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Empathy: Chapter Two
Stars of Life
A Final Fantasy 7 Fanfic by Hika-chan
Ralena ran to the window of her cell, "Someone please help!"
A solider came up to the door, "What is it?"
Her eyes were wide and her voice panicked, "Please, you have to help me! I think he's dead!" The soldier opened the door and saw Vincent lying on the floor. "Just look how pale he is, and I don't think he's breathing." The soldier turned Vincent over and as he did Vincent swung his left arm around and knocked out the soldier with his metal claw. Ralena wiped the tears from her face, smiling. "I knew I should've been an actress."
Vincent picked up the gun and looked out in the hall. "Do you know where our weapons are?"
She grinned, "Yep, lucky for us these guys aren't very good at hiding things." She led him to a room just down the hall, she went to the other side of the door and pointed into it. He nodded and he went into the door pointing the gun at the man inside at the computer. "Hello," she said to the man, "Your going to open the safe with our weapons now aren't you?" The man was wide eyed and nodded vigorously. "Well what are you waiting for? Open it or my friend here will spread your brains across that computer."
The man went to the safe and opened it as soon as he did Vincent knocked him out with the butt of the gun. They quickly grabbed their weapons and materia, then she searched the man and found a key card. "Ahh here we go."
"What's that?"
She grinned, "It's a key card," she closed her eyes focusing on it, "Just as I thought, you can't open any doors to get on or off the floors above the 60th without one. Come on, we're taking the stairs, They'd probably think to check the elevators. Let me use a cure spell on you."
He nodded, "I heal fast."
She looked at him as she opened the door to the stairs, "Yeah, sure." Then she shooed him into the stairwell and cast a healing spell on him. "There, now we can go." They rushed down the stairs then Vincent grabbed her arm and stopped her. "What is it?"
"There's someone coming up this way," he whispered, "and there's no where to hide."
"Have a little faith," she smiled changing two of her materia around, "It's an Illusion Materia, now lean against the wall, don't move, and be quiet, Rana zoran, shadows hide us in your dark cloak, shadow meld." The two were then visibly covered by the shadows just before two people came up the stairs.
"I can't believe the elevators are broken," The woman in red said, "By the way, has there been any word on Hojo, Tseng?"
"No ma'am," the Turk replied, "The last visible contact of him was in Costa Del Sol two weeks ago, since then we've had no leads."
"Damn, he's about as hard to find as Sephiroth and Cloud's little crew."
"Actually Reno, Rude, and Elena said they might have seen Cloud in Wutai."
"What? Why didn't they do anything?! He's got the Ancient with him!" Scarlet demanded.
Tseng shrugged, "They said it was because it was their day off."
As the door above closed behind the two, the shadows pulled away from Ralena and Vincent. She looked up at where the two left and then back at Vincent, "Ancient?" He simply shrugged in response and they continued down the stairs, "You never were a good conversationalist."
"And how would you know?"
"Why Mr. Valentine is that a hint of Humor I hear in your voce?"
"No." They were able to make it down to the ground level of the ShinRa HQ without further incident. Once the back door was closed and they were sneaking away from the building they heard a siren in the building go off. "Guess someone finally noticed we're not in our cell," she said and they continued to leave the area.
Aeris sat on the Tiny Bronco waiting for the others to come back from the nearby weapon shop where they were supposed to get information on th eTemple of the Anchients. Something had been bothering her for the last several days, since Ralena and her friend had helped them against Palmer. But she just couldn't place it, and it was more than just the mention of the strange glow in her eyes. She was scared for her as well, there was no way she could've gotten away from Rufus and the ShinRa with her companion as wounded as he was. Aeris had asked Yuffie what she knew of the woman, and wondered where her powers came from. She had yet to let on to anyone about how worried she was. She smiled when Cloud came back up to the downed plane. "So did you find anything on the Temple of the Ancients?"
The duo got out of Midgar that same day, fighting only a few soldiers on the way out, gladly before they could radio for help. They considered themselves lucky that the last group they fought had motorcycles, even though they knew the batteries wouldn't last them to Junon since they had to be charged every few days as a security percaution. They made it all the way to Midgar swamp before dumping the bikes, unable to take them through the swamp anyway.
It didn't take them long to notice the large snake following them as another chase began, "What is that thing!?"
"The Midgar Zolom." Vincent answered.
"If you knew what it was why didn't you mention it BEFORE we went into the swamp!?!?"
"I was locked in a coffin for 27 years, I didn't think it still lived."
"Well it's a little late NOW isn't it?" It wasn't long before they were forced to fight it. She was more than happy to use her payback ability on it before casting Cure again. Then she saw Vincent beginning his transformation and the reptile noticed his vulnerability. She ran to cover him and the snake bit her instead, lifting her in the air with its teeth before dropping her to the wet ground. Vincent saw this and yelled out, turning into a Frankenstein look alike. The creature was quickly dispatched of after that and he ran to her side changing back on the way over. She had landed in the water that was now red with her blood. "Ralena, Ralena can you hear me?" He looked up as he could hear the distant crashing of another Zolom, he picked up her limp form and ran to the flat ground not twenty yards away.
He put her down gently on the ground and her checked her pulse, which was none existent. He cursed silently and grabbed her pack, he had to find a phoenix down before it was too late. He wasn't sure when it was but he knew there was only a certain amount of time before the phoenix down would no longer do any good. He found it and spread it over her, he saw it glow and sparkle and hoped for the best. For a moment nothing happened as Vincent began to feel the weight of another sin on his chest. Then slowly her green orbs opened, "Vincent?" she stubbornly tried to get up but he pushed her down.
