(Disclaimer: Plata-Azul Firebird does not own Final Fantasy 7 or the songs that are in this story, only her OCs… Otherwise, we might end up having a not-so-epic battle with the lawsuits.)
Altering Rhythm
Nocturne
Silver: Back into the story, we go! I had a hard time writing this one, because in this chapter…not only it focuses on Mira and Riley, Cloud gets a share of the limelight. You won't believe how many times I type and re-type this till I'm happy, especially on Mira's character.
Nocturne
Racing thru the marshes on their chocobos, the two decides to take this time to discuss their plans for the next stage.
"Okay, we got Yuffie early, that's quite a change." Riley noted, as he best friend lay down low on her chocobo. "You look like you're clinging on it instead of riding."
"Riley, have you ever thought of riding on a rowboat with the tides coming at both sides?" the songstress deadpans at her, grunting a bit. "Anyway… back to the point, the next stop is Fort Condor… should we help them on their first battle?"
"Hmmm… Well, we'll first need to rest up and restock some items." the mime noted and thinks again. "If we can't help them, let's donate a few gils for them to at least hire some fighters."
"Right, after that, Junon… we should equip what we need for that fight with the fish." the ravenette miffs, as they forgot to replace the party's equipments in Kalm. "By the way, since when are you proficient with the tonfas?"
"Since I was planning to cosplay as Hibari Kyouya this summer. And, man, those basic lessons from Youtube actually helps!" and the chocobo seems to wark in agreement, she chuckles. There is a pause between them… "By the way…" the brunette breaks the silence. "We didn't even get the chance to see how our job classes develop since we started this journey... or find out how we got them."
"… Yeah, I guess you're right." the songstress agreed. "All we know is: I'm a magical songstress and you're a hyper mime."
"True… who would've thought that you're Musical Empathic and a Medium."
"What?" and she stares at her best friend weirdly. She knows what a Medium is but not the first one.
"Musical Empathic, it means that you gain ability on playing music, no matter what kind of genre or style. That's the ability of the songstress or any characters who can use music as weapons." points at the keytar. "I, on the other hand… got Power Replication, which I can learn and use other abilities, like I remember and performed both Cloud's and Barret's Limit Breaks. And, of course, my proficiency on the tonfas and my stamina." and gives her best friend a cheeky grin.
"Riley… where and how the heck you know those?"
The brunette rolls her eyes and looks back on her best friend. "Have you not been curious on how the characters can use their powers and what type they are back in Earth?" in response, the songstress shakes her head and the mime sighs. "I read it in the internet, it's in a wiki where all of the powers, including the lesser ones, are posted." she then explains how she stumbles on it back in their 3rd year, when she is looking for the definition on the powers from a show called Avatar: Legend of Aang.
"So you memorized all of them?"
"Nah, I only recalled them because we have one ourselves or something that relates to what we are cosplaying." then they see the mines and a flock of yellow far from it. Then she looks back at the horizon. "Looks like we're going to spend the night out here for now." seeing the sun is slowly sinking and redirects her chocobo to the yellow flock.
"Right… so, what do you think is Aerith's power?" as she motions her chocobo to follow the other.
"Similar to you, she's a Medium, but more on hearing… I forgot what it is called but it is similar to Clairvoyance."
"It's Clairaudience." the songstress quips.
"Really? Wait, how do you know that?"
"Riley… I'm the one who have a hidden spirit affinity, so I happens to know them."
"Oh right…" the mime quips and the two continues discussing about each of the characters' powers. They then learn that when Aerith die, she will gain the ability to manipulate Life-Force, more specific Mana. Both Cloud and Sephiroth are enhance like Captain America, but the latter is more on supernatural enhancement with psychological manipulation. The other party are also enhance but not on the same level as Cloud, but the mime couldn't classify anymore abilities aside from Yuffie's ninjutsu and Vincent's and Jenova's Shape-shifting. "Which reminds me… does Jenova reminds you of the Phantoms, the ones from Final Fantasy: Spirit Within?"
