Days of Exile
Chapter 13 – Very Much Like The Old Times
15 December 0007
There was no fixed meeting time for the exiled Turks to meet in Kalm. Rod had planned everyone's arrivals such that they will enter Kalm and into the old lady, Sarah's, house at staggered timings. In fact, some of them entered the house during the day, posing as Sarah's distant cousins. Most of them entered the house past midnight, when there was nobody in the streets and families were sleeping in their comfortable beds.
When Meia reached Kalm, she was the last one to arrive. She knew why. The minute she walked down the stairs and laid her eyes upon the people cramped in a small basement, all heads turned to her.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEIA!" They chorused in hushed whispers.
Despite the fatigue from a whole day of work in Junon, Meia broke into a smile. "You have no idea…" She beamed and went around to hug everyone. "How relieved and joyful I feel to see all of you again!"
There were no presents for her, but Meia was no longer the bratty girl who felt the pinch of disappointment when they've forgotten her birthday. She was now twenty years old, she could not allow herself to be childish. Then again, to Meia, seeing her long-lost comrades was the best birthday present possible.
The former Turks wasted no time to share what they have been doing the past month. Haato and Leia were travelling, arriving in Gongaga to visit Haato's hometown and meeting up with Cissnei. To that, Cissnei added that she was in Gongaga all this while to "fulfill a friend's wish". Everyone could guess what she meant, so they did not ask further. Legend was settling finely in Wutai. He had set up a weapons-making business with a previous business associate and they were making good progress in their business. Mason returned to being a private investigator in Costa del Sol.
"You never have too much of private investigators in Costa del Sol, if you know what I mean." He added with a chuckle.
Katherine and Kido had been in Bone Village, accompanying Jasper and also enjoying the time in the small town.
"Jasper…" Meia looked around.
"I'm sorry, Meia." KK said. "Jasper couldn't leave his town. He is very tied down with the issues of his family business. He sends his apologies and I guess you could tell he's very upset by it as well."
The room was quiet briefly, for everyone understood that they might never be able to see Jasper again. He had made the decision to devote himself to the family business and they would not stop him. The silence was soon broken by Kido asking quietly to Alana what a Moogletart is.
Everyone was eager to listen to each other's stories and extra enthusiastic to share their own. But mainly, everyone's attention was on Veld and Elfe, for they were beyond relieved to see that their leader was actually safe and well. The father and daughter had to share their survival story at least three times to different groups of people. Veld was the one who called the lively conversations to a stop. When everyone settled down on a spot to sit, he spoke.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming here." Veld said in his usual no-nonsense voice. Meia had not realised how much she missed that until today. "There are many issues that we need to iron out right here, right now. Following the events of us disappearing, I'm sure you're informed that Shinra has dropped actions against us, as long as we remain out of Midgar."
There were nods in assent. Meia heard someone speaking quietly to anyone about enjoying themselves outside Midgar anyway. Veld ignored the murmurs and continued. "Many of you know that Meia came back to Midgar now, but not many asked why."
"We thought it was because she wanted to see her Reno," joked Mason. Small chuckles continued after. Meia wrinkled her nose at the good-natured martial artist.
"The truth runs deeper than that." Veld looked at Meia, cuing her to continue. So Meia cleared her throat and began explaining again how she spotted Sephiroth in Icicle Inn, heading in the direction of Midgar. The Turks became quieter as she spoke. Meia recounted how she met Tseng trying to capture the Ancient, Aerith, and in her efforts to stop them, was brought to the Shinra Building as well. Veld added that he was the one who called Tseng to bring Meia into the building.
"So Meia is like our Shinra spy, isn't she?" said KK thoughtfully.
"More importantly... Is Tseng with us, or against us?" Legend frowned, scratching his sideburns dazedly.
Veld glanced at Legend and answered, "A Turk never takes sides. He only follows the orders of Shinra." Everyone thought hard about those words. Indeed, every one of them had to leave Shinra because they sided Veld's decision to pursue his long-lost daughter. "However," Veld continued. "I have been in contact with Tseng... I'm something like a business partner, if you like." Seeing their confused faces, he smiled.
"Does Reno and Rude know that you're alive?" Meia asked.
"No, it was something that Tseng had specifically requested, for a reason that he refused to offer. I hope that knowing that I'm alive, you'll follow Tseng's wishes and not reveal this to Reno and Rude."
