Chocobo's Final Fantasy Haven
Ray Pang
Story
Story
Story |
CHAPTER VIIACKY BREAKY HEARTRude
walked into the common room and sat down to have breakfast.
Vincent, Cid, Cait, Red and Elena were already there. None of
the others were around. Elena
looked at him as he sat down beside her. "Reno
still sleeping, I suppose?" he said. "Actually
no," she replied. "He was up early this morning.
Said he wanted to take a look around. I haven't seen him
since." "Huh,"
Rude said. They both knew this was not typical Reno behavior. "I
wouldn't mind taking a stroll myself," Vincent said.
"This place has some very interesting architecture."
"Yeah,
dark and dreary, just how you like it," Cid commented. "Well,
it's certainly better than wandering around in a freezing
wilderness," Elena said. "Yeah,"
Cait added. "Compared to what we were doing, this is like
a vacation." "Well,
it's no Costa del Sol," Cid remarked, "but at least
the food is good." "Is
that all you think about?" Elena asked. "That
and aircraft," Vincent answered. Cid
just nodded. "It
is nice here," Red said. "But I suggest you don't
get too comfortable. Things could change in a hurry." "Yeah,
especially when we find out that Zangan knows all about what
happened to Yuffie and Staniv," Elena said. "So
you agree with Reno?" Cid said. "Of
course," she replied. "Don't you?" Cid
shrugged. "To
tell you the truth, I kind of think he's guilty myself,"
he admited. "Hey,
let's take a poll," Elena responded. She stood up.
"Let's see what the politcal landscape is like.
Vincent?" She
turned to look at him. "Much
as I hate to condemn anyone with so little evidence, but my
gut feeling is that he is guilty." "Red,"
she said. "I
cannot say," he replied. "There is not enough
evidence." "Cop
out," she said and looked at Cait. Cait
held out his arms and looked up. "It
is written in the stars," he replied. "Guilty."
"Rude,"
she said, turning to the last one. She couldn't help but
smile. Not one not guilty. "Not
guilty," Rude said. "What?"
she said. "Not
guilty," he repeated. "How
can you say that?" she questioned. Rude
shrugged but said nothing more. Elena
had not expected that. Still, it had turned out better than
she thought. "That's
four to one for guilty, with one gutless abstainment,"
she said, glancing at Red, who ignored her jab. "But
the others aren't here," Vincent reminded her. "Yeah,
and you know Tifa and Barret would vote not guilty," Cait
added. "And Cloud said himself that he trusted Zangan."
"Yeah,
but I think he just said that to make Tifa feel better,"
Elena responded. "I think he would vote guilty." "You
don't know that for sure," Red said. "We
all know how Reno would vote, but what about Aeris?" Cait
said. "I'm
sure Miss goody two shoes would vote not guilty," Elena
responded scornfully. "Elena,"
Vincent said evenly. "That was uncalled for." She
turned to look at him. She opened her mouth and for a moment
Rude was sure she was going to snap at him. But then she shut
it. The look Vicent was giving her was not angry, but his gaze
was so penetrating that it made everyone in the room
uncomfortable. Rude had to turn away, even though Vincent was
not even looking at him. How does he do that, he wondered. "I'm
sorry," Elena said. There
was an awkward silence. "Well,
that was fun," Cid finally said. "Looks like it
broke about even. Not that it matters anyhow. Even though I
might think he's guilty, that doesn't make it so. I'm afraid
we just don't have enough evidence to prove it." Elena
sat back down slowly. "Not
yet we don't," she said softly. Zangan
led Tifa into a large gym. Four of his men were practicing
nearby. They bowed as Zangan entered and sat down to watch the
master. Tifa wasn't sure she wanted an audience. "It's
been a while since I've done this," she said, as they
walked out onto the mat. "Don't
try to lull me into a false sense of security," he
replied with a smile. They
bowed to one another and Zangan assumed the ready position. "Begin,"
he said. He
waited until he was sure she was ready, then sprang forward
and delivered a flurry of blows, but she fended them off
easily. He backed off for a moment and smiled again. "I
see you remember the basics," he said. "Now let's
try something a little more complicated." He
came at her again, much more swiftly. She backed off slowly,
waiting for a chance to counterattack, but he never seemed to
leave any opportunity to do so. She turned to the left to
block a kick, but his other leg shot out at what seemed like
an impossible angle, and hit her on the right side, knocking
