She stared up at the roof of the canopy bed she lay in. Of course, it was a bright white satin material. Wind blew through the open window, rushing past the curtains and creating small waves in the canopy.
Tifa glanced to her right. Rufus was laying on his side with his back to her. She shook her head and sighed quietly.
This is the second time in two days you've woken up with a man other than Cloud next to you, Tifa thought to herself.
Technically, Tifa hadn't woke up. She hadn't slept a wink all night, she'd spent the entire night laying on her back with the covers up to her shoulders, her eyes squeezed shut.
Tifa ran her hands down her face slowly, then stared at them. She closed her eyes again. feeling them well up with tears. The things she had done last night, and with some one who was a hated enemy! What was wrong with her?
Tifa wanted to get up and go to the bathroom, but thought better of it. Last thing she wanted was Rufus to have a fit. Besides that, Dark Nation was laying right next to her side of the bed on guard.
Tifa felt Rufus move next to her, and froze. What was going to happen now?
"Good morning, Princess."
Tifa turned her head to look at Rufus and rolled her eyes. "Mornin'," she said dryly.
"Hmmm," Rufus mumbled thoughtfully. "That wasn't very enthusiastic. Let's try it again."
"Morning," Tifa said, a little bit louder.
Rufus shook his head. "That's still not good enough."
"GOOD MORNING!" Tifa shouted at nearly the top of her lungs. She jumped out the bed and landed on Dark Nation's tail, causing the huge dog to leap up and growl.
"Cool it, Dark Nation," Rufus instructed. "She didn't mean it." Tifa pulled on her skimpy nightgown Rufus'd given to her and shyly crossed her arms. "Now what?" she asked.
Rufus sat up and smiled. "Today's a big day, Tifa."
"How so?"
"I'm having major press conference," he answered. "To let everyone know that Shin-Ra is back in town."
Tifa glared at him suspiciously. "What do you need *me* for?" she asked.
"I told you yesterday," Rufus said matter of factly. "I need you to endorse Shin-Ra as my right hand woman. You're going to make a speech. If people think Tifa Lockheart is advocating Shin-Ra, don't you think they'll be more likely to support me?"
"What good am I going to do?" Tifa asked. "Nobody knows what Cloud and the rest of us did for the Planet. To them I'm just another average girl." Rufus stared at her as if she were plain stupid. "Have you turned on your TV at all in the last week? Its been blasting on the news like crazy. Your friend Reeve made sure you and the rest of AVALANCHE got due credit." He rolled his eyes.
"Really?" Tifa said. "I guess I haven't had much time to watch TV lately.
Rufus shrugged. "I'm going to take a shower and then I have to prepare, so I probably won't see your face again until the actual conference. Someone should be in here shortly to help you get ready for tonight."
Tifa rolled her eyes and faced away from Rufus, intending to ignore him until he left.
"You needn't be so unhappy, Tifa," Rufus said. "After all, I'm giving you the world now."
Tifa waved him off. He simply snickered to himself and left the room.
Tifa shook her head and lay back on the bed. She closed her eyes, sighed, and fell back asleep.
A grim look on his face, he stood before his crew.
"It seems alot of you are growing irritable with flying around nonstop looking for Tifa. I've been hearing a lot of complaining lately. I've decided to take a break. Since everybody wants to go home so bad, we'll go home."
"Damn," Cid muttered. "Your making me feel all guilty and shit."
"I know," Barret said. "Tifa's my homegirl and all, but I'm sure we'll be able to find her evetually. Tifa's a tough girl, she can take care of herself."
"Whatever," Cloud muttered. "I'll start looking for Tifa on my own tonight."
"Whatever you say, Cloud," Barret muttered. "Let's go."
Cloud nodded. "Fine. Cid, let's go."
Cid nodded and instructed his pilot to start dropping everyone off. Aeris walked up to Cloud and rested her hand on his shoulder.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked. "You look sick."
Cloud shook his head. "Something isn't right with Tifa. But, since everyone insists, they can go home."
"Where are you going to go, Cloud?" Aeris asked. "You can always come with me to mom's house."
Cloud smiled for the first time in days. "I'd like that."
Aeris giggled. "Only thing is, Tayeko and Sephiroth will most likely come with us."
Cloud's face fell. "Why?"
Aeris put her hands on her hips. "What do you mean, why? It's not like they have any place better to go, Cloud."
Cloud shook his head. "I don't think I can stand being in the same house as Sephiroth."
