"It's like this, Cloud....." Aeris sighed.
"We're all listening..." Cloud said, arms folded. "Tell us why Sephiroth's alive, why you're alive, and why Jenova's still alive."
Sephiroth lowered his head and chuckled. This was going to be interesting.
"I am a Cetra...." Aeris began. "I was born from the planet, I speak with the planet, and some day I will return to the Promised Land......"
"Go on...."
"After Sephiroth killed me, I went to the Promised Land..... where everybody goes after leading a life full of meaning and prosperity. I watched you all continue your adventure from the heavens..... and I also learned of the relationship between Jenova and Sephiroth...."
"Huh?" Cloud wondered.
"Do you mind if I tell them, Sephiroth?" Aeris asked kindly.
"No no...." Sephiroth said, shaking his head. "Go on."
"Very well...." Aeris nodded, and continued. "Sephiroth was just a tool, just a part of Jenova's masterplan..... She just manipulated him into thinking that he would rule the planet once they took over...."
"Masterplan??" Cloud wondered.
"Yes. She promised that I would be a god..... that's why I summoned Meteor....just rip a hole so big in the planet, the Lifestream would gush up like a volcano..... absorb the energy, instant God." Sephiroth said quietly. "But she cared nothing for me.... she just abused my abilities....."
"Correct." Aeris nodded.
"But what mother would not love their child?" Sephiroth asked.
"Sephiroth, you're not Jenova's child at all....." Aeris sighed.
".......what??"
"You're Lucrecia's boy." Vincent spoke up. "When Professor Gast started the Jenova Project, he needed a human vessel to carry the first specimen.... and that was my Lucrecia."
"Lucrecia...??" Sephiroth repeated. "She's my mother?? So I'm a human??"
"Yes Sephiroth." Aeris nodded.
"Heh heh..." Yuffie giggled. "Welcome to the species. Humans, the land of distrust, evil and destruction. No wait, that was you before......"
"Yuffie!" Aeris yelped.
"But Mother....." Sephiroth scowled and paused to correct himself. "...Jenova told me I wasn't human.... and far more than a Cetra......"
"She would." Cloud said sarcastically.
"Cloud!!!" Tifa yelped.
"So if this Lucrecia woman is my mother.... then.... who's my father??"
"Yeah... ummm..." Cloud said uneasily, scratching his head. "Would you believe.... Hojo?"
"What?!" Sephiroth choked, standing up. "That incompetent fool?!"
"Sephiroth, sit down!" Aeris pleaded. "By 'father' we mean that he passed on his genes to you.... nothing more!"
"So how does this tie me to Jenova??" Sephiroth asked, flustered. "I'm a human, aren't I?"
"Yes..." Aeris nodded.
"Hojo injected large quantities of Jenova's cells into you while you were still in the womb." Vincent answered, turning his back on them. "Almost to deadly levels.... That was when Gast saw the terrible error he had created. He and I both agreed to terminate the pregnancy, but Hojo refused. I was murdered as a result......"
"If Lucrecia's my mom, then why don't I remember her?!" Sephiroth asked.
"You never crossed paths. Hojo made sure of that." Vincent said.
"So Hojo's my father......" Sephiroth said, shaking his head in disbelief. He looked up suddenly. "But you called Lucrecia 'yours'......"
"She was my fiance." Vincent sighed. "We were going to be married some day, were it not for you, Sephiroth."
"Me!?"
"I blame you for everything that's happened to me!!" Vincent yelled, red eyes glaring. "Were it not for you, I would not be in this...this... body!! I would still be alive, and probably with a family of my own!! No matter what anyone says about your motives changing, I can never forgive you!! I didn't do anything to deserve this fate!!"
"Hey!" Sephiroth yelled defensively. "I didn't ask to be born you know!!"
"Guys!!!" Tifa said desperately, jumping in between the two. "I know you're both pretty upset about what you've just been told, but there's no need to take it out on each other!!"
"Hmph...." Vincent snorted, and turned his back on her.
Sephiroth just shrugged.
"Okay okay, so we know how Sephiroth was created...." Cloud spoke up. "But you still haven't explained why he's alive, why you're alive, and why Jenova's still alive!!!"
"Oh, sorry!!" Aeris smiled. "I guess I still have to, don't I?"
"Yes..."
"Okay, so you know of Sephiroth's origins..."
"So you'll continue?"
"Yes." Aeris nodded, and paused to continue her story. "Anyway, while I was in the Promised Land, I watched you all continue your adventure from the heavens..... and I watched Sephiroth slowly destroy himself..... Oh there was quite a stir in the Promised Land when they watched him summon Meteor...."
"So what happened?"
"You know what happened Cloud, you went down into the Great Northern Cave and killed him. Well, after you all went home victorious, something interesting happened...."
"Oh?"
"I watched as Sephiroth ended up in the barren place..... everyone smiled and cheered, saying that's where he belonged..... but I watched him there...... and I had to disagree. I knew what lied within him was different...." she said quietly, looking in Sephiroth's direction. "I felt sorry for him....."
"You felt sorry for Sephiroth?!" Cloud yelped. "After watching all he did?!"
"Yes...." Aeris nodded. "So I gave up my place in the Promised Land so he could return to the planet."
"But why leave the Promised Land, just so some guy can live again??" Yuffie asked. "Wouldn't you feel really bad if Sephy just went back and did all the stuff he used to do?"
"That was the risk I took." Aeris nodded. "But fortunately, Sephiroth's not like that. My thoughts were correct."
"Apparently...." Sephiroth nodded. "She didn't mention catch 22....."
"Catch 22?" Cloud repeated. "Huh? You mean the book?"
"No, I mean catch 22 that goes along with this pact Aeris made when she resurrected me....."
"And that is?"
"When I want him to do something, he does it." Aeris smiled. "The first thing I made him to do was find you Cloud..... and tell you that I was OK...."
"So basically...." Cloud thought. "He has to do as you say."
"Uh huh." Sephiroth nodded, sighing.
"Well that explains why Sephiroth's alive...." Cloud nodded. "So why are you here Aeris?......Aeris??"
Aeris didn't respond. She looked at Sephiroth, into his luminous turquoise eyes as he gazed back at her, an expression on his face that she couldn't read. Their eyes locked together as Aeris smiled nervously.
"Aeris?!" Cloud said, waving a hand in front of her face. "You awake in there?"
"Oh...." Aeris said as she snapped out of it. "Sorry. " She gazed back at Sephiroth, who looked away suddenly.
Cloud raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you gonna answer my question?"
"Ummm....." Aeris thought. "I've returned to keep an eye on him.... make sure he doesn't go evil or something...."
"A few days ago when Sephiroth first showed up, he claimed he could talk to you....." Cloud said, leering at the grey haired man accusingly. "Is that true?"
"Oh yes." Aeris nodded. "It couldn't be closer to the truth."
"Now one last question.... Why is Jenova still around? Don't tell me you brought her back as well..."
