Sephiroth

[Sabir began to argue with the receptionist, who called several shinra guards to try and calm her down] guard1: please madam, just calm down, the mayor will be with you shortly sabir: don't tell me to calm down, we've been waiting over an hour! what's so important that he can just sit his butt in there all day? guard2: the mayor is a busy man, he will be with you shortly moe: don't give me that, shinra run everything, the mayor is nothing more than a mere puppet, now let us see the mayor ???: whats all this commosion? [they all turned to see a short, fat man, wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans, and a black bowler hat] guard: nothing that concerns you, mayor floyd, we are taking care of this matter floyd: who are these people? state your business moe: we came about an hour ago to talk to you, it's important floyd: and who might you be? moe: moe.....moe strife floyd: ......the son of cloud strife? [moe nods his head in acceptance] floyd: then why didn't you say so?! clara, why didn't you tell me this? receptionist: ....... floyd: never mind that, please, come into my office [the group step into the mayor's office, and take seats on the chairs in front of his desk] to be continued....

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Zachary [/i] [B]actually some magazines i read gamve it a bad score like 7.0. I consider that bad:laugh: [/B][/QUOTE] yeah, well some magazines can be harsh on sequels, or it may be that they just didn't like the controls because of the consoles controller, I personally have not played the game yet so I cannot really comment on it....

did anyone hear about how the console is doing in the US now? sales has begun to decrease while ps2 sales still remain strong, I don't like how this is going, the xbox needs to come out with some good games and fast, they can't just rely on halo, DOA3, project gotham racer, and JSR future to keep the console going....

