Reeve Tuesti was smiling en route to a new hotel as he sat in his personal black stretch limousine. He had a mixture of feelings in his eyes as they gleamed. One emotion was happiness, the other concern, and another was remorse. A gentle disposition emanated from the man as he looked into limo's carpet. Reeve wanted to investigate the ShinRa Corporation to gather details of Chailo Shinboru, or the Foreign Shadow, but there were troubling factors becoming involved in his attempts at discovering new clues. The most striking was the Lifestream hovering about the Planet. He could remember the events quite clearly. Vincent Valentine, a remarkable investigator when persuaded, was riding in the WRO truck with him talking about the rumors of a mysterious figure named the Foreign Shadow. Perez Heiggan was leading his own search party through towns, diligently hunting for clues on the whereabouts of the new ShinRa Corporation and clarifying any misconstrued details of the Foreign Shadow. As Reeve and Vincent were talking, the gunner knew of the Shadow's name and reminded Reeve of Tifa. She said a friend was looking for a woman named Chailo Shinboru and that she wanted to help him while simultaneously helping WRO soldiers bring civilians to safe houses or retreats. Suddenly, there was footage on the news of the Planet's oceans and deserts forming large bodies in the middle of the air!

Reeve wanted Vincent to look into the Planet's behavior seeing as though he was a vassel for a living WEAPON and the creature inside of him had a faint reaction to everything. However, he knew Vincent would never accept his requests to work for him since Deepground. He didn't want to work with him then! If Vincent or the AVALANCHE members weren't on his side, then he would have to rely on someone else. Reeve looked out the tinted window and parted his lips. A lake surrounded by forestry was empty of tourists. Only ducks and geese swam through the sun-glazed waters. The morning sun was reflected in the lake's body and bouncing amongst the birds like a mirror. It gave the birds a healthy glow on their feathers. It was a beautiful sight to wake up to in the morning.

Reeve's hand caressed the window as he thought of his girlfriend, Mneme Chrone. The sun's warm light reached down like her golden long hair as it opened like a fan. They met at a beach in Wutai. She was a beautiful, quiet woman: her shiny blonde hair covered her butt as it swept into curls by the gentle breezes, and her striking green eyes were in a trance as the sea whispered to her. Her skin was a pleasant tan, and her body was curved yet slender. Reeve had seen many beautiful women in his prime, but none of them were as appeasing to the eyes as Mneme. To him, she was gorgeous beyond measure. Her small feet would creep in the gentle, cold waves and her hair would pull back to stay dry.

She went swimming in the beach and raked her small hands through her hair. Reeve was never a flirtatious man, but he decided to approach the blonde beauty as she backstroked in the clear, crisp water. The sands of the shores were slippery and mushy. Tiny crabs were walking across the sands and snapping their claws as they went into the water. The larger ones were on the other side of the beach possibly laying their eggs or burying themselves to bite unsuspecting swimmers. There was a small stone cliff overlooking the secluded area of the beach. It was not particularly massive, but it was wide enough to be mistaken for a shrine or place of prayer. The cliff watched many things swim in its waters, and it would watch over the woman. Wet sand filled the crevices between Reeves's bare toes. A grating sensation tickled his long feet as he walked toward the cliff. It was brown and probably rougher terrain, but Reeve was willing to cross the cliff to watch the beauty swim further out into the alluring sea. As he climbed the harsher soil and sharper rocks, he noticed a shark swimming towards the woman. It was brown and had white spots.

"Miss, watch ou - !" Reeve started to shout. "Eh?"

The shark lifted his head to taste the air then nuzzled into the woman's breasts. She pet the spotted shark and smiled gently at it. The beast permitted the woman to ride on his back and cruised in the water with the beautiful passenger. It was an amazing sight! To have gained the trust of such a stereotypically fiercesome creature must have taken time. The shark brought the woman to the cliff and swam away to the depths of the sea. Reeve blushed a bit, having been caught watching her, and took a glance at the woman as she walked towards him.