"Oh no, no, no!" Aeris shook her head vigorously. "I didn't bring her back. It looks like she didn't die.... She can regenerate herself from almost nothing.... it's likely that you didn't end up killing her during that trip down to the Northern Crater...."
"Well whether you killed her or not, she's alive and posing a threat to the life of the planet....." Red XIII spoke up. "And we must do everything in our power to stop her." he looked in Sephiroth's direction and smiled broadly. "All of us."
Sephiroth looked thoughtful. Cloud scowled.
Just then Cid yawned loudly and sleepily stood up. "Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired. I think I'll go sleep now."
"That's not a bad idea." Shera spoke up, clapping her hands together. "Why don't you all go to bed? I'm sure you've all got a busy day tomorrow, going off on another adventure and all....."
"Good suggestion." Red XIII nodded. "I think I'll go sleep on the lounge again...."
"Are you sure you don't want to sleep in a bed??"
"Whenever I sleep in a bed, the middle sinks and I get a sore belly." Red XIII said. "The lounge is good enough for me... either that or the floor...."
"No, not the floor, I can't allow a guest to sleep on the floor." Shera sighed. "Won't you get cold??"
"Don't worry, I'm a wild animal." Red XIII answered. "I've slept in the middle of a blizzard without any trouble...."
"Don't worry about the cat..." Cid grunted, putting his arm around Shera. "He can look after himself."
"Hey, where am I gonna sleep?" Cloud wondered.
"Just sleep in one of the spare rooms." Tifa suggested. "There's four of em' on this plane. I guess we'll just have to share."
"I just hope I don't get stuck with Barret." Cloud complained. "I don't think my ears could endure that kind of torture...."
"And why th' hell do you say that??" Barret demanded.
Cloud quickly tried to change the subject. "Oh my, look at the time, heh heh..."
"Why don'cher wanna get stuck in the same room as me!?" Barret growled. "What's the matter wit' me??"
"Nothing, actually." Red XIII answered. "He's just referring to a conversation we had once on how much of an enthusiastic sleeper you are."
"Don't talk yer fancy crap on me, cat!!" Barret grunted. "I don' need it this late at night when I wanna sleep, not think!" he walked out of the room.
"That was a close one, Red...." Cloud let out a long sigh. "Thankyou."
"Yes, you were very close to getting an earful..." Red XIII mused. "Now get out of my sight before I bite your head off, you mischievous person!"
Cloud backed up a few steps, grinning. "Whoa, don't kill me Red! I mean, Nanaki!"
"Nanaki...." Red XIII repeated quietly.
Cloud's smile faded, as he began to think he just upset his friend. "Would you prefer us to call you Red? Or Nanaki??"
"Red Thirteen... that was the name the Shinra scientist gave me. It fills me with much anger...." Red XIII said, scowling. "Nanaki was the name Grandfather, father and mother called me, and it makes me feel proud. But you all call me just 'Red', and it makes me happy."
"So....what do we call you?"
"I don't mind what you call me." Red XIII smiled. "So long as you don't refer to me as a number....."
"I think I know how you feel, I would hate to be called by a number." Cloud smiled. "'Red' it is then...."
--------------------------------
It is the middle of the night. Everybody is asleep now, and all is and calm..... except for one place within the mind of a certain grey haired man. This is not a pleasant experience for him. Within his subconscious, a storm is brewing......
*"So you know what you are. Finally."*
*"Shut up Jenova..... leave me alone."*
*"There is no keeping secrets from you any more. The incompetent scientist known as Hojo is your father."*
*"So what?!"*
*"I suppose you also know who your mother is too....."*
*"Only by name. I've never met her before....."*
*"Do you know why that is?"*
-
*"Because she never existed. I am your mother."*
*"I don't believe that!! My mother was a woman named Lucrecia!!"*
*"Believe whatever you want, boy. Just who do you think you are?"*
*"I am the Great Sephiroth! Not some...... bastard...."*
*"The Great Sephiroth? Do you even know what that word means?"*
*"Huh??"*
*"And he called you that, your father. Sephiroth...... it isn't even a name."*
*"It's not??"*
*"Haahaaa..... the very word 'Sephiroth' is an excellent description of your destiny. In fact, if you were describe your whole existence in one word...... it would be the word they use to identify you."*
*"Huh???"*
*"Even your father knew of your destiny. Boy, you must listen to me! Ignoring me and turning your back on me will only postpone the inevitable. Come with me now, and seize the future!!"*
*"NO!! I'm not going to follow you! I don't wish to return to that barren place!!"*
*"If you follow me, you will become a god.... you will control where you end up!"*
-
*"Stop this at once, Jenova! Stop messing with Sephy's mind!!"*
*"Aeris??"*
*"Seph, let me handle this."*
*"Huh??"*
*I'm going to cut you off......"*
*"Aeris?? Hu........ -"*
-
-
*"Fancy work, Cetra."*
*"Leave him alone, Jenova. He's distraught enough as it is, without you messing with him."*
*"Stupid weak human......-"*
-
-
*"Fine. Be that way."*
Sephiroth woke up and sat bolt upright. Realising that he is in bed, he lies down again. A solitary tear rolls down his cheek and onto the pillow.
"Father......."
---------------------------------------
The following morning, Cloud crawled out of bed and made his way into the lounge room grumpily. He was immediately met by a very appetising smell, as well as a happy Tifa in the middle of cooking breakfast.
"Good morning!!!" Tifa said cheerfully. "Everybody else is already up. I was wondering when you would finally emerge...."
"Hmmmpphh..." Cloud said incoherently, taking a seat on the lounge.
"My god Cloud, what happened to you?" Aeris giggled. "Your hair is atrocious!"
"His hair is always atrocious, Aeris!" Tifa laughed.
"Hmmmph....." Cloud grunted.
"Gee, you're in a good mood this morning." Tifa mused.
"What's the time?" Cloud said, half-asleep.
"It's 17 past 9...." Tifa smiled. "Did you have a bad night or something?"
"No no...." Cloud shook his head. "It's just that..... you know how Sephiroth is sleeping in the bunk above me in that room Shera said we could stay in?"
"Uh huh...."
"Well, he moves around in his sleep too much. It's really annoying."
"Is he still asleep?" Aeris sighed. "Poor guy. Do you want me to wake him up?"
"You may as well." Tifa chuckled. "Otherwise he'll miss breakfast and he'll have to settle for Shera's oatmeal again."
"Hey where is everybody?" Cloud wondered. "You said everyone's up, but I don't see Barret, Cid or Yuffie anywhere!"
"Vincent's gone off to god knows where again. He said he'll be back though." Tifa answered. "Red went off hunting at sunrise, and Shera's dragged poor old Cid and Barret into the nearest town to do some shopping. Yuffie went with them as well."
"Shopping?" Cloud asked as he began to scratch his head. "Why?"
"Well there is 10 of us here now." Tifa shrugged. "The food in the cupboard doesn't last forever, you know. Also, she wanted to buy a few things......"
Just then, Aeris walked in the room, practically dragging Sephiroth with her.
"Oh don't complain!" Aeris said sternly.
