Nogias: Well, with the "Rescue Ashe" saga officially complete, I announce that there is going to be only ONE, spell it out, O-N-E more side story that will be added. After that, it will be nothing but storyline.

Ashe: You're really relieved that I'm out of the limelight now, aren't you Nogias?

Nogias: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I'VE BEEN WISHING FOR THIS FOR EONS!

Errolas: … Maybe we should just put him to sleep for a while. *pulls out a tranquilizer* Nogi, come here…

Nogias: HELL NO! LAST TIME YOU HIT ME WITH ONE OF THOSE, THE DOSE WAS FOR A MALE AFRICAN ELEPHANT!

Errolas: Don't worry, I've reduced the dosage! It's only strong enough to down a male Siberian Tiger now!

Nogias: YOU ARE A CRUEL MAN! YOU JERK!

Ashe: TRANQ HIM! TRANQ HIM! TRANQ HIM!Nogias: SHUT UP, MAKO ADDICT!

Ashe: *looks back and forth* I didn't hear that. *Downs a pail of Mako pills*

Nogias: And I'm the wei-AUGH! What the- whoa… I'm feeling … tired… Errolas, you… Ass…*hit's the ground hard*

Errolas: At least he'll be out for a while. As a warning folks, this chapter and all others from here are going to contain EXTREMELY OOC Sephiroth appearances. Extremely as in … Well, you'll see.

Errolas & Ashe: Welcome to chapter 17, folks!

Nogias: *mumbling* no mommy… five more minutes… please, no… not the frilly dress…

Errolas: *stares with bug eyes and gaping mouth* Oh… My… SHINBONES.

Ashe: *slaps head* Not again…

Errolas: He was a sad, strange, troubled lad.

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Chapter 17: SURPRISE! The Grand Reunion!

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Cloud looked at Elena with an alarmed expression. "ARE YOU INSANE?! I can't do that after what I did to them! I mean, I screamed and forcefully KICKED them out of the base camp! I can't possibly… I just … Maybe, but… NO, I can-" Cloud was cut off when Elena delivered the awakening blow: A sharp slap to the face. While for Cloud it was a snap back to the reality he'd been running from, for Elena it was a means to silencing a VERY loud man. With the volume he was "Talking" at, she wouldn't have been surprised if dead people in WUTAI had risen from their graves and gone deaf! Gingerly touching the slapped half of his face, Cloud looked around, then back at Elena. "Thanks. I needed that. I know what I have to do now." Cloud got up and, as he walked towards the arena steps, he said, "Congrats! The Turks are now members of AVALANCHE. If you'll excuse me, I have some work to attend to." He ascended the stairs and waved Barret over, whispering something to him. Barret closed his eyes and smiled, then patted Cloud on the back. From what Reno could read of Barret's lips from the distance, Barret was saying, "Good luck." Reno looked at Rude and shrugged, saying, "What would Cloud need luck for?" Rude shrugged, having no better idea than Reno.

~-INSIDE…-~

Alone in his tent, Cloud moved to his computer. Sliding the tower aside, he pressed a little button hidden in the desk that activated the shrouding of the inside of the tent in a shimmering, multi-colored cloth. "Well," he smirked, "I wonder how this new secret power of ours will work? Since that last raid on the Shin-Ra Slums, I've been interested in finding out how this "Crack-Shot Wall" cloth works."

~-OUTSIDE…-~

Reno approached the tent, saying, "HEY CLOUD! I just wanted to say-" Reno stopped as his hand touched the cloth. Suddenly, his hands were replaced by rainbow-colored squirrels, and everyone changed into talking animals. The horizon was changed, turning into images of electric eels playing with animated rainbows. As Reno's eyes registered pixies, unicorns, and fairies, Reno sighed deeply, feeling truly relaxed and free.

~-INSIDE…-~

Cloud looked at the cloth, then up at the ceiling, and then shrugged. Cloud smiled, then said, "Ah, whatever it does, it's gotta be good!"

