"What's going on, Mneme?"
Reeve stared into his girlfriend's face and grew worried at her expression. She inhaled deeply, looked to the carpet of the suite, and then took a calm breath. She could feel her hands quaking in her lover's hands. It was hard to express her feelings in front of people; she was a very modest person - not so much in her past, but definitely in the present. She licked her lips, tasting the flavored gloss on them, then looked into Reeve's eyes with a gentle smile.
"Someone from my home planet is here," Mneme started, removing her hands from Reeve's grasp. He was reluctant to release her smaller, gentler hands after not having seen his beautiful wanderer for a few months now, but she was trying to tell him something important. Mneme tucked her blonde hair beneath a pair of long ears and watched her boyfriend's gaping mouth as he sat before her shocked. "You have permission to blink, ya know!"
Reeve cupped her face and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. She smiled brightly, unafraid of her large ears. Honestly, Reeve was stuck between desire and reason. Finding out your girlfriend has sexy-looking elf ears doesn't really justify the impure thoughts running through your head if you have them, and Reeve most definitely has a lot of them running track in his cerebellum.
"Why are you so damn cute?" Reeve asked, looking at Mneme's green eyes so full of hope and anticipation. It was then he realized that Mneme wasn't shaking because she was troubled; she was shaking because more of her people were here and she wasn't alone anymore.
"Because I was born that way," she answered, laughing. "Why? Do you find my ears cuter than me?"
"If I did, you'd probably break up with me," Reeve commented, looking to the side.
"I will only break up with you if you cheat on me," Mneme said, ears perking up like a puppy's ears. Reeve gulped, backed away from Mneme, and then laid on his side to cover his attraction toward the woman and her…ears?
"It isn't really fair to seduce me in such serious affairs," he remarked, mumbling mostly.
"I haven't quite shown you my true seductiveness, so this does not apply," she said, pinching his cheek. "In fact, I've never seduced you in the two years we've been dating."
"Speaking of years, how long has it been since you left your home planet? Where are you from? How'd you get here?"
"It's been seven years," Mneme answered, lying on her side in front of Reeve. "I am from a planet called Centrum. I am what you call a Pallen-Elezen, or pale-skinned Elezen. Pallen-Elezen people are found near shaded areas such as caves or in forests. We have very sensitive hearing, so sensitive that we can hear a butterfly's wings beat even in a thunderstorm. Our hearing compensates for our weaker eyesight. We are very good hunters and meteorologists."
"I don't think I'd be able to pay attention to the weather report if you're announcing a thunderstorm."
"Why?" Mneme asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"It's a curse the men on our planet succumb to," Reeve said, huffing. "We tend to pay attention to how cute the weather girls are; rarely do we actually get something out of them. Since you're as beautiful and intelligent as you are, I don't think concentrating would be on the agenda for me."
"Would you try to call me if I were a weather girl?" Mneme asked, smiling mischievously.
"Probably not. I'm the guy who collects posters and duct tapes 'em to a wall."
Mneme giggled then climbed atop her boyfriend. Reeve felt his insides screaming victoriously, but he never acted on what they shouted about or for. He looked into Mneme's green eyes and curiously watched her straddle him. She gave him a very passionate gaze before slowly untying the flimsy blue strings on her top. He only realized what his insides were getting excited about when Mneme pulled the top up to her breasts without completely taking the top off.
"W-w-wait a minute!" Reeve said, stalling her. "Wouldn't you rather tell me more about your home?"
"I would," Mneme started, humping Reeve slightly. She earned a pleasantly deep groan and chuckled before saying, "But something told me to continue later."
"Honey, I would really like to hear about your planet before you do…what you were about to do."
"Ah, well, to answer your last question, I was exiled from Centrum and traveled through space until I landed here."
"You were exiled? Why?"
"A crime," Mneme whispered, kissing Reeve's softest spot on his neck. She continued speaking, "I was originally sentenced to death, but…my savior rescued me. She…is here! I am finally able to see her after seven long years of being away from home! I'm…I'm not alone anymore."