"Let's get moving," Cloud said. Aeris slung her snowboard over her back and followed Cloud as he led them down the trail. She had been uncomfortable on the board, but she thought she had done quite well for a beginer. Cait had barely been able to stand on the board, and though she had tried to stay with him for moral support, he went so slowly that after about the tenth time he waved for her to go on she did just that. Cloud had stayed with her, though she knew he could have easily outdistanced her if he had chosen to. Though she hadn't done badly she was still glad to be off the board and on her own two feet. They trudged through the forest for quite some time in silence. Aeris wasn't exactly sure what she should be looking for. Some sign of Yuffie, she knew, but she hardly expected to run into her walking down the trail in the other direction. With last night's snowfall, it didn't seem likely they would find any tracks either. She kept her eyes open, but all she saw was the empty trail ahead and the snow clad trees all around. Eventually they came to a large clearing with a frozen lake in the center. Cloud walked to the edge of the ice and looked out across the lake. He turned to the others. "There's an island out there with a small cave. I remember it from the last time we were here. We should go check it out, but the ice on the lake is trecherous. Aeris, you better wait here while Cait and I go take a look." "What, it's too dangerous for a girl?" she said, somewhat indignently. "That's not what I meant," he replied. He had been hoping she wouldn't object, but to tell the truth, he hadn't been that hopeful. "It'll be better if we have someone back here safe. Then if we get in trouble, you can give us a hand or get us some help." Aeris looked at him for a moment. "Nice try," she said finally, "but I'm coming along." Cloud turned away and shook his head. Women! He started off across the ice, realizing that arguing was pointless. Aeris and Cait followed. Cloud remembered that the ice had been breaking up in the middle of the lake the last time, but now it was a solid sheet. It must be colder than it had been then, he thought. It made the going a little easier, but the wind and water had churned up the ice as it had frozen and there were jagged humps and narrow crevices they had to negotiate, so it was still trecherous, but they made it across without mishap. The entrance to the cave was narrow and little over three feet high. They had to get down on hands and knees to enter. Aeris wasn't comfortable squeezing into such as small space, but she did not protest, and inside the cave was roomy enough. They could see as soon as they entered that the cave had been inhabited some time in the past. There were some ragged sacks, or perhaps clothing, and the broken handle of what might have been a shovel in one corner, and there was a ring of ashes and some charred wood in the center of the room. "Do you think this could have been left by Yuffie?" Cait asked, looking around. Cloud pushed the pile of rags around with his foot. "These could have been left by anybody," he replied. "I seem to remember at least some of this stuff being here the last time we came though. That fire, however, was not there. Someone has been here not too long ago, but unless we find some better clues, there's no way to tell who it was." They looked around for a short while, but found nothing more. Although he had no proof, Cloud had a hunch this was somehow connected with Yuffie. This was a remote region, almost uninhabited. Any sign that they found at all was more than likely to be connected to her in some way. "Looks like we've seen all we can see here," he commented. "Let's get going." Even if they had found positive proof that Yuffie had been here it still wouldn't tell them much more than that they were on the right track. They squeezed out the entrance and headed back across the ice. This time across Aeris slipped once and banged her knee painfully, but she glanced at Cloud and went on without a word. When they reached land once more they headed north along the eastern shoreline. A mountain rose up steeply on their right as they walked, but they stayed along the lake. Aeris shaded her eyes and looked up the slope. A trail led up that way, and she was glad they weren't going in that direction. She was tired enough trudging through the deep snow, going up the mountain would have made it even more difficult. The lake curved slowly to the left until they found themselves heading west. Aeris noticed that this portion of the lake was ice free, and she could see steam curling off the water. "Is this a hot spring?" she asked. Cloud looked at the lake. "Yeah," he replied. "Let's stop for a minute," she said, walking toward the water without waiting for a reply. As she approached the water she could feel the heat coming off it. She sat down on the edge and inhaled deeply. She had been cold and her knee ached where she had banged it, but the warmth made her feel much better. She turned to the others to call them over. A mound of white was moving toward them out of the trees at the foot of the mountain. "Look out!" she cried. Cloud turned to see a huge cicular mouth bristling with dagger like teeth bearing down on him. With a cry of surprise both he and Cait dodged out of the way. The mouth missed, but the huge bulk of the giant ice worm bowled them both over and sent them sprawling into the snow. Cloud sprang to his feet, struggling to try to unsheath his sword. They had not met any dangerous creatures, and the sad fact was he had let down his guard. Now he flung himself to the side again as the jaws snapped at him one more time. Cait found himself pinned under the creature in the snow, and thought for a moment he might be crushed by the huge weight. He would have been an easy target, but for the fact that the creature was focused on Cloud as it's main course. Cait struggled to pull himself out from under it, but to no avail. He pounded on the creature with his fists, but it felt like he was punching a huge rubber ball, and he doubted if the monster felt anything at all. He glanced over at Aeris, who had not moved from the lake. She was just standing there with her head bowed, not even looking at them. He didn't think there was much she could do, but she could at least lend a hand! Cloud continued to dance wildly around in the snow trying to avoid the worms fearsome jaws, but the snow hindered his movements. As he dodged he looked for some kind of cover, but the treeline was a good thirty yards away, and he would never make it in this deep snow. If it would just give him a moment to draw his sword he would at least have a fighting chance. Suddenly Cait found himself free. The worm had twisted round, swinging it's huge bulk into Cloud and sending him sprawling into deep snow. He scrambled to get up, but the snow made it nearly impossible to move. The worm towered above him. Cait stood up and started to rush over, but the snow hindered him as well, and he knew he could not reach Cloud in time to be of any help. He looked over at Aeris, who suddenly looked up and raised her rod over her head. An aura of yellow light suddenly blazed around her. It swirled and flashed in the air, and then it flashed out and inundated both Cait and Cloud. Instantly Cloud felt himself filled with power. He drew his sword in an instant. He raised it over his head, and it flashed with light. The ice worm struck, and was met by cold steel. Cloud swung with inhuman speed, slashing like lightening, over and over again. Now the worm was stumblling backward, trying to escape from this floundering human that had suddenly turned into a ferocious beast. Cloud pressed in, showing no sign of fatigue or slowing, swinging the sword as if possessed by a demon. The worm reared up once again, but this time in it's death throes. Then it collapsed to the ground and lay still. Cloud looked around, almost as if in a daze. It seemed to take him a long time to realize that the there were no more enemies to fight. Cait stood looking at Cloud. Even though he had felt the power inside himself, he had barely had a chance to move before Cloud had dispatched the beast. Cloud looked at Aeris, who was walking back over to them slowly. "I take it that was your doing," he said. Aeris nodded. "You looked like you needed a hand," she said modestly. A smile formed on his lips. "Thanks," he said. bah, I made chapter 5 too long, more of chapter 5 tomorrow....

