"You've heard about the Foreign Shadow, haven't you?"
Vincent was seated on a bench in front of Reeve for about twenty minutes. After what happened in Midgar, Reeve ordered everyone to leave because of the the Mako-resistant body suits being pressurized to their peak levels. Both men were in a WRO truck, returning to Edge and worrying about Yuffie. The wolves wouldn't let them cross the portal before it closed, and one of them led the men to their truck. It howled after them when they left. Vincent thought all the wolves disappeared, but one stayed behind to ensure everything was safe and secretive.
Unfortunately, Vincent saw all he needed to know. That Chailo, or Yuffie's so-called ally, is probably well worth the million gil bounty after what she did to his phone. Besides that, her ability to create portals and teleport is remarkable. If he could find another glowing pipe in Edge, Yuffie will be easy to find. As for Chailo...that bounty was sounding like a good reward for finding her.
"Nothing but rumors."
"That's all there is of the Foreign Shadow. No one knows if the Shadow is a male or a female. One of our soldiers, Perez Heiggan, told us some of the rumors he's heard," Reeve said, rubbing his knees. "The Foreign Shadow was a part of ShinRa's redevelopment. President Rufus ShinRa and the Foreign Shadow had a fairly heated argument about how to run the new company, so Rufus being Rufus decided to fire the Shadow. That's one story. The other one is that the president has been digging up new sources for the Planet's survival and the peoples' survival, but the shadow intervened several times because his methods were too risky. There are others to select from."
Vincent hummed in thought then said, "The only thing I can prove is the Foreign Shadow is a woman. Yuffie said her name was Chailo. Before we separated from her, a Turk called her Shinboru Chailo."
"Chailo Shinboru..." Reeve repeated, thinking. "Ah! That's the same person Tifa's looking for!"
"Commissioner!" a soldier called, running into the back. "There's something happening to the waters of the Planet!"
"What?" Reeve questioned.
A crater in the ocean floor rumbled mightily from below its deep depths. Many of the aquatic life inhabiting the monstrous cavern swam away as the rumbling became stronger. The crater's rumbling was pulsating like the beating of a heart. The pulse was vigorous as it disturbed the ocean. Waves of massive height were beginning to form.
There were fishing boats and streamliners riding the waves until they grew so tall they were mistaken for walls. Something in the air was beckoning the waves and clouds. A point in the ocean rose very mildly. The point grew a bit more then splashed back down, and grew more and splashed down, and grew more and splashed down. Then, the waves of the ocean circled about and created a maelstrom larger than the crater of the ocean floor. Finally, all the water in the maelstrom shot up to meet with the clouds in the sky. The water twisted and coil in itself as it rose into a spiral.
The clouds in the sky circled about and created what looked like a hurricane's eye. They spiraled into a point and descended to meet the ocean waters. Once the ocean and the clouds merged, sound waves emanated from the surface. Beach dwellers were watching the phenomenon in awe before the sound waves blew them back forcefully. Some of the adults were worried for the children and ran to higher ground; others continued to watch.
A roar bellowed from the merging, frightening beach dwellers and fisherman by the docks. The Planet as one entity began to pulsate and gave rise to different phenomena. The waters of Junon were changing. Sandstorms in the desert areas of North Corel and the Corel Prison were beginning to form. The clouds were forming into tornadoes. From each point the phenomena merged, a roaring came forth. A cacophony of shrieks and guttural bellowing filled the air.
The waters, the wind, the sand, the ruins of Midgar, and the clouds all circled about in a spherical mass. Soon, the entire Planet began to pulsate in vigorous heartbeat. Small spirits from the trees and the flowers and the dying animals and the dying people all transmigrated to the skies above. The Lifestream became visible to all. Its massive glowing river stretched across the sky, illuminating all who gazed upon it. Many people were amazed, but some people were frightened.
Barret, Cloud, Marlene, Nanaki, and Tifa were riding to the Seventh Heaven bar. Vincent and Reeve had told them to meet them at WRO Headquarters. Yuffie had been missing since her arrival at Midgar. Marlene and Nanaki weren't supposed to be with Barret and Tifa, but the situation called the shots and they ended up having to go along with the ride. Cloud was really upset when Vincent told them what happened. How could he of all people let wolves decide where Yuffie goes? He should have shot them away or something and followed Yuffie!