"You've been on this ship with him for a while and he hasn't bothered you once," Aeris pointed out. "Besides, aren't you leaving tonight to look for Tifa?"
Cloud nodded. "Fine, fine. I can never lose an arguement with you, Aeris."
Aeris smiled and kissed his cheek. "Never."
"Any chance of us getting out of here?"
Striker shrugged and leaned his head against the wall. "I dunno..."
Zack thought for a moment and nearly lept off the bed when an idea came to him.
"I know!" he exclaimed. "Does a guard come around to bring food?"
Striker nodded.
"When the guard comes, I'll surprise him by punching him square in the face and knock him out. Then we can escape."
Striker nodded and gave Zack a thumbs up. "Just one minor problem."
"What's that?"
"We have no weapons. What if we encounter somebody on our way out? We have to protect ourselves."
Zack tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You're right. Know where we can get weapons in this place?"
"There's a weapon storage closet somewhere on this floor," Striker said. "That's were they've got my stuff."
"What do you have?"
"I was trained in the use of swords and knives. I have a custom made sword called the Jagged Edge. How bout you?"
"I had a broad sword when I was in SOLDIER," Zack answered.
"Oh, we'll definately be able to find an extra one of those lying around," Striker remarked.
"Yeah," Zack grumbled, "Considering Cloud has mine."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. When does the guard come around next?"
Striker yawned and glanced at a rusty clock that was hung on the wall. "He should be around in about half an hour with breakfast."
Zack nodded. "Good. Now we wait."
He'd stayed awake all night waiting for Jenova to inhabit the mind and body of that gullible human. And finally, it was complete.
Hojo walked over to the tank with an uncontainable grin on his pale face. He peered in to the lid of the tank. The fingers which now belonged to Jenova were pressed against the lid, trying to open it. And the eyes that now belonged to Jenova glowed red, abandonning their once dazzling dark blue color.
Hojo carefully lifted the lid of the tank, allowing the beautiful being to slowly rise and sit up in the tank. She turned her neck slowly and studied the professor, looking him from head to toe.
"You have done well," she said, her voice deep and seductive. The once cheerful, highpitched tone of Nicole's voice was forgotten.
Hojo bowed. "Anything for you, my dear."
Jenova stepped out of the tank, green liquid dripping from her body on to the hard steel floor.
"What do I look like, Hojo?" she asked. "You better have found me a decent host."
Hoo laughed and picked a large hand mirror off his desktop and handed to her. "Of course," he said.
Jenova looked at herself and smiled. "Nice." She ruffled her wavy brown hair and laughed.
"The red eyes fit nicely," she remarked.
"Change them back to blue," Hojo instructed. "People need to think your normal."
"Fine," Jenova agreed viciously. Her eerie, glowing red eyes transformed back into the former's midnight blue color.
Jenova bent down and swept some of the liquid up on to her fingers, then licked it. She rolled the liquid around in her mouth with her touch then licked her lips before smiling sadistically.
"The Lifestream certainly is tasty."
Hojo nodded. "And you will have plenty more to consume once we revive Sephiroth."
Jenova laughed quietly and ran her fingers through Hojo's greasy ponytail. "That won't be neccessary, actually," she droned. "Sephiroth is very much alive."
Hojo gave her a questioning look. "How?"
"The Planet revived him," Jenova answered bitterly. "I was eavesdropping in the Lifestream. A few other people are alive that you might find quite interesting."
"Who?"
"For one, Rufus Shin-Ra," Jenova answered, wringing her hair out. "Also Aeris Gainsborough, and Tayeko Kisato.. your two Cetra projects gone wrong."
Hojo looked as if he'd seen a ghost. "But Sephiroth killed Aeris... and Tayeko... That was years ago!" Jenova shook her head and smiled. "The Planet revived them all, except for Rufus. Turns out he never died in the first place."
"But why?" Hojo asked, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Why did the Planet revive Sephiroth, of all people?"
"She wants him to do good, to give him a second chance," Jenova answered. "She revived the three of them, I think to save herself from me. She knew I was coming back."
Hojo shook his head. "Now we need to find Sephiroth and bring him back."
"I'll find my son," Jenova said. "I'll have him doing my dirty laundry just like I did last time."
Hojo laughed. "Go ahead. If anyone asks, your name is Nicole."
"Nicole," Jenova repeated. She made a face as if she'd eaten something nasty. "Humans and their stupid names."