her to the ground. He
reached down and helped her up. "Concentrate,"
he said. She
nodded and he attacked again. In the next ten minutes she
found herself down on the mat three more times. He
reached out a hand to help her up once again. "You
seem distracted," he said. "Is there something on
your mind?" Tifa
shook her head. "No,"
she replied. "I guess I just have to warm up." Just
then the door to the gym opened to their right and Cloud
stepped in Tifa
smiled. Aeris
followed a moment later. "Remember
what I taught you," Zangan continued. "You have to
let it..." Tifa
leaped in the air and kicked visciously at Zangan's head. He
blocked the blow, but as she came down she immediately dropped
to the ground and swept Zangan's legs out from under him. He
fell to the ground and she sprang up to stand over him. There
was a murmer from the observers. Zangan
looked at her in surprise. He glanced over at the newcomers
and burst out laughing. "Where
did that come from?" he asked. "Now that's more like
the girl I taught." Tifa
extended a hand and helped him up. She saw Cloud and Aeris sit
down on the mat by the entrance. Cloud gave he a thumbs up. As
he did so another man entered the room. He
walked over to Zangan and bowed. "Honored
one," he said. "You presense if required in the
laboratory immediately." Zangan
nodded. "Very
well," he said. He
turned to Tifa. "I'm
afaid we'll have to cut this a little short. Duty calls."
He
turned to the men who had been watching. "Greco,"
he said. One
of the men stood up. Tifa recognized him as the man who had
spoken to them at the begining of the battle on their first
day here. "Greco
is my second in command," Zangan said, turning to Tifa.
"If you wish you can continue practicing with him. Just
try not to hurt him." With
that Zangan turned and swiftly left the room. Greco
walked over to her and folded his arms across his chest. "You
think you're ready?" he asked. "I
think I've had enough for one day," Tifa replied. "What's
the matter, afraid I'll hurt you?" he challanged.
"You know he took it easy on you." She
turned to look at him. "If
you're trying to make me angry enough to fight, it
worked," she replied. "Let's see what you've
got." They
faced each other on the mat. Tifa bowed, but Greco barely
dipped his head in response. Then he lauched himself at her. He
was nearly twice her size, and used his superior strength to
try to overpower her. She realized immediately that he was too
strong to stand toe to toe with and dodged out of his way. She
launched a kick as he went by but he avoided it. He came at
her half a dozen times, but each time she spun out of the way.
"What
is this," he said scornfully, "a fight, or a dancing
lesson?" She
said nothing as he came at her again. She dodged one more time
and struck at his side. But even as she did so her foot
slipped on the mat, and she fell down on one knee. Immediately
Greco was on top of her. He lauched a series of brutal kicks
at her head. She fended off the first three, but the fourth
one got by her guard and stuck her in the face. With a cry she
fell to the ground. Although
she did not see, Cloud suddenly stood up. Greco
stood over her triumphantly. She
looked up at him, in obvious pain. A trickle of blood ran from
her nose. "What's
the matter," he said. "Can't take a little pain?
What are you going to do now. Cry?" She
wiped the blood from her nose with her forearm and looked at
him. Faster than he thought humanly possible she suddenly
sprang up. She lauched a flurry of punches so quickly that he
barely had time to bring his arms up, much less defend
himself. She flipped in the air and struck him in the chin
with a kick, then dropped down and swept his legs out from
under him. He went down with a crash. She jumped over him,
then picked him up and dropped him on his back. She hit him
with an uppercut and picked him up again. This time she
brought him down so hard it made Aeris gasp. He was no longer
fighting, but just lay on the ground looking at her. She stood
above him and brought her fist back, concentrating all her
power in it. "Tifa!"
Cloud shouted. She
looked over at him for a moment, then down at Greco, who was
looking at her helplessly. For a moment more she stood over
him. Then she dropped her fist, turned, and walked out of the
room without a word. Zangan
entered the lab. He saw three of his security men gathered
around a man in a lab coat sitting in a chair. He walked over
to them. "What's
the trouble?" One
of his men stepped forward. "We
caught this man in an unauthorized area," he said.