"Why so shy now, chief?" she asked, lightly punching Reeve's arm.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were being attacked," Reeve said, hoping it was excusable.

"Hm..." the woman said, standing next to Reeve. "Spotted sharks are quite harmless. They only eat shrimp and smaller fish. They also eat seaweed when they are sick. I'm not in danger in this part of the beach. Thank you for trying to rescue me, though."

"Um, before you go back, I..." Reeve started to say, being silenced by the woman's moist and soft fingertip resting on his lips.

"Are you going to flirt with me?"

"No, I'm terrible at that sort of thing," he answered, earning a giggle from the woman. "The most I can do is compliment you. Although, I'd like to know you personally. I just don't think I'm the man you'd want. Shy isn't exactly the new sexy in this generation."

The woman smiled then said, "I like your kind of shy. It's cute! Your honesty is quite admirable, too. I thought the amazing leader of the World Regenesis Organization was a married man, though. I'm rather perplexed by his single status."

"How did you know I was the leader of the WRO?" Reeve asked.

"I know many things about this planet," she said, looking out into the sea. "I watch time pass and I learn of the planet's people. I looked upon this world as it was falling at the hands of the Omega WEAPON. I saw all that transgressed and wondered. Why does evil breed in certain people and how? My search for the answer remains futile. Evil has many faces and many breeding grounds. It only needs one vulnerable mind, and it has found many throughout history. You once had a feeble mind working for ShinRa Corporation. You were shielded from the conditions of the people early in your career, but your heart was strong enough to want to help them and it overcame this weakness."

"Was your mind ever feeble?" Reeve asked, curious of her answer.

"Yes," she said after a brief silence. "I overcame my weakness years ago, however. I have someone special to thank for that."

"What is your name, miss?" Reeve asked, impressed by the woman's wisdom.

"Mneme Chrone," she said, walking away from him.

Reeve felt the vehicle slow to a stop as he left the brief memory. He stepped out of his personal WRO stretch limousine and stood in the doorway facing a large hotel. Of all the places his new scout and girlfriend could be, she had to be somewhere secluded and massive. Reeve sighed, gathering Mneme's information from last night. If he remembered correctly, she said he had to mention her name to a male clerk. He was going to be the youngest-looking one and possibly the only one wearing a white suit. Reeve took a deep breath, closed the vehicle's door, and then proceeded through the automatic slide doors.

Inside, the hotel's lounge was filled with a few people. The reception desk was pristine, and the furniture was neat and clean. The tiled floors were glossy and smooth. Reeve could hear people's heels clicking against the surface, even his own. The movements reminded him of his mother when she would walk through their old house in her heels after coming from the grocer's or the toy store. As he searched about for the young man dressed in a white suit, a tap on his shoulder made him turn. The man was smiling at him in a youthful glee. His soft brown hair curled close to his head, and his eyes were a pleasant green. He had flawless skin and dimpled cheeks. Reeve returned the boy's smile, remembering his own youthful days when he was considered "pretty."

"Reeve Tuesti," the boy said, earning a nod from the man. "You are expected on the seventh floor, room 652. If you take the first elevator down the hall," he instructed, pointing to a lit hallway passed the reception desk, "which is identified by the letter A, it should bring you to the very front of the rooms starting with number 650. Take a left, and room 652 will be the neighboring suite to room 650."

"Thank you," Reeve said, nodding.

The boy smiled again, nodded, and ran off to his next duty. Reeve walked to the elevator, pushed a button, and then waited. The elevator beeped and opened its doors. He entered, pushed another button, and watched as the doors closed. There were many reasons why Reeve both loved and hated elevators. He loved them for their convenience and hated them for breaking down, but Mneme gave him more reasons to love elevators more than hate them. She was very persuasive - very, very persuasive - and a huge temptation for him, especially on their umpteenth date as a couple of eleven months that Valentine's Day.