"That's because Square used the FFVII as a reference."
"Oh yeah…" the mime said as the sight of their party becomes clear. "Let's talk all of this next time, right now, last one to reach the party is a rotten chocobo egg!" and kicks her yellow fowl in a full run.
"Hey!" the songstress protest as she motions her chocobo to catch up.
:::^*^:::
Arriving on land, far from the marshes and the cave, Yuffie heels the Chocobos and gets off. She then yanks the chocobos under the ledge, where it is a suitable site to make a camp. She then helps the blonde off his ride first and place him on a rock.
The ninja attempts on taking a materia or two from him, when she yelps as she is suddenly pull back by her headband. Turns out, the chocobo Cloud ride on, must have sense the ninja's plot and yanks her away from it's blonde kin. She yells at the chocobo for being a stupid bird, which in turn warks at her back. She miffs at this and decided to just pick the others instead, as the chocobo sits beside the blonde and watches the ninja girl wary. The blonde Ex-SOLDIER watches the young girl as she attempts to untie his friends, only the yellow fowl gets up and moves away from her. It's quite a comical scene and he just sat there, recovering from the pain.
As he waits for the two to return…
"Hey!" the young ninja calls and he looks at her. "I didn't get your name!"
He just stares at her for a moment, thinking if he should say it. Thankfully, they hear a pair of warks and turns to see other two chocobos with their riders.
"Yeah!" both girls fist pumps as they get their chocobos to a skidding halt. Riley is grinning like she ate an entire chocolate cake, as Mira smiles that everyone is safe before she frowns and seems to recoil from her best friend.
"Man, you stink." the songstress points out and covers her nose.
"Hey, I faced the Zolom till it goes quit, so you couldn't help marsh diving." the mime protested, as Mira waves the smell away. "Got any clothes to change?"
"No, aside from the dress I bought in Midgar, I don't have any." as she continues waving the smell off and couldn't help to hear a buzz or two. 'Gaia… we got some clothes and stuff when we arrived in this world, but you couldn't provide us with something to change with, just in case? I'm starting to feel uncomfortable.' the songstress thought as the chocobos lowers down
"Mira! Riley!" Yuffie shouts, as the two gets down from their chocobos, although the mime stumbles a bit when one of the wings flaps and hits her leg. "You're back!"
"Yeah, the Zolom is a hard opponent but since it's weak, not much of a problem." she quips, then she notices the party is still tied on the chocobos. "Yuffie, did you left them there?"
"HEY! Blame the stupid birds! Not me!" the ninja girl protested and in respond, one of the chocobos smartly peck her on the head. "HEY!" yelping as she throws punches at the bird and yells at them. The bird merely gives her a look as the punches didn't connect and looks away.
Both girls shakes their head and goes to the ninja to calm her down. Once she calms, they then proceed untying the party, Mira takes the tents and turns them into makeshift sleeping mat. As the two heaves Barret to the nearest mat, the songstress calls for the blonde to help them a bit… but he didn't move.
"Cloud?" that's when the songstress notices the blonde is looking down on the ground, his blue eyes is glowing a bit. 'What?' she thought and then carefully shakes him awake. "Cloud… Cloud. Cloud!" she shouts
Snapping back, he shakes his head and holds his forehead. 'What is that?" he thought, all his vision was practically a blur for a moment and was hearing jumbles. He then turns to see the songstress is giving him a worried look.
"You okay?" she asked.
"… Yeah…" he replied, but she knows there's something disturbing him. But she decides to wait and she stands up, she then ask if he's okay on helping their friends on the makeshift mats. He nodded and stands up, he hiss on the pressure of the weight on his bruise. She gives him a look but he walks pass her and helps the other two.
Once they laid everyone on the mats, Mira is about to cast Cure on them when she pauses… she then looks at her keytar, that is pulsing on her back and touches it. An image comes into her mind and she smiles, she then glows allowing the gentle magic to grow.