dear god, I can't believe you two didn't recognise it, lol, it's ultima weapon from ff8 :p yeah, forbidden planet seem to be selling ff8 models, I saw a few more there too, siren, ifrit, shiva, and a huge odin model, and a huge eden model too, now if only they sold some ff7 summon models....

although this isn't a pet peeve, I find it funny that I seem to be starting some trends here on the boards, I started the whole "topic closed" thing, and now lookie at the staff members, lol :p and now I have resurrected my age old sig from v2, honk if you like sephiroth, and it's taking off yet again, bwahaha!:devil:

after what tom green's been doing in japan, do you seriously think the japanese will buy an american console, lol....

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Zachary [/i] [B]The us version of tekken 4 will have more stuff. More than the japanese have.... [/B][/QUOTE] erm, yeah, just like how the us version of mgs2, ffx, and silent hill had that extra bonus cd, lol.... oh, my mistake, that was the uk, wasn't it, heh heh.... back to the point, I doubt anything extra will be put on the us version, especially since its a fighting game, so :p shadowgohan, so you say soon, huh? I didn't think november is anytime soon, lol....

son gohan would have lost to daboura simply because he got weaker over the years, his strength as an ssj2 would have decreased significantly, meaning his ssj2 strength might have even gone to the level of a high level super saiyajin, like vegita-sama for example, this is probably why vegita was so confident he was stronger.... towards the end of the series, son gohan becomes the second strongest, not vegita, son gohan's mystic ability is almost equal to that of the strength of an ssj3, like I said, almost, but not quite ssj3....

haha! behold my ultima weapon, fear it's might and rage! [url]http://www.btinternet.com/~eraph/UltimaSmall.jpg[/url] got it pretty cheap too, £30, yum yum.... maybe I should have it fighting my ff7 figures and make another funny like I used to before, heh heh....

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by jcgoudy [/i] [B] [color=indigo]No... I don't remember... What is it?! I must know!!! I MUST USE IT AT LEAST ONCE!!!!! (It's the only thing I haven't done, except master KOTR, because I got tired of leveling after about 20-25 hours of it, LOL).[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] look back at a previous emerald weapon thread, I think its the one that I made, I don't remember the title exactly though....

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SS Trunks [/i] [B]I'm changing my character......... basically just to give him more of a Vincent feel to him. Hopefully most of you have played Marvel vs Capcom....... well, Craig looks just like Strider Hiryu off there.... ugh, if you haven't seen him I'll try to find a pic, if not I'll have to give a description. He also has Strider's weapon...... which is a sword like the Ultima Weapon, but it is shorter and thinner, and the inside is red instead of purple....... also, it has two handles, one in the normal position, and one sticking horizontally out of the normal handle. [/B][/QUOTE] hah, I know exactly who strider is, his games totally reeked of awesomeness!

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SS Trunks [/i] [B]Seph, you'll probably end up having to pick a winner..... 'cause I know I'm not going to concede, and I doubt Sabir will. *scratches head* Oh yeah, *honks* [/I] [/B][/QUOTE] yeah, I think I'll have to, I'll pick a winner by monday if neither of you concede by then, I will jugde on post quality and fight style, or I may just do a coin toss, lol.... bwahaha! yet another honk! :devil:

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SuperSayian [/i] [B] Lmao...... I doubt they'll hurry up. and you still have the fight between me and Andrew (If he ever shows up again), so don't expect to get this over with soon. :P And yes, Warlock can be quite the trickster... Oh yeah, Seppy....*honks* :P [/B][/QUOTE] bwahaha, yet another person honks, soon I shall become the supreme ruler of otakuboards! *queue, insane laughter*

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vegeta'sSon [/i] [B] oh, ok...how do you sign up for a rpg? [/B][/QUOTE] if you see an rpg with the words "sign up" next to it, that means you can sign up there, simple really....