Hojo shrugged.
Jenova grabbed a towel off the side of the tank and wiped the remaining mako off her body. Most of it had absorbed into her skin already.
Jenova took off towards the door. "I'm going to find my son now," she said.
"Right," Hojo answered. "I'll just be here getting things ready."
Jenova started to leave.
"More more thing, my love," Hojo called.
"What is it now?" Jenova demanded.
"Try to bring back the two Cetra," Hojo said. "And the Failure."
She sat up, rubbing her eyes with one hand and smoothing her long brown hair out with the other. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and prepared to rise when there was a knock outside the door.
"Miss Lockheart?" a female voice came.
Damn, who the hell is that, Tifa thought. She stood up and snatched her robe off a hook on the closet door and pulled it around herself. After taking another deep breath, she opened the door.
Three servants were outside the door. One was pushing a cart with food, the other was carrying a garment box, and the third had a pile of papers and some folders.
These were not your ordinary maids, Tifa noted. No aprons and fishnet stockings, just dark blue pantsuits with the Shin-Ra logo on them.
The first servant, a fairly young, attractive blonde with pale green eyes, pushed the cart in. "I'm Mary," she introduced herself. "Here's your breakfast, Miss Lockheart."
Tifa glanced at the plate. Eggs, sausage, toast and a glass of orange juice. Not bad, considering.
"Here, Miss Lockheart," the second servant said, setting the garment box down on the bed. She was slightly older than Mary and had brown hair pulled into a bun, and gleaming brown eyes. She patted the box. "I'm Aloura. This is what you're to wear to the press conference."
Tifa sighed as the third servant, a red head about her age with blue eyes shoved the pile of papers in her hands.
"My names Katiya. That's your speech," she said. "You need to memorize it by six p.m., that's when the press conference is being held."
"Thank you," Tifa said tiredly. "If you'd excuse me, I'd like to be alone now."
The three women left the room quietly, and Tifa flopped back down on the bed when she heard the door close. She took a bite from the toast, then proceeded to open the garment box.
Inside was a beautiful, long, red, silk dress with extravegant gold trim. It had sleeves designed to reach the elbows, and a low cut neck. The bottom of the dress had a slit that would come up to her thighs, and there was a gold rope tied around the waist. There was also a pair of pure gold hoop earrings and a long gold chain with the Shin-Ra logo hanging from it.
"Give me the world, eh?" Tifa thought out loud, running her fingers down the perfect fabric of the dress. "But at what cost...?"
"Aeris, can't Sephiroth go with Vincent and Red? They seem to be able to stand him better than anyone else, especially Vincent."
Aeris shook her head. "Tayeko wouldn't like that very much. I think its best if he comes along with us."
"Maybe you're right," Cloud said. "That way, I can keep an eye on him."
"Don't be too cocky, Cloud," Aeris warned. "I don't think you'd want to get into it with Sephiroth."
Cloud raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Sephiroth was so easy to beat in the crator for a reason," Aeris said. "And its not because you're stronger than him."
"What are you saying, Aeris?"
"Sephiroth made the mistake of wasting his energy fighting you and your group in the forms he was able to change into thanks to Jenova. If he would have fought you in his human form, he would have easily taken your whole party out the first time."
Cloud looked at her as if she had two heads. "That's bullshit, Aeris. Sephiroth could never have taken all of us out in one battle."
"He over estimated you, Cloud."
Cloud stepped away from Aeris and shook his head. "That's a horrible thing to say."
"It's the truth, Cloud," Aeris said. "But, everything happens for a reason, so be greatful. If Sephiroth would not have fought you as Bizzaro Sephiroth or the One Winged Angel, we would not be standing here right now. It's called fate."
Cloud was about to snap back at her when Cid screamed.
"We're here! Who the fuck is getting off at Kalm?"
"We all are," Cloud said, shooting Aeris an unreadable look before walking to the bridge. Cid nodded and instructed his pilot to land the airship.
Aeris went to Tayeko's room and knocked the door. The raven haired beauty opened the door and came out.
"What's up?"
"We're here," Aeris said. "We're gonna be staying with my mom for a while. Barret and Cloud will be with us. Let's go get Sephiroth."
Tayeko nodded and grabbed her bag, following Aeris down the hall to Sephiroth's room. Aeris knocked the door and called him.
Sephiroth swung open the door and walked past the two Cetra, down the hall and towards the deck.
