Chapter 03

Zack and Aeris had been escorted early that next morning to a small but decent apartment building located less than a block from the Ross headquarters in Junon. They were given a nice sized apartment on the fourth floor, with two bedrooms, a small living room, kitchenette, and a bathroom. They'd spent the entire morning moving their things in, though they still needed their own furiniture. Aeris had decided she'd begin shopping for that when Zack left for work.

"I like it here," Aeris said, walking through the apartment. The sunlight glittered in through the windows, reflecting in her bright green eyes. "It's certainly a change for me. It's not like the slums of Midgar, but it's not like the suburbs of Kalm either. It's sort of... in between."

"I'm glad you like it," Zack said. "But I've got to get going now. It's after eight - thirty and I was hoping to get there early."

"Alright, sweetie," Aeris said, reaching up to kiss Zack's cheek. "I'll see you when you get back. Good luck."

Zack smiled. "Thanks."

After recieving his intsructions and assigments from General Matakashi, Zack stepped inside the Training Center surprised to see bleachers full of young recruits, mostly about the ages of 13-17. There were at least forty boys in the room. It reminded him a lot of his training for SOLDIER.

The boys were noisy and didn't take much notice to his arrival in the room. He opened his assigment folder and read carefully what he had to accomplish. He sighed and dropped the folder on the floor, then cleared his throat.

"Attention!"

His loud voice echoed through the walls of the Training Center and quickly got just what he had asked for. The boys' snapped their necks to look at him and quieted down quickly.

Zack smiled. "Alright," he continued loudly. "Welcome to the Ross Army. You are the newest recruits. I am Lueitenant Taylor, your trainer and recruiter." He frowned after the words escaped his lips. "But, I'd prefer if you all just called me Zack."

There were some snickers, and one boy carefully stood and raised his hand.

Zack was puzzled. "What?" he asked.

The boy was paleskinned and frail, and looked as if he had little or no desire at all to be there.

"Sir, I thought we weren't allowed to address supierors so informally," he pointed out.

Zack frowned. "Well, this will just be between us. If someone else is around, you've got to address me as Lueitenant Taylor. I just hate being called that."

The boy nodded and sat down.

"Now listen," Zack began to talk. "I'm here to give you a basic, two week training in what is neccessary to become a member of our army. At the end of these two weeks, you will be tested in your skills by a higher ranking officer and he will decide if you make it into the new flank."

The boys began chatting simutaneously, and Zack hushed them again.

"Now listen, we're gonna have fun, but you've got to be quiet. Now, I suppose we should begin with a soldier style warm up. We'll start that with five laps around the perimeter of this Training Center."

The boys groaned unhappily.

Scarlet woke the next morning with a spliting headache. In fact, her headache was so bad that she didn't immediately realize she was shackled to a desk chair in a strange, blue carpeted office.

When her vision finally cleared up, she blinked as she tried to move her arms. She cursed to herself through the pain in her head. Confused, she snarled angrilly at nothing in particular. She looked up, to see she was sitting opposite someone's desk.

She focused and saw that Jonny was sitting behind the desk, typing on a computer. She immediately began to struggle with the duct tape that was confining her to the chair.

Jonny took notice of this and looked at her. "Scarlet, darling, calm yourself. You're getting flushed.

Scarlet bit her bottom lip and looked at him. "What the hell is going on?!" she demanded. "Where am I? Why am I tied up?! What time is it!?" Scarlet knew something was wrong. There was no way she drank this much.

Jonny shook his head and laughed at her. "Oh, Scarlet, dear. This is an explanation you're going to just love."

"Let me out!" Scarlet answered back. "I'm going to call the police!"

Jonny ignored her. "Just sit tight and listen to the story."

Scarlet's eyes burned red rage at her assailant. How did this happen to her?

Jonny leaned back in his chair.

"Let's start off with proper introductions," he said. "For one, my name really isn't 'Jonny'. It's actually Jonathan Ross. Of Ross Energy Corporation."

Scarlet gasped.

Jonathan smiled. "Surprised?"

Scarlet's face contorted in anger. "What do you think you're doing?" asked. "What do you want me for?"

Jonathan's smirk angered Scarlet . "Quite a few things, actually."

Scarlet shook her arms again, but to no avail. She looked back up at Jonathan and snorted in the similar fashion of a bull ready to charge.

"Now, now, calm down," Jonathan said. "Let me explain. I know you're the top weapons specialist as Shin-Ra, correct?"

Scarlet leered at him angrilly.

"Well, here at Ross we're working on weapons as well. Human weapons."

Scarlet made a confused face. "Human weapons?"

"That's right," Jonathan said. "We're preparing to wage a war against Shin-Ra. Of course, before we can do that, we need to build an army."

Scarlet began shaking her arms again.