"What is her name?" Reeve asked, wiping Mneme's joyful tears.
"Chai-chan!" Mneme said, covering her mouth. She quickly wiped her tears but she was all the more happy to be able to say someone's name from her home planet. "Chailo's here. I felt her powers before. I thought I was going crazy, but I wasn't. My Chailo is here! Sister is here!"
I wanted to tell her that the Chailo she knows is being hunted down… Reeve thought, embracing his girlfriend. I wanted her to tell me what she knew about Chailo, so we could hopefully end ShinRa's search for her… But the more I saw her crying and whispering so happily… The more I couldn't say anything… I just wanted her to be happy…because she wasn't alone… She was finally able to speak to someone from a world so much farther from us than we know… She was…
Free to let go…
I am Yuffie Kisaragi, the daughter of Godo Kisaragi, and the youngest member of AVALANCHE. Well, when AVALANCHE still tried to defeat ShinRa Electric Power Company. It's been five years since anything truly worth remembering has happened. This is the first time I've ever fought for something other than restoring my homeland, Wutai. When I was younger, I heard stories about my home and its picturesque antiquity - its spirituality and mystique. I wanted desperately to bring back Wutai's former glory, and I have for years…until…I met a woman named Chailo Shinburo.
I was working for the WRO yesterday and was granted a day-off from Reeve Tuesti, the leader of the WRO, so I went shopping for clothes for the first time in history. I met Chailo outside an outlet mall in Edge. She ran from Turks all the way to Mount Corel for god knows how long. We fought together on Mount Corel until we teleported back to Edge. Monsters attacked us on the outskirts. It was my first being free to let go and use my full power.
"KYA!" Yuffie shouted, slashing away an elemental beast with her Magic Shuriken.
Being with strong people like Vincent, Cloud, and Tifa, who can kill someone just by staring at them or use super-speed to gain the upper hand, made me realize how much weaker I was. I hated it! To be able to use my shuriken in close range and actually feel the impact on these monsters just gives me that much more of a rush. Most guys like being behind the barrel of a gun because they can feel the bullet and the wind. It makes them feel safer and macho. Girls like me don't need anything that corny.
"Haa!" Yuffie cried, kicking a berserk monster. She activated the white magic in the blue materia embedded in her shuriken and chanted, "Haste!"
Other men who want to be heroes need some type of sword or knife to be in full battle mode. My shuriken's sharp but I hardly feel like a hero behind it. I may not be a full-on woman like Tifa, but I'm not stupid enough to think that a strong man will always save me. Tifa's not dumb, but she's stronger than most women I know. I can connect with her on those grounds for sure. If you want to make it with the big boys, it's best to know how to handle your own like a big boy. I haven't known very many women who could go beyond a man's potential. In all my travels, every woman in the AVALANCHE group has been kidnapped at least once - forget how 'cause I don't want to know - and without fail there's always some man to the rescue. Yesterday was the first time I saw a woman ever escape a kidnapper or a killer without a man saving the day. It was just her and her own power. That made me want to use my full power to save myself.
All I need is my combat skills just like Chailo. When I watched her moving, it all seemed planned and graceful. The way she broad-jumped was almost phantasmagoric! She looked like she was using black magic to help her jump to further distances, but then, when you really pay attention to her, she isn't using anything at all. She just jumps! That made me want to show-off. Since I'm a trained ninja, I can jump from tree to tree no problem. When I see Chailo jump on air, she just does it so naturally. The way I see it… Chailo is a soldier that shouldn't be made pissed off, but it's not like that. When she laughed for the first time, I heard someone in pain - someone who hadn't laughed in years - and it made me want to comfort her. I bet even now, no matter how much I reason that she tried to shoot me, she's still afraid and alone. I know how it feels to be alone.
"Bastard!" Yuffie insulted, slashing through beasts. The blood-caked teeth agape, the murderous gaze fading away, the fur and scales clinging to the blades of her shuriken.