"He had set one of the instruments to overload when we
turned it on." Zangan
turned to look at the man. "Who
are you working for?" he asked. The
man looked at Zangan and shook his head. "Why
should I tell you anything," he said. "You're just
going to kill me anyway." "Maybe
you should have thought of that before you decided on
sabotage," Zangan replied. "Somebody
has to stop you," the man replied bitterly. "And
it's just a matter of time before we do. There are plenty more
like me out there." "If
they are all as incompetent as you then we have nothing to
worry about," Zangan replied. "Things will go much
easier for you if you tell us what you know." The
man looked down at the floor and did not reply. The
door to the lab opened and Quays came in. He had a pistol
strapped to his hip. "I
heard that you caught a spy," he said, walking over to
Zangan. He looked at the man in the lab coat. "Is this
him?" "Yes,"
Zangan replied. Quays
stood in front of the man. "So
what have you got to say for yourself, Mortice?" The
man looked up at Quays with hatred in his eyes. "You're
a madman," he said angrily. "This project is insane,
and can only lead to the destruction of us all. It has to be
stopped. And it will be." Quays
laughed. "Stopped!
By who? You? You couldn't even perform a simple act of
sabotage. Who are you working for?" Mortice
stared straight ahead and did not answer. Quays
stood in front of him for a moment. Then he suddenly kicked
Mortice in the face. The chair he was sitting on rocked back
and would have fallen had not one of the men standing next to
it grabbed it to steady it. Quays
looked at Mortice closely. "We
can make this easy or we can make this difficult," he
said calmly. "Who are you working for?" "Renanda,"
Mortice said. "Ah
hah, now we're getting somewhere," Quays replied.
"And just where is Renada?" "I
don't know," the man replied. "I never actually met
him. I just spoke to one of his agents before we came
here." "I
see," Quays said knowingly. "And these other people
you spoke about who are going to stop us. Who are they?" "I
don't know," Mortice said. Quays
pulled out his gun and aimed it at Mortice's forehead. "Don't
take me for a fool," he said grimly. "I
swear, I don't know," Mortice replied nervously. "I
know there were some others, but they didn't tell me who they
were." "I'm
not sure I believe you," Quays replied. "And that's
not good for you. Are you sure you don't know anything else?
Last chance." "I've
told you everything," Mortice said quickly. "They
told me there were others, but they didn't tell me who just in
case I got caught. I swear that's all I know!" Quays
did not move for a long time. Then he smiled slowly and
lowered the gun. "I
believe you," he said. He turned away and walked toward
the exit. But when he got to the door he stopped. "Of
course, if you don't know anything else, then you are not much
use to us anymore, are you?" He
turned and fired. The bullet struck Mortice in the center of
his forehead. He slumped down in the chair. Zangan
looked at him. "Was
that really necessary?" "I'm
just making your job easier," Quays replied. "Any
other potential saboteurs might think twice before they try
anything now." He
started to leave but then turned back to look at Zangan once
more. "And
by the way, I may not be much of a fighter, but I'm a very
good shot." Reno
looked up to see Tifa walking down the hall toward him. She
strode past without a word, but he could see a streak of blood
on one of her arms. "Hey,
you okay?" he asked, following her. "Fine,"
she said without looking back or slowing down. He
almost had to run to keep up with her. "Hey,
slow down," he said. "Leave
me alone." "I
just wanted to say that there are no hard feelings," he
persisted. "I mean, about what happened in Midgar. I'm
willing to let bygones be bygones. I know it wasn't your
fault. You were led on by the others." She
did not respond, just kept on walking as if she hadn't even
heard him. He
grabbed hold of her arm. "C'mon,"
he said, "I just want to be friends." She
turned suddenly, grabbed his arm and twisted it around behind
his back. With a cry of pain he suddenly found himself slammed
against the wall with her behind him. "I
don't want to be friends with you," she snarled. "As
far as I'm concerned you're a coward and a murderer. You
killed my friends and enjoyed it. I'm not about to forget
that. And as for my being led on by the others, that's
nonsense. I knew exactly what I was doing, and I willingly
participated. I'm as much to blame for killing those people as
if I had pressed the button myself, and if you touch me again,
I'll kill you too!" She
pushed him savagely away. He fell to the floor as she walked
on, not looking back. He looked at her, his face turning dark
with rage. "Stuck
up bitch," he muttered. He
got up, rubbed his arm slowly, then turned and walked away in
the opposite direction. That
evening Cloud beckoned Tifa over as she came into the common
room for dinner. "Are
you all right now?" he asked as she sat down beside him. "Yeah,"
she replied, smiling slightly. "I don't know what got
into me. I could have killed that guy." "I
