(Disclaimer: Plata-Azul Firebird does not own Final Fantasy 7, only her OCs… Otherwise, we might end up having a not-so-epic battle with the lawsuits.)
Altering Rhythm
Solo Concerto
Silver: Time to split up! Since we got two, you got two different side stories. First up, Mira!
Solo Concerto
The next day, both girls gets up early and goes a bit of morning routine such as Riley jogging and Mira playing music and singing a bit. It's pretty much a habit to them… then…
"Ack! Riley!" the songstress yelps as a clock appears below her best friend, it's hands speeds up, she suddenly glows and… she speeds away more faster than she use to.
That is also the time Mira accidentally learns the Haste spell, which partly weirds her out since this ability is a Dance and not Sing… she then just shrugs it off since they are in FF7 and not in FFX-2, so probably things are a bit different for her and Riley's Job Class.
Once the ravenette helps her nurse the bruises she received from crashing into some junk and apologizing on that, they head to the bar. On arriving there…
"Shi…! What's this? It wasn't that tough! 'Crap! I'm clueless… Well, you handle the Materia then!" they heard Barret complain as he gets a bit confuse with Cloud's explanation on materias.
"I'm going this time!" Tifa announces and the girls both knew that will happen… but they didn't expect… "Riley, can you watch Marlene and the store while we're gone?" she asked the mime.
"O-wait, what?" Riley replied, looking baffled as Mira stares at her and Tifa. "Not Mira?" she asked a bit as the songstress gives her a look.
"Her status effect ability is going to be useful in this mission, so I recommended her." the blonde points out and both turns to stare him, Mira is frankly surprise and a bit happy that he recommended her… she thinks.
"Please? Marlene is good on taking care of the bar, she is even good on making drinks but she is still young." the bar maid points out. "Just this once?"
'Then why did you left her in charge in the game at the first place? Or better yet… What the heck did Square thought of letting a 4 year old do an adult job?' the brunette thought as she rubs her forehead on this. "… Fine, but bring me back a souvenir will ya?" she stated.
"Thank you!" the brunette fighter cheered and then she reminds Cloud about the man, who want to give him something, above the Weapon Shop.
"Take care of Marlene, Riley!" the black man stated as he, Cloud and Tifa exit's the bar.
"Be careful now." Riley calls out to her best friend.
"I will." the songstress replied as she walks out of the bar.
:::^*^:::
Once Cloud got the item from a man above the weapon shop and bought some bangles from the weapon dealer, he then proceeds on getting more materias for the party. Entering another store…
"Hey." he stated looking at the party. "What kind of materias do you guys need?"
"Hmmm… Fire." Tifa stated.
"Bolt, please." Mira replied, she knew the boss they are going to face here and she wants to have an advantage in this battle. 'Ice and Fire are pretty much ineffective on who we're going to face soon, thankfully I got a Restore materia since the Big Bomber attack is going to be a pain.' she thought, although she is still uneasy with the fire.
"Just give me something that can really hit hard." Barret stated.
He nodded and bought a pair of Fire for himself and Tifa and a Lightning for Barret, he gave his own Lightning to Mira instead and then they head for the train as they equip their new materias. They then heads to the train station and got on the train, inside they meet up with Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge. Barret's anger and presence scared almost all of the passenger to the other car, as the songstress sighs at his misplace aggression.
'Seriously… should I play Lullaby to make you calm down? What's the point of this mission if you act like that?' she thought, she remembers on most actions spy movies to number one rule is to act cool and blend in… not make yourself a suspicious character.
"YO! Looks like this ain't no private car! So split up!" The black man shouts at them.
"...hoodlums again." The man stated and Mira knew that he is the Shinra Manager from the game. "God, don't I just have all the luck…" and he takes a seat then Barret just runs to the door and looks in.
"You say sumthin'? I said, 'you say sumthin'!" he demanded and then walks back. "Yo, look at that! It got empty alluva sudden!" slamming his fist near the manager's seat.