I know because I was always alone…
"Jyaa!" Yuffie shouted, tearing off a reptile fiend's head.
I'm not like Cloud when he's alone. I don't question my existence or whether I like fighting because I like it or someone else does and I just go with the flow. I'm not like Aeris when she's alone. I don't plant daisies and whisper hymns in a church. I'm not like Barret when he's alone. I don't have kids to take care of or worry about. I'm not like Cid when he's alone. I don't know squat-shit when it comes to mechanics. I'm definitely not like Vincent. I don't know a damn thing about love or why you have to sleep inside a coffin because love turned your back on you. I am Yuffie Kisaragi! And I… I… I will not leave you on your own, Chailo Shinburo! You are the one person…
Yuffie… a woman's voice whispered.
"Mother?" Yuffie questioned, looking into the sky. Spirits of the fallen flutter like little fireflies to the sky. Only a small voice reaches out to Yuffie, and that voice is one she knows faintly but well.
I love you, Yuffie…
Chailo, you are the one person…I know that I can protect… Just wait for me while I pick up some leads. At least promise me…
"Okay," Yuffie said, nodding to herself. "Let's go find some mysterious piping!"
The village of Kalm has an immense variation of European culture. It has risen to a gradual expansion due to its modernization. Cottage houses and cabins are not as close to each other as before. About three years ago, the people began planting trees and providing extra space for their neighbors to tend to gardens and their newly planted trees. Renovations had been made since the terrible disturbance of Deepground on the pleasant suburbs. The mining industry has risen due to a recent finding of gems and crystals with the ability to become synthesized into other things. With the rise in sales for mythril, gemstones, and synthesizing crystals, Mythril Mining Co. has been buying newer equipment and hiring people who can use the equipment.
Yuffie looked around the village and was almost proud of the people for doing so well. If she weren't so busy looking for chalk markings, her little chest would've puffed out. Kalm was a perfect example for Wutai to only modernize certain things of the village while still keeping its dignity. Yuffie was more or less surprised that the people took such great measures escaping the monsters that suddenly appeared in the streets. They learned their lesson well since Deepground. Speaking of which, the ninja had a sudden premonition that there were definitely going to be more monsters. Stocking up would be a really good idea, and hopefully someone in one of shops will know about the teleported pipes Chailo used.
Nodding to herself, Yuffie ran to the nearest item shop without a second thought. She noticed the cobblestone streets were always well-kempt and fragrant whenever she popped by to bother Vincent. The village must have had a street scrubbing machine. Those were slowly rising to popularity, too, especially around frequented areas. Her father paid for one of those services to clean out around the shrines. Walking inside the item shop, Yuffie stopped and gawked at how different it was. You could actually see the sun pouring in through the windows! And there was no excessive piping on the walls! There was actually flower-patterned wallpaper on the walls! Modernization never looked so good for this place.
"Did someone come in?" a man asked. A middle-aged man came down his stairs and saw Yuffie at his door. He said, "Ah! Welcome to Heiler's Item Shop. How may I help you today?"
"Oh!" Yuffie said, digging in her pocket for her wallet. "I wanted some stock items for later. Let's see…four potions, two phoenix downs, and two antidotes please."
"Ah, are you with the WRO perchance?" the man asked, gathering the items.
"Yep!" Yuffie said cheerfully.
"A very tall man came by here buying up a storm. He said he was under a secret investigation that involved his partner's disappearance. Apparently, they separated along the lines of some work previous. I did not wish to pry, so I simply let him be. He seemed very troubled, though. He asked me the strangest question if I ever did hear it."
"How strange could it be?"
"He asked me if knights still exist," he said, placing the items in a small bag.
"Knights? You mean like the ones on TV that wear heavy armor?"
"I believe so. He told me the closest he ever came to a knight was in his mother's princess stories she would tell his little cousin when she came to visit. Recently, he said he might have met the real deal. I was surprised that he might have met a real knight. Then again, no one has ever seen a true knight in person. He might have just seen someone who was dressed in costume during a past times festival and pretended to be one."
