For the next few weeks, Eloise couldn't think about anything but Sephiroth and his plan. She had a few theories but he didn't seem to act according to them. He didn't want to return necessarily for revenge or maybe he lied to her. Anyway, she was completely lost.
"Hey Eloise, did Shinra call you for your pay?"
Reno asked as soon as he stepped inside the bar.
"No," Eloise muttered busy doing her work.
That job for Rufus was very weird. He was happier than he deserved and everything in his life came back to normal but the man he killed was too spontaneous to be behind his tormenting. She realized that after a few days. The person who was after Shinra didn't want to kill him in the first place. He wanted to see him suffer and take out his anger on his subordinates.
"Well then, you should come over tomorrow. He's been very bright and will definitely give you another job. And don't forget about our date. You already said yes to it," He winked and left. He didn't even order something.
Eloise sighed and decided to bother herself with cleaning. It was a calm day, with very few customers.
"Eloise, can we talk for a moment?"
Cloud wasn't usually the type to get worried for her. After all, Eloise was his trainer for a while, he knew better than anyone how cruel she could be and how well she fought. But he couldn't understand what made her faint so often. She wasn't the type to tell him when she was in pain, she never told anyone, so it was hard to figure it out.
"Sure," she said quietly.
They looked at each other in silence With very different thoughts. Cloud wanted to ask her about a lot of things but on the other side, Eloise was thinking about Loveless. She knew she bought that book and put it somewhere, she just needed to find that spot.
"I-"
She wanted to ask him if he saw her pink book but she stopped when she felt her side sting again. She was sure that nothing was going to happen, it didn't feel like Sephiroth was trying to speak to her. Cloud frowned and helped her on the bed when he noticed the blood on her side and panicked. He could swear she was fine a minute ago.
"What's going on Eloise?" He asked growing worried.
She grabbed his hand and gripped it tightly. She was in great pain and Cloud didn't know how to help her.
"Just stay here," She said.
He nodded. Her eyes closed slowly and her expression softened. It looked like she fell asleep but the wound on her side was still bleeding. With one hand, Cloud raised her shirt to see better. She was bleeding but it didn't seem as if the blood was coming from somewhere in particular. It just appeared on her skin. What was worse was the electricity running through the blood.
Cloud didn't know who to call so he ended up calling the only person he knew was Eloise's friend.
"What's going on? What happened to her?!" Reno barged in and went straight to her side.
She was sleeping on the bed but didn't look peaceful at all. She was pale and she was sweating a lot. Tifa was changing the cold compress from time to time but Eloise still had a fever and it looked like it wasn't going to go down any time soon.
"She fainted. She had blood coming from her side but it stopped now,"
Reno frowned. His eyes moved towards Cloud's hand which Eloise was still gripping tightly.
"Did it happen before?" Reno asked.
Tifa glanced at Cloud worriedly.
"It did, yes. But she used to wake up after an hour or so. I don't know what's wrong with her." Tifa replied.
"Can it be from the cells?" Cloud asked remembering how Eloise's body had been mutated.
Reno shook his head.
"No. I'm sure you would have had the same symptoms. You look fine so it's obviously something else," He was really worried and scared.
When it came to Eloise, it was really hard to explain what was going on. Her body was modified to the point where her DNA changed and the only person who could help her was dead.
"What do we do now?" Tifa asked looking at Cloud.
"Nothing." Their heads snapped to their patient. Her eyes were barely open but at least she woke up. "Do nothing. It will pass."
Reno shoved Cloud aside and grabbed her face.
"Are you crazy?! You're burning and you're telling me to stay and watch?! Are you stupid? No. Don't respond."
She wasn't even going to. Reno was a good friend but he was overreacting.
Eloise needed rest. She was overworking herself by talking to them. Her body was still not healed internally, or that was what everyone thought but her body was completely fine. The only thing that hurt was her head. She wasn't sure what was going on either, she genuinely became unconscious for some unknown reason.
From Reno's point of view, she needed to go out more and relax her mind. She was thinking too much about unnecessary things. When he entered the bar and grabbed her hand, she was sure she wasn't going to return until nightfall.
"Where are we going?"
Reno didn't even think about letting her go because he expected her to run or get lost in the crowd. The redhead didn't give her any response. He wanted to keep the surprise. Unfortunately, the place he got her into was familiar to Eloise.
"It looks pretty much the same, huh?"
Her eyes widened. She blocked the noise and concentrated on her memories. Sector 8 didn't change much, indeed. When she first walked on those streets, it was empty and abandoned. She witnessed the wolf right when a flower shop had been built. After a few years, Sector 8 had been rehabilitated.
Eloise ended up being Reno's shopping partner. He took care to make her look around the clothing and accessories stands. She didn't look content but she didn't look annoyed either. If he didn't know better, Reno could swear she was enjoying herself in her own way.
Unlike Genesis, Reno chose a normal restaurant for dinner. Somehow, it felt like they weren't welcomed there, and not because the Turks were still disliked.
"Did you get in trouble with the waitress?" She wasn't really curious but someone was staring intensely at the back of her head.
"Hm? Waitress? I don't think so,"
Eloise raised an eyebrow and waited for the girl to come and take their order. Eloise was pretty sure Reno was going to get punched in the face.
"Can I take your order?" The waitress was really pretty. Even in Eloise's eyes, she looked really petite and frail.
"I want the steak. What about you, Eloise?"
Eloise looked up into the waitress's eyes. She was trying not to glare at her customer but it wasn't going well.