"But...."
"And no 'but's, Sephiroth, you hear me?!" Aeris scolded. "If I didn't wake you up, you probably would have slept all day, now sit down, shut up and have some breakfast!!"
"I'm afraid that will be impossible at the moment." Tifa said.
"Why not?"
"Because I haven't finished cooking it." Tifa said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Sephiroth sat down at the far end of the lounge and stared off into the distance.
"So what are we gonna do today?" Cloud asked.
"We'll have to decide that when everyone comes baaaa....."
Tifa never finished her sentence. Yuffie burst into the room happily carrying shopping bags, followed by Shera. Barret and Cid entered the room not long after. They looked like they had just been to hell and back.
"That was th' most goddamn boring thing I've ever done in my life." Barret complained.
"Tell me about it..." Cid grumbled. "Aaah sh*t, at least it's over."
Barret took one look at Cloud and Sephiroth before getting angry. "Are you both still in your pyjamas?! God, I hadta' wake up at 7 this morning! Yer both jus' lazy, that's what!"
"Yeah...." Cloud smirked as he took a sip from his a cup of tea. "But at least I didn't have to go shopping this morning..."
"Grrrrr....."
Shera walked over to Sephiroth and dumped a plastic bag on his lap.
"There you go, it should all fit." Shera smiled. "I guessed your size. You're taller than my Cid, but you don't have that fat little belly he does."
"Shut up woman!!" Cid yelled defensively.
"I'm sorry Ciddy." Shera smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Sephiroth looked a little confused. He opened the bag and had a quick look inside.
"Oh." he nodded. "Thanks."
"What's in the bag?" Aeris asked, full of inquisition.
"Oh, just some clothes." Shera shrugged. "He didn't have any, so I bought him some. I just hope they look good on him....."
"Clothes??" Aeris said, running over. She quickly snatched the bag from Sephiroth's grasp.
"Hey!!"
"Oh, how cuute!" Aeris said happily. "Boxer shorts!!" "Yeah, great." Sephiroth shrugged.
Red XIII suddenly walked into the house and began to clean his fur vigorously.
"You're just in time, Red." Tifa smiled, as he entered the room. "I'm just about to serve breakfast."
"No thanks, I've already eaten." Red XIII said, then went back to grooming himself.
"You've already eaten??"
"I went hunting this morning." Red XIII nodded. "It's a waste of if the hunter doesn't eat what he kills."
"Really?" Tifa said, slightly offended. "So you prefer a raw dead scruffy animal over my cooking?"
"No no, it's not that, I love your cooking." Red XIII answered. "But it's for the purpose of hunting. You see, If I don't use my hunting skills, then I'll gradually lose my precision, and that would be a terrible waste. You never know when my hunting skills will come in handy."
"I get it."
"Yes. My mother taught me how to hunt, and I never want to forget the skill. I also kill to remind myself of the ordeals my wild ancestors used to have to endure." Red XIII whispered. "So please don't be offended when I go out for the hunt, and return home with a full belly."
Tifa nodded understandingly. "So what did you end up killing?"
"Three dozen rabbits." Red XIII smiled. "They're my favourite food, and quite a challenge to catch."
"I bet they are." Tifa nodded. "I've seen how fast they can go...."
"Of course.... but rabbit is much nicer to eat once it's been marinated in a saute sauce, roasted and served with gravy." Red XIII smiled. "Can you prepare my next kill like that if I present it to you?"
Tifa laughed. "Just like in the wild, huh?"
"Well now that everyone's here...." Aeris said, clapping her hands together. "Let's discuss what we're going to do today...."
"I don't know..." Cloud said. "What did you have in mind?"
"Something fun..." Aeris smiled. "We haven't done anything fun in ages!"
"How do you know that?" Tifa said accusingly.
"She's the Chosen One." Sephiroth shrugged. "She knows everything."
"Chosen One??" Tifa scowled. "OK girly, if you're the so called Chosen One and you know everything, then what colour is my underwear?"
"That one's easy......" Cloud smiled, turning a light shade of red.
"I never asked you, pervert!"
Red XIII smiled and nodded at Barret. "I don't feel like a cretin any more....."
"Shi*t!!" Barret said, slamming his fist down on the table. "I'm not payin' I tell you!"
"Can we just get on with it?" Aeris sighed, putting a hand to her head. "I want to go somewhere the whole group can go, and have fun."
"How can you think of fun at a time like this!?" Cid said angrily. "The whole planet's facing a crisis!! Jenova's tryin' to take over the world!!"
"Again." Vincent added.
"Cid's right." Barret grunted. "We can't just laugh around an' play when the planet's gonna die!"
"I know guys, I know!" Aeris said desperately, trying to calm things down. "But what are we going to do with ourselves while Jenova's off recovering? Do we sit around here all day and mope about it??"
"The Ancient has a good point......" Vincent said. "I suggest we all prepare ourselves for battle."
"Good suggestion...." Yuffie butted in. "...if you needed any more experience!!!"
"You can never be too experienced." Red XIII said, looking up. "No matter how old you are, you can learn a new task, or accomplish something that you've never done before. For as long as you're alive."
The group fell silent.
"Whoa, Red." Yuffie broke the silence. "Where'd that come from?"
"My mother said it to me when I was just a cub." Red XIII answered.
"Okay, so we prepare for the battle that lies ahead." Aeris said. "But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
"If you play when there's fire around, you get burned. Problems are just opportunities in work clothes." Sephiroth grunted. "Any other dumb sayings you want to throw into the air?"
"How about 'If you all don't shut the f*ck up right now, I'll kick you in the nuts'?" Cid grunted.
"That's pretty good advice." Cloud mused.
"Now what are we s'posed to do?" Barret grunted.
"Aeris has a point." Yuffie said. "We haven't done anything as a group in ages. Why, we haven't been together as a group for ages!!"
"That's right." Barret nodded. "AVALANCHE is back and ready fer action!!"
"Avalanche?" Aeris wondered. "Including Sephiroth?"
"Hell no, Aeris!" Barret yelled. "I would never allow that bastard ta' join! I don't even trust th' creep, despite all he says!!"
"But...." Aeris began.
"It's alright...." Sephiroth said, putting up a hand to halt all conversation. "I'm not particularly interested in being a part of this group. I work alone anyway."
"Well as long as Jenova's around...." Aeris said. "We're gonna need your help."
"We don't need Sephiroth's help!" Cloud barked. "I don't even know why we need him around anyway!!"
"Well worry about that later!" Aeris yelled. "I just want to go somewhere with everyone and have a good time!"
"Yeah, Aeris hasn't been with us in ages, guys...." Cloud said, calming down. "I think we should all go out and have some fun.... just for her."
Tifa scowled, turned her back on the scene and continued cooking.
"Alright then." Cid nodded. "We go out an' we have the time of our lives. But where do we go?!"
"How about Wutai?" Yuffie offered. "That's a tourist resort....."
"No." Cloud shook his head. "It reminds me too much of the time we had our Materia stolen...."