"I didn't know they had past time festivals around here," Yuffie said, scratching her head.
"You should visit Kalm around March! There's always a past time festival here," the man informed, ringing up the bill. "We have a performance of medieval history during the second week. The Knighthood of the Fabled Table is a favorite among young children. Some actors perform an actual play of what knights used to do to become men. ShinRa's Gold Saucer amusement park had a play involving a knight, but it was a little far-fetched."
"Sure that's a proper word?" Yuffie questioned, forming a dark aura around herself. She remembered that ridiculous play all too clearly. Giving Cloud her precious kiss only to be talking to a wall later on? She wanted to kick herself for giving in to him.
"I believe the more curious thing about that man's words were what he said about his partner," the man said, snapping Yuffie out of her ghostly aura. "He said his partner may have had feelings for the knight he met. He proceeded to describe his partner as flamboyant, lazy, boisterous, but also reliable, confident, and determined when something catches his interest. A personality like that needs the right person to tame, and the knight might have been just that person. How would an actor know how to tame such a character, I thought to myself. Then he said one last thing before leaving, 'I think he is a fool, but he will change into something quite admirable. He loved the right person for the right reasons but in the wrong situation and under the wrong circumstances. He'll be interesting to watch.'"
That guy… Yuffie thought. I hope I can meet him one day. I'd like to know what will become of him and his love for that knight…
Reno was following Palmer to his new apartment suite in silence until he sneezed audibly. He hoped he wasn't catching a cold. The hallway he was walking through was eerily quiet with only a few hums of classical music pouring in from one of the doors. The hall was wide enough for two Palmers, or two people with the same body width as Doctor Palmer, but narrow enough to hear things from other doors. All the doors were a cherry brown and the walls were pink; the carpet was an interesting blue with glow in the dark fibers embedded in supernova clouds. It was like walking on the universe. There were dimming lights in the hallway's fixture that made the carpet come alive. Reno was never fascinated with décor but this was certainly getting his attention more than seeing his new headquarters.
Palmer said that he would initiate Reno into his company once all of his belongings were in his new apartment, so Reno took his time to think of ways to find Chailo. He ruled out her being in public areas that were frequented the most. Even an idiot wouldn't go out in public when they were being hunted down. Besides Mount Corel and Edge, she had to be somewhere hardly anyone would visit or be able to recognize her. Midgar is out of the question since she just escaped from there, and he wasn't sure if the body suits Palmer had would be able to combat with the concentrated levels of Mako in the area. Chailo could go in Midgar whenever she pleased because Mako had no effects on her. He was a witness to those experiments.
"Ah! Here we are!" Palmer said, interrupting Reno's thoughts. "Suite 736 E."
"Why are we here again?" Reno asked.
"This is your new pad," Palmer said, opening the door and turning on the light.
Reno entered his new apartment and stopped in mid-step. If he had any doubts in his mind that his old apartment was better, he was clearly mistaken. The view was sick!
"Holy shit!" Reno remarked, chuckling.
"I'll take that as a sign that you're impressed," Palmer said, placing the keys on the granite kitchen counter. "Sorry for the classic black and glass furniture. You can replace it whenever you like."
"Are you kidding?" Reno said, touching the leather sofa. "This is bitchin', yo!"
"Oh, thank god! It takes thousands of dollars to replace an entire apartment," Palmer said, walking toward the windows that overlooked his company. "That aside, your initiation will begin in another hour. I will escort you to the facilities you are permitted to use within the company and grant you access to whatever information you may need. Any questions related to your new assignment?"
"Actually, it isn't really involved with my assignment. But it's something I have to know. You said you had a satellite that reads the planet's activities, right? What's it called?"
"The Netum Blue," Palmer answered, a glow twinkling in his eyes.
"Has it traced anymore activities?"
"Actually, yes. I was sent the information recently," Palmer said, clapping.