I hate neopets, I just don't understand what people find so interesting about it....

half of chapter 5 heading your way.... CHAPTER V WINTER WONDERLAND Tifa turned sharply and slid to a halt. She stepped off her snowboard and looked back up the slope. The others were far behind. She could make out one small figure up on the slope above her, but of the other there was no sign. She studied the figure, but he was too far away to identify. Still, she knew it had to be Red. He was going in much too straight a line to be Barret. She picked up her snowboard and looked around. It had snowed during the night, laying down another six inches of powder over the ground that had already been covered, and blanketing the trees in the forest in front of her with a layer of white. She glanced up. The sky was clear now, and the sun shone brightly, but it gave off little warmth. Although she was flushed with heat from the effort of snowboarding down the slope, she knew it would soon pass. She pulled the zipper on her ski suit up another inch, thankful that they had had the foresight to come properly prepared this time. She looked back up the slope. She could see Red plainly now. He had a rather unique snowboarding method. She had never seen anyone sitting on one before. However, though not very fast it did seem to be effective enough. She looked back up the slope as Red came to a stop beside her. She could see Barret now. He seemed to favor the slide wildly out of control, then fall and roll method of snowboarding. Even as she looked she saw him take a tumble. She shook her head. Cloud would have given her a run for the money. But he was... Oh no, she wasn't going to get started with that again, she thought firmly. This wasn't the time or the place. They waited patiently until Barret stumbled to a halt not far away. He stepped off the snowboard, picked it up, and heaved it into a nearby snowbank. "Goddam stupidest form of transportation I've ever seen!" he said angrily as he walked over to them. Tifa smiled. With his clothing covered with snow from his numerous falls, he looked like nothing so much as a huge polar bear. "What the hell is so funny?" he said, looking at her accusingly. "Nothing," she replied, trying to look innocent. She pointed to the left. "I think the trail leads off this way." "Ungh," he grumbled, and started off. Tifa and Red fell in behind. A narrow trail led into the trees. Tifa looked around, trying to remember if they had come this way when they were here the previous time, but she couldn't be sure. She remembered a lot of walking on trails through the forest, but they all looked pretty much the same to her. The trail led east, and for a long time it ran level through the forest. After a while they came to a rocky area, and they investigated a small cave, but it was empty, and showed no sign of having been visited recently. The path from there led northward, and the ground started to climb up slowly. Eventually they reached a large clearing with a single pine tree near the center. Tifa seemed to remember seeing that before. To the left the forest dropped down into a shallow valley. She could see the gleam of sunlight off of a small lake at the bottem. A trail led down that way, but the one they followed led northward, up steeply into the hills. She was sure they had been this way before, and the climb had not been easy. It was no easier this time, and they were all huffing and puffing when they finally reached a clearing high up on the hillside. "Let's rest here a minute," Barret said. He brushed the snow off a fallen trunk of a tree and sat down. Tifa quickly sat down beside him, gratful for the rest. They were high up in the hills now, and could see miles of wilderness below them. Tifa stared out at the land below. She could see no sign of them, but she knew that somewhere below them the others were making there way though that very same forest. "What a veiw," Barret commented. "Uh huh," she replied. She continued to stare, hoping to see...what? She really didn't know. Maybe a small movement somewhere in the trees below, or perhaps the flash of sunlight glinting off a sword. "Almost makes it worth the trip up here," Barret continued. He looked around. "You know, I'm suprised we haven't run into any wild beasts. They were pretty numerous the last time we came through here. But we haven't seen one." He turned to look at her. "Or am I talking too much again?" She smiled. "No, you can talk. I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to snap at you." "It's okay, I'm a big boy," he replied. "I can take it. I just didn't realize how upset you were about the situation." Tifa was silent for a moment. "It's not even that really," she said finally. "It's not the Turks, although I don't like working with them. It's just that..." "What the hell is he up to?" he interrupted. She looked at Barret, who was looking behind them. She turned to see Red slowly working his way up through the rocks, head down and moving back and forth methodically. "Red?" she called. He did not answer. He continued moving up the rocks. Then he suddenly lept up onto a large boulder and disappeared behind it. They both got up. "Red!" Tifa called. "What are you doing?" There was no response. They walked over the the rocks that Red had climbed. They saw nothing out of the ordinary. They both looked at each other. "Where does he think he's going?" Barret asked. Tifa shrugged. "Don't know, but I guess we better follow." They started up the rocks. They went slowly, for the footing was treacherous. Some of the rocks came free when stepped on, so they had to walk carefully. Eventually, however, they climbed up on the large boulder Red had disappeared beyond. Red was in a narrow cleft that formed