Jonathan ignored her attempts to free herself and continued. "We're creating an army that will be more powerful than SOLDIER. We're taking regular human recruits, training them, and then enhancing them with AI technology."

"What?" Scarlet gasped. "You sick freak! You can't do that!"

"I certainly can," Jonathan retorted, smiling. "Especially now that I have you to help me."

Scarlet struggled again in her confines. "Hell no! I won't help you try to destroy Shin-Ra!"

Jonathan laughed. "Oh, sure you will."

Scarlet was about to curse a blue streak when three huge guards dressed in black attire approached her chair. They'd been standing in the back of the room the whole time, so silently Scarlet had no idea they were even there. One grabbed her shoulders, but before she could scream, another placed a wet cloth over her face.

Jonathan smiled and returned to his work as Scarlet passed out and was dragged out of his office by the guards.

Striker stared at the beautiful, sparkling Junon River and frowned. He still couldn't get over the gruff and blunt way Lord Godo had turned down his request to date Yuffie. The young Materia Hunter had tried to comfort him, but Striker didn't see much point. There would be no way to get around Godo, and both he and Yuffie knew. As definant as Yuffie was, he knew it didn't matter much, but still Striker felt like a failure.

"What's wrong?"

Striker turned and saw Kat standing behind him, her golden brown eyes squinting from the sun and her auburn locks chasing the breeze. She gave him a humble smile.

"A lot of things," Striker sighed unhappily. "I'm a failure."

"Failure?" Kat repeated, stepping beside Striker and peering down at the river. "How do you figure?"

"Godo turned me down," he said.

Kat frowned and turned to look at him. "Turned you down? Why?"

Striker shrugged. "He said I didn't ask him in the correct way," Striker explained. "But I think he dislikes me because I was once a part of SOLDIER."

"Well, don't worry about it," Kat said, resting her small hand on his shoulder. "The more he gets to know you, he'll begin to change his mind, I'm sure."

"Godo is a very stubborn man," a voice said behind them.

They both turned, surprised to see Naoko behind them. She came closer.

"I was in those apple orchards by the hills and I noticed you standing here," she said. "Don't worry about Godo. He's always been that way, that's how he runs our country. Kat is right, one day he will change his mind."

Striker nodded and shrugged, turning back to the crystalline water. Kat smiled gingerly at him, and Naoko sat on the soft grass and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Kat asked.

"Meditating," Naoko said in a soft voice, keeping her eyes closed.

"Maybe I need some of that," Striker said, sitting on the grass as well. He mimicked Naoko's posture and closed his eyes.

Kat rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm going to the wardrobe shop. I meant to buy a kimono before I head home."

Striker kept his eyes shut and listened to Kat's footsteps in the grass disappear. Naoko let out a soft sigh, and Striker opened his eyes to peer at her. She seemed so peaceful and serene, it almost looked as though she were floating.

"Focus your mind on things that please you," Naoko said, sensing his eyes on her. "It will relax you."

Striker closed his eyes and thought about his family in Sector Seven.

"David! David, get in here!"

Fifteen year old Striker marched into the small kitchen of the sector 7 apartment he, his mother, older sister Rasheeda and younger brother Khalil lived in. Today was his birthday, but Striker had been so busy causing trouble in the streets he'd forgotten.

"Happy Birthday, Striker!"

India Strikerson, his mother, who was very pale skinned for her race, stood in front of a small but nicely decorated home baked birthday cake. He'd gotten his greenish honey colored eyes from her, as they were a bright, sparkling forest green color. Her hair was naturally dark red, and she wore it tied back in a neat ponytail. Her child bearing hips and full chest were nicely flattered in the brown pantsuit she wore, and she stared adoringly at her oldest son.

Two years older than Striker, Rasheeda was seventeen and already one of the most beautiful girls Striker and especially his friends had ever seen. She'd recieved her beauty obviously from her mother - the same heart shaped face and reddish toned brown hair, which hung thick and straight down her back. Her eyes were not green, however, but a beautiful light brown. Her skin wasn't as light as India's, but closer to Striker's caramel complexion. She was tall, almost 5'10, with a body most grown women would kill for. She sat on the kitchen table, one leg hanging over the edge and the other perched on a chair, grinning at her brother on his fifteenth birthday.

Khalil, who was eleven, sat quietly in a chair, waiting for the cake to be cut. Khalil was the darkest in the family, and Striker assumed his looks came from his father, whom was different from his and Rasheeda's father. Striker had never met his own father, he'd left them shortly after he was born. Khalil's father was a drug dealer and was killed before Khalil had turned six. Striker didn't mind, though, because his stepfather had been mean to him and would often yell at or even hit his mother.

"Wow," Striker said, smiling slightly at his family. "I completely forgot today was my birthday..."

"How could you forget?" Rasheeda asked, tossing her long hair behind her back. "I never forget mine."