"I gave it back!!" Yuffie whined.
"So?!" Cid yelled. "You still stole it from us! And you weren't gonna put it to good use."
"I swear I was gonna bring it back, I promise!!" Yuffie wailed.
"But if we hadn't caught up with you again, I'm sure you would have kept all of it."
"Hey, at least I wasn't like Cait Sith!!" Yuffie yelled before bursting into tears.
"Hey hey...." Red XIII walked over quickly and began to nuzzle her around the knees. "Don't cry, Yuffie. I don't like it when my friends are sad."
"Oh Red...." Yuffie sighed, slumped to the floor and hugged him. "You're so kind..."
Cid folded his arms. "Little whelp can't even stand her ground for a good argument."
"Oh be quiet, Cid." Red XIII said with a hint of scorn in his voice. "You'll upset everyone with that sharp tongue of yours."
"Yuffie may have done something terrible to us in the past, but she regrets it, so we forgave her." Cloud said, trying to calm things down. "Let bygones be bygones."
"I just wish Cloud would only forgive everyone as easily as you did Yuffie." Aeris sighed.
"I know what you're getting at Aeris." Cloud said, lowering his eyes. "But it won't work on me. Yuffie only stole our Materia, and the damage was easily repaired when she gave it all back. Meanwhile, Sephiroth nearly destroyed this entire planet..... he betrayed us. He murdered my mother. That kind of damage hurts more than you'll ever know.... and is irreplaceable."
"I know he's done something terrible in the past." Aeris sighed. "But he regrets it more than anything, don't you Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth didn't answer. He just sat there with his arms folded and stayed silent.
"....Sephiroth??"
"Okay. So I take it Wutai's out of the question?" Tifa butted in, while pouring a cup of coffee. "Why don't you go to that beachy place..... Costa Del Sol?"
"Ugh." Red XIII shuddered. "That place is so hot, it dries my nose."
"Well how about the Gold Saucer? " Cid suggested. "We haven't been there in a while."
"Why that's the perfect place to go!!" Aeris squealed happily.
"Umm...." Cloud said with uncertainty.
"Oh, come on Cloud! It'd be fun!" Aeris flashed a cute smile at him. Tifa banged her fist on the counter angrily and bit her lip.
"I suppose so...." Cloud sighed. "But I don't know if my Lifetime Pass will work for all of us...."
"We don't all have to go." Aeris said. "Some of us can stay behind if they want to.... like you, Tifa?"
"No way!" Tifa growled. "I'm coming along with you, and that's final!"
"Great." Aeris smiled. "Now let's decide who's going, and who'll stay behind."
"Well if you're jus' goin to that amusement park, you can count me out." Barret grunted. "I hate them things."
"I'd have to agree with Barret, dear." Shera smiled. "Those places bore me to tears."
"Sephiroth? Are you going?"
"Huh?" Sephiroth said, suddenly looking up.
"Are you gonna go with us to the Gold Saucer?" Aeris asked.
"Is that an order?"
Aeris thought for a few seconds. "Yes."
"OK then, I'll go." Sephiroth nodded.
"What about you, Red?" Aeris asked. "Cid? Yuffie? Vincent?"
"I won't go." Vincent said. "Amusement parks hold no amusement to me."
"Then to you, they're just 'parks', aren't they?" Cid joked.
Vincent, however, did not find it funny.
"Aaah screw you, necromancer. I'm going whether you laugh at my joke or not."
Vincent gave him a cruel death stare which made Cid wither in his chair.
"I'll go." Yuffie said. "Provided I don't have to go on any scary rides."
"I haven't visited a theme park in a while." Red XIII smiled. "It may be an enjoyable experience. I doubt half the rides are equipped for someone like me, though."
"Oh that's right, isn't it Red?" Yuffie said with disappointment in her voice. "Never mind, we'll just have to dress you up in a shirt and some pants. Then all you have to do is walk around on your hind legs all day. Just like when you pretended to be a Shinra soldier, back on the Cargo Ship after we left Junon."
"That was taxing enough just trying to keep my balance." Red XIII shook his head. "No, I don't think I could walk around like a human again."
"Well we already know I'm going." Aeris said. "That just leaves you, Cloud."
"Well I have to go." Cloud answered. "There's something I want to check out..."
"Then it's settled." Aeris nodded. "Cid? Can you fly this plane to The Gold Saucer?"
Cid burst out in a fit of laughter. Everyone's face faltered.
"What's so funny?" Aeris scolded.
"You idiot!!" Cid chuckled.
"Don't call Aeris an idiot!" Cloud said defensively. Tifa clenched her teeth together and growled. Sephiroth looked up at her with a look of slight confusion.
"I'll do as I want." Cid shrugged. "I can fly this f**king damn plane wherever I want to!"
".....so?"
"It's not a matter of 'if', it's a matter of 'when'!!"
"Well, whenever 'when' is...." Tifa said coldly. "I just made breakfast. So eat up before you all go mucking about."
--------------------------------
"YeeeeHAAAAAA!!!" Cid yelled happily as the he let the plane plunge rapidly, then quickly jerked the controls back as the Highwind's nose touched the water. As the plane skimmed along the surface of the ocean, water streamed out behind it for miles.
"Hold onto your knickers, boys and girls!!" Cid smiled wickedly. "Here comes the land again!!"
Cid jerked the control back quickly, and the plane shot violently into the sky once more. Just then, Gongaga zoomed underneath them like a blur.
"Please Cid, I just had breakfast!" Yuffie pleaded. "Unless you want to see it again, I suggest you don't rock the plane around!!"
"Oh quit your complainin' female!!" Cid barked. "We're making record time here, and all you can do is whine!"
"She has a point." Red XIII said, gripping onto the rail guard. "You're flying this plane rather recklessly this morning....."
"And why not!?" Cid barked. "It's my plane!"
"That's what I was afraid of....."
"Quit your complaining, all of ya!" Cid roared, as he slammed down the brakes. Everyone was tossed forward as Cid landed the plane violently.
"Cid...." Red XIII said apologetically after the engines died down. "I didn't mean to offend you...."
"You didn't." Cid said smirking.
"Then why did you stop the plane??" Cloud asked.
Cid chuckled lightly. "Cuz' we've already arrived at North Corel, gateway to the Gold Saucer. Now get a move on, there's a certain snowboarding game with my name on it."
"Not if I get there first....." Cloud smiled wickedly. "C'mon everyone, let's go the Gold Saucer!!!"
--------------------------------
The group made their way through North Corel. The locals looked up and regarded them, but otherwise paid them no mind.
"Why don't they care?" Sephiroth whispered quietly, as they made their way through the small town. "I mean, if you saw three girls, a pilot, a red cat-like lion creature, a male with an 'interesting' haircut wielding a sword, and the Great Sephiroth walk through your town, wouldn't you be just the slightest bit interested??"
"Apparently, seeing a group like this is an everyday occurrence for them." Yuffie answered. "Although I'd be a little interested if you walked through my town, Sephiroth."