"Are you sure you need me to drop you off at your suite?" Reeve asked, resting his back on the elevator's wall. "I could've just let you alone for the night."

"Hm..." Mneme hummed, pushing her backside against Reeve's groin. She directed his arms to wrap around her waist and swayed her body to and fro. She said, "You already forgot I was your girlfriend. I'm inclined to believe you don't want me anymore."

"I do want you," Reeve said, realizing his words. "Uh, I meant in a positive way! N-no-not, you know, sexually."

"You're too cute," Mneme whispered, chuckling. "You should at least tell me how you liked the date this time."

"Well, to start," Reeve said, lowering his hands on her hips, "it was very romantic, considering the day, and interesting. I never associated you with boat rides, but... You surprised me as always. I liked all of it."

"Even the chocolate chicken?" Mneme asked.

"That scared me actually. I could've swore the chef baked the blood on that leg," Reeve said, interrupted by flickering lights. "What the hell?" Suddenly, the elevator stopped and the lights shut off. He sighed then complained, "Well, this was a nice way to end a date."

Mneme hummed, turned around, and said, "Not quite."

"Wha - ?" Reeve started, again interrupted but not minding. Mneme kissed him very sweetly and ended their date differently that night.

The elevator beeped, interrupting Reeve's flashback, and opened its doors. Mneme was standing in front of it, waiting for Reeve to come out. He looked into her green eyes and slowly stepped out. She wore a strapless blue top and white pants that made him think of the morning sky. Her hair as golden as the sun. He cupped her face with his hands then pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. Once they parted, she took his hand and led him to her suite. However, he could feel something was worrying her from the way she gripped his hand. It wasn't just some little thing, though; she was trembling.

"Hey, ole timer," Cid commented. "Think you c'n make yo' 'par'men' a l'il mer lively? It feels like starin' at a fuckin' tombstone."

Vincent Valentine was not a happy soul. It would have been one thing if he had just gone to Tifa's pub like he usually does when discussing matters about the Planet, but Cloud had to call all of their allies so they could meet up at his apartment? Didn't he have a say in this? Apparently, Vincent didn't have anything to say for AVALANCHE being in his white-washed apartment. Cloud was leaning on the wall closest to Vincent's bed, watching Tifa soothing Yuffie. Barret and a familiar young man were seated on the couch, and Cid was smoking a cigarette near the kitchen. He had to use a wet paper towel as an ash tray. He actually hadn't smoked in two years since he was quitting for the sake of his son. Shera could care less but was thankful all the same. Cid Highwind may have been complaining about the plain look of the living space, but Barret Wallace had far more worse things to complain about.

"Man, fuck the white walls," Barret said, scratching his chest. "At least get a bigga den. I'm too big fa this, foo. And another thing: s'pose you get a tight ass shawty up here and you got this small ass space? She'd leave you to rot 'cause you got her feelin' claustrophobic and shit."

"What the hell?" Vincent managed to mumble.

"He's saying to get a bigger den for guests, Vincent," Tifa translated. Vincent stays on his own, so she understood there was no need for bigger spacing. Although, it would've been nice if the gunner would invite them over for the holidays or something. Based on Barret's point, a girlfriend might like a little color other than plain, white void and a small TV, but what are the odds of Vincent bothering to invite a girlfriend to his apartment? She stopped thinking and said, "Don't worry. I know you only need space for you, and, besides, your house reflects your style: simple and clean."

"Plain and boring is what it is," Cid mumbled.

"Cid, stop teasing him!" Tifa ordered.

"There's a reason we're all here," Cloud started, silencing everyone's bickering. "And it has nothing to do with Vincent's apartment or its overall design. I apologize for assembling everyone in your house, Vincent. I wanted Yuffie to join us, but it doesn't seem like she's moving from here. Right now, I just want everyone to listen. Last night, I know everyone saw the Lifestream in the sky hours after monsters were attacking people in the cities. Can anyone recount seeing anything else other than those two main things?"