'A limit break? When did she get a new one?' Riley thought, as the speakers gives a soft glow. Her best friend then plays the piano setting and she begins to listen to a familiar song.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
Mira sings, as the keytar pulses.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
Looking at the fallen party members, they see a wave of white glow emitted from the keytar, washes on them and getting rid of the dirt.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
The wounds then stitches itself closes and left nothing but faint scars.
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
The song ends and Mira smiles on her handy work, as the ninja girl gapes at her, the blonde manage to hide his surprise and her best friend just grins stupid.
"Awesome! Now we don't have to waste potions at all!" the mime quips happily, earnings the look from the blonde and the ninja. "What?" she asked, as the songstress rolls her eyes.
"… Right, let's set up the camp. Riley, Cloud, you stay here and watch over." the ravenette instructed and turns to Yuffie. "You and I will go picking some woods."
"Aw…! Can't I stay?" the ninja girl asked, hoping she could find a way to steal their materias somehow. But both girls shakes their head and the ninja ends up being push by the mime as the songstress tails behind them. Once the two are out picking woods, the mime then ushers the blonde on watch and patrol.
:::^*^:::
As they pick some woods, the ninjas mouth goes really non-stop, from bragging to complaining and then back to bragging again. Right now, the songstress is mentally patting herself by the back and ignoring the motor-mouth. 'I better thank Riley for being my best friend.' she thought, as she picks another stick.
As she looks for more wood, something hit's the tip of her boot and rolls into the grass. 'Ouch… what is that?' she thought and looks for the item she kicks. And there she finds… a materia.
But not any materia… a Goddess materia.
Not looking back at the ninja girl, she quickly snatch the materia and place it in her pocket for a while. She then looks back to see Yuffie is still bragging and picking random sticks on the ground. 'That is close…' she thought.
"Mira…"
"Crap-tastic…" she mutters and then walks to the ninja girl. "Hey Yuffie, here." she stated and dumps the rest of the woods on the younger girl's arms.
"What- HEY!" Yuffie yelps as she felt the sudden weight of added woods on her arms. "What's the big idea?!"
"I'm going to look for more woods and I'm going to need a bathroom break." the songstress stated as she readjust her headset. "Bring those back so they can start a fire."
"… You found something, don't you?" giving her companion a look and she challenge that look back. They kept staring till the songstress spun her around and push her back to the direction of the camp. "HEY!" she yelps once more.
"Believe me, Yuffie. If I found something, I would share it to the entire party." Mira scoffs as she push the ninja girl. 'Well… not everything.' she added mentally and with one final push, the younger girl gets the message and heads back to where the others are. The songstress watches as the ninja is gone from her view, she then breathe in relief and turns to meet with the goddess.
Only she meets face to face with a transparent image of the Midgar Zolom.
"GAH!" She yelps and jumps back. "For the love of-! Can't you just go back into the Lifestream and recycle yourself?!" she yells at the decease serpent, which merely flicks it's tongue and looks at her. She just face palms and walks pass the dead snake… only it moves in front of her and made her trip over some rocks. Muttering about dead have no sense of direction, she turns on her back and yells at the serpent to get out of her sight.
The dead reptile could only stare at her before it slithers away from her. Sighing at her situation, she then notices one of her belt bag is open and the Shinra-manufactured Materias are scattered around along with the Goddess materia. Blowing her hair out of her face, she gets up and begins to pick up the orbs…
Then… she feels something.
'What?' she thought, looking down at the manufactured materia. Of course, she knew it feels choppy and the effects are short-lived than the natural materia. But now she feels something else and she quickly picks the Goddess materia to be sure… and finds the difference.
'I see… it feels tangled so the manufactured one ares not that effective.' she compares the manufactured materia and the natural materia to a ball of yarn. The natural can bring the best of the spell because it is winded properly. The manufactured, on the other hand, is a tangled mess. So when one cast a spell, some of the energy flows back to the core and it is not effective as the natural does.