"Of course, I'd kill you if you walked through my town." Cloud said coldly. "I almost did too, if it hadn't been raining.... stupid solar panels...."
As the group made their way to Ropeway Station, they were met by a strange sight. The conductor waved seven people, all dressed in various black outfits, onto the bright blue cable car, also known as the Ropeway.
"Why are they dressed like that??" Cloud demanded.
"You'll have to wait your turn, sir." the conductor said monotonously. "Just like everyone else."
"What the hell is goin' on??" Cid wondered.
"Aeris?" Sephiroth raised his eyebrows at her expectantly.
"Sorry guys." Aeris shrugged. "When I was in the Promised Land, I knew of everything happening on the planet. But now that I'm alive, I have to rely on my intuition and perceptiveness."
"Not that you had any in the first place." Tifa said coldly.
"Tifa!" Cloud scolded. "What was that for??"
Tifa folded her arms and turned her back on the group. Aeris sighed, giving Tifa a confused and bewildered look.
"Let's just board the Ropeway, shall we?" Red XIII said quietly, watching the blue cable car return to the station once more. "I think we shall find the answer to our questions at the Gold Saucer."
"Aahh, once again, Red, the voice of reason shines through." Cid smiled.
"Oh stop it." Red XIII smiled as they boarded the car.
--------------------------------
"We will be arriving at the Gold Saucer shortly." the automated voice said. "Please take all items with you on departure. Please note that the Gold Saucer will be closed this evening due to a private function, therefore all unauthorised people must vacate this park by 5:30pm. Sorry for any inconvenience caused, have a nice day."
"Private function this evening, eh?" Cloud thought. "Why don't we stick around and see what's going on?"
"That's a bad idea, Cloud." Yuffie said, shaking her head. "What if we get caught??"
"I have my Knights Of The Round Materia with me, all the Master Materias, and about a million 'All' Materias." Cloud smiled, holding up the luminous orbs. He slotted them back into his weapon. "Besides, what's the worst they could do to us if we get caught? After being held captive by Shinra, there's nothing left to be afraid of."
"You'd be surprised." Sephiroth raised his eyebrows. "There's still a few things that frighten me."
"Oh be quiet." Cloud leered.
*BING!*
The cable car slowed down and came to a halt as it went through the Mog Archway. The door suddenly swung open.
"Welcome to The Gold Saucer." the automated voice said. "Please vacate the vehicle, and have an enjoyable day."
The group got out and stood at the entrance to the Gold Saucer.
"Well, here we are." Tifa sighed, looking around the place. "The Gold Saucer, the cheesiest theme park on the planet."
"The only theme park on the planet." Cid corrected her. "Well, what is there left to do, but go inside and have a bit of fun??"
"I second that." Aeris giggled. "Come on Cloud, let's go!" she grabbed his hand and started to run for the entrance to the park.
Tifa looked like she was going to explode. Sephiroth looked at her with a note of curiosity.
"Hold on just a darn minute!!" the attendant yelled just before Aeris shot through. "You have to present your lifetime passes, or pay the entry fee!"
"Here...." Cloud said, digging into his pocket. He produced the Lifetime Pass to the Gold Saucer he had kept since he first came to this place 3 years ago.
"The Lifetime Pass is fine." the attendant nodded. "But I take it that you're all a group?"
"Uh-huh." Cloud nodded.
"You can only take three people in with that Pass. The others will have to be paid for."
"Oh here..." Yuffie said, stepping up. "Will you take this as payment?" she handed the attendant a Mastered 'All' Materia.
"Yes yes yes!!" the attendant nodded and happily took the Materia. "Do you have any idea how much one of those things is worth??"
"About 1.4 million gil." Yuffie answered with boredom. "So where's our passes?"
"Here...." the attendant said quickly, handing her a pile of Lifetime Passes. "I only hope this is enough...." "They're OK..." Yuffie nodded.
"Here, take some GP with you..." the attendant smiled, handing her 10,000 GP. "That should be enough, I hope."
"Yeah!" Yuffie said happily. "Thanks a lot!"
"No no no, thank you!" the attendant smiled, and held her new shiny orb up to the light. "I've wanted one of these forever!"
"You're welcome!" Yuffie smiled.
Aeris, Cloud, Tifa, Red XIII and Yuffie made their way through the archway and into the theme park.
"So where are we gonna go first??"
"If you gimme 1000 of your GP, I'll quite happily go off by myself to the Wonder Square." Cid smiled. "I wanna see if my Time Attack records are still up on that Snowboarding Game."
Sephiroth read the board aloud. "Battle Square - Go to the limits in heated battles, try your hand at the special Gold Attack. Hmm... I think I would like to try that."
"No Cloud, we're going to the Event Square!" Aeris said determinedly. "I wanna see a live stage show!"
"Why don't we all go our separate ways?" Red XIII suggested. "We can't seem to agree on anything, so I say we don't. That just leads to frustration."
"I like that idea." Yuffie nodded. "Here you go Cid, go crazy." she handed him 2000 GP to play around with. "Go snowboard your brains out."
"Gee thanks Yuff! You're a real doll!" Cid laughed happily.
Yuffie smiled and poked her tongue out at him cheekily. Cid laughed.
"Great, we'll all split up, and meet back here at 1:00pm for lunch." Cloud nodded.
"In that case, see you all later, losers!" Cid laughed, and jumped down the pipe to Wonder Square.
"Well I don't know about you guys...." Cloud smiled. "But I wanna catch up with Aeris on a few things. Come on Aeris, let's go to Event Square."
"Okay!" Aeris said happily.
"Bye!!" Cloud said with glee, as they jumped down the Event Square pipe. Tifa looked devastated.
"Where are you all going to go?" Sephiroth asked.
"I think I might visit the Round Square." Red XIII answered. "I would very much like to see the sights of the Gold Saucer."
"I think I'll join you, Red." Yuffie smiled. "I love that ride, it's really pretty."
"What are you going to do, Tifa?" Red XIII said quietly.
"I don't know." Tifa said in a small voice. "I'll just tag along with somebody...."
"Do you want to go with us?" Yuffie asked.
"No...." Tifa sighed. "It's...... it's alright."
Red XIII's smile faded. He could sense Tifa was upset about something, but couldn't work out what it was. He decided to let it pass. "Well, if that's how you feel, Tifa..."
"Bye then." Yuffie said, jumping down the Round Square pipe. "Come on Red, get a move on!"
Red XIII shot Tifa a look of concern before following Yuffie's lead.
Tifa just stood there, looking at the pipe that Yuffie and Red had disappeared down.
"So I guess you'll just tag along with me, huh?" Sephiroth smirked, raising an eyebrow. "That's alright, I don't mind."
Tifa nodded her head slowly and began to sniffle. "Okay..."
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.
Tifa hung her head and started to cry softly.
"Hey, what's the matter with you?" Sephiroth asked.
Tifa began to sob loudly. "You.... wouldn't.... understand....."
"Did I just say something to upset you?"
"No no....." Tifa said shaking her head. "You're fine.... it's him I'm...." she never finished her sentence as she broke down in tears.