was tempted to myself," Cloud said. "He didn't hurt
you too badly, did he?" "No,
I'm fine," she answered. She looked across the room. She
could see Greco sitting at another table. She thought one of
his eyes was blackened. She
saw Reno sitting at the far end of the table beside Rude. He
studiously ignored her. "I'm
afraid I'm not making very many friends," she said
softly. Cloud
grinned. "Well,
that's not really what we're here for, is it?" he said. For
a while they were both silent as they ate their fill. Barret
appeared and sat down on the other side of Tifa. "I
heard you kicked some guys ass," he said. "Sorry I
missed it. What happened?" Tifa
shook her head. "To
tell you the truth, it isn't really something I want to talk
about." "Suit
yourself," he replied. "But when the others ask me,
I'm going to have to tell them something. If you don't tell me
what happened I'll just have to make up my own story." "Great,"
she said. "You'll probably have me fighting off ten of
them." "Blindfolded,"
he agreed. "With
both hands tied behind your back," Cloud added. "Cut
it out," she said, but couldn't help smiling. Barret
grabbed a plate and began to fill it. "So
have you heard if they've made any progress on the search for
this Renanda person?" he asked. "No,
I haven't," Cloud replied. He looked at Tifa. "Has
Zangan said anything to you?" She
shook her head. "No,
but I'll ask him the next time I see him." "Good,"
Cloud said. "Much as I enjoy being able to relax, we do
have a mission to accomplish. I don't feel right just sitting
here knowing that it still needs to be completed." "What
more can you do?" Tifa asked. "Zangan's men are
looking for Renanda. I'm sure they have a much better chance
of finding him than we do." "I
know," Cloud said quickly. "I just don't feel right
sitting here doing nothing." "What
about this experiment," Barret said. "Do you think
we should be looking more into that?" "What
do you mean?" Tifa asked. "Aeris
said it was dangerous," he responded. "I know she's
no scientist and can be a little ditzy at times, but she
usually has pretty good instincts about that sort of thing.
And she did say the danger was inside the fortress. Do you
think they really know what they are doing?" "I
don't know," Cloud replied. "And no offense to
Zangan, but I'm not sure I trust this Quays fellow. It seems
like he's trying too hard to hide something." "Scientists
are always worried about other people stealing their
ideas," Tifa said defensively. "I'm sure Zangan
wouldn't work for him if he wasn't honest." "Maybe
he has an agenda that even Zangan doesn't know about,"
Cloud said thoughtfully. Tifa
had no response to that. Just how much did Zangan know about
what Quays was doing? Would Zangan even be able to understand
if Quays explained it to him, or to any of them? That would be
another thing she would have to ask him when she saw him. Even
as she thought this Zangan strode into the room. He looked
around a minute until his eyes fell on her. He came over
quickly. "Mind
if we have a little talk?" he said as he came up. "Not
at all," she responded. "In fact, I have a few
things I wanted to ask you." "C'mon,"
he said. "Let's take a little walk then." She
got up and followed him out of the room. Cloud
watched them disappear out the door. "I
was talking to the others," Barret said next to him.
"Almost all of them think something's not right
here." "Even
if that's true," Cloud said, "I don't think we're
going to be able to convince Tifa." He
got up and walked out of the common room. When he reached the
hall he looked around, but saw no sign of Tifa or Zangan. He
walked down the hallway, not really paying much attention to
where he was going. He
was pretty sure Quays was up to something. The real question
was whether Zangan had any knowledge of it or not. He wondered
how far Tifa would go in her loyalty to her old friend. What
would she say if they somehow found proof that he was
connected to Staniv's death. Would she still try to justify
his actions? Would she try to deny it? Or would she accept it?
He hoped she would listen to reason, but what if she didn't?
What would she do if forced to choose between her old friend
and her new? Still,
it probably wouldn't even come to that. It was quite possible
that Zangan was perfectly innocent. It might even be that
everything they had been told was the truth. But Cloud thought
it much more likely that Quays had sent out some of his men to
kill without Zangan's knowledge. If that were true, and they
told Zangan, how would he react? Cloud
shook his head. The possibilites were too complicated to worry
about. First find the proof, he thought, then worry about the
consequences. He
found himself at the end of a corridor beside an open door
leading out into the courtyard. A chill breeze blew in, but he
found it refreshing. He stepped out into the courtyard and
looked around. The
sky was just darkening into deep twilight, and was half
obscured by clouds. He could see a few stars glinting in the
spaces between. The lights in the windows of the tower to his
right glowed warmly in the deepening darkness. Only one window
was dark, a small one at the very top of the tower. "Cloud."