Green light snapped Cloud out of his thoughts. He looked at his arms and saw the light drifting in waves on his skin. Then, when he looked into the sky, he slowed Fenrir down to a stop in the middle of the road. A green river was in the sky! Tifa gasped slowly as she looked into the sky; Barret and Marlene did also before Tifa spoke.
"Barret?"
"Huh?" he responded, raising the side of his upper lip. "Huh?"
"What is that?" Tifa asked.
"The Lifestream," Nanaki answered, startling Marlene a little. "The Planet is accessing her life's blood."
"But why?" Marlene questioned.
"I don't know, but it cannot be a good thing," Nanaki answered, looking at the girl. "It could mean the Planet is summoning a WEAPON, but I don't know for sure, Marlene. We will have to sit here and wait."
"Oh, hell naw!" Barret remarked. "I ain't sittin' on my ass to see if a WEAPON go'n come out and start eatin' the children. That's a naw!"
"What else can we do, daddy?" Marlene questioned, grabbing Barret's headrest to scoot up. "What if the Planet is in trouble?"
"What if the Planet was making another WEAPON like Omega?" Tifa inserted. "What if...Vincent didn't really kill Omega?"
"Then we're in for some really deep shit," Nanaki remarked, surprising everyone in the van.
"Well, looka you!" Barret said, laughing. "Soundin' like me. Go 'head on then, Red!"
Reeve shuffled as he backed away from the screens on the WRO truck. Vincent had begun to worry inwardly. What was happening to the Planet? He could feel Chaos stir inside him, but all it did was beat in him. It was not strong enough to respond to whatever was occurring. However, for Chaos to even react to the supernatural phenomena meant there was something happening to the Planet. None of what was happening was making any sense to Vincent, though.
First, Yuffie had gotten into some trouble with the ShinRa guards; second, she's seen with the Foreign Shadow; third, monsters began appearing; then, Yuffie finds the Foreign Shadow and is taken through a portal; lastly, all the natural energies of the Planet were forming into masses and the Lifestream was hovering above everyone's heads right now. What was the connection? None of this could be linked to the Foreign Shadow in a sensible matter. He just didn't understand it.
"Vincent, is Chaos responding to the Planet's Lifestream?" Reeve asked, reluctantly as he crept towards him.
"Barely, but it is connected to this situation somehow," Vincent replied. "The Planet is doing something... Something that needs a better explanation than what we're left with."
"Do you think the Planet feels threatened?" Reeve questioned.
"If the Planet is being threatened, what would it feel threatened by?" Vincent asked, earning a nod from Reeve. "None of what's happened is enough to raise the Lifestream above our heads."
Reeve fell silent in agreement with Vincent. He couldn't add any of this up either. All the possibilities that he thought might have been a reason just weren't giving him cohesive results. He paced himself back and forth to think then stopped in sudden realization. Suppose he asked for his new scout's services? She might know something about all this. Reeve nodded to himself then sat down as the truck cruised through WRO headquarters' grounds. Vincent stood his ground as the truck stopped abruptly then crept back up the fields. Once the truck came to a complete stop, a soldier opened the doors and saluted the men as they dismounted from the vehicle.
"Captain," Reeve called, earning a salute from a red-capped soldier. "I need a cruiser to be ready to disembark to Kalm in two hours."
"Yes, sir!" the soldier replied, running to transportation authorities.
"I know you want no part of this nonsense, so I won't ask you to join me," Reeve said, looking at Vincent. "But if you need a ride home, look for Cid Highwind in the airfield. He made it there before I found you in Midgar. He was looking for traces of any more aerial creatures last I saw him, but fortunately he came up with nothing. Then again it could be unfortunate should they reappear as suddenly as before. I hope you have a better evening than the rest of us, Vincent Valentine. Try to catch up to Cid before he leaves. I think one of the soldiers here might know when he's leaving for home."