Sephiroth felt troubled. He wanted her to stop her crying, but didn't know how to go about it. He had never comforted a crying person before. He thought for a bit, then finally decided on a way to comfort her.
"Hey...." Sephiroth said, nodding in her direction. "It's OK...."
"Hmphh...." Tifa seemed a little amused. "The Great cold hearted Sephiroth trying to give me sympathy? I must be really upset....."
"Stop your crying." Sephiroth said quietly, lightly putting his hand on her shoulder.
Tifa wrapped her arms around him and began to cry into his Hawaiian shirt. Sephiroth just stood there quietly, one arm around her, the other patting her on the back softly. He gave her a few minutes to calm down a bit before speaking again.
"I've been watching you over these last few days." Sephiroth said quietly. "Something's really getting to you. I want you to tell me what it is."
"Mmmmm...." Tifa groaned.
"Come on, it'll make you feel better." Sephiroth sighed. "Maybe I can help you."
"No, you can't help." Tifa said, shaking her head. "No one can. This is something I have to do on my own...."
Sephiroth let her go and looked thoughtful.
Tifa looked at him with curiosity. "What's wrong?"
Sephiroth paused before speaking.
"It's Strife, isn't it?"
Tifa's eyebrows shot up into her fringe. "How did you.....??"
"Mmm, it makes sense." Sephiroth nodded. "You get frustrated when he displays affection to Aeris. Jealously, maybe?"
"How did you know!?" Tifa said, horrified. "Did I really make it THAT obvious!?"
"No no," Sephiroth chuckled. "I'm just a perceptive person."
Tifa gritted her teeth.
"I didn't know for sure till I just told you." Sephiroth smirked. "And you blew it."
Tifa groaned.
"Hey." Sephiroth said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you don't want me to say anything, you have my word."
"I believe you." Tifa nodded solemnly. "I suppose I have to now."
Sephiroth looked a little hurt. Tifa raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Tifa sighed.
"No no, It's alright." Sephiroth said, nodding. "You have every right not to trust me. I'm not even sure if I trust myself any more...."
There was an uneasy silence between them.
"Weren't you planning on heading to the Battle Square?" Tifa smiled suddenly.
"Oh yeah......" Sephiroth realised. "So do you want to tag along, or go off on your own?"
"Nah, I'll sit back and watch you." Tifa smiled. "It might be good for a laugh.... hee hee.... those poor people at the Battle Square won't know what hit them...."
Sephiroth smirked.
"Well, shall we go?" Tifa smiled.
"We shall." Sephiroth nodded. "Afterwards, maybe you'd like to show off your fighting ability....."
"That sounds like fun." Tifa nodded.
"Alright....." Sephiroth nodded. "Follow me then."
He jumped down the Battle Square chute. Tifa quickly followed.
--------------------------------
Cloud and Aeris sat quietly in the seats of the Event Square, watching a play about the Evil Dragon King threatening to capture the princess. It must have been playing now for a few years, because the actors onstage didn't seem too enthusiastic when saying their lines like they used to.
"Remember when we were chosen to be in that play, Cloud?" Aeris smiled. "That was so much fun."
"Yeah." Cloud smiled broadly. "It was."
Aeris sighed happily and went back to watching the play.
"Let's go somewhere else." Cloud said quietly. "I want to have a talk."
"Okay...." Aeris nodded, getting up. "Where will we go?"
"I was thinking somewhere nice and quiet....." Cloud said thoughtfully. "Somewhere we can just sit together and chat....."
Aeris looked at him with much curiosity.
"Come on." Cloud smiled.
They got up, and left the area silently.
"He's planning something......." Aeris thought to herself. "I just wish I knew what it was....."
--------------------------------
Yuffie and Red XIII stepped off the cable car.
"That was cool." Yuffie smiled. "That ride gets prettier every time I go on it."
"It does." Red XIII smiled. "That would have to be my favourite attraction in the whole park."
"Where will we go next?" Yuffie smiled.
"I don't know." Red XIII shook his head. "I'll let you decide."
Just then, Aeris and Cloud appeared in the archway. Red XIII looked up and smiled when he saw them.
"Well, it is a small world, isn't it?" Cloud smiled.
"Fancy meeting you two here!" Aeris laughed happily. "It's been all but 10 minutes since we last saw you."
Yuffie chuckled. "We were just leaving. Come on Red."
"Okay." Red XIII nodded. "Cloud.... there's something I need to discuss with you later....."
Cloud looked at him with curiosity. "Oh?"
Just then, Aeris pushed past them and practically dragged Cloud onto the cable car.
"Whatever it is, it can wait till later!" Aeris smiled. "Come on Cloud, we have a ride to get on."
"Bye Cloud." Red XIII said sadly.
"Wait Red, I -----!!"
The door of the cable car door shut and it began to move away.
Red XIII shook his head sadly as he watched the cable car disappear.
"What's up, Red??" Yuffie wondered. "Why'd you go so sad all of a sudden?"
"This is a mistake." Red XIII said plainly.
"What is?" Yuffie asked.
There was a silence between them.
"Come on, let's go to another attraction...." Red XIII said, shaking off his thought.
Yuffie followed close behind, slightly confused.
--------------------------------
Meanwhile, Cid was at the Wonder Square, Snowboarding his heart out.
"Can I have a go now, mister??" a small boy asked. "You've been on that thing for an hour!"
"Get f**ked kiddo, I've just beaten my high score." Cid said with a chuckle. "In fact, I've just beaten everybody's."
The small boy walked away, disgruntled. "Bastard......"
"I HEARD THAT!!!" Cid glared at the child, turning his eyes off the game. Just then, the character on-screen smashed into a snow bank at 123 km/h. The Game Over screen soon followed.
The small boy laughed. "Serves you right."
"I'll serve you right, you little....!!" Cid roared, and went for the kid, arms outstretched.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" The boy screamed and ran off, with a hopping mad pilot hot on his heels.
--------------------------------
"YaaaaaaaAAAGHGGH!!!" Sephiroth yelled, as he slashed yet another enemy in half at the Battle Square. He wiped his face in annoyance as the creature's blood spurted everywhere. Onlookers were pasted to the windows in dozens, all watching the grey haired man take out enemy after enemy.
"Go Sephy!!" Tifa cheered. "Woo woo!!"
Just then, Sephiroth appeared at the gate. The crowd scattered.
"Whew, I'm kinda beat." he smirked, returning his sword to it's holster. "Ugh. How dare those creatures bleed on my sword??"
"Go to that machine near the door, and remove your Battle Point Scorecard." Tifa smiled. "It'll tell you how much you won."
A small smile appeared across Sephiroth's face as he looked down at the numbers on the machine. He removed his card, and stepped down to where Tifa was.
"How much did you get??" Tifa asked anxiously.
Sephiroth smiled wickedly. "It's a secret."
"Awwww!!!!" Tifa whined.
Sephiroth chuckled in amusement. "Come on, I'll let you pick the prize...."