"I guess he's ready to go," Aeris commented.
Tayeko shrugged and followed Aeris to the deck, where Cloud helped them both jump down. Sephiroth was already on ground, several feet away from where Barret was tapping his foot impatiently and Cait Sith was bouncing around.
Cloud waved to Cid through the window as the Highwind took off, and adjusted his sword on his back. He avoided eye contact with Sephiroth as he surveyed his group.
"Cait, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I brought the damn thing along for Marlene," Barret answered. "Reeve insisted."
"Yep, yep," Cait chirped. "It's the least I could do."
Barret rolled his eyes. "Just let's get going, damnit. I want ta see Marlene."
"Well, we're only a short walk from Kalm," Cloud said, pointing to where the town stood out in the distance. "We can make it there in fifteen minutes."
Cloud grabbed Aeris' hand and pulled her as far away from Sephiroth as was obvious, and walked in the front of the group. Barret sighed, and Cait happily marched along side the large man. Tayeko waited for Sephiroth to catch up and walked along side of him.
Sephiroth looked down at her through the corner of his eye, being that he was much taller than she was. She smiled at the sunlight and rubbed her arms.
"Its a beautiful day, isn't it, Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth grunted in response.
Tayeko frowned. "What's wrong, Sephiroth? A day like this should make even *you* smile."
Sephiroth nearly did smile. The icy hand that held his heart suddenly loosened its grip.
"I saw that!" Tayeko yelped cheerfully. "Those smile muscles *almost* got some excercise. Is it really that hard?"
Sephiroth looked at the ground and tried to keep from smiling.
"Oh, Sephy," Tayeko mumbled playfully. "You were always so difficult."
Sephiroth's mind was reeling when he felt Tayeko grab his hand. He looked down at her. A smile was plastered to her delicate face, and she was staring straight ahead.
Sephiroth was tempted to snatch his hand away, but something kept him from doing so. He let his gloved hand hang loosely in Tayeko's, feeling the warmth emanate from her touch.
"We're here," Cloud called from the front. "That was quicker than I thought. Barret, take us to the house."
Barret grumbled something unintelligable and stomped to the front of the group as they entered the tiny town. The odd assortment of five travelers walked through the cobblestone streets, following Barret to a small house near the center of town. Barret pounded on the door several times, and a little face appeared in one of the windows near the door.
"Daddy!" a muffled scream came from inside.
Barret laughed and waved to his daughter as Elmyra opened the door.
"Finally," she sighed. "Marlene's been driving me crazy talking about you."
Marlene ran from the window to the door way and lept into Barret's arms, holding him around his neck. "Daddy, I missed you- ahh! It's the flower lady!"
Elmyra looked past Barret's huge shoulders to where Aeris was standing, her hands folded in front of her and a shy smile on her face.
"A-Aeris??"
"Mom," Aeris said. She ran up to her mother and embraced her.
"Aeris?" Elmyra repeated. "I thought...?"
"Don't worry about it, Mom," Aeris whispered. "I'm alright."
Tears fell from Elmyra's eyes onto her weary cheeks. "I don't understand, Aeris. How...?"
Aeris held her adoptive mother tighter. "It's all such a long story, I'll tell you after I introduce you to my friends.
"I know him," Elmyra spat, glaring at Cloud. "The SOLDIER."
Cloud looked down. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Gainsborough. I know it's my fault what happened to Aeris, but-"
Aeris whirled around. "Stop it, Cloud! It's not your fault!"
Cloud sighed and threw his hands up. Elmyra's jaw suddenly dropped.
"My God... Is that... General Sephiroth?"
Aeris followed Elmyra's gaze to where Sephiroth was standing several feet away, Tayeko close next to him. He was making a conscience effort not to make eye contact with anyone.
"Yes, Mom," Aeris breathed. "That is Sephiroth."
Elmyra placed a hand on her chest and looked as though she were about to faint. "I thought he was dead too! Aeris, didn't he kill - "
"Stop, Mom," Aeris silenced her. "Sephiroth isn't like that anymore. He's... changed."
Elmyra didn't look convinced. "What is he doing here?"
"He's going to stay with us for a few days. Tifa's missing, and we couldn't find her anywhere. Cloud's insisting on setting out on foot to find her tonight, and it's gonna be a long journey, I think. Barret came here for Marlene, and Sephiroth and Tayeko have no where else to go."
"Tayeko?" Elmyra repeated.