He
turned to see a marble fountain on one side of the courtyard.
The water was not running in it now. Aeris sat on the edge of
it, her eyes glinting in the darkness. Quays
sat alone in the basement lab while multicolored lights played
around him. He studied the instruments, then smiled to
himself. The readings indicated all was ready for the next
step. He
got up and walked over to the glass enclosed chamber that held
the materia. He stood there for a few moments staring inside.
The materia blazed with light, brightening the room with
flashes of color, much brighter than they had been just
yesterday. He couldn't help but stop to admire it. Amazing how
such power could be so beautiful as well. Finally,
however, it was time to do more than just admire it, he
thought. It was time for him to awaken that power. He
walked over to the entrance of the chamber, opened it, and
slowly stepped inside. The
moment he stepped in the room he could feel the energy washing
over him, even before he touched the materia. He walked over
to it, not able to turn away, as if drawn by a magnet. He
stood and stared into it. The colors swirled mesmerizingly,
almost like a living thing. Slowly
he reached out his hands and laid them on it. The materia was
warm and he felt a slight tingling sensation run throughout
his body. The colors swirled excitedly around the areas he put
his hands, but then calmed. He bowed his head and began to
concentrate. The
materia had been flashing in some sort of natural rhythm. The
colors shifting every few seconds. But now the rhythm suddenly
sped up, and the lights flashed even more brightly. The colors
began to blend and fade into one another, until slowly one
color predominated. Quays smiled in satisfaction as the orb
became a solid emerald green. Now
the materia flashed brighter still and a green mist formed in
the chamber. The room grew very hot, and Quays felt himself
starting to sweat, though he still did not move, for along
with the heat he felt power flowing though his body, power
like he had never felt before. The
mist grew around him until it filled the entire lab. Now he
could see nothing but blazing green light surrounding him. The
power continued to flow into him, and he let it, feeling
almost drunk on it, until it filled his entire being so
strongly that he thought he would explode. Then
he realased. There was a crack as if the very air had been
rent asunder. The ultima drove down toward the center of the
planet, and the earth convulsed. Zangan
led Tifa to his office on the third floor of the tower. He
offered her a seat once inside, but stood himself. "I
understand Greco was a little rough with you," he said. "You
asked me not to hurt him," she replied. "I didn't
listen." He
smiled. "You
taught him not to be so arrogant," he responded. "It
was a lesson he needed to learn." Tifa
shrugged. "So
what do you think of our little organization?" he asked. Tifa
did not answer for a moment. "It
reminds me of when I was training with you," she replied.
Zangan
grinned. "We
did have a good time, didn't we?" he said slowly. The
grin faded away, replaced by the sad look she had seen once or
twice before. "I
never realized how much I missed you until I saw you
again," he said. "I'm
sorry," she found herself saying. "You
shouldn't be," he replied quickly. "But
I am," she continued. "It was my fault that we
drifted apart. I wanted so much to hurt Shinra that when you
didn't agree with me I didn't want to have anything to do with
you. I was such a jerk." Zangan
chuckled. "What?"
she said, looking at him. "You've
always been your harshest critic," he replied.
"Don't be so down on yourself. I've found that the one's
that are most driven are also the one's that are the most
umcompromising. But that is what makes you the best. After
all, it all worked out in the end, now didn't it?" "I
don't know," she said slowly. "C'mon,
of course it did," he prompted. "Shinra is gone, as
it should be, and now we are reunited. I'd say that worked out
pretty well." Tifa
nodded but said nothing. Zangan
looked at her for a long time before he spoke again. "I'd
like you to join us," he said. "Huh?"
"The
reason I asked you here tonight was to ask you to join
us," he repeated. She
looked at him in surprise. That was a request she certainly
had not been expecting. She did not speak for some time. "I
don't know what to say," she said finally. "Yes?"
he suggested. "This
may seem kind of sudden, but I've been thinking about it since
the first time I saw you again," he continued. "Tifa,
you were my best student, it would be an honor to have you
working with me again." Tifa
blushed. "Besides,
I'm not getting any younger. I can feel my skills
deteriorating. No, don't try to deny it," he said when he
saw the look on her face. "It won't be much longer before
I won't be able to do this any more. I can't think of anyone I
would be more happy to see take my place." Tifa
felt overwhelmed. "This
is so sudden," was all she could say. "I
understand," he said immediately. "You don't have to
answer right away. Take all the time you want to think about
it." She
was silent for a moment. "What
about the others?" she asked. "I
saw them fight," he replied. "Any, or all, who wish
to join as well would be welcome." "You
make it very tempting," she said. "So
what's holding you back?" "I'm
not sure," she replied slowly. "How much do you know
about this experiment Quays is performing?" "Why
do you ask?" "Some
of the others think that what Quays is doing is dangerous, and
to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I disagree with
them." "What
he is doing is very dangerous," Zangan agreed.