"That's because you're spoiled," Khalil suddenly spoke.

Rasheeda shot him a dirty look and tossed a plastic fork at the boy. Striker laughed out loud, happy to be with his family and not out on the streets. His mother frowned and scolded both Rasheeda and Khalil.

She turned to Striker. "Well, make a wish and blow out your candles."

Striker nodded and did just that. When the candles went out, they all clapped.

"I have something for you," his mother said, walking over to a small drawer. She pulled out an envelope and handed it to Striker.

"This came for you yesterday," she said, smiling.

Striker tore open the envelope and pulled out a letter. His eyes scanned over it quickly, and he looked up at his mother in surprise.

"This is from SOLDIER!" he announced. "They want to recruit me!"

His mother clasped her hands together. She didn't want to send her son off to the army, but it was all he ever talked about. The sheer look of happiness on his face made her gleeful as well.

"That's wonderful, David," she said.

Khalil was excited about the whole idea, and Rasheeda smiled sorrowfully. Striker hugged them all in his celebration.

"I guess I got my wish after all," he said proudly.

Striker opened his eyes after being lost in the memories, surprised to see Naoko was long gone and the sun was beginning to go down. He stretched his muscles and stood, smiling as he thought about his loving family. But the dark thought of their untimely deaths invaded his mind, and he frowned, turning to go back into town.

"Father, I need to talk to you."

Godo turned from the paperwork on his oakwood desk to see Yuffie standing behind him, frowning widely. He returned her facial expression.

"About what?" he asked, annoyed.

"More than one thing, actually," she said. "First, the thing with Striker - "

"Is done and over with," Godo interrupted her. "I have made my decision and I'm not changing it."

"But that isn't fair!" Yuffie whined. "He's done nothing wrong! He's a nice guy who only wants the best for me. I care about him!"

"I don't want to hear it," Godo said. "Besides, I have already selected a suitor for you that I find will be much better. He is older, wiser, and mature. You need those things."

Yuffie's face turned red with embarrassment and rage. "You- you found me a suitor! How could you? Who is he?"

"His name is Tai," Godo said. "You'll meet him at dinner tommorrow evening. Case dismissed."

Yuffie shook her fists at her sides, wishing she could grab her father by his balding ponytail and knock some reason into him.

"What else did you want to speak to me about?" Godo asked.

Yuffie had become so angry she'd forgotten all about that. "It's about Ross Energy," she said through grit teeth. "I don't think you should let them run Wutai. I heard their bad news."

"Oh, and I suppose you heard this from your little Shin-Ra and AVALANCHE friends, right?" Godo said sardonically. "Why should I beileve them? Or purhaps I should just rely on Shin-Ra for energy?"

"Yes!" Yuffie replied. "You know they're not the way they used to be!"

"Yuffie, ever heard the old saying, 'Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me?"

Yuffie's nostrils flared.

"It means I am not going to trust Shin-Ra no matter what you or anyone else says. Now please, leave me be. I have work to do and this whole discussion was pointless."

"Fine!" Yuffie exploded. "I can't stand you! And I won't be at that dinner tommorrow either!"

"Yes you will!" Godo fired back.

Yuffie stormed out the room and slammed the door so hard pictures on the wall and Godo's desk shook. He frowned and shook his head.

"That girl will never listen..." he said to himself.

Kaori sat on one of the rocky cliffs near Midgar, rubbing her temples, furiously. The long, four day hike from the Temple of the Ancients to this region tired her greatly. She still had a way to go to get to the Ancient City.

"The planet is crying!" she said angrily to herself. "Someone is undoubtably trying to destroy it!"

Kaori shook her head, hoping to disengage the Planet's cries from her mind. But it was no use, that was part of being a Cetra.

"I've got to find out who's causing this," she complained. "That will take time away from my plans. But I can't rule my Planet if these stupid humans are killing it!"

Before Kaori could formulate her plans further, something that had been ticking in the back of her mind finally surfaced. She pointed her gaze in the direction of Midgar.

"Cetra?" she wondered aloud. "More Cetra?"

Kaori was stunned. If there were more Cetra on the Planet, they'd no doubt help her cause. They shouldn't be as naive as Lestros. She stood up and stretched her legs.

"I've got to find them," she said. "Its at least another day's walk in that direction, but I must."

Kaori began her next hike to Midgar.

"I'm so glad you came to visit me, Aeris," Tayeko said, leading her Cetra cousin into the apartment. "I know its probably difficult, since you're moving into your new home in Junon and all."

Aeris grinned and rested a hand on Tayeko's stomach. "Don't worry about it," she said. "We haven't even gotten any furniture yet."

Tayeko smiled and sat on the couch.

Aeris sat beside her. "Gosh, I can't believe you're having twins. What are you gonna name them?"

Tayeko shrugged. "I'm sure we'll name the boy Shen, after my father, but we're not sure about the girl."