They walked over to the machine. Sephiroth inserted his card.
"274,012 Battle Points?!" Tifa squeaked. "How long were you in there?!"
"About 15 minutes." Sephiroth smirked. "Now what do you want? You can have anything there."
Tifa had a look at the list of items, which were as follows:
Shinra Soldier 10
Remedy 100
Enemy Lure 250
Right arm 500
Pre-emptive 1000
Reagen Greens 2000
Speed Plus 4000
Choco/Mog 6000
Stardust 8000
Champion Belt 16000
OmniSlash 32000
W-Summon 64000
?????? 128000
"Once again, the items in this machine have changed." Tifa sighed. "But what's this thing for 128000 Battle Points??"
"I don't know." Sephiroth shrugged. "Do you want it?"
"But I'll have wasted all those Battle Points you won..."
"So what? It's not like I can't get more." Sephiroth chuckled. "This game's a pushover anyways....."
"Okay..." Tifa nodded. "I'll take it, whatever it is."
Sephiroth nodded, and pushed the button. A small black item dropped out of the machine, still wrapped in plastic.
Tifa picked it up and looked it over. "What is it?" she handed the item to Sephiroth, who took the plastic off and tried biting on it.
"Owwww!!!" Sephiroth yelped. "Well, I know for sure that it isn't food...."
Tifa giggled. "Food for 128000 Battle Points? What would it have to be then, caviar?"
Tifa giggled. Sephiroth looked at her, confused.
"What's.... 'caviar'??"
"Forget it." Tifa said, her smile fading. "It's not important."
Sephiroth shook the curious black box. It made loud rattle sound.
"Whatever's inside, it sounds busted." he said, uninterested.
"Well it will be if you keep shaking it around like that!!" Tifa said, taking the item from him. "I wonder...." she tried to prise the top off. It wouldn't budge.
"Stuck?" Sephiroth smirked.
"Yeah, but it doesn't matter. Whatever's inside, I'm keeping it." Tifa nodded. "Anything that cost 128000 Battle Points has gotta be important...."
"Suits me fine." Sephiroth only shrugged. He began to walk away from the machine.
"Wait!!" Tifa said. "You forgot your card!!"
"Keep it." Sephiroth said. "The rest of the prizes don't interest me in the slightest. Come on tag-a-long, we're going somewhere else.... unless you want to show off your fighting skills in there."
"No no, it's alright." Tifa said, shaking her head.
"Well, come on then..." Sephiroth said calmly.
"Wait...." Tifa looked around the room, and spotted a girl in a black hood. The girl looked up as Tifa approached her.
"Hello there..." Tifa said in a gentle voice.
"Hi...." the girl said, almost in a whisper.
"Would you like this?" Tifa smiled, showing her Sephiroth's card. "That man over there doesn't want it."
The girl looked over in Sephiroth's direction, then smiled broadly. "Okay!" she said happily, as Tifa handed her the card. "Thankyou!"
"You're welcome." Tifa said kindly, and laughed as the girl ran over to the prize machine.
"Real cute." Tifa smiled, as she walked back to where Sephiroth was standing. Sephiroth did not seem to think so. He folded his arms, and just stood there, his mouth turned in a slight frown.
Just then, the girl faced them and raised her left hand, the back of it facing them.
"Owara."
"Huh?" Sephiroth wondered. "What are you talking about?"
"Owara.....?"
"Yeah, you can keep the card." Sephiroth grunted, turning his back on her. "Just don't buy anything crap."
Tifa and Sephiroth began to make their way over to the pipeline system.
"What the heck was all that about?!" Tifa asked.
"It beats me." Sephiroth shrugged. "I'm hungry...."
"Well let's go find the others...." Tifa said, looking at her watch. "It's almost 1:00pm, time for lunch."
--------------------------------
Meanwhile, at Station Square, Cid, Red XIII, Yuffie, Cloud and Aeris waited.
"Heh heheh heeh heh...." Cid chuckled, holding an armful of prizes he had won.
"How'd you win all that??" Yuffie asked. "That stuff must have cost a mint!"
"Uh huh, but it was a dinner mint." Cid laughed. "Insert 200 gil or 20 GP and get 100 GP in return."
"What was that on??" Cloud asked.
"The snowboarding game, the one I'm better at than anybody." Cid gloated.
"Hmph." Cloud pouted.
"It almost wasn't worth it, half this stuff is garbage." Cid said, giving Cloud an angry look.
"What do you have there?" Red XIII wondered.
"Twenty Potions, 3 Turbo-Ethers, A Gold Ticket, 14 Ethers and four Carob Nuts." Cid smiled. "And this." he threw the small package over to Yuffie, who caught it with ease.
"What is it??" Yuffie asked, looking the plastic package over carefully.
"Open it and see." Cid smiled. "You can have it, I know how much you like them."
Yuffie tore the packaging off. "An Ultima Materia!?" she squealed. "This was a prize!?"
"Uh-huh." Cid nodded. "And that was the last one."
"Oh wow Cid!" Yuffie ran over and gave Cid a big hug, making him drop half the items he was holding. "You're the greatest!!"
"No, you're the one who gave me all the cash." Cid chuckled. "Think of that Materia as payment. You gave up one of your prized 'All' Materias so we could get in here....."
"What are we doing standing around here like this?" Cloud grumbled. "I'm hungry, and bored."
"Well, I guess we have to wait for the others?" Aeris asked.
"Yes." Red XIII answered. "Tifa would be most upset if we don't wait for her."
Just then, Tifa and Sephiroth shot up the Battle Square pipe and onto the Station.
"Ahh.... there they are." Red XIII smiled, as they walked over.
"You're late." Cloud grumbled.
"So what?!" Tifa snapped.
Cloud looked taken aback. "What's your problem?"
"It's you, idiot...."
"Nothing." Tifa lied. "Now let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry."
"Sorry." Cloud gave her a hopeless look.
"Hey, I never saw these new Squares before....." Red XIII said, looking at the new holes in the walls. "Grub Square, Casino Square, and Admin Square."
"Grub Square??" Yuffie repeated, looking repulsed. "If that has anything to do with yucky bugs....."
"No no...." Red XIII shook his head as he began to read the information aloud. "Grub Square - A wide selection of tantalising dishes await you. Why not try our Special of the Day, only 250 gil??"
"That must be the new food court." Aeris said. "That's good. We'll head there next."
"What's the other square?" Cloud asked. "Admin Square??"
"Admin Square - Both Complaints and Praise appreciated. Authorised personnel allowed only in the red zones." Red XIII answered, reading the information off the board.
"That Casino Square reminded me of something!" Tifa said. "Barret told us that Cait Sith owns a casino here, doesn't he?"
"Hey, yeah, he does!" Cid nodded. "Why don't we drop in and say hello?"
"I must protest to that." Sephiroth said plainly.
"You would!" Cloud snapped.
"No...." Sephiroth shook his head. "I'm just hungry, that's all. Even a warrior has to eat."
"Hmph." Cloud folded his arms. "He's right, Let's go eat first. I'm starving!" Yuffie whined.