"That's me," Tayeko said, stepping foward and walking up to Elmyra. She extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Elmyra shook her hand cautiously. "You too, dear."
"Mom, Tayeko is half Cetra too," Aeris said. "Just like me. And she's half Wutain!"
Tayeko giggled, and Elmyra nodded. "That's wonderful. Why don't you all come in and grab a bite to eat? I'm sure you've got to be aching for a home cooked meal."
"Damn sure am!" Barret thundered, tossing Marlene on his shoulder as he stomped in the house. Cloud followed quietly behind him, followed by Aeris and Tayeko. Cait Sith bounced in next unnoticed, and Sephiroth walked in slowly, avoiding Elmyra's peircing gaze.
Cloud, Aeris and Tayeko took a seat on the couch, and Barret flopped into a huge recliner. Sephiroth took a seat on the steps leading to the second floor, out of anyone's view. Cloud repeatedly shot curious glances at him, frowning.
Elmyra put her hands on her hips. "Cait Sith!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
The stuffed cat laughed. "Don't want me around, Elmyra?"
"I just thought you'd stop using the robot cat after you'd blown your cover, Reeve," Elmyra said.
Reeve's voice came through the cat. "There's alot of work to be done in Midgar, and it helps having an extra set of hands running around. Now, If you'll excuse me, I have to talk to Cloud... in private."
"Alright...?" Elmyra answered, slightly confused. Suddenly Cloud's PHS rang, and he reached for it at his side.
"Hello?"
"Cloud, this is Reeve. I have something to tell you I think you'll find very interesting." "What is it?"
Reeve cleared his throat. "I was in the Shin-Ra mansion today, searching for something of relevance when I came across a massive amount of files. There's got to be something in here on every person ever associated with Shin-Ra."
"That's everyone in AVALANCHE," Cloud pointed out.
"Right," Reeve said. "I've found a file and each and every one of you... including myself. I also found another set a files, but there's only one of these for you, Sephiroth, Aeris, Tayeko, and Vincent... Hojo's personal files." Cloud's voice suddenly caught in his throat. "Wh, what do they say?"
"I haven't gone over them yet," Reeve said. "I figured it best to let you see them first. Their top secret, for Hojo's eyes only. When you get a chance, drop by Midgar and read 'em. Any sign of Tifa?"
Cloud sighed miserably. "Nothing... I don't know what to do, honestly. There's no trace, no hint or even a clue. I'm gonna search for her tonight, but I don't know how much good that will do."
"Well, be sure you check out the news tonight. Rufus is holding a press conference."
"Rufus?" Cloud echoed. "Rufus Shin-Ra?"
"Yeah," Reeve responded. "Why?"
"Isn't he dead?"
"Apparently not," Reeve muttered. "He claims that filthy mutt of his, Dark Nation, helped him escape. Haven't you seen anything on TV, man? It's been everywhere for days."
Cloud shook his head. "Wait till I tell the others. I'll talk to you later, Reeve."
"Roger that," Reeve responded. "I'll keep you posted."
Cloud slapped the PHS shut and turned to his companions, save Sephiroth. "Would you believe it? Rufus is alive... and he's holding a press conference tonight."
"What?!" Barret roared, leaping out of his seat. "What's he doing alive?"
"He never died," Cloud answered. "And another thing... Reeve found a bunch of files at the Shin-Ra building, there's at least one for every member of AVALANCHE."
"What? What they need a file on me for?"
"They seem to have information on anyone who ever layed eyes on a Shin-Ra logo," Cloud explained. "There's even some files on me, Aeris, Tayeko, Vincent, and S...Sephiroth, that were written by Hojo."
"Hojo?" Sephiroth suddenly spoke, the first time since entering the house. "What has Hojo done now?"
"Nothing," Cloud spat, not looking at his former enemy. His blood ran cold everytime Sephiroth dared to speak, and he felt like slashing him to tiny ribbons of corrupt flesh with his Ultima Weapon. "I was just saying that Hojo had some files on us, that's all. God knows whats in them."
Sephiroth clenched his fist and closed his eyes. Hojo. He never wanted to hear that name again...
Cloud pulled out his PHS. "I'm going to call the others. Wait until they hear about this!"
Shera set a cup a tea on the coffee table as Cid fell across the couch, kicking off his dirty boots before propping his feet up on the arm of the couch. He picked the tea up carefully and blew on it, then took a sip. He let the warm fluid loll its way down his throat, then set the tea down and pulled out his package of cigarettes.