"I did," a soft, deepening voice said. "Everyone at Cid's place saw the same thing."

"What is it, Denzel?" Tifa asked.

Denzel was all grown up in his teenage years and training under AVALANCHE thanks to Cloud. He was taller and handsome, and his personality was like Cloud's in many ways. Although Cloud's influence could have something to do with the fact that Denzel calls him uncle. However, Tifa had taught him martial arts, too and he refers to Tifa as mother. Both "parents" contributed to his overall style and attitude, however, and Marlene became a sister to him, making Barret his metaphorical father. Denzel was a great fighter with and/or without a weapon and had very keen senses.

"I saw two things after me and Shelke scouted the area to make sure no more monsters were around," Denzel answered. "One thing was a floating mecha sphere. It was wrapped around some cage and wires. Then, there was this glowing pipe."

Yuffie snapped her head up and ran towards Denzel. She said, "Where? Where did you see the pipe? Denzel, please! Tell me where you saw it!"

"It was a mile or so from the mecha sphere," Denzel answered, holding Yuffie's hands to seize her violent shaking. "We saw it Rocket Town. Did you see the glowing pipes, too?"

"Okay, wait, gimme a sec," Yuffie said, pacing quickly. "If you saw a pipe in Rocket Town, and I saw one in Mount Corel, Edge, and Junon, and Vincent found one near Midgar, then there should be at least one in every city and every mountain range. Every pipe has weird engravings and a platform near it and they're all white or some pale color. We're in Kalm, and this is a city, so... There might be a pipe here!"

Yuffie wasted no time escaping the apartment and hopping off the window's balcony. Tifa and Vincent were not about to let her run off and get into trouble again, so they followed her with haste. Cloud ran to the window after them, but he didn't jump out of it. Instead, he decided to investigate for floating mecha spheres. Hopefully, he would join the party later, but he wasn't so sure and there was no telling what sort of venture would come up next.

"Shit!" Cloud hissed, running out the front door.

Cid, Barret, and Denzel left the apartment after Cloud. They decided to ride in the same van together.

There has to be a pipe somewhere, Yuffie thought, running at full speed down the streets of Kalm. There just has to be! I...I...I want to find Chailo. She's the only person...I've ever felt close to. I have to find her. I just have to!

"Yuffie, stop!" Tifa tried, barely catching up with the ninja. She was getting too old for a full sprint without a good warm-up, but this was certainly a way to stay in the best of shapes. "Yuffie!"

Vincent was tempted to just fly after Yuffie and end all this running, but he also wanted to side with Yuffie and find the other pipe that could be in Kalm. Chailo was going to die for breaking his cell phone and nearly killing Yuffie! Then, a vague thought passed through Vincent's mind: Why not use a spell to catch up to Kisaragi? Chailo used a spell to elevate herself to attack. They could use a spell to speed down the streets. Unfortunately, they didn't have any black magic materia to back them up. Like a bat out of hell, a monster sprouted from the ground and several flying monsters joined his side. Apparently, Cid wasn't able to find these critters by satellite in Kalm. Tifa and Vincent slide to a stop and quickly prepare for battle.

Yuffie was up ahead with her own group of monsters and also prepared for a fight. One of the monsters in her opposing group was a watery creature. It had a shell on its back with three horns protruding from it in an upside-down triangular formation, a helmet with one horn in the center of its forehead, fingerless feet, and a long, smooth, metallic tail. Its entire body, however, was made of water. Yuffie hoped one of the Materia in her utility belt had black magic in it, or she was in for a serious match. A blue Materia was tossed in the air and placed in her fuma shuriken. She dragged her right leg backwards and charged at the watery beast first.