"I'm not hungry. I want a coffee,"
Reno seemed distressed. She wasn't eating well.
"Then let's make it two steaks, please. With fries,"
Eloise's eyes snapped to Reno. He was staring at her as if he was trying to scold her with his eyes. The waitress nodded and left.
"You should eat. You've been losing a lot of blood in only a few weeks,"
She leaned her chin on her hand and turned her head to the window.
"I don't want to talk about that,"
He scoffed and grabbed her chin so she wouldn't get the chance to avoid his eyes.
"Look, Eloise. We've known each other ever since you entered SOLDIER. It's been more than 10 years since you cried. A lot of things happened to you. I'm just worried for you. Isn't that normal between friends? Aren't we friends?"
It seemed he triggered something in her because she slapped his hand away and leaned back as far as she could get from him.
"Is that all you want to talk about on our free day?"
He was astonished. She was still trying to avoid the subject. She didn't even agree on the friendship part.
"If you so desperately want to know what's happening to me, why don't you wait and see for yourself?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side.
"One of these days, it will happen again. The blood will suddenly appear on my side and I will be in pain. I'm going to faint and won't be able to wake up until it's over."
"Until what's over?"
She sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't elucidate the mystery. Reno was still clueless as to what was going on in her head.
The steak came a few minutes later. The girl just threw the plates in front of them without any sympathy.
"What the-" Reno was taken aback. "Someone's being very bitchy today." He commented with a glare.
"I wonder whose fault is that," Her judging tone and stare were enough to make Reno glare at his steak. However, he didn't respond. He knew he probably forgot some important details there. Well, it didn't matter.
After they ate and Reno paid for it, he continued to drag her around. He was careful not to lose sight of her but Eloise completely lost the need to escape. It wasn't so bad, going out with Reno from time to time was probably a good idea. They were walking around when she noticed a billboard. It was for the new and improved play at the theatre.
"Wanna go check it out?"
She chuckled. It was a little offensive but Reno was definitely not the kind of man to enter the theatre and not fall asleep during a play. He noticed the doubtful glint in her eyes.
"If you want to know, I do enjoy going to the theatre,"
"I'm sure you do,"
He glared at her and nudged her towards the ticket booth. Unfortunately, since Reno was in such haste to show her just how much he liked plays, they didn't check the title. It only took the first words for Eloise to recognize it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we present you this lovely evening, Loveless!"
Eloise's right eye twitched. She glanced at the audience to see their reactions but they were applauding and acting excited. Her eyes traveled to the man next to her. He was, probably, the most excited of them all.
The piece started with one man, standing in the middle of the scene. The light was dim. They could only see his form. The man seemed lost and dumbfounded until he started to speak.
When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end
The goddess descends from the sky
Wings of light and dark spread afar
She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting
After he finished, two other men walked in from each side of the stage. They started to talk about their lives and about the everlasting gift of the goddess. They decided to go and search for it. That was how the first act started.
Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess
We seek it thus, and take to the sky
Ripples form on the water's surface
The wandering soul knows no rest.
Eloise was surprised to hear that there was a whole script created around the poem
The quest itself seemed to be dangerous and heartbreaking. Two friends ended up on one side while the third one was left alone. Eloise's eyes moved on Genesis who was completely absorbed by the play.
There is no hate, only joy
For you are beloved by the goddess
Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds
Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul
Pride is lost
Wings stripped away, the end is nigh
The actor who played the third friend was quite good. His acting was heartbreaking. She could feel the sadness and regret he held in his heart however, he was optimistic because he had the gift of the goddess to find. For him, that purpose alone was what gave him hope and helped him move forward.
The two friends ended up separating as well. One was closer to the third while the other one was farther apart. In the end, the second friend died and the third friend had to bury him. It was a beautiful scene. They acted as if the second friend went to the goddess. They even used a mechanism to make him seem like he was flying.
My friend, do you fly away now?
To a world that abhors you and I?
All that awaits you is a somber morrow
No matter where the winds may blow
My friend, your desire
Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess
Even if the morrow is barren of promises
Nothing shall forestall my return
On the other side, the first friend got further and further away from the gift of the goddess. He got lost and died alone.
The third friend was the only one who survived, barely. He found out that the gift of the goddess was life itself.
The audience applauded enthusiastically and cheered. Eloise's mind was overwhelmed because, for her, the play felt more real than she originally thought.
Genesis didn't seem affected at all. He grabbed her arm and dragged her outside.
"What did you think about it? It's different when you see it played on stage, right?" Genesis asked looking thoughtful.
"Three friends wanted to find the gift of the goddess. They started as a team and ended up getting lost," Saying it out loud, made her heart throb. "I don't want that to happen,"
"It's already happening,"
Eloise didn't know how the piece had been modified. She didn't even watch it because she entered a state of sorrow and she got lost in her memories. She didn't even blink for the whole play.
"Ah, that was really sad," Reno commented as he got up and turned to her. She was still sitting down, staring at the stage. "Eloise?"
"That gift of the goddess destroyed the friendship of three powerful men. I wonder what will happen when they return,"
Reno patted her head and tried to cheer her up.
"Well, at least one of them survived right? He got to see what he's been looking for his entire life."
That seemed to make her realize something. She looked at him and opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out.
She frowned and grabbed his arm. Her grip tightened as she got up leaning heavily on him. Her vision became blurry and she felt something she hadn't felt in more than 10 years.
"The wolf," she whimpered.