"I'm so excited," Aeris exclaimed. "I can't wait to see Tifa's baby either. What time did she want us to come over?"

Tayeko looked at her clock. "She told me to give her a call when you arrived."

Just as Tayeko stood to walk to the phone, both Cetra stopped dead in their movements and dropped to the floor on their knees. Aeris covered her head, and Tayeko grabbed strands of her hair and tugged them.

"Oh, god!" Aeris cried from the floor. "Do you... do you hear that!?"

At first, Tayeko did not respond. She curled herself close together on the floor and rocked back and forth in a fetal position. She suddenly snapped her head up and looked at Aeris, her violet eyes wide in surprise.

"I've never heard anything like that before!" she exclaimed.

Aeris rose to her knees and rubbed her eyes. "It was strange..." she said. "Like the crying of Planet, but different..."

"It seemed muffled by another voice," Tayeko commented. "Did you hear that?"

"Right," Aeris agreed. "It sounded like a strange voice, talking over the Planet's cry. What could that mean?"

Tayeko wiped her forehead. "I don't know." She put a hand to her stomach and sat back on the bed. "I think we should go see Tifa now."

Aeris sat back down, deep in thought as Tayeko called Tifa to tell her they were on her way. Tifa offered to send a cab, but Tayeko explained the walk would be good for her. Aeris remained confused the whole walk to Tifa's bar.

"I don't understand," she said, kicking garbage as they walked through the streets. "We both heard it, and we're both Cetra, so it must mean something. I'm afraid."

Tayeko nodded in agreement. "So am I."

Tifa sat with Jewel in her arms, rocking the tiny baby. Tayeko and Aeris looked down at her, smiling.

"I'm so glad you guys came to visit me," Tifa said. "I missed you so much."

"We missed you too," Aeris said. "Jewel is so beautiful."

"That she is," Tayeko agreed.

Tifa blushed and smiled. "Thank you, -"

Tifa was interrupted by a loud crash downstairs.

"What was that?" Tayeko asked, looking around.

Tifa shook her head. "Ever since I took this maternity leave, things have been breaking nonstop downstairs. My hired help is young and inexperienced, and Cloud is clumsy managment." She sighed and shook her head, smiling ruefully.

Tayeko sat back on the couch, resting her hands on her growing belly. "You know what happened to me and Aeris today?" she began. "We heard a strange cry."

Tifa looked up in worry.

"Right," Aeris agreed, sitting on the couch besides Tayeko. "It sounded like the Planet was crying, but it was especially fearful, almost like a paniced shriek. And it also sounded like there was a muffled voice over it, like someone was trying to speak to us over the cries."

Tifa rose and placed Jewel into the small crib beside the recliner she sat in. She put her hands on her hips and looked at her friends.

"What could that mean?"

"I don't know," Tayeko answered in a shaking voice. "But I'm scared. I'm not ready for any more drama. You just had a baby and I'm about to bring two more into this world."

"That worries me," Tifa said thoughtfully. "Because Red called here the other night and told us that the Lifestream was acting strange, and he was concerned."

"Acting strange?" Aeris repeated. "What do you mean?"

Tifa sat back down. "Remember when you three returned to the Planet through the Lifestream?" she questioned. "Well, Red observed that before you arrived through one of Bugenhagen's contraptions that measures the Lifestream's wavelengths. He could tell that something was passing through the Lifestream into our world; he could even tell if it was strong physically or magically. He said something similar is happing."

"Oh no," Aeris gasped. "What could be passing through now?"

Tayeko let her head hit the back of the couch. "More trouble. More fighting, more death, more pain. Won't it end? Can't we be happy?"

Tifa looked at her two closest friends sympathetically. "It'll be alright, I hope. I'm going downstairs to tell Cloud about this."

Cloud was not at all pleased to hear Tayeko and Aeris' story. He immediatley called Red and told him.

"More cries from the Planet?" Red said thoughtfully. "That cannot be good. The Lifestream's inaccuracies have subsided, which means whatever passed through is here now.

"That may be why Tayeko and Aeris heard the cries," Cloud suggested.

Red sighed deeply, but it came out sounding more like a growl. "I don't know what to tell you, Cloud. Until we get a clue, or until something happens, there's not much we can do."

Cloud agreed and hung up with Red. He turned to his wife and two friends.

"Just be careful," he told them. "Aeris, how are you getting back to Junon?"

"I was going to rent a Chocobo," she answered.

Cloud frowned. "I don't like the idea of that," he said. "Maybe I can get a Reeve to lend you a helicopter."

"Oh, stop it," Aeris complained. "I'm perfectly capable of getting to Junon on Chocobo. I can take care of myself."

Cloud shook his head, knowing there was no point in arguing with Aeris once she made her mind.