Meia wrinkled her nose, but grudgingly agreed along with the others.
"I trust Tseng and I'm providing my help as intelligence." Veld spoke with a tone of business and authority. "And that's why I'm extending the offer to you. You'll be able to freely walk in and out of Midgar, under Tseng's authority. In return, you will help Tseng and the Turks, covering intelligence-based missions instead of execution.
"I will be fully responsible for all your actions; you need not be in contact with Shinra. We do not directly take orders from them too; we are merely a support group. Your involvement will remain anonymous to everyone except Tseng and I. Then again," Veld mused with a thoughtful smile. "With the new leadership, I doubt Rufus Shinra will be threatened by your presence. He was the one who proposed to drop the persecution in the first place."
"Wait, what?" Haato piped up.
Leia frowned at Veld. "What new leadership?"
Nine pairs of eyes turned to look at Haato and Leia in amazement. "You mean, you didn't know?" Asked Mason incredulously.
"About what?" Cissnei asked.
"President Shinra was assassinated." Kido filled in for them.
"By Sephiroth." Added Meia.
"And not surprisingly, Rufus Shinra took over the company... the 'coronation' was in Junon today!" Cassie narrowed her eyes at them. "Didn't you watch the news at all?"
"Don't look at us!" Haato raised his hands. "Zack Fair's house didn't have television!"
"This is shocking news." Cissnei folded her hands on her lap and fell into a quiet lapse.
Veld cleared his throat. "President Shinra is dead. All charges against us are dropped... Or so Tseng tells me."
The Turks stared at him in surprise. "... Really?" Asked KK. "So we can return to Midgar and be safe from Shinra?"
"As long as we don't do anything funny, I suppose." Rod snorted.
"Like stealing a motorcycle from the Shinra Building?" Meia joked, prompting an old memory in their minds. Rod responded by nudging her playfully.
"Be serious, everyone." Veld said solemnly. "Right now, if you no longer want to have any dealings with Shinra anymore, please take your leave and we will never speak of this work to you again." When no one budged, he was baffled. "Are you serious about your decision?" He asked again. "Do not feel obliged to contribute. We are no longer a part of the Turks, wanting out does not mean your life will be forfeit. Everything that we've shared is not confidential yet."
Still, no one moved from their seats. Then Rod spoke, "Boss, it's not that we hate our jobs, yeah? They were the ones who chased us out. If all these crap didn't happen, we would've still been Turks. No offence to you, Elfe." He added apologetically to a very amused Elfe.
"Gosh, I swear, Rod," groaned Cissnei. "You sound more and more like Reno!"
Rod would've given her the finger, but he knew Alana would chew his head off, so he settled for rolling his eyes. "So I say that all of us are in with whatever you have in store for us, Veld sir!" He grinned, spreading his hands out with flourish. There were murmurs of assent following his speech.
The former leader of the Turks looked at their faces intently. If he was touched by their actions and loyalty, he did not show it. "Very well." He said finally. "Let's proceed with the discussion. Meia wanted to go to the HQ to read up on any possible facts on Sephiroth. Against my wishes, I sent her. But I suppose I was glad I sent her, for now we have an extra pair of eyes on the inside."
Meia nodded. "However, I'm not proud to say that I didn't find anything." As the attention focused on her, she explained. "I tried finding everything, anything, in the Archives – there was nothing that documented Sephiroth's major details. They're probably not even in the main building."
"... Perhaps Nibelheim?" suggested Leia. "He spent many days prior to his disappearance locked in the basement of the Shinra Mansion, reading."
"But we can't really conclude just because of that," argued Cassie.
"It doesn't matter," Veld cut in before it became a heated discussion. "We will not be involved with matters of Sephiroth anymore."
"What?" Meia exclaimed, earning a few shushes from Alana in case they disturbed the people upstairs for being too loud. "What do you mean by that?" She whispered. "We were the ones who spotted him first."
"I know it may be hard for you to accept, but we should leave handling of the entire situation to the Turks." Veld replied. "After all, they need to track down Sephiroth for the company's interests. Our only involvement is to keep a lookout for Sephiroth's whereabouts." With that, Veld gave a brief but detailed description of Sephiroth's appearance, complete with a black cape.
"We've turned from huntsmen to watchmen, seems like." Legend sniggered to Meia.