"What's goin' on!" He yelps at the slam and looks up. "DAMN! I…it's empty because of…g, guys like you…" but with one look from the rebel leader almost made him pee on his seat. "Y, Y, YIPES! You…you've seen the news, right? AVALANCHE says there'll be more bombings. Only devoted employees like me would go to Midgar on a day like today." as he curls in his seat, scared on the fact that the man got a gun arm.
"You workin' for Shinra?" the rebel leader demanded and it definitely scared the man off till…
BAM!
A rather musical piano-like hit sounded off and both Cloud and Tifa stares at Mira, who used her keytar on hitting the black man's head. "Will you mind and behave!" she sternly stated and looks at her instrument. To her relief, it is quite durable and not a dent in sight and she takes her seat far from the manager.
"#^*$! You lucky #$#*!" Barret shouts at the manager and turns to the songstress, who is placing her keytar down and massages her shoulder. "What the hell is that fer!"
"You need to chill." she stated with a shrug, before she stands and pulls him close. "Besides he might pin you as a bad guy and he'll report you to the authority." she hissed and let him go. "Okay?"
The black man grumbles as Cloud spoke up. "So, what are we gonna do now?"
"Shit! The hell you so calm about?" He asked and turns to him. "You bustin' up my rhythm…"
Then they felt the train jerk and the handles sways above them. "Seems like they just finished connecting the cars, we're finally leaving." Tifa noted.
"So what's our next target?" the blonde asked.
"Hah! Listen to Mr. Serious-about-his-work!" he drawl at him as the blonde merely stares back.
"I'll ask Mira to hit you again." and the ravenette looks at him as if saying 'Oi! Once is enough!'.
"Awright… I'll tell ya! Jessie's probably already told you, but there's a security checkpoint at the top plate. It's an ID scan system checkin' all the trains."
"Which Shinra is very proud of." the martial artist pipes in.
"We can't use our fake ID's anymore…" and the rebel leader noted.
Then the announcement came and announces the time which the train will arrive in Sector 4. "That means we've got only three more minutes to the ID checkpoint." Tifa added.
"EH? But how do we get past the scan?" Mira asked, a bit surprise but knows what is going next.
"In three minutes, we're jumpin' off this train." the AVALANCHE leader stated, which made Mira go 'EH?'. "Oi! Don't go chickenin' out now!"
The songstress sits still as Tifa went to the monitor at the front and motions Cloud to come near. As they look at the monitor, the ravenette's hands feels sweaty as the thought of jumping out of the train. Only Riley is the most athletic one while she is more into performing arts like dancing and singing. Normally, she would protest on letting her best friend take her place instead but she needed to stay behind to find the items they need. As she breathes in and out… she jumps out of her seat and on her feet when the alarms goes off.
"That's odd. The ID CheckPoint was supposed to be further down." Tifa pointed out.
"Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed…" a computerized voice came from the speakers as Mira straps on her equipment.
"What's happening?" the bar maid asked, a bit surprise and panic on the alarm.
'Obviously… someone went a bit overboard with someone's ID.' Mira thought, as she walks back a bit.
"What's goin' on!" the bar maid asked again as Cloud tries to figure out what happen, when Jessie runs back into the cabin they're in.
"We're in trouble, I'll explain later." the brunette rebel said it so fast, as Mira talks to the man who thinks the train is his house and receives a Phoenix Down for talking to him. "Hurry! Get to the next car!"
"*$&%! Someone blew it…" Barret stated in calm fury.
They all boot themselves to the next cab, but then the announcement came about locking the cab they're in. So they didn't stand long and runs all the way to the front car, there they saw their teammates in disguise. Biggs looking like a mafia man, Jessie as a Shirna infantryman and Wedge… as somewhat his younger brother.
'Well… he does look like a little boy like that.' Mira thought as Barret runs to the front
"All right! We made it!" he cheered and moves to the door. "Yo! This way!" he signals the three of them to get there as Jessie opens the door, all three of them runs to where the rebel leader is. "Let's go! We're gonna dive outta here!"
"…Scary…huh?" she whispered to both Cloud and Mira.
"Too late to be saying that now." the blonde deadpans
"To get caught or jump… I would rather jump." the songstress replied but her heart is really beating fast and is panicking mentally. 'I'm sooo not born for this…this is more of Riley's stunts' she thought depressingly.