As she pockets the Goddess materia, she then begins picking all of the manufactured materia. Feeling each one, she can tell that the company sucks on making materias. 'Not only they use spirit energy for electricity, they suck on making these…' she thought.
Once she gathered all of the materias, Mira is about to pack them back when she gives one more look on them. She once more feels the tangle and is tempted to fix it. 'Perhaps… just one try.' she thought, she knew she is no expert on fixing the orbs but it's better doing something than waiting for the goddess to appear.
Picking a manufactured Barrier, the one she used in the battle back in Shinra HQ, she stares at it before focusing on the tangle. Once she feels it, she then thinks of untangling it… and then it begins to move. She gaze on the materia in her hands as she focus on combing the tangle away.
Then she hears… a crack.
Snapping out of focus, there she sees a crack on the materia… and it is growing. 'Oh… crap! I'm going to break it!' she thought, as she immediately stops fixing it. But it is too late, the tangle is loose and the materia continues to crack. She quickly drop the materia, but before it touches the ground, it completely breaks and a bright green light explodes.
Then… she feels drained, heavy, her body protests on her lack of energy and falls.
Her view blackens.
:::^*^:::
Arriving at the camp, Yuffie sees the brunette and the feline are up, the former talking with Riley while the latter sits near a rock. The ninja girl dumps the woods beside them and grumbles as she takes a seat on the rock, near the red cat. The feline notices the songstress is not with her.
"Hey… where's Mira?" Red asked, but instead of getting a proper answer, the ninja yelps and fells off the rock she's sitting on.
"IT TALKS?" she exclaims with shock, as Red sighs at this.
Riley notice this reaction and sees her best friend is missing. "Hey, where's Mira?" she asked the ninja girl, but the young girl merely points at the feline. "Yes, he talks, Yuffie." she deadpans with a brow raise. "Where's Mira?" she asked again
"Hmph, she said that she's getting more woods and I should bring these back first for the fire." the younger girl stated, sounding like she's been scolded by her mother.
The mime stares at her before looking at the path the two took, and then she sighs. "Thirty minutes, Riley… thirty minutes." she notes herself.
"You're not going to find her?" Aerith asked, as the mime looks back at her.
"It's okay, despite Mira lacking on the stamina department, she is not a pushover." the mime said casually as she picks the woods and starts a fire. Then suddenly, Aerith sits a little straight and her eyes showing confusion. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know…" she replied and shakes her head. She hears the voice of the Planet, this time it's a little louder than when she was in Midgar. It sounds like an ordinary murmur then she hears a happy tone in it. She can't make what they are saying, but she only got one word from all the jumbled speech.
"… Prayer…"
As she wonders what the Planet wants to say, no one notice the brief flash of green light from the distance.
:::^*^:::
Groaning, she sits up, groaning as she breathes and rubs her temples. 'Ow… my head.' she thought as she gets up.
"Greeting once more, Mira."
She then turns to see the goddess in her full armor with her staff and shield, except for her helmet. But that is not all… the songstress finds herself in outer space, with Gaia above them. Her eyes twitches at this view and her mind is spazzing on how she got here, can she breathe in space, etc. The goddess smiles a bit and floats towards her.
Seeing the goddess nears her, she snaps her focus on her main problem. "Another thing…" she mutters to herself and then points at the blonde deity, looking quite peeve. "What is going on here?!" she demanded.
The goddess gives her a look, like the ones most mothers look when they don't know what to do with their misbehaved kids. "I see you found the Ground Materia."
And the songstress looks a little more peeve as the blonde goddess didn't answer her question. She tries again. "Minerva… why did you open my sixth sense? And where are we?"
"I have to bring you here so we can meet. I will not be able to contact you for periods of time as I must protect my vessel."
"Is it Jenova?" the songstress asked, the goddess nods at her. She then remembers that Minerva is actually a powerful summon from the Planet. 'She's the Planet's messenger… which is why she is labeled as a goddess.' she thought, then looks at her. "Still you did not answer my first question." she stated bluntly.
"Young one, I did not wake your ability."