"Well, then you better leave now, before it gets dark. And make sure you get a fast chocobo, even if it cost more gil!"

Aeris, Tayeko, and Tifa all laughed at Cloud's overprotectiveness. Aeris shook her head and began to gather her things.

"Come on, Tayeko. I'll walk you to your apartment before I leave."

The sun was just going down as Aeris rode a swift and well behaved yellow Chocobo named Jolly towards Junon. The weather was a bit warm, as usual, but the ride was still enjoyable and the view of the landscape was gorgeous. Aeris chuckled as she thought of how Cloud didn't want her riding home on the bird, and how Zack would react the same way if he knew all that was going on.

Aeris thought about Zack. She was very happy for him, getting his new job and all. It was something he obviously enjoyed, she could tell by how excited he was about it. The move to Junon had come out of nowhere, and she was still a bit exhausted from staying up all night packing their things to take. She chuckled as she thought of the look on Elmyra's face when they told her the news, and the many times she tried to convice Aeris to stay.

Although Aeris was very happy, she wondered why Zack hadn't proposed to her yet. She knew they were still young, as Elmyra reminded her many times, but she couldn't help but think of how eager Cloud and Sephiroth had been to ask Tifa and Tayeko to marry them. Sephiroth was much older than them, even Tayeko was a few years older than her, but Cloud was the same age as Zack, and Aeris was even older than Tifa. That couldn't be the excuse.

Aeris couldn't help but think that perhaps Zack was just not ready for commitment, and it scared her. After all, ever since he was sixteen, Zack had been a ladie's man and didn't easily commit to one girl. Then again, she was the first girl he stayed with longer than a few nights.

Aeris was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the slim figure that was standing on the grass several feet directly in front of her. The chocobo warked and slowed to a trot, causing Aeris to look up and finally pay attention.

She squinted in the dim sunlight to see who or what was in her way. Her first thought was to guide the chocobo around it, but that was quickly dismissed by her ever growing curiousty.

As the chocobo came neared, Aeris began to feel strange. She shook her head, confused by the weird feeling she had. It was sort of the way she felt around Tayeko, especially when she'd first met her, only now it was stronger and slightly frightening.

Another Cetra?

Aeris blinked, staring at what was obviously a beautiful woman in strange dress. She slowed the chocobo to a halt, carefully looking at the woman as she dismounted.

As she came closer, she saw the woman's intricate features and long, wavy brown hair. She wore a strange white skirt and top, trimmed with gold. In fact, her entire body was trimmed with gold - earrings, bracelets, even a hair piece. Her eyes were a bright jade green that seemed to be glowing in the falling darkness.

"Hi," Aeris said loudly, hoping for a inviting response. "Why are you out here? Do you need a ride?"

The woman smiled. "Oh," she half sighed and half exclaimed, as if she'd met her savior. "You're a Cetra, aren't you?"

Aeris was taken back by this quick twist in conversation. "Why... yes," she answered. She thought of the strange feeling she was having. "Are you?"

The woman stepped closer to her. "Yes," she said, extending a delicate manicure hand. "My name is Kaori."

Aeris shook her hand, marveling in the softness and smoothness of her skin. "I didn't know there were any other Cetra, besides myself and my cousin."

"Neither did I," Kaori lied. "Oh, where are you headed? I left home and I've been wandering. I don't want to go back."

"Home where?" Aeris was being nosy. "Why?"

"Midgar," Kaori answered. "It's my family... hard to talk about..."

Aeris made a sympathetic face. "I understand," she said. "But you were headed in the wrong direction. That way goes back to Midgar."

Kaori nodded and shrugged.

"Well, I'm headed home to Junon," Aeris said. "You can join me, I suppose. I'm very curious to talk to you."

Kaori's eyes brightened like a young child's at Christmas. "Oh, thank you so much, Aeris. I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Aeris said smiling, walking back to the chocobo. Kaori followed and mounted behind her.

As the chocobo rode off again, Kaori slipped her arms around Aeris' waist and pressed against her back. Aeris could feel her body heat and her soft breast against her back. The feeling was almost overwhelming now, so much that Aeris felt she almost couldn't breathe.

"I feel strange," Aeris admitted. "I've never felt like this around another Cetra before, although I've only met one."

Aeris could feel Kaori shrug behind her.

"I almost feel like going back to Midgar so you can meet my cousin, Tayeko. She'll be so excited when she learns there's another Cetra alive.

Kaori leaned her head against Aeris' shoulder.

Aeris kept quiet the rest of the ride, afraid Kaori had fallen asleep on her shoulder. She rode into Junon and they both climbed off the chocobo.

Aeris patted the bird on it's beak and fed it a green. "Have a safe trip back," she sang. The chocobo warbled softly and trotted down the road, ready to return to Midgar.

Kaori looked sleepy and uncomfortable. Aeris frowned.