"I'm with her. Why'd you come along anyway?" he asked. Mira knows he's asking his childhood friend, but she mentally answers to herself that she and Riley are going to protect their smiles… and not let them suffer the guilt like in ACC and DoC.
The bar maid turns around and before she could even answer. "Hey you two! There ain't no time for that!" Barret hollered at the three and they are slightly startled by him. Tifa takes a look of the outside and Mira takes a peek of the speeding scenery and pales at this. Considering the speed and all she might get some bruises on the landing. But one thing that is thankful in her mind is that the train is underground, unlike the train in her place back in their world which is high above the ground.
"Yeah! I've made up my mind!" the martial artist stated and looks at the two. "Watch closely. I'll jump!" And she jumped out of the train with Mira watching intently on how she does it, hoping her technique will be less hurtful. She saw her lands on her feet first before rolling on her side, it seems it spreads the impact when rolling.
'Man… and I thought the roof was worse?' she thought as she looks at the two, squishing her nervousness. "Well… Don't get hit by a sign, Cloudy." she jokes a little and he gives her a look, which made her feel a little better and takes a breath.
She jumps.
Cloud turns to Barret, who's keeping a sharp eye for any creepy things coming. "You don't care if I go first?" he asked.
"A leader always stays till the end. Don't worry 'bout me, just go!" he stated and as the blonde turns to jump. "Yo! Don't go gettin' your spikey-ass hurt! It's only the beginnin' of the mission!" and the Ex- SOLDIER merely shrugs then jumps away. Then Barret walks to the door and looks back to the rest of his team. "Later! You take care of the rest!" he stated and jumps out.
:::^*^:::
"Ow, ow, ow…" the songstress winces as she gets up and cast cure on herself. "Thankfully, this stunt is still in my pain tolerance range." she hissed. She doesn't have a strong tolerance like her best friend does, so she can only withstand an average level of pain. She then checks he keytar if it's damage, since she just jumps out of the train. Thankfully, everything is in one piece and a few scratches, she then test the instrument and the sound came out perfectly fine. "Wow, you're incredibly durable…"
Then she notices a part of the covering on the side fell off and she slightly panics on her damaged instrument… only to find something else. "Orchestra Ai… Orchestra Love?" she reads and translated the hidden name plate of the instrument. "Is that what you are called?" she whispered, then she hears her name being called and straps her instrument on. She then stands and jogs to where Cloud and the rest are.
"Mira!" Tifa called and she seems relief on seeing the songstress. "Are you okay?"
"Riding on the roof of the train is one thing I'm fine with." Mira quips. "But jumping out of the train is something I have to get use to… Ow." she winces a bit, there is still a bit of sting left.
"Oh! Are you injured?" she asked.
"Nah, just sore." the songstress half-lied, she just healed herself earlier as she adjust the strap of her instrument.
Once Barret give the group a quick brief, they then followed the tracks and stops in front of security beams blocking their way. As they wonder on how to get pass the beams, Mira finds the hole and she suggest on going down in it. For Barret, it is a small hole but the songstress knew that this is the only way to get into Sector 5. Without their final decision, she jumps in, slides all the way down and lands in crouching position.
'Ha! I still got it!' she thought happily of the slides she used to play in and her different method of landing. It is the only thing she can be proud on since she is physically lacking the exercise, and slides are her favorite part of the playground. She then moves away, so they won't land on her in case they follow. Once she picks the Ether and waits for the others to slide down…
"Hello…"
She looks around only to find no one and once more she shrugs it off, as Tifa arrives first, followed by Cloud and then Barret… who somehow got a moment to get himself stuck.
:::^*^:::
After getting their rebel leader out, they then proceed on climbing down some ladders and cross the platform. There they find Wedge far from the ladder where Jessie is, he stated to take the long ladder to get to the reactor. Taking his advise, they climb the ladder and crawl under the shaft. When they reach the exit, there they find Jessie and Mira quickly picks up a potion when she sees it. Cloud then wonders which way to go…
"Right." the songstress stated. The view point has change since she and Riley are in the game, everything is in first-person view point and the ladder going to where the reactor is now at the right.