Meia sighed in agreement. Turning to Veld, she answered, "If you say so, Veld."
"But the other thing that I told you to check about..." Veld trailed off.
"Geez, just how much did we actually miss?" KK complained to Kido. "While we were hunting for ancient oilskins and gold-plated skulls in Bone Village, they were having a time of their lives!"
"Now that we can return to Midgar," rejoined Kido. "I say we should."
"I'm game with the idea." KK stretched her arms wide open. "We better finish up soon. It's close to dawn."
Meia nodded. "I'll make it quick." Looking around to ensure that she had full attention, Meia asked, "Have you ever heard of WEAPON?" Many Turks shook their heads, so Meia continued. "Veld had asked me to find any information regarding WEAPON, and I did. This was recorded in Professor Gast Faremis' reports. WEAPONs are a league of ancient beings. Like Zirconiade, if you like."
Everyone tensed at the name. "Are we being threatened again?" Asked someone worriedly.
"Funny you asked." Meia laughed nervously. "The Planet is not threatened with destruction. WEAPONs are natural, ancient beings created by the Planet. They are like self-defence mechanisms. When the Planet is being threatened, WEAPONs will emerge and eliminate any enemies of the Planet."
"Okay. But what does WEAPON have anything to do with Zirconiade?" Asked Mason.
Meia broke down the analysis for them to understand. "When Zirconiade was summoned, the Planet recognised it as a threat and reacted to it."
"Reacted to it?" Frowned Cassie. "So what? The Planet... I don't know, senses that it's in danger and did something about it?"
Nodding gravely, Meia rejoined. "And creates a WEAPON to defend itself."
"So there's a WEAPON that actually exists?" Asked Mason. "Right now?"
Meia nodded. "That's right. This is what they call the Jade WEAPON."
"But we've defeated Zirconiade ourselves." Cissnei mumbled, folding her arms in thought. "The threat no longer exists. If we're talking about this as a problem... are you saying that the WEAPON is still somewhere on this Planet, roaming aimlessly?"
Meia grimaced. "I wish it were that simple." She said. "We defeated Zirconiade before the Planet could release the Jade WEAPON. Now finding no more threats in the Planet, the WEAPON has turned its aggression... on us."
Alarm rose within the group. Legend placed his hands in front of his, as if settling the crowd down. "So you're telling me..." He said slowly. "This Jade WEAPON is targeting the people who helped it eliminate the threat? What logic is that?" He complained.
Meia cupped her face gloomily. "Go figure. We are deemed strong enough to actually eliminate a global threat, so we must be eliminated."
"Oh, the irony!" groaned KK.
Alana turned to Meia. "What will we do then?"
"We need to defeat it." Meia smacked her fist against her palm to emphasise the point. "Fortunately, unlike Zirconiade in full form, WEAPONs can be defeated, but it takes a lot of effort and time. We are not able to understand any other things about WEAPON though... this is the first time in recorded history that WEAPON exists... So we are kinda scrabbling at the unknown. But we must defeat it, this is no question. If not, WEAPON will hunt us down."
Veld leant forward and faced his former subordinates with seriousness. "We are on our own for this. Either we face our problem and destroy it, for be destroyed ourselves."
"We've come so far to this," answered Leia after a brief moment of silence. "We cannot allow WEAPON to take our lives."
"I agree with Leia," said Kido.
Legend grinned at Veld. "Just tell us what to do, or what we can do."
With a curt nod from Veld, Rod placed some PHSes on the table. "Here are the remaining PHSes." He said. Most of the Turks reached for them but not Haato, Leia, Cissnei and Mason. Rod and Cassie passed theirs the day before. When Legend asked why they needed new ones, Rod explained that the new PHSes are untrackable, thus allowing them to contact each other across the Planet safely.
"Give the last one to Jasper. I know he couldn't help us anymore," Rod said impatiently when Alana was about to argue. "But that doesn't mean that he doesn't want to. If he has no intentions to help, he can toss his PHS in his pretty little drawer for all I care."
Meia fiddled with the new PHS. Most of the functions and features were the same. She looked up and called Rod, "What's this radar tracker?" She asked.
"Was getting to it." Rod answered. "It's a Mako radar that tracks signs of Mako." Glancing at Veld, he added, "I suppose Veld knew what he was doing when he requested for this feature to be installed."