a small level clearing among the crumpled rocks of the mountainside. He seemed to be walking around randomly, nose to the ground as if sniffing the rocks. Every once in a while he would lift his head and sniff the air as well. "Red, are you okay?" Tifa questioned. Still he did not answer, though he was barely ten feet away and she knew he must have heard her. He had his head down once more, and now seemed to be concentrating on one small area just under the cliff face. He pawed a few of the rocks out of the way, his nose to the ground. "What the hell had gotten into him?" Barret exclaimed. They stepped down off the boulder and walked over to stand right beside him, but he still acted as if they did not exist. Suddenly he sat down on his haunches, lifted his head to the sky, and gave off a mournful howl. "Red, what the hell is the matter?" Barret shouted. Red howled again. Barret went to grab hold of him but Tifa stopped him. He looked at her, but she just shook her head and pulled his arm back slowly. Barret shugged and they both just stood there. Red howled once more, then his head sank down to the ground. He sniffed once more, then turned towards them. "Sorry, did you say something?" "What the hell was that?" Barret exclaimed. "I'm not quite sure," Red replied. "There's something here, or there was something here. I smell something in the air, and on the rocks, all around. I've never smelled anything quite like it. It made me feel so strange. I don't know how to explain it, but I've never experienced anything like it before." "Something dangerous?" Barret asked. "No, at least, I don't think so. But it isn't like that at all. It makes me feel...good, I think. I can't explain it." Barret gave Red a puzzled look. "Now you're begining to sound like Aeris. You're not making any sense at all." Red shrugged. "Sorry." "Are you all right now?" Tifa asked. "Yes, of course" Red replied. Barret looked around. "Well, if you're done doing...whatever it was you were doing, we better get going. There's only an hour or two of light left. We better get a move on if we are going to cover our area before dark." They climbed back over the rocks and continued north. The trail now wound back downhill. It was much easier going and they soon reached the bottem of the slope. The sun was low in the sky now and hidden behind the mountain. The wind started to pick up, blowing in from the east. It felt much colder, and Tifa pulled her hood up. "Look, there's another cave," Red said, looking over at a dark crevice at the base of the mountain to their left. "Let's check it out," Barret said, starting over. "A good excuse to get out of the cold," Tifa observed, following quickly. The entrance was narrow, but it widened out immediately, and was quite spacious inside. Though the light inside was dim, it appeared empty. Tifa walked toward the back where she thought it might be warmer. Red walked in last and looked around. "Someone has been here," he said. "Huh?" Barret exclaimed. "How can you tell?" "There are faint tracks on the floor," he replied. "Not that recent, but not too old either." He indicated a spot on the floor, and when Barret looked carefully he saw faint footprints. He stood up and looked at Tifa. "There may have been somebody here," he said. "See anything back there?" Tifa looked around, surprised. Somehow she had not expected them to find anything. "No, I don't...oh my God." "What?" Barret exclaimed. They rushed over to Tifa. She was standing with her hands covering her mouth, looking down at a body lying in the rear of the cavern. "It's not Yuffie, is it?" Barret asked. But it was obvious from a glance that it was not. It was a much larger person than Yuffie, and it was a man. He was laying on his stomach, with his face turned partially towards them. Barret looked at his face and at first thought it was a stranger, but then he realized it was familiar. "It's Staniv," he said slowly. "Oh no," Tifa said and turned away. Red came up beside Barret and looked at the body. "Did he freeze to death?" Barret asked. Red did not answer for a moment. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "There aren't any cuts, but a lot of bruises. I don't know if that would have killed him. It looks like he was in some kind of fight though." "Could he have gotten the bruises in a fall?" Barret asked. Tifa steeled herself and turned to look at the body over Red's shoulder. "Good question," Red replied. "Hard to say, though." He turned away and examined the floor for a while. "There are a lot of tracks here," he said after a short silence. "At least five people. I don't think any of them were Yuffie, there's no tracks small enough to be hers. I think he was the victem of foul play. If the others had not been enemies, why would they leave him here?" Tifa had been examining the body slowly, now she turned toward them. "His neck was broken." "What?" Barret said. He walked over to her. She pointed to a bruise on the back of Staniv's neck. "Someone hit him at the base of the skull." "Hit him with what?" Barret asked. "Their fist," she replied. She stood up, still looking at the body. "And these other bruises, I think there's no doubt about it. He was killed by someone trained in martial arts. Someone who was very good." They all stood in silence for a long time. Neither Barret nor Red doubted what Tifa said. Finally Barret turned to look toward the entrance. "We better get moving," he said. "It's almost dark. I think it's time to head to Mr. Holzoff's cabin. We've got a lot to tell the others." No one else spoke, but Red followed Barret toward tne exit. Tifa glanced once more at Staniv's body, shivered, and slowly followed them out. that was part of chapter 5, other half tomorrow, stay tuned....