"Huh?" Cloud asked and the others looks at her.
"Should we go right?" she stated it as a question to avoid suspicion from the three.
"OH! I remember, Biggs went there." Jessie noted and the ravenette thank her mentally as Cloud nodded at this.
They take the ladder to the right and climbs down, once they reach the bottom, they saw Biggs near a shaft. Tifa talks to him while Mira grabs the tent on one side and is suddenly ambush by Smoggers. Out of surprise and reflex, she cast Bolt on one of them as she backs away quickly, only to be hit by a Smog which poisons and weaken her.
"Mira!" Tifa shouts and Cloud and Barret quickly darts forward. The blonde made a quick work on the one that poisons her and the black man riddled the other with leads… lots of it. Once the monsters are down for at count, the bar maid helps her up as the ravenette digs in her pouch for a antidote.
'Ugh… it's like you're being cut every ten seconds, good thing Riley and I decided to buy antidotes early.' she thought as she downs the said medicine and gags a little bit. 'And why does anything that heals tastes bad?'
After that incident, Biggs heads back for the hideout and they proceed to the shaft. Once they are out of the shaft, they find themselves in a similar area as of the Reactor 1 except for the light blue lightning around. Mira is first to slide down the pipe, followed by Cloud and the others. And then everything is identical to what the did to the first reactor: climbing down the ladders and pipes, reaching the walkway towards the reactor… then when Cloud is about to plant a bomb…
He got another breakdown.
This time Mira knew his head is playing the scene where Tifa declared her hatred to Shinra, SOLDIERs and everything they do after her father's death. It comes to her mind that she might also counsel her on her hatred of that company… considering it will fall due to their own ignorance and greed. 'That's karma…' she thought as she goes to the blondes side. "Hey, get a hold of yourself!" she snaps and shakes him, causing the blonde to be snap back to reality. "You okay?"
"Tifa?" he called out the fighter's name.
"Cloud, are you okay?" Tifa asked.
"Yeah… it's nothing… Let's just hurry!" he stated as Mira helps him up. The songstress watches the blonde place the bomb with worry.
'Don't hide it… the damage will be even more greater if you don't tell.' she thought, once they set the bomb they quickly bail out of the facility. As they run, Mira decides to get the blonde talking about those dreams and manages to catch his side as they climb the stairs. "Hey, what was that all about?"
"… It's nothing." he stated.
"Nothing my ass." she replied and he looks at her. "What you think Riley is the only colorful one? Back to the point, what happen back there is not a nothing."
"… Just-"
"Cloud." he turns to see her eyes are staring at him with a stern look which could burn if he stare too long. "Keeping it will not make you feel better." she hissed as Tifa is about to catch up. Looking at the bar maid, the songstress can consider her as an obstacle because she too was there when IT happens. And her motherly attitude and inability to voice out the truth, would prevent her on helping the blonde get better and cover everything with sugar-coated words just to keep him safe. 'No one can be safe once the truth is revealed…' she thought.
"… I… I'll tell you once we're back." he whispered but is audible enough for her to hear, it made her smile and started planning her methods on helping Cloud overcome his problem. But she must also be careful, she have slightly ruffled the chocobo's feather on this one.
Both Barret and Mira take down any securities at comes in their way, but she notice the lack of fight as they go. Also the songstress cast Haste both on Cloud and Tifa, to beat other enemies in case they missed. Getting to the elevator, they go up and on arriving on the top floor, they quickly file out and heads to a computer room. The songstress decides to signal the three when they successful opens the door, as they attempt to press the three buttons at the same time. It took them three tries to get it open and as they head for the walkway, Mira checks her equipment, items and her status spells. Although the negative ones will have no effect on a machine, she got Haste for the party and that's an advantage.
:::^*^:::
Arriving at the walkway…
"This way!" Barret called and is about to head left, when the troopers arrived. "Shinra troopers? SHIT! What is going on?" he demanded, shock that there are authority in their way as he, Cloud and Mira takes out their weapons.