"Then the Planet did it?"
"You did it on your own."
As if there are sound effects, Mira swear she heard a CD track rip. "What? How?" she asked, she looks incredulously at her as she don't remember trying to open her sixth sense. 'Like I wanted to.' she snorts with her she tries to remember what she did to open her sixth sense again. Then it hits to her and looks on her keytar, remembering how it can attack and cast spells from it. She thought that it might have some materias in inside when she first use it, only now it's actually…
"Don't tell me… this instrument is the one responsible on my ability?" she asked incredulously, as she handles and points at her instrument. The blonde summon looks on her equipment and senses the energy from it.
"That probably did… along with the materias, it broke the lock and improve your ability."
And it begins a mental scolding in her mind and spazzing, much to the goddess' amusement. 'Stupid! Stupid! DUH! I should've notice that the keytar is not normal! And the materia are made from spirit energy! It can help improve a psychic's sensitivity!' she thought as she begins pacing back and forth at this revelation. She didn't really know that using the spells from the instrument and materias can reawaken her ability to sense the paranormal again. Suddenly she lost her balance and fell flat on her butt, a materia falls out of her pouch. As she ease the pain on her rear, she scrambles to go after the rolling purple orb.
Then… when she caught the materia, she feels the tangles once more and accidentally combz them out. As the materia cracks, the blonde summon observes as the songstress panics and releases the breaking materia for the second time. Scooting back, both of them witness the materia explodes into a bright, green light…
… Then converts itself into its raw energy form.
"Interesting…" Minerva noted, as she floats towards the spirit energy, touching it and sensing it's feelings. "You can release the spirit energy from their confine form."
"What?" Mira said in disbelief and stares at the Lifestream that twirls in the air, then it heads off to joins it's companions in the Planet.
Minerva notices the confuse and shock look on the songstress' face and offers a small smile to her. "It's alright… you'll learn soon." then she shifts a bit and looks back at the Planet. "Our time is up once more. I do hope you find the answers you seek." she then left in a green swirl of light.
Then the area around the songstress turns black, then it returns… she find herself back in the same place where the first materia exploded in front of her.
"Oh and I almost forgot…"
Suddenly, a twirl of the Lifestream came out of the ground and forms a small trunk with a few gold designs.
"A present from my vessel."
:::^*^:::
Thirty minutes is up and Mira is still out, the mime gears up and is ready to fine her best friend. Once making sure that they party is awake and the ninja is behaving, she gives the blonde a heads up on finding Mira before heading off.
:::^*^:::
The ravenette sits on the said box, still not returning and staring at the manufactured materia in her hands. She didn't even bother opening the box and see what's inside.
She sighs and gets up… "I better get back. The others are probably getting worry and Riley is going to look for me."
"Dang right I did." a voice said, causing her to jump a good feet and turns to see Riley with her arms cross. "Where the heck have you been?"
The songstress looks at her best friend and sighs, seeing that they are alone…. "… In a unwanted conversation with the Goddess." she said with a deadpan tone.
"Wait… she appeared to you again?"
"Yeah… this time, I only learn one thing."
She then begins to tell her how her sixth sense opens and her discovery of a new ability. Once more she focuses on the tangle in the materia and straighten them out, but this time she holds on to the orb as it dissipates and converts back into it's spiritual form. She watches as it twirls in the air and then seeps into the ground. And her best friend looks gobsmack on that.
"… Well dang flabbit." her best friend mutters on seeing it, then looks back at the songstress. "Are you a Cetra?" she asked.
"No, Riley, I'm not a Cetra."
"Are you sure?"
"Minerva told me, plus she is also intrigue on how I can release the spirit energy from it's confined from."
"Aye, an Musical Empathic with Medium skills… are you can Exorcist?" the mime asked and the ravenette looks at her, which she quickly holds up her hands. "What? It is the only way for the spirits to be release."
"… Probably… if Aerith can call the Lifestream, maybe I can send them back into the Planet."