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by The Merchant [/i] [B] I liked the final episode more than the movie, becouse it said the same epilogue in a more artistic and cultural way. At least this is what i got. [/B][/QUOTE] your the first person I've heard who liked the final episodes, eps 25 and 26, more than the movie, a lot of people don't like the last episodes at all, not only because of its confusion, but because the animation is not as well polished as the other episodes, this was because of budget problems within the company, which forced them to use still cells....

glad to see everything is sorted now, now for gods sake can you two please try and speed this up? this is getting almost as long as the fight I had with warlock in dragonball battlefied, lol....

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by jcgoudy [/i] [B] [color=indigo]You lucky son of a...... I've never gotten All Lucky 7s... [i]EVER![/i] Not one single time!!! And if I ever do, it'll probably be against some dinky overworld enemy... :mad: [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] *whispers* remember that materia tip against emerald weapon I talked about a while back? you can use that to your advantage so you can use the all lucky 7's ;) heck, I've seen it tons of times already, emerald just needs to hit me and it happens....

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by BabyGirl [/i] [B][color=deeppink]Bad grammar. Do U nO wUt I mEaN?[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] bah, I agree with you there.... one peeve I have is when people say tomato instead of tomato, or potato instead of potato, confused? thought so, it's hard to know what I'm talking about in text since you can't hear the accent, ah well....