'… Come to think of it, there should be a time gap on terrorizing.' the songstress thought, thinking of bombing the reactor everyday will definitely leave clues and get themselves caught or killed in the process. 'Very unlike in Earth, make a shocking event, hide for a month or so, and then make another shocking event then hide again… yeah, since we bomb the Reactor 1, there should be an increase of security…' and she mentally smack herself. "DUH!" she yelped.
"What is it?" Tifa asked.
"I think we should've plan better than this." Mira points out in a low volume.
"What do you mean?" the blonde asked, eyes still not straying from the guards.
"When a person destroys one part of your property, what would they do?" she asked.
"Weep on their lost." Barret answers gruffly.
"No! They increase security or place a trap!" She knew Cloud is suppose to say his line about the trap, but it just slip out of her mouth. Then they hear someone clapping and they turn to see a rather fat man, bald on the top and wears a red expensive suit.
"My, what a smart little girl we have here." the man stated.
"Presi-president Shinra?" the black man stated in surprise and Tifa gasped on seeing him.
"It's common sense, ya prick." the songstress snaps at the president.
"Why is the President here?" the bar maid asked.
"Hmm… So you all must be that... What was it?" the man said, pretending he forgot the name of the group.
"AVALANCHE! And don't ya forget it!" The AVALANCHE leader shouts at him with a shaking fist. He really wants to fill the prick with lead, so he could end this when the blonde moves to the front.
"Long time no see, President." he stated calmly.
"…Long time no see? Oh…you. You're the one who quit SOLDIER and joined AVALANCHE." the president said and gets a good look on the blonde. "I knew you'd been exposed to Mako, from the look in your eyes… Tell me, traitor, what was your name?"
"Cloud."
"Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember each person's name. Unless you become another Sephiroth. Yes, Sephiroth… He was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant…"
'And you are a moron for permitting the JENOVA project and Sephiroth's lack of humanity. Seriously… you think people are playthings?' Mira thought angrily as she settles on glaring at him, she couldn't risk her cover being blown… it's enough that they made a mistake with Banora right now.
"Sephiroth…?" Cloud said faintly till the AVALANCHE leader cuts in.
"Don't give a damn 'bout none of that! This place's goin' up with a big BANG soon! Serves y'all right!" he yelled at him and moves in front of Cloud, as if he want to rub the fact that the president will loose another reactor.
"…And such a waste of good fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you…" the president stated in a bored tone, and looking like he is losing interest of this situation.
"VERMIN! That's all you can say…VERMIN! Y'all Shinra're the VERMIN, killing the planet! And that makes you King VERMIN! So shu'up jackass!" Barret yelled at him with much anger.
"…You are beginning to bore me. I'm a very busy man, so if you'll excuse me…I have a dinner I must attend."
"Dinner! Don't gimme that! I ain't even start wit' you yet!"
"But I've made arrangements for a playmate for you all." he stated and on cue, they hears a noise similar to a helicopter.
"What's that noise?" Tifa asked as Barret jogs to her side.
"The hell is this?" the black man shouts. Then they move to the side, with Cloud and Mira avoiding it by moving to another walkway when a huge robot came. Taking a good look of it, the songstress thought of the Knightmare in Code Geass… only with a smaller head, broader shoulders, a cannon and weird pot-like thing at back, a furnace-like thing on the chest, the half-sphere shoulder protectors and the rotors beneath it giving the thing a hover capability.
'Speaking of Code Geass, time to go like Zero.' Mira thought as she readies her Orchestra Ai and stands ready for a fight.
"Meet 'Airbuster', a techno-soldier. Our Weapon Development Department created him. I'm sure the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments." the president said with slight amusement.
"…Techno-soldier?" Cloud asked, then they hears another but loud rotor engines and they turn to see a helicopter comes out from below.
"Now then, if you'll excuse me." The president then boarded the chopper.
"Wait, President!" Cloud called, but it is two late as it flies away and the Airbuster begins charging at the other two.
"Yo, Cloud! We've gotta do somethin' 'bout him!" Barret yelps as he avoids being hit and points his gun arm at him.