"But I'm keeping a close eye on him. You don't have to
concern yourself with it." "That's
not a very satisfying answer," she said. "I'm
afraid that's all I can tell you at the moment," he said.
"You'll just have to trust..." Suddenly
the ground rocked beneath them. "What
are you doing out here?" Cloud asked, coming over to sit
down beside her. "Aren't you cold?" Aeris
shook her head. "Sometimes
I get claustrophobic when I spend too much time indoors. It
seems like ages since I felt fresh air on my face." Aeris
looked up. The clouds almost filled the sky. She could see a
single star glinting above. "You
know," she said suddenly, "we've visitied so many
interesting places, yet it always seemed we never got to enjoy
any of them. Costa del Sol, the Gold Saucer, even Icicle Inn.
Wherever we were we always seemed to be in a hurry to get
somewhere else. I think I would have enjoyed snowboarding if
we had gotten more of a chance to do it. Do you think after
all this is over we could go back to Icicle Inn to do some
more, this time just for fun?" "I
suppose," Cloud said, then, "You mean, just the two
of us?" Aeris
looked at him for a moment before she answered. "And...anyone
else who might want to come," she said slowly. "Yeah,"
he responded. "That sounds like it would be good. Would
be a lot of fun, I mean. I'm sure everyone would enjoy it.
Well, maybe not everyone," he finished, thinking about
Cait's trials on the slopes. And Tifa had told him that Barret
had not fared much better. The
inside of the fountain was covered with a sheet of ice. Cloud
picked up a pebble and skittered it across the smooth surface.
None of that would happen until they were finished here. "Have
you felt anymore danger?" he asked, coming back to
reality. "It
hasn't gotten any worse, it that's what you mean," she
replied. "But it doesn't go away. I've felt it since the
moment we set foot in this place." "Do
you think it has something to do with Quays' experiment?"
"I
have no proof of that, but that's my feeling," she
replied. "What else could it be?" Cloud
made no reply. What else could it be indeed? Exactly what was
Quays doing down there in his lab, and more to they point,
why, he suddenly thought, hadn't he tried to find out? Cloud
shook his head as he realized the truth. He hadn't tried to
find out because he was afraid. He was afraid the truth would
implicate Zangan, and he was afraid of what that would do to
Tifa. "What's
wrong?" Aeris asked, seeing the troubled look on his
face. "I'm
worried that Zangan is involved in all this. Tifa thinks of
him as a father. If he had something to do with Staniv's
death, she'll be devestated." Aeris
looked at him for a moment. "So
you're worried about Tifa?" she said evenly. "Yeah,
sort of," he replied. "Aren't you?" Aeris
thought about it for a moment. "Some,
but she's a big girl. Even if Zangan is involved, I'm sure she
can handle it." Cloud
looked at the ground. "I
hope so, but..." Suddenly
the entire courtyard shook around them. Aeris cried out as if
she had been stabbed and fell to the ground. "Aeris!"
he said. He
slid off his seat and knelt down beside her. The ground still
rocked for a moment with aftershocks, but then all grew still.
"Aeris,
are you okay?" She
did not move. He reached down and lifted her head, turning it
so he could see her face. Her eyes were open, and she seemed
concious, but she looked at him as if she did not recognize
him. "Aeris,
what happened?" She
stared into space for a moment more, then shook her head and
her vision seemed to clear. She looked at him and he saw fear
on her face. "Oh
Cloud," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "The
planet. The pain. Oh, it was horrible." "Easy,
easy, it's all over now," he said, trying to sooth her.
He could feel her heart beating rapidly against his chest.