With that said, Reeve left Vincent in the warehouse with all the trucks and jeeps parked and moving. He noticed a few hovercrafts two floors above him being checked on for maintenance. Vincent didn't want to be involved in anymore fighting, but Yuffie was missing and Chailo Shinboru could be connected to the Planet's awakening. Whatever Vincent's decision would be, he had decide fast before Chaos had his say in all this. Vincent made his way to a few soldiers and asked when Cid was leaving. They all seemed to respond the same: about 45 minutes. He wasted no time in locating the airfield after multiple car hops.
Cid was speaking to a soldier about blueprints then answered another soldier's question about the construction work for an airship. Vincent waited until everyone dispersed and stalked towards the seasoned pilot. He cocked his finger back and plucked Cid in his neck, causing the blonde to duck his head and snap around to glare at the unwanted approach. He readied some well-deserved yelling only to be silenced into a warm smile.
"Vince!" Cid greeted, uncovering his neck. "How ya been, boy?"
"You're cheerful," Vincent commented, lowering his gauntlet and claw.
"And yer a sight for sore eyes," Cid remarked, poking Vincent's chest. "I hear Yuffie's done went missin' again, huh? Fine time to be chasin' a gunslinger babe. Lifestream's up yonder, too."
Vincent looked into the night's sky to see the Lifestream still hovering above everyone, but something was very different about it. The Lifestream was getting thinner and higher. The full moon above the stream was glowing brilliantly; shame it was a starless night this evening.
"Reeve said you were trying to find more of the creatures. Any luck?" Vincent asked, taking Cid out of his gazing at the sky.
"Nothin'," Cid responded, scoffing. "They appear then disappeared just like that," he emphasized with a snap of his fingers. "Fuck knows where. I thought maybe there'd be a nest somewhere. Couldn't find diddly squat on dems critters. Fuckin' shame."
Vincent folded his arms in thought. Cid watched the man lean on a stationary helicopter and wondered what was going through his mind. He could be thinking about anything right now: Yuffie, Nanaki, the events of today, the turmoil of tomorrow, that weird lady Lucrecia Crescent he's been hearing about lately...himself? No, Vincent doesn't have a wife and kid like Cid does. Only Cid would be thinking about his family's well-being and himself. Vincent isn't a selfish man either; sure, he's quiet and lives on his own, but he's not self-centered. He just wants to look and be cool. You know, stick with the epic awesome characterization of today's standards in society. That's what his son tells him anyway, and he loves Vincent to death and beyond.
"Think you could locate Tifa?" Vincent asked, standing straight.
"Sure, I can use this green bird's satellite reading system," Cid said, grinning and patting the helicopter's body. "C'mon! We better hurry 'fore the Lifestream starts draggin' peoples up into it."
Vincent took one last glance at the thinning Lifestream and followed Cid inside of the chopper.
There are mountains covered in moss and shrubs overlooking the river waters. They are not massive piles of stone or key sites for pilgrimage routes; they only watch over the water. Behind one of these mountains, chalk-engraved stones float about a dripping pipe. The pipe glows red and becomes heated. The sound of a small waterfall could be heard coming from the pipe. Small glimmers of light become seeds, seeds become a mass of nectar, the nectar calls out to leaves, the leaves call out to the wind. Cool breezes guide the leaves into a circle. The fluttering leaves glow to a greenish color and out comes a strong light in the middle of them. Three beings shoot out of the leaves' circle one at a time. First, Chailo on her hoverbike; second, Mokuki, the talking timber wolf; lastly, Yuffie Kisaragi.
Chailo parks her hoverbike on the beaten path going up the mountain then dismounts it. She takes out her handgun and walks toward the pipe, waiting for Yuffie. Yuffie pops out of the leaf portal clumsily and lands on her face.
"Ow!" she moaned, rubbing her cheek. "Why do you have to teleport everywhere all the damn time? It's really not the safest way to travel...or the healthiest." Yuffie chirped an 'eh' then looked up to see Chailo pointing her gun at her; unfortunately, it was the one that could fire bombs. "Ch-Cha-Chai-Chailo, w-wh-what are you doing?"
"I apologize, but, for my sake, I don't have any other choice but to kill you," Chailo answered.
"B-but why?" Yuffie questioned, trembling.
"You - " Chailo began.