"Oh wow, Meer… are you a Spiran?" the mime asked, the thought came to her when she heard the latter.
"Riley, we both came from Earth."
"I know, but you can cast some spells without a materia, even though we don't know if your keytar got some… You can see spirits in a way Aerith can't, you summoned a gryphon out of a spell, and you can release spirits and send them back into Gaia." Riley listed out and looks back at her best friend. "Some of it screams Spiran Summoner, if you ask me… Wow, I guess the theory of FFX and FF7 being connected are not that far behind…"
"Ugh…" the songstress breathes and looks back equally. "Riley, it still does not explain why we're here... Aside from our own agendas for Cloud, Aerith and Sephiroth. And the thing I did to the materia is not the one summoners usually performs in a Sending… I highly doubt a summoner can do the same like I did."
"Hey, time changes things. Maybe the way they perform a Sending becomes different as time come and goes." she shrugs and looks back at the distance, where their camp is. "You know, we should head back now. The others are probably wondering where we gone to."
"Yeah."
"I'm still holding my theory of you being a Spiran." as her best friend glares at her. "Or having a power of a Spiran Summoner." she shrugs as the songstress rolls her eyes, then she spots the box her companion is sitting on. "What's in the box?"
Mira shrugs and only mentions that the Planet gave it to her. They open it and there they found clothes, which made the two happy to have something to change in once they find a place for a bath. Once they pack it in their pouch, they left the box and picks a few woods on the way back.
The box then dissipates back into the ground… and in the area, little sprouts of green emerges out of the ground
:::^*^:::
Once they return to camp, both girls drops the woods and sits by the fire. As Tifa and Aerith distribute the food, the camp is quite quiet aside from Yuffie chattering on the Ex-Second. The two are a little uncomfortable with this scenery, as they accept the food from the two. Looking around, they notice something… Cloud is looking down, although he does not show it, he gives off a depress vibe. Barret and Red looks doubting a bit… as if they couldn't trust on the blonde being the leader after the Zolom fiasco. Tifa decides not to speak about it, while Aerith tries to cheer the atmosphere up with little to no success.
Mira sighs at this while Riley slightly bow her head a bit as they eat their share. "So… how do we lift the atmosphere up?" the songstress asked, the brunette thinks about it and got a bright idea. She then whisper it to her and the songstress couldn't help to smile at that. Nodding at the idea, both of them wait till meal time is over.
Once they have their fill…
"So… how about story-telling?" The mime suggested, as she packs her canteen and the group looks at her. "You know to pass time?"
"That's a great idea." Aerith pipes up, as she too can't bear the silence.
"Uh…? I guess it's okay." Cloud noted and looks at the two.
"Okie dokie! Both Meer and I know a story, this one was used to be told back in our village when we where kids." The mime pipes up.
"A bedtime story?" the Barret asked, sounding drawl and miff at it.
"Nope! Every once a month, villagers makes stories and tells them at the court where everyone is gathered. The people then judge if the stories are worth remembering or not… it's kinda like a day off for the farmers, so they can enjoy with their families." The songstress made up a tradition of the Banora Village and she hopes that she didn't sound like she's faking it.
Especially to Kunsel, who is a Turk in a SOLDIER clothing.
"So… what we start or what?" the mime asked and the group, seeing it is a bit early to sleep, decides to let them have a go. "Okay, this story is called… the Deathly Hallows." the title made the group stare at them as Red lies down and listen.
"There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too dangerous to cross. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure." The songstress recites
"It is Death." the mime said in a dramatic effect, causing the other girls to gasps and Red's ears perks a little with interest. "And he was angry… Angry that he had been cheated, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him."
The girls then tells them the gifts the three brothers each demand. A powerful wand for the eldest brother, a stone that can summon back the dead for the second, and a cloak of invisibility for the third and youngest brother. Then Death stood aside and allowed the brothers to continue on their way and they did so, talking with wonders of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts. In due course the brothers separated for their own destination.
"Here comes the best part!" Riley stated with a smile, then looks at her best friend.