CHAPTER IV ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY They reached Icicle Inn early that evening. After they had settled in they all gathered around the fireplace in the lobby to dicuss their strategy for the next morning's search. "Godo told me that Yuffie was searching in the great glacier area when she disappeared," Cloud said. "But he doesn't know exactly where she was. It's a big area to search, so we'll have to split up into teams. Reno, you take Rude and Elena and search the western portion of the glacier. Barret, you take Tifa and Red and search the eastern. I'll take Aeris and Cait and search the central area." Reno looked at him thoughtfully but said nothing. Elena and Tifa both seemed to want to say something, but neither one spoke. Cid looked at him. "What about Vincent and I?" he asked. "You take the Slipstream and do an airial reconnaissance. You may see something from the air that we would miss on the ground." Cid nodded. "We'll all work our way north through the glacier and meet at Mr. Holozoff's cabin when we've completed our search. If we don't find anything, we'll tackle the Gaea cliffs the next day. Any questions?" He looked at each of them in turn, but no one spoke. "All right," he said. "Then I suggest we all relax for a while. Just remember that we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Make sure you get plenty of rest." "Thanks, Dad," Elena couldn't help but say. Cloud looked at her for a moment, but then smiled. "Okay, I guess I kind of deserved that." The party split up. The Turks walked over to the bar and sat down. Reno ordered them all drinks. Elena sat beside him, glaring at him angrily. "It's bad enough we have to work with them," she spit out, "but do we have to take orders from Cloud as well. Who's the boss here, anyway?" Reno sighed and turned to look at her. "We are not taking orders from Cloud," he said patiently. "But it would be foolish to quarrel over every move we make. That would just slow us down, and the sooner we finish this mission the sooner we get paid and get rid of them. Besides, what he said made sense." The waiter came over and placed their drinks in front of them. Elena picked hers up and quickly drained it. She banged it back down on the counter and glared at Reno. "I know a lot of unpleasent things about you," she said accusingly, "but I never realized before that you were such a wuss!" She got up and stalked away. Reno raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Rude, who seemed completely undisturbed by the entire conversation. "She seems a bit upset," he observed. "Umm." Reno looked at Rude for a moment. "You didn't know we were going to be working with Cloud," he said finally. "How come you didn't look surprised when we met them?" Rude took a leisurly swig from his glass, then set it down. "Nothing surprises me," he answered with a shrug. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elena headed for an empty table in a dark corner of the bar as far away from the others as she could find and sat down. Damn Reno, she thought. Why did he always have to be so smug? He should have warned them ahead of time who they would be working with. They were Turks, weren't they supposed to stick together? She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. The worst part of it was, he was right, she was letting her emotions get in the way. But she couldn't help it. The pay was good, yes, but it wasn't everything. Reno had known people who died in the reactor blasts too, didn't he feel anything for them? She didn't think she could ever be that cold blooded. "Looks like you're having a difficult time with this." She jumped up and turned to see a dark figure sitting at a table right beside her's. Anger blazed in her eyes, and for a moment Vincent thought she was going to shout at him, but then it passed, and she sat back down again slowly. "Please don't scare me like that," she said wearily. She really didn't feel like taking to anyone right now, but of all the people in Cloud's party, Vincent was the one she disliked the least. After all, he hadn't had anything to do with blowing up the reactors in Midgar, and he had once been a Turk. "Sorry," he said. "I do seem to have that effect on people." Elena looked over to where Reno and Rude were sitting at the bar, but they had their backs to her now. "Sometimes it's hard being a Turk," she said. "I never realized how difficult it would be." "Nothing of value is ever obtained easily," Vincent replied. "Oh, please," she responded, shaking her head. "The last thing I need to hear is some philisophical nonsense." She looked at him with a tinge of anger, but he returned her look unflinchingly with his piercing gaze. She quickly turned away. "Very well, I'll be blunt," he said. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself. So you lost a few friends in a reactor explosion, you think that gives you a monopoly on pain and suffering? You don't know the half of it. I've seen things happen to people I loved that would make your hair stand on end. In fact I'd say it's a safe bet to say that everyone in our entire party has suffered more than you have, and none of them are whining about it. You want me to be straightforward with you, well than here it is in a nutshell. Life sucks. Get used to it." Elena's mouth fell open, and for a long time she just stared at him. Then she closed her mouth and a small smile appeared on her lips. Finally, someone who spoke his mind and didn't sugarcoat it. "Much as I hate to quote Cloud," she said, "but I guess I deserved that." She stood up. "What are you drinking?" she asked. "In the spirit of newfound cooperation between our two parties, it's on me." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barret sat at the far end of the bar, as far from Reno and Rude as he could get, and stared gloomily at the wall while cradling his drink in his hands. He couldn't believe they were actually cooperating with the Turks. He felt someone come up beside him and turned to see Tifa slide into the barstood next to him. The bartender came over and looked at her. "Whatever he's having," she said despondantly, indicating Barret's drink. He looked at her, and from the look on her face it was obvious she was no more happy with the situation than he. The bartender returned with her drink. She gulped down half of it and then put it down, staring gloomily in the direction of Reno and Rude. But she was looking past Reno and Rude. Cloud, Aeris and Red were sitting together near the fireplace, talking quietly. She couldn't help but notice how close together Cloud and Aeris were sitting. She took another gulp from her drink. I'm being a jerk, she thought. It was foolish to be jealous, but she just couldn't help it. She loved Aeris like a sister, and was truely happy to have her back, but it was making things difficult. "I don't see how they expect us to get along with the Turks," Barret grumbled beside her. "Umm," she said distractedly. She knew Cloud cared for Aeris, but she didn't really know whether he looked on her as just a friend or something more. She certainly would never have asked Cloud so blunt a question, and she hadn't asked Aeris. She shook her head. The real reason why she hadn't asked Aeris is that she was afraid of what Aeris might answer. They hadn't seemed that close since Aeris resurrection, but maybe she had just missed it. Why had he chosen her to go with him on the search tomorrow? "In spite of what Cloud might think," Barret continued. "I don't trust them. I'm sure they'd turn on us and Godo in a minute if they saw any profit in it. How do we know what they would do if someone else offered them more gil than Godo is paying them?" Tifa turned to look at Barret and sighed. "Barret, I love you and all, but sometimes the company of someone is all the comfort a person needs. So do me a favor and just shut up!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I never thought we?d end up working with the Turks," Cloud said. Red, who was lying on the floor in front of the fire, turned his head to look at him. "I?ve a feeling that is going to be the main topic of conversation for some time to come," he said. Cloud turned to look at Aeris. Of all of them, she seemed the least disturbed about the situation. "They?ve been hounding you for most of your life, Aeris," he said. "It doesn?t bother you?" She shook her head. "It?s like you said earlier," she replied. "That was a long time ago and things have changed. There is no more Shinra. The Turks don?t have any reason to be after me any more." Cloud shrugged. Not only had the Turks been persecuting her, they also had a hand in the death of both of her parents. Aeris had as much reason, if not more, than any of them to hate the Turks. "You?re more forgiving than I," he said softly. He wasn?t about to forget their battles with the Turks, but he was willing to work with them if necessary. "I think forgiveness would be too much to ask from any of us," Red stated. "I think what we should be shooting for here is tolerance, and even that may be difficult for some of us," he continued, glancing over at the bar. "It won?t do any of us, or the mission, any good if we start fighting among ourselves. You don?t think Barret will do anything foolish, do you?" Cloud followed Red?s gaze. He could see Barret and Tifa at the bar, both silently looking at their glasses. "No," he replied. "Barret can be a hot head, but he won?t jeopordize the mission. Besides, Tifa knows how to keep him in line." He looked over at Aeris once again and saw that she was staring off into space with a far away look in her eye. "Aeris?" She did not answer. Her mouth moved as if she were talking to someone, but no words came out. He realized she was communing with the planet, and he sat back and left her alone. He often had to remind himself that Aeris was no ordinary girl, but the last of an ancient race. Even after all this time he still couldn?t get used to some of the things she did, and frankly, this talking to the planet thing kind of freaked him out a little. Red looked at Aeris and understood as well. They waited in an uncomfortable silence for a while, until Aeris finally turned to look at them. "The planet feels danger," she said. "What sort of danger?" Cloud asked. "I can?t say," she replied. She looked at them in silence for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "It?s hard to explain. It?s like, if you are alone in a dark house, and you feel like something is in the closet. There?s no real reason to believe anything it there. It?s just a feeling. So you walk over and look in the closet, and it?s empty, but you still feel like something is there, or something should be there. I can feel the sense of danger, but nothing is wrong." She looked at him to see if he understood, but his furrowed brow told her that he didn?t. "I?m sorry," she said. "I?m afraid I just can?t put it into words." She stood up. "I?m going up to my room." Without another word she walked away. Cloud watched her disappear up the stair. He looked at Red, but neither one spoke for a long time. "I?m worried about her," he said finally. "How so?" Red questioned. "There?s no doubt in my mind that we?re going to run into trouble somewhere along the line," Cloud continued. "Maybe as early as tomorrow when we start our search. It?s going to be difficult for us without the use of our materia, but for Aeris in particular. I know she?s a wiz with magic but her hand to hand skills are the weakest among us. I?m afraid she might get hurt." Red looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded. "Is that why you made sure she goes with you tomorrow, to keep an eye on her?" "Yes," Cloud replied. "To tell you the truth I?d feel safer if she didn?t come at all, but I know she wouldn?t go along with that." "I think you might be underestimating her," Red said. "But if you really feel that way, maybe you should send her with Cid in the Slipstream. She should be safe enough there." "I thought about that too," Cloud answered. "But if she?s going at all, I think it would be better if she?s someplace I can keep an eye on her." Red shrugged. "If that?s the way you feel. But I wouldn?t worry about her too much. She?s been through a lot, more than any of us, and she?s come out of it all right. She just may surprise you." "I suppose," Cloud replied, sitting back on the couch. "I guess we?ll find out soon enough." and I disagree, red is far cooler than purple ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Twinzam v [/i] [B]I'm Addicted to computer games and food:D [/B][/QUOTE] heh heh, you can say food again, huh bro? ;)

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by spike speigel [/i] [B]In my opinion tenchi in tokyo was a pretty bad anime. And why is everyone dissing Tenchi? I think he's the best character on the show. And sakuya is kinda annoying. [/B][/QUOTE] I think people dislike tenchi because he doesn't have much of a personality, all he does he whine, cry, and run away from the girls....

rent it? no thanks, I'll buy it, I've been an avid fan of the legacy of kain series since blood omen 1....