The lights went off and a slit door opened in the ceiling. A weird-looking statue split open and projected VR images before Reno's eyes. Palmer connected his phone to an adapter and dragged the information off his phone to the windows. Reno was familiar with touch technology, but he wasn't aware that you drag actual documents from one place to another. It was astounding! He was definitely going to practice that while Palmer wasn't looking.
"Yesterday evening," Palmer started, pointing to the projected images, "at approximately 7:03 p.m., the Lifestream was seen globally within the stratosphere of the Planet. It had a higher net activity in Junon than any other city on the continents. In fact, it was so high that it disturbed many of the life forms above ground. Oceans, lakes, and seas were more turbulent and dangerous. The plants were wilting away. More monsters were appearing from places never truly populated before. Another occurrence was the sighting of the Sapphire WEAPON forming. My colleagues have checked the status of the Netum Blue satellite to see if the Lifestream's net activity had moved, but as it stands Junon still has the highest. To put it simply, the Lifestream is being concentrated in Junon."
"What about WEAPON?" Reno asked, turning his attention to the windows where the satellite's readings and pictures are being displayed. "What's been up with them forming?"
"They've completed their forms," Palmer answered gravely, earning Reno's full attention. "Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Ultimate, Diamond, and Jade; they all have reached their final form. Right now they are positioning themselves in the form of a circle, and the Lifestream is surrounding them in such a way that it is connecting them. The Lifestream is becoming a link."
A noise sounded, grabbing Reno's attention, and another document flashed on the window. "What's that, Palms?"
"New activity," Palmer said. "What?"
"What's going on?"
"The satellite picked up new activity from the WEAPONs!" Palmer gasped. The statue displayed a new image of the WEAPONs gathering a large amount of power and hunching over. "Is it…a Shadow Flare attack?"
A ringing sounded in the mythril mines that woke Chailo from her nap. The tattoos on her body provided light to the caves as they glowed brilliantly in the dark. The elder and all other life were asleep. She quietly rose to her feet and looked at her tattoos glowing. Power was coursing through her body and giving it such warmth she found it frightening. The source of such power must be coming from the planet. Looking to her elder, she gave a heartbroken smile to his sleeping form and turned to the pond. She wanted desperately to apologize to him for her behavior, but she did not want to be involved with another planet's affairs again. Though she is at conflict with herself, she wants to at least try to reason with the planet.
She eased her way to the pond and stooped low to enter its shallow depths. It was deep enough to cover a child's entire body, but the water's surface and the pond's bottom had a tiny distance apart no more than four feet. Chailo was very tedious when it came to being especially quiet around her elder. He had better hearing than most Elezen people; to be so quiet that he can't hear you takes great skill. Once Chailo was completely in the water, she took her time to find a large stone covering an opening. Water flowed from the pond to that small crevice in the rock like a miniature jet stream. She used a small amount of magic to levitate the rock but stopped to quickly crush the bubbles that formed when she moved the heavy object. Once she completely moved the rock, she held her dipped her entire body into the water and held her breath as she passed through the opening.
It was especially dark in the small tunnel. Her tattoos were the only source of light that guided her to her destination. On the other side of this tunnel was another pond much deeper than the one she left, but there was an atrium above the larger pond. It was her only source of sunlight in the mythril caves - her mirror to the outside world above ground. There were also very interesting gemstones embedded in the tunnel that she continued to find as she passed through. Her tattoos' glow gave them a majestic air. Another jet stream caught her eyes as she approached the door to her natural light.
She moved this stone and was inwardly happy to see sunlight pouring onto her brown skin. Suddenly, she saw a person passing by the pond and sunk back into the shadows a bit. It wasn't just one person. It was actually two, and that was one too many. Unfortunately, the ponds' waters were very clear and clean. She would be spotted very easily in the light, but she couldn't hold her breath in the water forever. Voices poured through to her ears, making her focus, but she couldn't creep closer than where she was yet.
"You honestly think Yuffie will come here, Vincent?"
"Yes," the gunner said. "She wants to find that woman whether we like it or not. Chaos is responding to this area the most. Either that woman is here or Yuffie will be here."