Reno slammed the trunk of his car securely before leaving it to pack his things out of his apartment. Doctor Palmer made sure everything was in order after they made an agreement to capture Chailo Shinboru. The moving truck was loaded with the last of his furniture. Moving men, strong and slender, worked together to load his couch on the truck. Reno stood in front of his old apartment complex in Costa del Sol, saying farewell to old memories, and began walking to a white limousine. Its body paint resembled a toy car a young girl or boy would receive for good behavior. The vehicle was shiny, new, and very distinct in features. It was unlike any normal elongated car. Palmer must have had more connections than he previously let on, or Rufus made sure no one would ever know. That was an impossibility, though. Although Reno was betraying Rufus by working for Palmer, he knew a great deal about his former boss. The only things Rufus wouldn't divulge were projects underground or in the past when ShinRa Electric Power Company ruled the world as a government and source provider under his father.

Reno entered the limo and closed the door behind him to observe his surroundings. The cushions were rosy in color but not pink or red like a regular rose. He almost couldn't quite describe the color of the seats, carpets, or door handles. Palmer was seated across from him, opening a bottle of champaigne with practiced ease. There was a small bar on Palmer's right hand side. It was the size of two cubby holes and had strong plastic holding the crystal wineglasses and bottled drinks. Intricate labels were listed on the shelves where "Beer," "Red Wines," and "Liquers" were illuminated by neon blue lighting. Pretty classy on Palmer's part. The limo's engine purred as the ignition started, and they rode off but it felt like they were floating. Reno watched the doctor pour some champaigne into a glass and felt an urge to snatch it from him, but he knew it wouldn't be good to take things from his new boss. They needed to work together to find Chailo.

"I should mention that this is the new model of hovercraft units you'll find in my organization," Palmer said, startling Reno out of his thoughts of the woman. "As a special employee, you'll have access to some of the units for your search for Chailo. Also, the equipment you'll be using has been modified. It might help to get a better feel on them through short tests." Palmer reached the full glass to Reno, surprising the redhead, and placed the champaigne back into its holder on the bottom shelf of the bar. He continued, "My base is located underground on Mideel Island. I'll take you there first. After you're properly acquainted with everyone and everything, I'll take you to your new apartment in Fort Condor. Most of my employees live in a secluded lodging area along the borders of the fort. You won't be troubled by any guards or scientists. You'll have plenty of time to unpack and concentrate. On to more important matters, there is a place that I'd like for you to start with your search. On a mission, I saw Chailo setting up some type of mechanism in Gongaga with her grandfather. When I questioned her, she wouldn't explain the details fully but that machine must be there still. If you should ever find a strange mecha in the area, collect it and bring it to us for analysis. She could be calling forces from her planet and she could not, but I'd rather know which one to be safe."

Reno took a moment to reconsider his thoughts then worded them, "Why is your base underground?"

"I've had it for years, my boy," Palmer said. "Can't challenge your boss with your own company until his is in the gutter, especially since he fired me and put my entire department out of work in the Neo-ShinRa Group. Now is the only reason I'm saying I have a company to begin with. Plus, would you honestly work with me if I didn't tell you where I'm stationed? I could turn you in to Rufus for treason for all you know."

"I'm not afraid to kill you should the case arise," Reno commented, crossing one leg over the other. "If you betray me, I'll find Chailo on my own."

Palmer gradually smiled, very pleased with Reno's answer, and said, "I think this is going to be an interesting bit of tension. You want Chailo for love and I want her for loyalty. Rufus wants her dead but the WRO's intentions have remained unknown. If Chailo sides with the WRO for any reason, you'll have quite a bit of fighting to do. Rufus already has troops searching for us all. The WRO are probably trying to find out the connection between Chailo and ShinRa. Should anyone from the WRO fall in love with her just as you did - "

Reno showed true annoyance at that and threw his rage at Palmer's wineglass as a small knife. The doctor's eyes went wide as he held only the stem of his glass and felt its contents on his thick thighs. He glanced down at his stained white dress pants then back up nervously at an angered Reno. Palmer was beginning to tremble in fear of the redhead Turk.