What could have scared her like that? He wanted to blurt out
questions, but he knew it would do no good until she calmed
down. For a long time she sat there silently in his arms. Finally
she looked up at him, and her eyes were clear. "What
happened?" he said softly. "I
don't really know," she replied. "Something hurt the
planet. Hurt it like I've never felt before. The planet was in
agony. Didn't you hear it scream?" Cloud
shrugged. "I
don't know. I felt something, but it just might have been an
effect of the earthquake. I take it that was no ordinary
earthquake." Aeris
shook her head. "No,"
she said. "Cloud, I'm scared. Something is very very
wrong. It was almost as if someone were trying to kill the
planet." They
sat in silence for a few moments longer. Cloud did not
understand what was going on, but he did not doubt what Aeris
was telling him. One thing was for sure, he said to himself,
he was going to get to the bottem of this. He
looked at Aeris again. "Are
you all right now?" She
returned his gaze and nodded, the trace of a smile appearing
on her lips for the first time. He thought it amazing how much
it brightened her face. She was still in his arms, her face
inches from his, her deep green eyes staring at him. He
thought they had never looked so vunerable. "Cloud,"
she said softly. "Umm."
She
looked at him for a moment more, then bowed her head and
rested it against his chest. He slowly helped her stand, but
she stumbled slighty as she got to her feet. "C'mon,"
he said, leading her back to the door. "Let's get you
inside." "What
the hell was that?" Zangan questioned. The
room still shivered around them as he spoke. "Some
kind of earthquake?" Tifa suggested dubiously. Zangan
walked over to a glass framed door across the room from Tifa.
He opened it up and stepped out onto a small balcony, looking
around. Tifa
came up behind him. The balcony overlooked the courtyard
below. It was deep twilight and the courtyard was filled with
dark shadows. But even in the dim light she could see Cloud
next to a fountain below her, with Aeris in his arms. She
stood stone still as her face went pale. Zangan looked at her,
then out into the courtyard. Then back at her again,
understanding dawning on his face. "Tifa,"
he said softly. She
did not respond. She took a slow step back and her hands came
up to her mouth. "Tifa,"
he said again and reached toward her. As
his hand made contact she jerked violently away, then turned
and ran from the room. Zangans
hands dropped to his sides. "Tifa,"
he said yet again. Tifa
stopped running when she reached the hallway. She walked
quickly down the hall, trying with all her strength to control
the anguish in her heart. She kept telling herself to be
strong, but he legs wobbled as she walked. She
went as quickly as she could toward her bedroom, praying that
she wouldn't encounter anyone. But even as she reached the
last corridor before her room who should come around the
corner but Reno and Rude. Rude
saw the look on her face and was instantly filled with
concern. "Tifa,
what's wrong?" he said, starting over to her. But
even as he did so Reno grabbed him and pulled him back. "Leave
her alone," he said as she walked by. "Let
go," Rude said, trying to break free. "Tifa, are you
all right?" "Just
trust me!" Reno said, dragging him back. "I've seen
that look before!" She
entered her room and closed the door behind her. She took a
deep breath and walked over to her bed. Although she strove
mightily to prevent it, she felt the tears begin to roll
slowly down her cheeks. She sank softly down onto the bed,
and, giving in to the inevitable, began to sob uncontrollably
into her pillow. Zangan
appeared suddenly as Cloud helped Aeris back inside. He had an
odd look on his face. He came toward them but stopped when he
saw how pale Aeris was. "Are
you all right?" he asked. Aeris
nodded. "What
was that?" Cloud asked. "What
was what?" Zangan responded. "It
felt like an earthquake," Cloud said. "But there was
more to it. Aeris says it hurt the planet. She felt it's agony
and heard it scream." "You
heard it scream?" he said with a puzzled look on his
face. "She's
an Ancient," Cloud explained. "She can feel the
planet, talk to it." Zangan
nodded. "She
was hurt," he said thoughtfully. "So that explains
it." "Explains
what?" Cloud asked. "Never
mind," Zangan responded. "I don't know what that
was. As far as I know, it was just an earthquake. We've felt
them a few times in the past, but none that were that
strong." Cloud
looked at him, and it was obvious that he was not satified
with that explanation. "C'mon
Aeris," he said. "Let's get you up to your room so
you can get some rest." They
walked past Zangan. Cloud turned to look back at him for a
moment, but Zangan just seemed to be staring at nothing in
particular, apparently lost in thought. He turned back to Aeris. Whatever was going on, he was going to find out about it, no matter the consequences. He had been sitting around too long, he thought. The vacation was over.
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Author: Frank Verderosa, all rights reserved. |