Shera took a seat in a chair nearby and sipped her own tea, watching The Captain quietly as he lit his cigarette, took a long drag, and pulled a aircraft magazine off the coffee table and flipped haphhazardly through. She sighed audibly.
Cid set the magazine down. "The hell's the matter with you?"
"Nothing," Shera lied, taking another sip of her tea. "Nothing at all."
Cid sat up and stomped his foot on the hardwood floor loudly, causing Shera's head to snap up. "Damnit, Shera. I'm not fucking stupid. What the hell's wrong?"
Shera sighed and looked deep into her cup. "I just... Cid, I'm tired of this."
"Tired of what?"
"Tired of you leaving for days, weeks, months, then coming home to smoke and lie around the house, issuing orders. When is life going to get better for me?"
Cid stood up and walked behind Shera's chair, grabbing her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Shera."
"What?"
"I've been doing alot of thinking, lately," Cid announced, blowing smoke towards the ceiling. "I haven't been treating you right. All these years, I've been on your ass about that damn launch. But it hit me, these last couple weeks. When we faced death all those times, it hit me. I love you, Shera."
Shera craned her neck to gaze at Cid, her bright blue eyes meeting his paler ones. Her expression was pure confusion.
"You what?"
"I love you." He reached around and wrapped his arms across her chest, then planted a kiss on her forehead and rested his chin on the top of her head.
Shera reached up and pulled the half smoked cigarette out of Cid's mouth, putting it out in the ash tray on the coffee table. She then smiled and rested her hands on top of his.
And for the first time, since he was a little boy playing with paper airplanes with his father, Cid Highwind felt true peace - without nicotine.
Zack stood up and hid in the shadows behind the bars as the guard approached, a tray of food in his hand. Striker also stood, taking a fighting stance, just in case.
"Breakfast," the guard announced, using a key to unlocked the bars. When he pulled them open, Zack surprised him with a swift uppercut that rendered him unconscious.
Zack rubbed his wrist as he and Striker stepped over the body of the guard. "Why do I feel like I've done that before?"
Striker shrugged, tossing his SOLDIER belt over his shoulder. "Deja Vu. Now let's get to the weapon's closet so we can get the hell out of here."
Zack nodded and quietly followed Striker for quite a while down the dark hall, until the young EX-SOLDIER stopped and slowly opened a door on their left.
"A-ha!" Striker beamed, flicking a light on. "Here it is."
Zack walked in the room and looked at countless shelves and boxes, weapons of all sorts lying around. There were tons of broad swords, so he grabbed the nearest one and strapped it to his back.
Stiker pulled a pair of gray sweatpants with the Shin-Ra logo on them on, then strapped his SOLDIER belt around his waist. He pulled the left leg of his sweats up to just below his knee.
"Interesting style," Zack commented.
Striker ignored him and pulled five various knives out of a box. After flipping them through the air, he tucked them into sheathes on his SOLDIER belt and continued rummaging through the room.
Zack was beginning to grow nervous. "Now what are you looking for?"
"Yes!" Striker suddenly cheered. He pulled what seemed to be a broad sword out of a corner, but actually turned out to look like it was broken, with sharp, spiked edges.
"Sheesh!" Zack muttered. "No wonder you call that thing the Jagged Edge. I'd hate to have someone fight me with that."
Striker smiled as he sheathed the sword against his back. He grabbed two wizard bracelets out of a nearby box and tossed one to Zack.
Zack studied the armor as he put it on. "These are already equipped with materia?" he asked.
"Yeah, its just basic stuff," Striker answered, checking the materia in his weapons. "Like fire, ice, restore. Nothing big."
Zack nodded. "I guess we can get going now."
"Right. We have to stay quiet. We're going to continue down that hall until we reach a stairwell. Then we take it up to the first floor, because we're in the basement right now. Then we've got to run out."
"Is there a good chance we might get caught?" Zack asked, following Striker out of the weapon's closet.
"A good chance."
The two walked quietly down the hallway, and in a few minutes, the stairway was in view. After walking only two flights up, they reached the main floor - and walked right into the lobby of the Shin-Ra SOLDIER Barracks.
"There they are!" a guard screamed.
"Shit!" Zack cursed, unsheathing his sword. Surprisingly, though he'd lost his memory, he remembered quite well how to fight and was deflecting the blows easily as several members of SOLDIER attacked. Striker was tossing knives and slicing men across the chest, making this an easy fight for the two ex-SOLDIERS.