"If I catch any man with her..." Reno hissed, the aura of death and jealousy pouring from his gritted teeth. "I swear to God I'll rip his balls off!"

"Uh, uh, Mr. Reno," Palmer tried, tossing the broken glass stem onto the floor. "I'm sure no one would want to fall in love with an alien, especially considering Jenova and the effects she brought onto the Planet. She's more than likely found some seclusion with her grandfather. We don't know where she lives, only where she's been recently."

"And where exactly has she been?" Reno asked, looking directly into Palmer's eyes. He showed his true murderous face this time.

"Since her escape, she's been practically all over the world," Palmer answered, chuckling nervously. "The last place we've detected her is Midgar after she left your grasp in Edge."

"Midgar, huh?" Reno pondered. "Why there?"

"We don't know for sure, but there are theories that she has a teleporter there. You said so yourself that she disappeared after your chase in Edge. For her to just go swoof outta here, she had to have teleported. Her hoverbike has more technology embedded in it than our hovercars. Even her armor is more resistant to ailments than anything forged or modified. Disappearing isn't half of a surprise."

"If it's not surprising that she teleported to Midgar, how do you know she's not there still?"

"We were only able to find her in Midgar because of a small cell phone signal we tracked by one of our three satellites. While Chailo was working with us, she helped develop one of the satellites to prove she was on our side. ShinRa monitored her personally as she built a satellite that could trace her location through any artificial intelligence device in any city. When Rufus sentenced her to an execution, she completely shut down the satellite's system, which is why we can only track her by certain miracle."

"Whose cell phone signal did you use to find her?"

"Serial number: k761-B2J5F3-M6k8H4O6-D3. Extension 9A. Current cell phone owner: Vincent Valentine. Whatever was in Midgar other than Chailo took out his phone signal pretty good. We haven't been able to pick up a good trace like that on our alien since then."

"Know anything about him?" Reno asked, relaxing in his seat as the limo took a few turns. "Current residence? Occupation? Frequent visits?"

"He lives in an apartment complex named Mellow Suites last I checked. Besides writing commentary for novels, I don't think he has a career like he did as a Turk," Palmer said, scratching his chest. "Besides shopping for food, he visits the other members of AVALANCHE at least once a year. His more frequent visits are in Rocket Town and the Seventh Heaven bar. He goes to Edge and Rocket Town at least once a month. Although he has been involved with the WRO, he hardly goes to their headquarters. His alliance with organizations is somewhat shady."

"Where does he go to buy a phone or update one?"

"Fone Services, Inc."

"The satellite that Chailo fixed is dismantled, right?"

"Right."

"What about the other two satellites? What are they used for?"

"One of the satellites gathers information from the Planet's activity; for instance, you saw the Lifestream in the air, right?" Palmer asks, earning a nod from Reno. "The satellite my company made was able to detect the Lifestream's movement and calculate a possible location for a second movement."

"A second movement?"

"That's right!" Palmer cheered, pumping his fist. "The satellite was also able to determine the mass life forms floating in Junon, Mideel Island, North Corel, Nibelheim, Midgar, and Wutai."

"Life forms?" Reno questioned. Living in Costa del Sol had its advantages.

"Yes. Not everyone has seen the life forms, but there are several floating about. They're forming into the Planet's old WEAPONs. We theorize that the Planet is detecting a new threat and is possibly trying to reform her defenses. I fear Chailo may have something to do with all this, but I don't really know what. Is she calling backup from her own home planet or not?"

"I doubt it. They would've come years ago," Reno commented, thinking of other reasons there are WEAPONs hovering above cities. "The Planet doesn't need to reform defenses; it just needs to make new ones. It could be taking the WEAPONs powers and putting them into a new source like an input machine? Put high-level magic abilities into one super machine and out comes a fucking wizard, yo. It doesn't explain the Lifestream bit, but I guess the Planet is just making a new WEAPON."