"Help, Cloud!" Tifa yelps as she retreats back and both Cloud and Mira surrounds the machine. "THIS is from SOLDIER?"
'Oi… this is from the Weapon Development Department.' the songstress sighs, which is true… anything mechanical and weaponry came from there, while men, troopers and SOLDIERs came from the Public Safety Maintenance Department. 'Aye that greedy pig, does not even bother…' then she looks back to see the guards are gone. 'Seriously… they made have the technology and the money, but they lack the common sense, side plans and some tactics… morons. Do they think a robot would secure our deaths? Okay… maybe to normal people like me and Riley was in Earth are doom this kind of whack-out situation, but here…'
"No way! It's just a machine." the blonde stated and prepares for battle.
"I don't care what it is! I'm gonna bust him up!" Barret shouts and attacks the robot. However, on attacking it, it counters with ramming back at him. Tifa also attacks but it wasn't effective and Mira quickly attacks the machine before it rams on the fighter.
"Bolt!" she cast a steady stream of electricity at the back, which staggers the robot for a moment and then it turns to ram at her. "Gah!" she yelps as she fell on her rear.
"Are you okay?" Cloud asked.
"Yeah… I got an idea." she stated as she get up. "We're attacking this on both sides, right? One of us should act as a bait, the other heals while the other two strikes this thing down in the back."
"Will that work?" Cloud asked.
"Hitting that thing by the back is far more efficient than the front, so who got a Restore Materia aside from me?" she asked. Approving at the plan, the blonde relays it to the other two and Tifa got the other Restore. So they fight the robot in a sequence, Tifa and Barret would attack the robot as Mira heals Cloud or herself if low in health, and then Cloud and Mira attacks as Tifa heals Barret or herself. The robot uses it's Big Bomb on either Cloud and Barret, Mira seems to avoid it by getting really far from it once it was launched. When it runs out, it uses the Energy Ball instead. This went in a good pace as…
"Ugh…" Mira groans as she was hit by an Energy ball and her keytar begins to glow white. "Huh?" she looks at it and hears a music… a fast-paced music solo which sounds more of an electric guitar and a voice telling her the name of it. Then snapping back to reality she notices that she too is glowing. "Wha?" she utters and thought. 'Is this how the limit breaks go?' she thought and looks at Cloud who's glowing blue.
It gives her an idea. "Hey!" she called him and he looks at him. "Let's strike it down!"
He smiled and nodded and charges at the Airbuster, he attack the robots back with Braver then he hears a fast-pace guitar solo. He turn to see Mira rapidly playing the keytar rapidly and the speaker on one end is glowing, he quickly backs off. "Sonic Presto!" she shouts and 25 small light, distorted bullet-like projectiles came out of the speaker, in rapid succession like a machine gun and hits the robot. And then… the thing starts sparking up.
"Yes!" she cheers then remembers the scene. 'Oh…' she thought and backs away before it.
BOOM!
She got flung back at the explosion and lands roughly on her back on the walkway, she winces in pain as she gets up to see… him falling. "CLOUD!" Tifa shouts and knees at the edge of the blasted bridge.
"It's gonna blow!" Barret shouts, as he realize the bomb is about to go off. "Let's go, Tifa!"
"Barret! Can't you do something? Where's Mira?" She asked, as the songstress push herself to get up and runs to the edge. There the bar maid saw her and her looks is both relief and pleading, the black man is also relief to see her okay but is worried on the bomb. Looking down, she saw Cloud hanging on a broken pipe and is hanging on.
She knew that this is the part where he falls and meets Aerith, she would let it happen because it is the important part… But she can't stand like a foot stool and do nothing, Tifa and Barret are there asking for her to help him. If she helps him, he will not be able to meet Aerith, but if she don't, she would end up breaking the fragile trust she and her friend made with them.
So…
She kneels down and tries to reach him.
"Hurry Mira….!" Tifa pleads, as Mira lays flat on the floor and tries to reach him. But no matter how much she stretch her arm, she couldn't reach him but their looks are still on her.