Nodding his head in agreement, Veld leant forward and began to reveal his plan. The Jade WEAPON is formed from Mako, and is usually concealed behind a self-generated dark mist. Only the radar will be able to sense the being through a tracking system. There is no knowledge as to how strong this WEAPON is. If necessary, they might have to fight it many times before it is completely defeated. "It will not be easy, colleagues." Veld said seriously. "But I trust you with all my life, and I know that you will not die this easily."
The former Turks chuckled in response. Some raised a few questions, but eventually everyone was prepared to face this unknown danger and they began to plan.
In the midst of discussion, Haato leant back against the sofa, propped his legs on the coffee table and chuckled to himself. Leia threw him a curious look. "What?" He smiled at her. "I was thinking to myself how we've changed, yet we didn't really." The two of them glanced back at the group of people whom they've fought countless battles with. "Very much like the old times, don't you think?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right." Leia agreed with a small smile. "Things wouldn't have changed much if we weren't exiled."
Cassie inched closer towards Leia. "Can't help but eavesdrop on you two." She admitted without sincere apologies. "True, things wouldn't have changed if we weren't chased out, but that's precisely why it is fun, isn't it?" She stretched her hands back and propped her legs on the table in a manner that would've made Haato proud. "If you ask me, life has just gotten more exciting." She declared with a cheeky grin.
16 December 0007
Reeve sat back against his chair and sighed to himself. At this hour, most if not all of his colleagues are at home, enjoying their hot stew cooked by their loving wives and spending quality time with their families. He was the only one (and a department of SOLDIERs and Turks) who was still in the office. For the hundredth time Reeve asked himself why was he doing something that he didn't like.
Why would he be interested in using Cait Sith to be a spy for Shinra and pretend to join AVALANCHE in their chase? Apparently after the huge break-in into the HQ a few days ago, this anti-Shinra terrorist group had decided that chasing after Sephiroth was a better idea and thus abandoned their initial plans of overthrowing Shinra. Rufus Shinra thought that it'll be better to track their actions using Cait Sith and… who was Reeve to object?
Sephiroth…
Why was he still alive? Wasn't he pronounced dead in Shinra? Again, Reeve found himself confirming his long-emerging doubts of the actual whereabouts of his missing staff members. In the past 8 years alone, they'd lost 4 SOLDIER First-Class and an entire department of staff was deported to Nibelheim for a long-term town re-development project… headed under Reeve Tuesti, head of Shinra's Urban Development.
A pile of hogwash, but that only Reeve Tuesti knew.
And now he had to play along with a bunch of kids and pretend to be their ally… Reeve had no qualms about deception – he had long accepted the fact that Shinra Co. was full of it. What he was actually adverse with is the fact that he had to play along with a group of immature youngsters who knew nothing about the world they live in. It's one thing to fight with them, it's another to talk to them. What were they going to talk about? Reeve had half the mind to switch Cait Sith on auto-pilot whenever they stop for the night, but he can't always do that. The party might eventually figure out that Cait Sith was not as committed to their cause and be wary of him.
All this work was making his head hurt. The thing Reeve really need was a holiday. Not the fake one that the late President Shinra had given to keep him away while they execute their plans. Maybe somewhere nice… like sunny Gongaga or something…
The message "Target sighted" flashed across his screen. Reeve leant forward and looked at the man jumping out of the porthole into Wonder Square. The man who was labeled the leader of AVALANCHE.
The first thing that came into Reeve's mind was: That's it?
This is the group which took down my entire Mako Reactor?
He could not believe the blond man in front of them is the leader of AVALANCHE, the one who is responsible for his late nights and distress. He is merely a boy! Reeve exclaimed in his mind. The blond man was leading the Ancient, Aerith Gainsborough, and another man that he didn't recognize onto Wonder Square. "SOLDIER First Class…?" He muttered to himself as he saw the uniform. He had never seen him in SOLDIER First Class and he was sure of it. Reeve looked at the man closely and observed that he carried an air of cockiness that was familiar… though he could not place any recognition on anybody.
Now is not the time to think about these. Reeve told himself. Time to take action. He immediately changed controls and gave his input to the computer. With luck, he'll be able to know more about this group, the new AVALANCHE. "Do your job, Cait Sith." He murmured.