The tattoos on her arms were glowing an eery green color similar to the portal's hue. Chailo looked into the sky and saw a massive green river hovering above. Yuffie looked up as well and gasped. Chailo lowered her weapon then hesistantly climbed up the mountain. Her heels clicked as they touched mildewed stones and moss-covered rocks. The dirt beneath her feet was rugged and vines were growing along the surface. She stepped over many vines as she came closer and closer to the mountain's peak. Chailo then stopped and looked out at the waters. A massive orb was forming into a body. A large tail and fin protruded out of the orb's bottom layer. Claws were emerging from the misty surface. Yuffie ran up the mountain to see why Chailo was still and understood quite perfectly.
"That's a WEAPON!" Yuffie exclaimed. "It has to be!"
"A WEAPON?" Chailo questioned, looking at Yuffie.
"The WEAPONs are powerful monsters that protect the Planet whenever she feels threatened by an other-wordly source of power," Mokuki explained, marching up the steep mountain terrain. He sat down on his haunches and said, "These beings were created 2,000 years ago and one after another were destroyed by the people who inhabit the Planet."
"If they are all destroyed, then the Planet has no protection," Chailo stated, looking at Mokuki. "Is this not so?"
"Correct," Mokuki answered.
"But if the WEAPONs are gone, then none of them should be able to come back, right?" Yuffie questioned, backing away. "She can't be resurrecting the WEAPONs!"
"That's not what the Planet is doing," Mokuki calmly responded. "She is creating another WEAPON to protect her. Why you are glowing should really be questioned."
Chailo turned to the Lifestream then looked at her tattoos and said, "We have to bring Yuffie back to her friends."
"You tried to kill her," Mokuki said, looking at Chailo.
"Your Planet saved her," Chailo replied, placing her gun back into its holster.
"Madame," Mokuki called, standing before Yuffie. "The man who brought you to the Cetra's church in Midgar, where does he live?"
"Vincent?" Yuffie questioned, earning a nod from the tall wolf. "He lives in Kalm."
"Kalm Town?" Mokuki asked to clarify, ears perked up. "That's northeast of Midgar."
"Take the portal back to Midgar before it closes," Chailo ordered.
Mokuki shoveled Yuffie onto his back and ran through the leaf portal to Midgar. Chailo boarded her hoverbike again and drove off to find the Mythril Mines in the Junon area. She just had to find the mountain with a cave.
"Hey, old man, Tifa's gone back to her bar," Cid called, looking over his shoulder. "Wanna visit her for a drink?"
Vincent turned to Cid and glared at him for a moment. He walked towards the tracking device that was on the helicopter and saw Tifa's signal beeping on a blue transparent radar. Vincent felt he honestly would be lost with all this technology. Speaking of which, he had to buy a new cell phone. Tifa's signal was nothing but a pink dot in a brown mass that represented the Eastern Continent. The green part that was inside of the brown mass represented the Midgar Area. Cid found her through shapes and satellite with ease. Vincent was impressed by the convenience of these tracking devices. When he was a Turk, he found people through recent sightings and had to either run through towns or ride jeeps to get to the person. That was the good, old-fashioned way of doing things. Now-a-days, you type the person's name and POW! You can tell exactly where someone is. Sleeping in a coffin does wonders for you.
"Can you take me there?" Vincent asked, looking at Cid.
"Sure. To be honest, I thought you'd say no," Cid remarked, scratching his broad chest. "You don't look the type to be missin' friends."
"We are missing a friend as we speak," Vincent reminded, "unless you've forgotten, dad. We could search for Yuffie tomorrow morning when we have better leads. My phone's destroyed, and I don't recall her having a phone today. Satellite reading tonight can wait."
"Who decided to be an ass and destroy yer phone?" Cid asked, standing akimbo.
"The Foreign Shadow," Vincent answered, hopping off the helicopter. "Reeve said I could hitch a ride with you since you're leaving soon."
"Why not?" Cid grinned. "It's right next door to Midgar anyway. Lessen you wanna visit your special cave and sleep in my son's room."
"No, thank you," Vincent said, quickly. "I've been at peace this long. I don't want to ruin it with memories of the past. Also, last time I spent the night for your son's birthday party, he fired a rocket in the house while you were getting Yuffie unstuck from the front door."
Cid laughed heartily and said, "Wonder where he gets that from?"