A guard ran to the desk and screamed into the phone, watching members of his team fall at the hands of Zack and Striker. "Back up!" he called.
When all their combatants were down, Zack and Striker made a beeline for the door and ran out, leaving lights flashing, alarms ringing, and people screaming in the Junon SOLDIER Base. They didn't stop running until they were quite far from the base, and there was no sign of anyone on their trail.
Zack stopped to catch his breath. "Damn," he breathed. "That was a pretty good break, actually."
Striker nodded and leaned over on his knees. "Now what?"
"I need to find my friend Cloud," Zack said. "I just have no idea where he is."
"What are you gonna do about Tifa?" Striker asked. "She's still in there, with Rufus."
"Damn," Zack muttered. "If only I could find Cloud, he'd know how to find her."
"Let's go to Midgar," Striker suggested. "We could stop at Kalm for the night and then tommorrow finish and go to Midgar. Then you could try to find Cloud from there. Midgar's the best place to start."
Zack nodded. "Right. Let's go."
The two rented chocobos at a nearby stable in Junon and rode out town toward the Mythril Mines. After crossing the marsh, they'd be able to travel to Kalm.
Zack stared out at the bright sun, shielding his eyes. "You know, Striker. You never did tell me why you left SOLDIER."
Striker's face grew grim. "Several months ago, Shin-Ra ordered the Turks to drop the sector seven plate. They were after AVALANCHE, but they killed... killed my entire family in the process."
"They knocked down the whole plate?" Zack looked down at his chocobo's feathers. "I'm sorry, man."
Striker looked away from Zack, trying to hold in the tears. "Nothing can be done about it now."
Zack shook his head. He'd thought Shin-Ra was a great company, but since he'd recovered already two people had told him of the horrors that they'd committed. Now they had Tifa in their twisted clutches. What was next?
Zack shook his head. He'd find out soon enough.
Now, to find Sephiroth... she thought, I must follow whereever I feel most of my own energy emanate... across the sea. After looking around, Jenova took to the sky, something an ordinary human would not be able to do. It was for this reason that she flew relatively high.
As Jenova crossed the ocean at incredible speeds, she noticed something strange near Junon. Deciding to check it out, she landed on the upper plate out of view.
People were putting up signs and posters, and a podium was set up, with chairs arranged in front of it, perhaps seating around a hundred people. Balloons were everywhere, and music was blasting.
Jenova walked into the crowd, catching a few stares. She walked up to a man who was wiping some seats down with a cloth.
"What's going on here?"
The man gawked at her beauty. "W,well, ma'am, Rufus Shin-Ra is holding his press conference in an hour."
Jenova smiled and tapped her chin. "Hmm. Perhaps I will stay and watch."
"No, no, I'm afraid that's not possible," the man said nervously. "These seats have all already been reserved. You'll have to watch it on TV."
Jenova grabbed the man by throat and her eyes shone red again. "I will sit here," she declared, her voice deep and menacing.
The man sweatdropped. "R,right..."
Jenova let go and the man fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, gasping. She laughed to herself and took a seat, intending not to move at any expense until Rufus' show was over.
Her hair was done, half up in chopsticks with long tendrils framing her face, half down traipsing along her back. The long dress that shone in the sunlight fit her figure perfectly, and she'd never worn so much makeup in her life. Her red wine colored eyes sparkled under the glittery eye shadow, and the gold heels she wore made her much taller.
She sighed, not used to being so dressed up. She knew what she was doing was wrong. After all she'd fought for, all she'd fought against, she'd stoop this low? Her father'd been killed because of Shin-Ra. Her hometown destroyed because of Shin-Ra. Though Sephiroth had done the work, she knew it was Shin-Ra in the long run.
She ran her fingers through the loose part of her hair. She was sure Cloud would see her on television, advocating Shin-Ra and standing beside Rufus. What would he think? What would he say? What would he do?
Tifa wondered if he'd even worried about her a bit since she'd left, or if he'd merely moved on and accepted it. And what of the others? What would they do when they saw her with Rufus?
And Zack. Where was he? What happened between them? Was it merely a one night stand, or was it much more. Would she ever see him again? What would Cloud think?
It all came back to the same question. Had she really forgotten Cloud? Tifa shook her head, knowing she'd probably never be able to move on. It had been a mistake leaving him...
"Ready?"