~-OUTSIDE…-~

Rude walked by Reno, who, in his own world, was watching his squirrel hands phase back and forth through each other like light through glass. "Uh… Reno? You OK?" Rude asked, before Reno's eyes, now with blood-shot, rainbow pupils, met his through Rude's ever present shades. 'DU~~~DE! I HAVE GHOSTLY SQUIRREL HANDS! WAIT! DU~~DE! THEY JUST TURNED INTO CHIMPS, MAN! I HAVE RAINBOW CHIMPS FOR HANDS! DU~~~DE!" Reno stumbled away, picking up a couple of spiked spheres and rubbing them against his face. 'BOOBIES!" Reno shouted, scaring away the women around him. Rude, now concerned, approached Cloud's tent to inquire…

~-INSIDE…-~

Cloud sat down at his desk and turned on his computer. As the screen loaded, he connected his phone to the internet hook-up, glancing from the phone to the computer, then to a small picture of him with Tifa, Aeris, and Yuffie that he had asked Barret to take for him. "Am I really ready to do this?" Cloud asked himself out loud, before putting on a determined face and dialing Tifa's number. "Ok, Cloud, you can do this, you can do this. YOU CAN DO-" Cloud began saying before Barret's booming voice rang through the cloth of his tent: "HEY CLOUD! GETCHYO SPIKY ASS OUT HERE! YOU GOT SOMEONE HERE TO SEE YA! Says his name is… Tack, or… Mack, or… Jack… or something…" Barret trailed. Cloud's eyes shot open and he dashed from his desk, deactivating the wall as he went. Just as he left, Tifa appeared onscreen "Hello? Cloud? Cloud? CLOUD! AW, FUCK!" She shouted. Soon, a crashing sound coming from her end, and the screen flicked off.

~-OUTSIDE-~

Outside, Cloud was met by a surprising, but terrifying sight: his best friend from years in the past, who had DIED in his arms, WAS BACK IN THE LIVING WORLD WITHOUT A SCRATCH! "Z-Za-Zack? W-What are…? H-how are you… h-How did you… HOW ARE YOU BACK?!" Cloud stammered out, While Zack smiled wide and said, "Calm down, Cloud! It's great to see you too! How long's it been?" Cloud attempted the math on his fingers, then said, "It's been four-and-a-half years since you were last alive, Zack. But how are you back?" "Zack closed his eyes, then turned around to face the other three people that Cloud had completely missed: Zack's mentor, Angeal Hewley; Zack's old nemesis, Genesis Rhapsodos; Cloud's number one enemy, Sephiroth? "What? SEPHIROTH?!" Cloud shouted, pulling the Buster Sword from its place on his back, readying himself for combat. "Cloud, wait!" Zack implored, standing between the two. "Sephiroth is here to say something!" Zack stepped away for Sephiroth to move forward. Sephiroth stared long and hard at Cloud, who returned the stare with one of vengeful intensity. Sephiroth closed his eyes … and bowed low, almost touching his nose to his boots. "CLOUD, I'M SORRY!" Sephiroth shouted, keeping his eyes far out of Cloud's eyeshot. "I realize what I did was wrong… I'm sorry I killed everyone you ever cared about! I'm sorry I killed Aeris. I'm Sorry for EVERYTHING!! I'M SO SORRY!" For a split second, Cloud could have sworn he saw a tear fall from Sephiroth's eye… Suddenly, Reno and Rude shot by, completely devoid of clothing. "DUDE!" Reno shouted, getting an instant reply from Rude. "DUDE, I KNOW! AWESOME!" Rude shouted, as he watched his root turn into an eel. "DUDE…" Reno said again. Cloud stared into blank space for a second, before"That still doesn't explain how you got back, though, Zack! When I left you on that cliff, you were covered in gunshot wounds, bleeding everywhere, barely had the energy to move! How can you possibly be…?" Zack smiled. "Man, that story has to be one of the longest I'll ever tell. It happened something like this…." Zack trailed off, remembering vaguely how he managed to return to this world…

________________TO BE CONTINUED…______________

Errolas: Heh… CLIFFHANGER! AGAIN! I LOVE WRITING THESE!

Ashe: At least Nogi's not calling me a Mako addict. *swallows a Mako pill*

Errolas: You really should join an MA group, Ashe. That Mako Addiction variant you have is sure to hurt you eventually…

Ashe: Aw, hell, how bad can it b-*Wretch* *Throws up*

Errolas: Uh huh… nice one… Real Splendid.

Ashe: *between gags* Shut… UP! DAMN YOU!

Errolas: Alright, Side Story time again! Number three, once again a one-shot, so get ready. Meanwhile, next chapter will take a while to make, so please be patient. R&R, CONSTRUCTIVE FLAMES ALLOWED!