"That's a lovely outfit you're wearing, but it doesn't seem very comfortable," she pointed out.

"It's not," Kaori admitted.

Aeris shrugged. "You look like you can fit my size, though you're a bit more curvaceous. I hope I have something back at the apartment you can wear.

The walk to Aeris and Zack's complex was short, but the entire time Aeris was confused. She met a beautiful, affectionate Cetra at sundown on the plains between Midgar and Junon, and almost immediately adopted her without knowing anything about her. Zack would have what to say about that.

She'd find out soon.

"Please excuse the condition the apartment is in," Aeris apologized as she keyed into her apartment. "We just moved in a few days ago, and our furniture is few, and not organized. In fact, nothing is. I haven't even thought about decorating.

Kaori brushed off the comment with a smile. Aeris pushed the door open and entered the living room, which so far was only furnished with a gray couch, halogen lamp, and a television that was sitting on the floor.

Zack was sprawled out on the couch barefoot in a pair of swearpants, one hand holding the remote and the other laying on his chest. His black hair was wild and messy, and Aeris was slightly embarrassed.

"Hey babe!" Zack said cheerfully, although from the looks of it he was rather tired. His gaze fell on Kaori. "Who's that?"

Aeris shut the door and turned to her new friend. "This is Kaori," she said. "I met her on my way home. She's a Cetra!"

"Cetra?" Zack repeated, confused. "Really? I didn't know there were anymore!"

"Me either," Aeris responded excitedly. "That's why I was so glad to meet her!"

Zack scratched his head and sat up.

"Kaori, this is my boyfriend, Zack," Aeris said.

"Nice to meet you," Kaori spoke for the first time.

"You too," Zack said, intrigued by her clothing. She looked like some sort of queen or princess.

Aeris noticed his stare. "Oh, Kaori. Let me get you something more comfortable to wear."

"She's staying?" Zack asked, not meaning to be rude but certainly sounding like it.

Aeris made a face. "Yes, she's staying," she answered. "She left home and needs a place to stay. Something wrong with that?"

Zack shook his head skeptically, opting not to get Aeris upset.

Kaori followed Aeris into the bedroom she shared with Zack, which so far only had a full sized bed and suitcases full of clothes. She flicked the room light on and walked over to one of the suitcases.

"I'll give you something to sleep in for now," Aeris said. "Here's a night shirt. One size fits all."

Kaori took the shirt and gave it a strange look.

"I'll be in the living room," Aeris said. "Come in when you're through."

Kaori stared at Aeris' back as she left the room. She started to slip out of her own clothes. She frowned.

Her lover is a human, she thought. Why is that? Must be because there are no Cetra males. How sad...

Kaori chuckled softly. It doesn't matter, I'll make her see the light... and this cousin of hers too...

"Um, Aeris?"

"Yes?" Aeris answered, sitting beside Zack on the couch.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, you only met her today."

Aeris rolled her eyes, prepared for this speech. "Oh, Zack, I'm a grown woman. I can't have friends?"

Zack shrugged. "I'm just saying, you never know. It just seems a bit strange you met another Cetra out in the middle of a monster ridden plain near Midgar."

"She was lost!" Aeris exclaimed. "I helped her."

Zack shook his head, giving up.

"I have other problems to worry about," Aeris said.

"Oh? Like what?"

"Today, Tayeko and I both heard the planet cry. But it was very strange, and frightening."

"Really? What's it mean?"

"I don't know," Aeris answered, unsure. "But then Tifa told us that Red was concerned about some disturbances in the Lifestream."

"Disturbances?" Zack queried. "What sort of disturbanced?"

"Like when I returned to life," Aeris answered.

Zack made a concerned face. "Why don't you ask you're new friend if she heard the cries, since she's a Cetra. Maybe she know's more about it."

"That's a good idea," Aeris agreed.

Kaori returned to the living room wearing the long nightshirt and her hair time back. She looked more simple than before, but was still unbeilevably gorgeous.

"Hey Kaori, have a seat," Aeris offered, patting the last available space on the couch. "Would you like to watch anything on TV?"

Kaori sat as she was told and gave the TV a confused look. She'd never seen a contraption like it before.

"I...I..."

"Guess I'll catch the game," Zack interjected. "I had a long day."

"Oh, how was work?" Aeris asked.

"Tough, but fun," Zack answered. "Those kids are a bunch of rowdy knuckleheads. Not that I wasn't when I was a recruit."

Kaori was glad the attention was off of her. She was very confused about some of the things she'd seen since she returned to the planet. Televisions was one. She'd stopped in the kitchen and saw so many strange contraptions. She hoped she could get through her misson without having to deal with all this foolish human technology.

"Kaori, did you hear the Planet cry ealier today?"

Kaori brightened. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Oh, it was horrible. What's going on? Who's hurting the Planet again?"