Tifa whirled around, seeing Rufus in the doorway with his usual smirk. He had on his white robe, but a gold sash was draped across his right shoulder down past his waist.
"I hope you've been practicing," he said, holding out his elbow to Tifa. "It's time to go."
Tifa looked at the floor shamefully, finding herself at a lost for words again. She was usually so strong willed and brave, she would have been snapping off at Rufus a mile a minute now. But now... she had no right. She linked her arm with Rufus' and followed him out of the room, to her fate - that she'd chosen.
"I don't give a damn about that," Cloud said, pacing around the kitchen. "If he says anything important, call me on the PHS. Besides, I have to go to Midgar anyway to see those files Reeve was talking about."
"Stop making excuses," Aeris said sternly. "You can do all of that in the morning. Just sit-"
"Tifa!!" Marlene suddenly screamed from the living room. "Aeris!" Tayeko called. "Come quick! Your friend, Tifa, is on TV!"
Aeris and Cloud exchanged confused glances before jogging into the living room where Tayeko and Barret were seated on the couch, Marlene in his lap. Elmyra was in her chair, and Sephiroth was sitting on the steps.
Cloud blinked. Sure enough, Tifa was on the set, wearing the fanciest peice of clothing he'd ever seen her wear. A long, silk, slim fitting red dress, with gold trim and a gold rope belt. Her hair was swept up with half up of it hanging down her back, and her bangs and long tendrils hung in her face. Her face was a mix of emotions as she stood behind the podium, ranging from determination, to sadness, to nausea. She looked simply stunning.
And she was standing next to Rufus Shin-Ra.
Tifa cleared her throat and leaned close into the microphone. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," she began, "My name is Tifa Lockheart. I am sure you all know me from the rebel force AVALANCHE, also known as the Saviors of the Planet. Yes, we saved the Planet from Sephiroth. Yes, we saved the Planet from Meteor. Yes, we saved the Planet from Jenova. But many of you seem to think we saved the Planet from Shin-Ra... and here is where you are wrong."
"What the hell is going on?" Barret cursed, seeming to forget his six year old daughter was in the room. Aeris covered her mouth in thought and Sephiroth shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his name. Cloud blinked again, Elmrya shook her head confused, and Tayeko looked around the room, studying the faces of everyone.
"I would like to say," Tifa began, her voice cracking slightly, "That Shin-Ra is not the evil corporation people beileve it to be. Rufus Shin-Ra is back, and a changed man. He has vowed to stop the use of Mako Reactors and find a safer use for energy. As a "Savior of the Planet", I fully support him, and I ask of you the same. Thank you."
Tifa planted a kiss on Rufus' cheek and stepped down, and he took the stage, smiling proudly.
"Beautiful, ain't she?" Rufus said to the crowd. "My wife to be."
Cloud's sword suddenly clanked to the floor. His fists were balled up so tightly that his nails were drawing blood, and the veins in his neck looked ready to pop out.
"My God... Cloud?" Aeris touched his shoulder, but it was as if he did not notice her. His head was ringing so loudly that he could no longer hear Rufus on the TV, but only his blood boil. His PHS rang and he did not answer it.
"Cloud... Cloud! Your phone."
"I know who it is," he suddenly snapped. "Its going to ring all night... and I'm not going to answer it." He shook himself out of Aeris' grip, grabbed his sword and stormed toward the door.
"Cloud! Wait, where are you going?"
"To find Tifa. And I'm going by myself."
"Cloud! You can't go alone! Let me come!"
Cloud swung open the door. "No Aeris. You're staying here." He walked out onto the sidewalk, leaving Aeris running after him.
"Go back in the house!" he shouted, spinning on his heel. "Or else."
"No, Cloud! I won't allow you to make foolish mistakes on account of your temper! Now at least let me come... and Sephiroth. He knows Shin-Ra well, and he can-"
"Sephiroth is the *last* person I'll let accompany me," Cloud snapped. "Now go back in the house before I get angry."
Aeris put her hands on her hips. "Cloud, please."
Cloud shook his head. "I warned you." He closed his eyes and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. After several moments, green energy surrounded him and flung itself at Aeris, knocking her out. He'd cast Sleep on her. "I didn't want to do it," Cloud said, walking away from where Aeris slept quietly on the sidewalk. "But by the time you wake up, I'll be too far for you to track me."
Cloud jogged through the streets of Kalm, grim determination etched on his face - he would find Tifa, and fast.