The robotic cat responded on the other side, pointing at Cloud. "Hey you! What are you lookin' so down for!?"
17 December 0007
Cissnei stirred at the touch of the early morning sun's warmth. She usually didn't allow herself the luxury of sleeping in, not while she was a Turk. However, becoming a normal person granted her these privileges. No one was breathing down her neck expecting her to complete missions and do paperwork, and so Cissnei indulged herself in such laziness once in a while.
She stretched herself in bed and reluctantly left the comfortable bed. Cissnei switched on the Mako radar on her PHS and allowed the needle to calibrate while she changed out of the large t-shirt that she was wearing. She absent-mindedly watched a digital needle swinging in full circumferences, only wavering slightly when it detected a faint amount of Mako here and there. Cissnei stared at the PHS, brushing her curls and wondering if the radar was actually detecting anything.
2 days since the meeting, and who knows how long it has been since the Jade WEAPON emerged from the depths of the Planet? Cissnei pondered. There hasn't been any signs of anything yet. This radar better work… if the WEAPON is half as strong as Zirconiade is and it catches us unaware, we will surely be done for.
Suddenly, the needle went berserk. Her eyes widened and she clutched her PHS. The needle swung wildly round and round before stopping, pointing in the direction north-west. A large message popped up across the screen: Warning! Large amount of Mako detected.
Cissnei's heart thumped with excitement and apprehension. Could this be the WEAPON that everyone was talking about? She had to be sure – maybe a quick trip down to the location wouldn't hurt. She considered her bearings.
North-west… Isn't that Cosmo Canyon? She thought.
There weren't any Turks in Cosmo Canyon. She was the closest one to Cosmo Canyon and she won't have time to call for backup. Cissnei felt her breath quicken when she concluded that she had to be the first one to tackle the unknown creature… alone.
There wasn't any time to waste. She promptly changed out of her casual clothes and pulled over more fitting gear for fighting. Then, she sent a message to everyone to inform them of this news. Finally, she grabbed Rekka, her trusty shruiken and taking a deep breath, she walked out of her room.
Don't be scared. She told herself. Just treat it like another of those Turk missions. Just like the old times, there is no mission impossible for the Turks.
Still, she wondered why she couldn't convince her heart to stop beating so fast.
Reno squinted against the sun, considering whether he should pull his goggles over his eyes to shield from the strong rays. He didn't want to do it in front of Rude though. He wasn't a wimp.
"It's no fair," the redheaded Turk grumbled. "You get to enjoy the shades because it helps with your overall coolness, the kind of I'm-so-tough-you-can't-see-my-expression." He peered at Rude's sunglasses enviously. "The minute I pull my goggles over, everyone will think, 'Oh I see, big ol' Reno can't stand a bit of sun, yo?'"
Rude furrowed his brows and wondered who would bother to make such a comment. Reno had easily caught up with them in Junon, despite leaving Midgar only a few days ago. Reno was a swift runner with a good stamina to match; covering long distances was not an issue for him.
He remembered that Elena groaned when Reno appeared in Junon, grinning casually as he carried a box of Junon famous chicken pies. He observed Elena's lack of respect for Reno and he didn't blame her. Not many people respected Reno initially because of his lackadaisical attitude and seemingly lazy behavior. Rude wasn't worried, however. Eventually, Reno will gain Elena's full respect, just like how he did for the former Turks who were much older and more experienced than he.
"Where's Elena?" Rude asked.
"Dunno." Reno shrugged. "I suppose the rookie has gone to look for Sephiroth on her own." Rude shot him a sharp glance. "Alright, alright, I got it." The redhead raised his hands in mock repentance. "Hush-hush about him. But I gotta say," he mused. "It ain't so hush-hush ever since Elena blurted it out in-"
"Mythril Cave." Rude finished for him.
"Precisely." Reno remarked. He fiddled with the EMR in his hand. After Elena accidentally told AVALANCHE about their plans to track Sephiroth, it was simply a race to see who caught Sephiroth first… and Reno wasn't going to lose to a bunch of twerps.
Currently, they've managed to chase the news of Sephiroth down south to Gongaga, though Reno secretly doubted that Sephiroth would really pass this area. But who was Reno to argue when Tseng said that the sources were reliable? So in the time while waiting for further instructions from Tseng, they were on standby – Reno's most dreaded task. He wondered where Elena was.