"Crap! Cloud try lifting up a little!" the songstress shouts and the blonde nodded. He lifts himself and attempts on reaching for her hand… Tifa nearly shrieks out of fright and Barret freezes on his spot, when the pipe almost gave and lowers the blonde a bit further to his drop.
"Cloud! Please don't die! You can't die! There's still so much I want to tell you!" the bar maid shouts frantically as Mira gets up and takes her keytar, taking something from it.
"I know, Tifa…" he said, then he feels something on his face and saw… a strap?
"Hurry! Grab it!" the songstress shouts as she wraps her leg around the railings, the strap she taken from her instrument and tied it on one of her arm. This earns her a cheer from the two, but she is mentally wishing for the bomb to explode right now. It's force is enough to shake his hold and fall. Cloud grabs the strap as the pipe gave way and Mira yelps at the sudden weight. She tries lifting him up but she is not that strong… dragging him to a corner is one thing back at the station, and trying to lift a guy from his pit fall of doom is another. Plus is it difficult to get him up with that Buster Sword of his. If Riley were the one to go with them, she might have a better chance on lifting a guy till he gets to lift himself to safety.
"Crud…! He's heavy! Barret! When will the bomb go off?" the ravenette shouts at the rebel leader.
"It won't be long now!" he shouts back.
"… Worry about yourselves! I'm alright but take care of Tifa!" Cloud shouts.
"… Alright. Sorry about this." the black man stated.
"Hey! Don't go dying yet! You're a friggin' SOLDIER! First Class even!" Mira shouts as she tries pulling him back, only to strain her arms more. '… I'm starting to know why I was chosen to remain with this group now.' she thought.
"Cloud! Please!" the martial artist cried and looks at the songstress. "Mira! Hurry!"
"Stop talking like this is the end!" the blonde shouts and glares at his rescuer. Her eyes widen to see his eyes burning with confidence, which tells him that he'll be all right. Closing her eyes and then looking back.
"If you get lost, I'll look for you okay?" she said in a gentle tone and he nodded. "Make sure you survive this." and she knew he will.
"Yeah… Later?" he asked.
She nodded. "Later."
Then the reactor explodes, the shockwaves knocks his grip off the strap and he falls. Tifa cried out for Cloud once more as Mira keeps herself down to avoid the flames.
:::^*^:::
Getting back to Sector 7 is the most quietest trip she ever had.
After Barret helped her on crossing the broken bridge, which is by throwing one end of the strap for him to grab and a daring jump from her and a pull from him. They then slink into the shadows as they head for the station, Mira have to comfort Tifa all the way as Barret leads the way. Once getting on the train, Mira checks on her strap, finds it is stretch a bit then attaches it back on her keytar. She made a mental note of finding a new strap, just in case it breaks as the train continue on it's way.
Once arriving in Sector 7, the songstress immediately gets out of it and is about to dash for the gates.
"Hey! Where do ya think yer goin?" Barret shouts as he and Tifa gets out of the train.
"I'm going to Sector 5!" she shouts.
"But-" and the ravenette cuts the bar maid off.
"He's SOLDIER! First Class! I bet he's been in many more nasty things than a fall!" she replied and darts away before either of them could utter a word.
Silver: Yeah… Cloud still need to fall in this, it's important for him and Aerith to meet. Next up, Riley's side story and for a bonus a short profile of Mira.
Mira Calliope
Age: 19
Eyes: Green
Hair: Black, a slightly short bob with a long tail
Weapon: Orchestra Ai (A keytar capable of using sound waves as arsenals and magic.)
Personality: Mira is active, witty, friendly and compassionate off stage and confident, energetic and sassy on stage. More into music and entertainment, she is not that athletic as Riley and the only stunt she can pull (and be proud of) is landing on her two feet after a slide. She gets negative when she sees something wrong or do thing beyond her ability, but she kept it in except to Riley whom she trust. She have a sense of morality, since she came from a religious family and has a capacity to forgive others who are willing to change for the better and keep it. However, in landing in FFVII, she tries to be the same and at the same time she and Riley keeps their foreign origin a secret, as they attempt to change Cloud and the others fates.
Silver: Read and review.