"The first brother traveled on till he reach a distant village, he sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel." The songstress recites, no one notice the mime goes missing. She then tells them that the elder brother found the said wizard and killed him, he then boasted of his incredible gift he got from Death and how it made him powerful. "And on that very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay drunk on his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat." and added a hand motion, showing how it slit's the throat.
"And so Death took the first brother for his own." Riley said in a creepy voice, with a flash light beneath her and reappearing behind Kunsel and Yuffie. Naturally, Yuffie leapt quite high in shock as Kunsel was pushed off from his seat. The mime laughs out loud as she runs away from a fuming ninja, as Kunsel stares dumbfounded on what happen.
After the short chase, the two returns back to their seats and continues with the story…
"The second brother journeyed to his own home." the songstress then tells the group how he used the stone, and calls back his beloved from the dead. But she is not truly alive, cold and suffering because they are separated by the veil. "Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her."
"And so Death took the second brother for his own." once more the mime stated it in a dramatic and creepy way. But this time, she remains on her seat as she place the flash light beneath her. Both Aerith and Tifa couldn't help but to giggle with her antics, as Barret snorts and Kunsel smiles a little.
Then the songstress tells how Death had a difficulty on finding the last brother. And on attaining a great age, did the youngest brother takes off his cloak and gives it to his son. "And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life." the songstress then ends the tale.
The party stares at the two for a moment, then…
"W-w-what? He gave up the cloak?" the ninja girl asked incredulously.
"Yeah… he did." Riley replied.
"WHY?"
"Because he achieved growing old."
"But he could've lived longer!"
"Oh yeah, live long with the wrinkles. Yuffie, this is not the Fountain of Youth, it's about Death."
"Anyway, the moral of the story." the songstress quips and interrupts the two. "Even if you manage to avoid or defeated Death, it is inevitable. You can only delay it."
There is silence…
Somehow the girls gets the feeling that the party is thinking of why do they have to tale a story relating to Death. Inwardly, they can only remember short stories well, if it's a novel or similarly longer than that… they can summarize it but there'll be some plot holes though.
"That is a interesting story, along with the lesson behind it." the red feline said, as he flicks his tail.
"Thanks Red." Both girls said at the same time, nodding at him. The group then fix their makeshift mats and Barret takes the first watch with Red for the second and Cloud for the last. As they secure their packs and making sure it is safe from unwanted animals, or in Mira's and Riley's case.
"Hey Cloud, feeling better?" the songstress asked as the blonde looks at her and her friend, before looking away.
"… Sorry…" he mutters, the girls smiles at this and the mime pats on his back.
"It's okay, leadership takes trials and errors, you know." Riley said cheerfully and the blonde relaxes a bit. "Besides, leaders must be tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes, humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain, and resilient enough to bounce back and keep on moving."
He stares at her, for a moment or two before he sighs and mess the mime's hair. She yelps as she jumps back and fix her hair. "Thanks." he said as he lays back on his matt.
The two smiles a bit and they lie down, sleep came after.
:::^*^:::
Green… that's all the view can offer and cold not move.
Then voices came.
"Three brothers…"
"Three SOLDIER First."
Then everything goes black…
"Death…"
"Degradation… Calamity…"
"First brother… A powerful wand."
An image of the back of the silver general, one hand holding the Masamune and the other a head with metal plating on. A feeling of anger fills as he attempts to reach him.
"Death took the first brother."
Suddenly, tentacles came out and wraps around the figure, and when it unwraps… he is gone with a hint of green flash on the dark floor.
"Second brother… a stone to call back the dead."
An image of a unknown man appears. Red coat, auburn hair and wields a bloody-red sword, but what stands out the most… is the single black wing on his left and his hair is graying.
For some odd reason… he seems familiar…
"Took the second brother…"
Suddenly a whirl of green light came from the dark floor and wraps itself on the said man… and he too vanish.