Aeris shrugged. "Beats me."

"Humans," Kaori muttered under her breath.

Zack gave her a spiteful look, and Aeris shrugged.

Striker was walking through the Wutain cobblestone streets after dusk, not really sure what he wanted to do with himself.

He was about to turn into the pub when something in his periphrial caught his eye. He turned to see Yuffie walking toward her father's palace, dressed in exquiste clothing. Her short hair was parted so that half of it was done up, the rest hanging down around her neck. She had on a shiny, dark red colored kimono, that was adorned with gold plated patterns. She stomped through the streets on wedged sandals, holding the kimono up with her hands so it wouldn't touch the floor. Her face was flushed and looked slightly agitated.

After getting passed the initial shock of seeing Yuffie in such extravagant clothes, he stepped in her direction and called out to her.

"Yuffie? Yuffie!"

Yuffie stopped her march and spun around to face Striker, who started jogging towards her. Her annoyed expression softened when she saw Striker approach.

"Where are you going, Yuffie?" he asked. "You look... um...uh..."

"Like a girl?" Yuffie shot back at him, frowning and folding her arms.

Striker couldn't help but chuckle. "Well... yeah... but what I meant to say was that you look really pretty."

Yuffie rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn't help but blush. "I'm going to dinner at my father's palace," she muttered. "He... he wants me to meet another suiter."

Striker's face fell, and he looked down at his worn boots. "Oh... I see..."

"Don't worry, Striker," Yuffie said almost cheerfully, coming closer to him. "You know I never listen to my father. If he keeps this charade up longer than I can stand you and I will be on the next chocobo out of Wutai in fifteen seconds."

Striker smiled and nodded, feeling slightly better. Yuffie's firey and stubborn will was still no match for anything Godo tried to force her into.

"Well, I'm gonna be late," Yuffie said. "I'll stop by the inn late tonight to see you."

Striker nodded and hugged Yuffie, pecking her softly on the cheek. The girl grabbed the hems of her skirt and marched back in the direction of the palace.

Striker turned away from her, and walked quietly back towards the inn. Though he was confident Yuffie would get through, the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something would go wrong just wouldn't go away.

Yuffie stepped inside the large, gold plated door that led to the inside of the palace, shoving away servants that attempted to walk with her or help her. She was a good five minutes late, but in Wutain culture that was cause for disaster.

She pushed her way into the dining hall, and her eyes scanned the table. Godo sat at the head, a huge frown on his face. Rapps, Gorki, Shake, Chekov and Staniv were seated around the table as well, and on Godo's right side, a man who was obviously Tai sat. Yuffie frowned at him. He was very tall and masculine, and his face looked as though it had never learned to smile. His long black hair was tied into a tight ponytail, and his eyes were like shiny black pearls staring at her.

"Yuffie," Godo called in a stern but low voice. "Why are you so late? You are insulting our guests."

Yuffie shrugged. "I had to wait a while for them to finish my Kimono," she lied.

Godo's nostrils flared and he pointed to a empty chair on his left side, across from Tai. "Have a seat," he told her.

Yuffie walked around the table, almost tripping over her heels before she made it to her seat. She giggled, but no one was amused at all.

"Well," Godo began, as servants began serving drinks. "Yuffie, I'd like for you to meet Tai Ikiro. He lived on the other side of Wutai most of his life, and had fine skills that will make him a wonderful suitor for you."

Tai stood and reached across the table, taking Yuffie's hand and planting a kiss on it. "A pleasure, Miss Yuffie," he said.

"Yeah," Yuffie muttered, quickly retracting her hand. Godo frowned angrilly at her informality.

"Miss Yuffie," Shake began, "Tai is one of the strongest and most skilled young men in our country. He was raised near the mountain range and can hunt, fight, and build."

Yuffie was bored. "What else?"

"He fought in our army for several years," Gorki added. "Against Midgar."

Yuffie glared at Gorki. "Against Midgar? How old is this guy?"

"Yuffie!" Godo snarled angrilly. "That is rude!"

"I've gotta know," Yuffie said, leaning back in her chair rebelliously. "I'm only about to be seventeen."

"He's twenty seven," Staniv said quietly.

Godo gave Staniv a lethal glare as Yuffie nearly exploded.

"Twenty seven?!" she cried, rising from her seat. "That's too old! I'm getting out of here!"

"Sit down, Yuffie!" Godo screamed, standing as well. "You haven't been excused!"

"I don't care!" Yuffie screamed back, moving away from the table. "Why did you even try to do something like this, Father? I don't like him, I'll never love him! I love Striker! I'm out of here!"

"Yuffie, get back here!" Godo yelled at her back as she ran towards the doors. "You're going to be sorry, you self centered little brat!"