The bright-eyed, cheerful girl was immediately welcomed into the Turks. Reno knew that Elena would be annoyed if she knew but he couldn't help but compare her to Alana. Their striking resemblances made him constantly wonder how Alana would fare. Although Alana was a more seasoned fighter than Elena was, Elena's spontaneous reactions are more sophisticated than her older sister and Reno genuinely looked forward to seeing her progress. Also, Elena held the same intolerance towards Reno's antics, but at least she held no formal speech. An additional plus, Reno remarked in his mind.
It was Rude who broke the short silence between them. "Have you been talking to Meia?"
Reno almost dropped his EMR. He stared at him. "When did you find out?" He asked warily. Lying was futile against your partner of many years.
"Saw the both of you a week before, near Sector 5."
"Oh, yeah, I saw her." Reno grinned to himself. "Sure feels awesome. I don't know why, but I've been feeling real swell." He gave his EMR a final whirl and slotted it back in its place.
Rude understood his comment completely. So Meia and Reno must have addressed their feelings already. He concluded to himself.
"Hey, Rude." Reno called. When Rude turned to face him, Reno's face was cheeky and alive with curiosity. "Who do you like?"
Rude was surprised by his sudden question, but did not show it. Instead, he turned his back against Reno and almost chuckled to himself. It is true that he had forgotten everything he had said years ago, back in Nibelheim. He mused. He was too drunk to remember the following day.
Reno took his actions as a sign of being shy. "What are you getting so embarrassed about?" He grinned. "Come on? Who do you like?"
I suppose it won't hurt to tell him. Rude thought. After all, he did guess it correctly then… even if he was drunk. "… … … Tifa." He mumbled, shaking his head. If he blabs this out…
Reno jumped at the news and then, he broke into a grin. "Hmmmm..." He then scratched his head. "That's a tough one." Rude knew what Reno meant – Reno was referring to their past with her and Nibelheim. "But, poor Elena. She... you..."
Knowing exactly what Reno was trying to say, Rude turned and denied, "No, she likes Tseng." Reno jumped at the news again, this time Rude gave him an incredulous look.
"I never knew that!" Reno exclaimed, eyes wide open. I've always thought that Elena's crush on Tseng was an inside joke amongst the old Turks! Reno thought. So it's true all along? "But Tseng likes that Ancient..." Reno recalled. It was no secret among the Turks. "What a wonderful messed-up relationship we have here." He grinned at Rude. "And you should treat me to a drink, man! Who falls for the enemy team, TWICE?"
"…" Rude pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please do not bring Chelsea into this."
Suddenly, they saw Elena running towards them, her face embarrassed and fearful. "They're here! They're really here!"
Behind her, Reno spotted the group of AVALANCHE members. Now he recognised them well, each name ticking in his mind like a checklist as his eyes swept across the party. Cloud… Aerith… Tifa… Some random guy… Reno raised his eyebrows when he saw Reeve's spy robot, Cait Sith... and also the other animal in the party. Hojo had named it Red XIII but Reno knew that in Cosmo Canyon it went by another name, Nanaki. Reno knew because he was the one who was involved in the capturing of Red XIII, partnering with Haato who had then just recovered from his three-year coma.
Reno stared at Cloud, giving him the once-over. The blond stared defiantly back at him. "Hmm..." Reno considered. "Then it's time..." Glancing at his partner, Reno made a final jab. "Rude... Don't go easy on them even though they're girls."
Rude nodded. "... Don't worry, I'll do my job."
"Then, we're counting on you." Elena nodded. "I'll report to Tseng!" Before Reno could respond, Elena ran off.
Skiving on the job, huh? Well, no matter. Reno turned to Cloud and grinned. "It's been a while. Payback time for what you did in Sector 7." He sniggered, pulling his EMR out of his pocket.
"Out of our way." Cloud warned in a serious voice.
Reno scoffed. "I don't like being taken for a fool."
"That's as far as you go," added Rude.
With Rude, I'm sure this time we're awesome! Reno thought in his head. If we can defeat Shears together back then, surely these kids won't be a problem!
Hello! What a mid-week surprise, isn't it? (don't worry though, chapter 14 will be uploaded on Saturday, like normal.)
This chapter is uploaded today because I want to. But upon final proofreading, I have to agree that today is the best day to upload this chapter. Enjoy this special treat from me!