"The third brother…"
Another one appears, but this time, back in the green space. Not far… is a dying man, in a SOLDIER First uniform and a black silhouette just kneeling beside him. And the silhouette is crying for the man… but that does not surprise him.
On the silhouette's hands is…
Suddenly, everything breaks like glass, the voices begins to grow louder and the image disappears. Suddenly the scenery changes in rapid successions from the green space, the fire, the reactor… it kept changing as the voices grows louder.
A putrid smell comes to his nose…
The voices turns to shrieks and wails.
Pain… all over him, but the most painful one is his head.
Somehow, he can hear a sick laugh from the shrieks and wails.
Then…
A blade sprouts from his abdomen, along with excruciating pain and one final voice…
"… Cloud… Hold on, okay?"
All he can do is scream…
:::^*^:::
Literally rolling out of her mat and on her crouching battle stance, Riley looks around wildly. Mira, on the other hand, flails a bit before sitting up and looking around to see what woke them and the party up.
Not far from the two and just beside Red, the blonde is screaming and wailing out as sweats form on his brow.
'A nightmare?' both girls thought as the flower girl approaches him. "Ah! Aerith! Don't!" they both shouts.
Too late, once she touches the blonde's forehead, he freezes for a second before lasing out at her. Aerith fell flat on her butt and barely miss the arm, she quickly scrambles away from him as Kunsel and Barret quickly gets up and holds the blonde down from thrashing. Unfortunately, Barret got hit on the nose and Kunsel is hit by the abdomen.
"Ow! My snose!" the black man yelps in pain and the other wheezes a bit, as the blonde continues to thrash and scream. Once they recover, they jump on him and hold him down, yet Barret is easily knock off by the blonde's strength as Kunsel tries to keep a hold of him from behind.
'Shit! How strong is this guy?' the Ex-Second thought as he struggles to hold him down. Then Cloud's eyes snaps open, glowing more brightly than the usual… and shouts what the two Earth girls didn't expect to hear.
"Give them back! My mother! Tifa! My village! Give them back!" he screams and thrashes more wildly, trying to get out of the other Ex-SOLDIER's grip. The bar maid quickly comes to his side and tells him that she's okay and alive. Hearing her voice, slowly his body relaxes and then slumps with a whimper escaping his lips.
Silence reigns as the entire party stares at the blonde, who is more on unconscious, than sleeping on his mat. Seeing that Cloud is incapable of taking the last watch, Riley quickly volunteers to takes his place before Kunsel could speak up as he place their companion down. Sleepy and have no ability to protest, they agreed on the mime taking the watch and they return to sleep.
A few moments later, she checks the watch on her PHS and pokes her best friend awake. Once the songstress is up, they quietly went to a corner and secures the area.
"That line…" the songstress said as Riley keeps an eye on the sleeping group.
"Yep, do you think…?"
"Something must have triggered it… but what?" both girls think of what could trigger Cloud's mental attack.
"I got the funky feeling that the shit is not far off from hitting the fan." Riley stated and her best friend nods in agreement. They then discuss about their plan on the blonde, thinking of a way to talk to him privately and away from Tifa.
:::^*^:::
Hissing…
"I should have seen this coming…"
Now it begins the struggle for control…
"My son… my dear, dear child, do not fail me…"
Silver: Could it be that Mira is a Spiran? … Who knows, but as the story progresses we'll find out more as both girls learn and grow. Can't believe that I'll be crossing some FFX in this… but it is the only way to point who difference between her and Aerith. Yeah… also it turns out I'll be using one ability from another game, but made by the same company, for Mira's job class… Song Summoner. This happens when I tried finding skills that would set her and the Cetra apart. AAAAARRGGGHHH! *frails and faints.* Ugh… anyway, yes Beedle the Bard, the Tale of Three Brothers, use it to at least jog the blonde's memory. It's about time Cloud remembers… even if it's just a little. READ AND REVIEW! They are my bread and coffee!
NOTE: Another thing, I don't own Beedle the Bard, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Also, there's a quote there which belongs to Jesse Jackson.