The reply Godod received was nothing but the slam of the doors behind Yuffie as she ran out. Enraged, Godo grabbed the back of one of the chairs and tossed it across the floor. Tai's face looked as though he had expected this display.

"I knew it was going to happen, your Majesty," Chekov said. "I warned you."

"That he did," Gorki agreed.

Godo ignored them, and stormed out of the dining hall, determined he would find a way to make Yuffie do as he said.

:::tap::: :::tap:::

Striker lifted his head off the pillow of his bed and glanced at the door. He rubbed his eyes slowly, wondering who could be knocking.

He rose from the bed slowly and shuffled to the door. He peered through the peephole, but seeing nothing he pulled the door open.

Yuffie stood there, wearing her regular clothes and holding a huge duffle bag.

"Geez," Striker mumbled, laughing. "You're so short, I couldn't even see you through the peephole."

"Shut up," Yuffie shot at him, pushing past him into the room. "Come on, get packed up. Let's go."

Striker scratched his head. "What's wrong? I take it didn't go very well tonight?"

"Of course not," Yuffie muttered, pulling Striker's own clothes out of the drawers and tossing them onto the bed. "My father is stark raving mad. He's looking all over Wutai for me and we've got to get out of here alive."

"Alive?" Striker questioned cautiously, grabbing his duffle and starting to pack it. "What does that mean?"

"Shake is Naoko's father," Yuffie began to explain. "She told me that my father is planning to have you killed to keep us apart. She's going to help us get out of Wutai tonight, so hurry and finish packing."

Striker dropped a roll of socks into his bag and stared at her unbelievingly. "Kill?"

"Yes!" Yuffie nearly screamed. "Hurry!"

"What about Kat?"

"Kat's already gone home to Rufus," Yuffie sighed. "She doesn't know about any of this. Get a move on!"

Striker remained silent and quickly finished packing his bag. He pulled on a hooded sweatshirt to hide his face. They rushed down to the lobby and Striker tossed his key on the desk, as Yuffie nearly dragged him out the door. Naoko was waiting outside.

"Come on," she whispered. "Godo's got soldiers all over looking for you two. You know the old lady with the cats? She's got a chocobo that she's been taking care of for awhile that can get you out of here safely."

"Where is it?" Striker asked.

"This way," she said. "It's behind her house. Stay in the shadows."

Naoko, Yuffie, and Striker quietly crept down the streets towards the woman's house, careful the guards could not see or hear them. Soldiers were certainly everywhere, and Striker's heart pounded in his chest as saw them standing out in the open. He fingered the hilt of his sword, the Jagged Edge, but figured it would not help him much if most of Godo's army came after him.

"We're almost there," Naoko said. Go around the back of the house and find the bird. I'll watch from here."

Yuffie and Striker tiptoed around the back and spotted the chocobo, who was laying in a small patch of grass. Yuffie pranced over to it and tried to get it to stand.

"Wark!"

"Shh!" Yuffie moaned, gently pulling the bird to it's feet. "Come on, that's a good birdie..."

Striker attempted to climb on the chocobo, but again it warked.

"Damn! He won't shut up!" Striker said, finally balancing himself atop the resisting bird.

"We don't have time to worry," Yuffie said, hopping on the bird behind Striker. "Let's just go!"

"What was that?" Striker suddenly asked.

"What?"

"That creaking sound..."

They turned to see the back door of the house was open, and the old women was standing there, a green in her hand. She squinted her eyes at them.

"W... where are you going with Igomi! That's my Igomi!!"

"Just go!" Yuffie cried, looking at Striker's terrified expression. "She's old!"

Striker kicked the chocobo's side and it broke of into a mad run, racing around the house to where Naoko was standing.

"Hurry!" she cried behind them. "Soldiers are coming!"

Yuffie looked over her shoulder to see that Naoko was not kidding. A large group of soldiers were running several feet behind where Naoko stood, and they began shouting angrily.

"Shit!" Striker cursed. "There's the exit! Will they follow us outside of the country?"

"Not very far," Yuffie admitted. "This chocobo is not going to get us over the water, though. I'm gonna have to call Cid."

"Oh, Yuffie!!"

Yuffie turned around after hearing the blood curdling cry, only to see one of the soldiers had scooped Naoko up and was dangling her by her hair. The other soldiers kept following after them.

"Naoko!"

"What happened?" Striker asked as the chocobo ran out of Wutai's gates.

"I don't know! They grabbed her! They're probably going to do something horrible!"

Striker fell silent and directed the chocobo to a dirt mountain path. "They won't find us here," he said. "Call Cid so he can get us out of here."

Yuffie sobbed quietly against Striker's back as she pulled her PHS out. "All this because I wouldn't listen to my father..." she muttered.

"You have to listen to your heart, Yuffie," Striker said. "Your father is the one who is wrong in this situation."

"Yeah..." Yuffie agreed. "I just hope everything works out."