shop was getting packed with Final Fantasy fans. All three of them felt like idiots at the time. They were talking to people getting them to buy games and movies. At 3:00 Mr. Soma and everyone else was getting people to buy the stuff they wanted and getting them out of the store. Final at four-o-clock the store was closed and the costumers gone. Mr. Soma was sitting in a chair he had brought from the back room. Sitting in it he looked a little crazy and said.
"You guys are excellent. We have never had so many sales for the holidays before."
"At least the costumers weren't trying to mug you." Cloud said. He had gone behind the counter so people wouldn't surround him.
"Practically everything was sold!" Mr. Soma walked to the back leaving John and the final fantasy characters in the front.
"You guys know that it is Christmas eve right?"
"Christmas?" Sephiroth asked sitting down in the chair that Mr. Soma was sitting in moments ago.
"It's a holiday, you give gifts to the people you care about or are living with."
"eh?…" Cloud looked at Sephiroth and Vincent.
" You guys really must be from a game not to know this."
"So you are saying that this Christmas is a holiday, where gifts are given out. We don't have any gifts for anyone." Vincent said.
"Come on, you guys aren't going to buy anything for Kat? You don't get it, Kat hates this time of year because everyone is always so happy while she cant be."
"What are you talking about?"
"Kat's parents died on Christmas day, she hasn't had a good Christmas since that happened."
"Well we are going to change that." Cloud said with a determined look in his eyes.
"it's the least we can do." Sephiroth said.
"I agree." Vincent put in.
"So, now that that's settled what are you going to get her?" John asked.
There was a long silence.
"Um, we don't know what she likes."
Mr. Soma walked out from the back holding four envelops. He handed one to each of the final fantasy characters, and one to John.
"There is your pay for the day."
"Thanks sir."
The four walked out of the store and John said.
"Well you best talk to her friends, they would know what she likes. I already have my gift for Kat." John pulled out a small box from his coat, it was rapped in purple paper and had a bow with a little card on it. John handed it to Cloud and said.
"Make sure she gets it."
"I will."
"Well see you guys tomorrow." John said walking over to the Shinjuku station.
"Should we go to Aya's place?" Cloud suggested.
"I think we should go before Kat's family gets here."
"Ok, lets go." The three walked into the Shinjuku station. When they got on the train they were literally pushed into the train like sardines. They didn't take while on the train because they couldn't hear each other over the roar of the crowds cramped into the trains. They were glad to be off the train when they got to their stop. Shinjuku station was one of the fastest ways to Aya's bath house but the crammed trains made the trip miserable. They made their way to Aya's house.
Back at Kat's apartment
"You can make time for your guardians, bullshit!" Kat cursed while putting up the fake Christmas tree. The apartment had been decorated with lights and plastic holly bushes had been placed next to the door way. One on each side.
"I'm sure you can make room for us in your apartment sweetie." Kat said in a babyish voice, she was mocking her aunt.
Kat put on one string of white lights around the tree. Then put some plastic ornaments on the tree. She tossed the tree skirt under the tree. Kat laid a red cloth over the couch making it look like she gave a crap about the holidays.
"At least Vincent will like the red." she muttered to herself. Kat grudgingly put a fluffy red and white Christmas collar on Chi. The kitten tugged at the collar wanting his old one back.
"I know Chi, but we all are making sacrifices for this. Speaking of sacrifices where on earth did Cloud, Vincent, and Sephiroth go?"
Kat continued to decorate the apartment.
At Aya's house (bath house)
"Hey guys!" Aya said as Cloud, Sephiroth, and Vincent walked into the bath house.
"Aya, we want to buy something for Kat for Christmas, do you know what she likes?"
"Well she is a big Final Fantasy fan, but she has like everything final fantasy. So if I were you I would buy her something nice, like a bracelet or a sweater. Something she can use everyday that isn't hideous."
"Ok, so where should we go to get this stuff?" Sephiroth asked.
"At the store, how do you guys not know where you should shop for gifts? On second thought don't answer that, I'll come with you. I need to get some gifts still." Aya grabbed her coat and hand bag. She lead the final fantasy characters to a store not far from Shinjuku station. In the store everyone was rushing to buy their gifts and get home. Aya took the final fantasy characters over to a sale on sweaters. Behind it was a stuffed animal stand with a 50 off sign over it.
"You can buy her a sweater or something, but once you have what you are going to get Kat meet me back here." Aya said walking off towards the woman's clothing department.
"Well I guess we should split up as well." Sephiroth said walking over to the stuffed animal stand. Cloud and Vincent split up as well. Sephiroth looked at the stuffed animals confused. He picked up a panda bear stuffed animal and looked at it still confused. In his mind it sort of resembled a moogle but at the same time it looked like something totally different. He looked at the price tag, the panda was only 1000 yen(about $10). Shrugging he took the panda bear and went looking around some. Cloud was looking at some earring, in his hand was a pair that looked exactly like the ones that he bought Tifa a few years back. The price on them was 500 yen (about $5).
Vincent was looking at some lotions, there was sweet sugar, cranberry spice, and vanilla tea. Each bottle was only 100 yen each (by now you get it right? About $1). A store clerk came over to him and said.
"Looking for a gift for you girl friend?"
" Just a friend, not a girl friend."
"Ok, what kind of things is your friend into?" the clerk asked haply.
"I'm not sure what she likes really. I know she likes Final Fantasy."
"Ok, well these lotions are the perfect gift for anyone. They smell sweet and leave your skin soft and smooth." (note they are in target basically)
"I'll think about it." Vincent said walking away from the store clerk. He looked back and once the store clerk was helping someone else he walked back to the lotions and grabbed one of each kind not knowing what Kat would like. Cloud, Sephiroth, and Vincent were waiting for Aya by the sweater stand with their gifts in hand. Aya walked over to them with a poster rolled up in her hands and a necklace in her other hand.
"Ready?" she asked knowing that they were. They paid for the gifts and had them rapped. Aya was kind enough to buy them three cards to put on their gifts. Clouds cell phone went off for the first time coming to the modern world. He answered it quickly thinking it might be Tifa or one of the other characters from final fantasy. It was Kat.
"Cloud where are you guys! My aunt and uncle are going to be here in half and hour and you three are missing!"
"Kat calm down we are on our way back now, we'll get there before your aunt and uncle get there."
"You better get back soon!" Kat hung up on Cloud and he said.
"Kat expects us back at the apartment in half an hour."
"Well lets go then." Aya said grabbing their bags and marching out of the store. Cloud, Sephiroth, and Vincent followed.
"Alright, the fastest way back to Kat's apartment complex is by taking the Shinjuku station. Hurry up and go, you don't have much time." Aya said Giving them their bags and stuffing her gift for Kat into Sephiroth's bag.
"Go!" She said pushing them towards the station. Cloud, Sephiroth, and Vincent got crammed onto the train again. The first stop was near Kat's apartment complex.