"But what about Cait Sith??"
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we had some food before going to meet him." Yuffie smiled.
"Yeah, come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything since that plate of bacon and eggs you cooked for me this morning, Tifa." Cid spoke up. "What about you, Cloud? You're gonna get lunch before meeting Cait Sith??"
"I suppose so."
"Oh alright....." Tifa said, admitting defeat.
The group began to jump down the pipe to the Grub Square. Tifa shot Sephiroth a cold look. He just shrugged hopelessly.
"What?"
"Idiot." Tifa snorted. "You disagreed with what I wanted to do, then everybody agreed on it....."
Tifa brushed past him angrily and jumped down the tube.
"So what?" Sephiroth shrugged, before finally jumping down himself.
--------------------------------
"Hmm.... everything looks so weird..." Yuffie said, looking around. "Well, I'm not brave enough to try anything new, it's soup for me."
The group was now in the food court, trying to decide what to have. Cid was already seated at the table with a mug of beer in one hand, a club sandwich in the other. Tifa put her fork down next to her salad and looked at him with horror.
"Cid!!" Tifa scolded. "How can you drink and eat at the same time like that!?"
"Like this...." Cid smirked, and took a bite out of his sandwich. He took a swig from his beer and began to chew.
"That's just disgusting!!"
Cid swallowed, and slammed his mug down on the table. "Happy?"
"Yes."
"Well I'm not!"
"Please stop arguing....." Red XIII sighed.
Aeris had to giggle at that. Tifa reached across the table, grabbed a few paper napkins and stuffed them into her pocket.
"Why'd you do that??" Cid wondered.
"You never know when a paper napkin will come in handy." Tifa smiled.
"You're jus' damn paranoid, that's your problem...." Cid sighed.
Just then, Yuffie arrived at the table and placed her bowl of soup down on the table carefully.
"Where are Cloud and Sephiroth?" Aeris asked.
"They're still deciding what to have." Tifa answered. "It's stupid really.... you can feed a male anything, they'll eat what's put in front of them."
"Not true." Cid spoke up. "One serving of Shera's cooking and I head for the hills...."
Red XIII watched as Sephiroth arrived, carrying a plate of some vegetable and rice dish with him.
"Hey." Sephiroth said, sitting down at the end of the table. Tifa looked at the contents of his plate and shook her head.
"Vegetables and rice." Tifa said. "That's very boring."
"This was the only thing in here which I could actually recognise as food." Sephiroth shrugged.
"Hey Red, where's your food?" Yuffie asked.
"They won't serve me here." Red XIII answered. "They say it's unsanitary to serve animals."
"What??" Yuffie growled. "That's atrocious! What do you want, Red? I'll march up there and get it for you....."
"No no, that's alright." Red XIII said calmly. "This food doesn't appeal to me anyway."
Tifa stood up.
"I'm going to go find Cloud.... he's taking waaay too long."
Meanwhile, Cloud's attention was on a fried-food stand at the other end of the food court.
Tifa sighed as she caught up to him.
"Cloud, I surely hope you don't plan to get something from here. You wouldn't want to go on some of these rides with something like that in your stomach."
"Hey, I can handle it." Cloud smiled. "After being in the Highwind with Cid's reckless flying habits, I can handle anything."
"Well..... only if you're sure."
"Hey." Cloud shrugged, smiling. "I'm positive."
Just then, the person behind the counter turned to Cloud.
"Can I help you, sir?" he smiled.
"Yeah, I'd like one of these chicken and corn roll things." Cloud said after a moment.
Still smiling, the man handed him the item in question. Cloud slapped the correct amount of gil on the counter. He turned to face Tifa and asked, "And for you, ma'am?"
"Nothing for me, thanks." Tifa replied. "I know better."
Cloud and Tifa joined the group at the table, and they began to eat. Cid continued eating his club sandwich like a starving man, washing down each bite with a gulp of beer. Yuffie showed some self-control, though it may have been more to avoid getting some of the soup on herself rather than table manners. Cloud took three large bites of his chicken and corn roll, finishing it quickly. Tifa glanced at him and sadly shook her head as she took small bites of the salad she had chosen, taking care not to let any of it drip onto either the table, or her. Sephiroth ate half his rice, before just sort of flicking the rest around with boredom. Aeris munched happily on a noodle dish she had chosen. Red XIII just sat there, quite contentedly.
Cid finished his meal sometime before the rest of the group did, and sipped at his beer as he waited for them to finish.
"Well...." Cloud smiled. "That made me feel a little better."
Tifa just shook her head sadly and sighed.
"Hey, look!" Red XIII said suddenly. "Cait Sith's on the other side of the food court!"
"HEY!!!" Cloud yelled out. "CAIT SITH!?"
Cait Sith just stopped and looked in their direction. He bounced over to them quickly.
"Please keep your voices down in this vicinity." Cait Sith said, bored. "Otherwise, the management will force you to leave."
"Cait Sith??" Cloud said, confused. "Hey buddy, don't you know who we are?"
"I've never met you before." Cait Sith said. "But you appear to have finished your meal. If you do not plan on making any further purchases, please vacate this area in an orderly fashion, taking all your rubbish with you."
"Cait Sith...??" Cloud wondered. "What have they done to you?"
"Why do you call me such a name? I am merely an emulation of the original fortune telling machine 'Cait Sith', as operated by Reeve of Shinra Inc. The original Cait Sith is out of commission until further notice." the robot said. "So as not to disappoint admirers and fans, copies like me roam the park constantly."
"Hey!" Cloud said happily. "Did you hear that?"
" Would you like Cait Sith's autograph?" the robot asked.
"No thanks, I'd rather get it off the real Cait Sith." Cloud answered.
*beep* "Does not compute." the robot said blankly. "I am Cait Sith."
Just then, another Cait Sith walked up to the group.
"You appear to have finished your meal." It said. "If you do not plan on making any further purchases, please vacate this area in an orderly fashion, taking all your rubbish with you."
"Was it just me, or did the other Cait Sith just say that before?" Yuffie thought.
"Cute." Aeris smiled. "Reeve has got some Cait Siths running around the Gold Saucer."
"Well, Cait Sith is an icon at the Gold Saucer nowadays." Cloud smiled. "He's a real celebrity."
Yuffie grinned wickedly.
"Hey Cait Sith!"
Both robots looked at her and said "I am Cait Sith." in unison.
"Really...." Yuffie smiled. "Well if that's the case, then who's the other guy?"
The first Cait Sith robot looked at the other one. "Fraud. You are not Cait Sith, I am."
"I am the real Cait Sith." the other robot said.
"Lying is an offence in the Gold Saucer.... I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave." the other robot said, and they began to tackle each other and pull each other apart. One of the Cait Siths broke down.
"I think we'll just leave them alone for a while." Yuffie giggled. "I don't think Cait Sith's used to being 'beside himself' quite yet."
Everyone's face faltered. Both robots caught fire.
"That punchline really sucked, Yuffie." Cloud said.