"Stay down, you died remember?"
She looked at him with a distant expression in her eyes, "I saw Ilfana," she said quietly her eyes moving toward the sky. "She told me my parents have already rejoined the cycle, that they have already been reborn." She smiled and brought her hand to the green charm, "...and she gave me back some memories."
Not really wanting to ruin the moment, but seeing no better time to bring it up, "Ralena... what did Hojo do to you?"
She looked up at him, almost accusingly, but explained anyway. "Well Ilfana was an Ancient, also known as the Cetra, her race was proficized to find the "promised land," and Hojo, being the mad scientist he was, decided to see how a combination of Mako radiation and the blood of an Ancient would affect a human being. Since I was apparently an orphan, had the right blood type, and too young to know any better, Hojo used me for the test subject. About a year later Ilfana tried to escape with me and her daughter, but I dropped my doll, when I ran back to get it Ilfana tried to get me. We were both hit, and they were unable to get to me so she continued running with Aeris." She sat up and looked at the whole in her clothes where she was bitten, absentmindedly fingering the torn cloth. "I was taken back to the ShinRa Tower and to Hojo. As I became more difficult over the years, he began using drugs on me to make me more compliant before someone found out about me and helped me escape."
"Who was it?"
She almost smiled at the memory, "I think it was Sephiroth, Lucretia would've been proud."
Vincent nodded, "Yes, she would be."
Five days later, when they arrived at the Golden Saucer, the man at the ticket counter questioned them. "Ma'am may I ask your name?"
"Why?"
"Well someone who bought a lifetime pass asked that someone fitting your description and his, to be put on but he only gave me the woman's name, so I'm asking to be sure."
"Oh, in that case, my name is Ralena and I assume my friend would be Cloud?"
The ticket man looked at the list, "Yes it is, and for reference may I have your friend's name."
"Vincent Valentine," she answered for him.
"Your friends said they would be at the entrance to Wonder Square every day from 4 to 4:30."
"When did they get here?"
"Two days ago."
She looked to Vincent, "hmm good timing." She looked at the clock in the ticket booth, "It's almost 4:30! come on!" She grabbed him by the claw and ran inside reading the signs infront of each tube. Awkwardly shoving Vincent in first she jumped in after him. When she came out of the tube she nearly landed on Vincent, but he was able to move out of the way just in time.
"RALENA!" She heard someone call and turned to see the young materia thief running towards her.
"Yuffie? Oh my god what are you doing here?"
"I joined up with Cloud not long after I met you, we were beginning to give up on you."
She smiled seeing a few other members of the team come up, "I gotta say it's nice to get some other company, Vincent's pessimism is driving me nuts. No offense Vincent." As a response he just glanced up at her and then looked away.
She saw a blonde man walk up and he pull a cigarette from his mouth. "She's Yuffie's friend? Shit that's all we f&*%ing need."
"Well I'm not sure we're friends just yet, I only met her once before. Anyway I'm Ralena and you are?"
"Cid Highwind," He took her offered hand and shook it. "Who the f&*% is Dracula over there?"
"That is Vincent Valentine, uhhh and who might the rest of you be?" The others introduced themselves the girl in pink last. Ralena's eyes went wide, "Aeris?"
"Yes?"
Ralena brought a hand to her mouth and she walked up to the girl. "Do... how should I put this? Do I seem familiar to you?"
Aeris looked over the girl, "There is something... but I'm not sure."
"Are you sure you don't remember me 'Ris?"
Areis' jaw dropped, "Oh my... what happened to you?"
"I got caught and taken back to Hojo, about six years ago Sephiroth helped me escape."
"Sephiroth!?" more than just Cloud responded and Barret brought up his gun, seeing the threat Vincent drew his as well. "Did I saw something wrong?"
"She's been workin' with Sephi-"
"Put it away Barret," Cloud said before anything happened, "She said he helped her SIX years ago. That was before Sephiroth went mad."
"Oh THAT's reassuring," Barret muttered.
"Wait a minute," Yuffie cut in, "I thought you said that you couldn't remember anything from before you were 14."
"I know but I kinda ...died on the way over. In the time it took Vincent to revive me," She turned and smiled at Aeris, "I saw Ilfana, she returned my memories, Aeris. And she wanted me to tell you that she loves you."
Ralena spent the next few hours in the food court area talking with Aeris, Tifa, and Yuffie. At one point Cloud came over to ask her more about how she got involved with everything, and about how she got hooked up with Vincent. She quietly dismissed herself after giving him an explanation and retired to her room.
She saw Vincent sitting outside the Ghost Hotel she smiled lightly at him. "It's only seven," he commented flatly, "Done having fun already?"
She shook her head, "I spent the last few hours talking with the girls, in the food court and the gondola. This place is a little noisy for my tastes. Maybe in the morning when there aren't so many people around." He nodded as if sharing her idea. "Well I'm going to finally unpack. See ya later."
She went up to her room and took out the few things she owned, she noticed a cut on her pants that she hadn't noticed before and pulled out her mend materia. There was almost always one to a group, it was used to fix up the larger holes made in clothes and to fix chips in weapons. Just like the shirt and vest that was torn from the Zolom's teeth. She put her hand to her side, it still ached a little there. She fixed the hole in her pants and went back down stairs once again finding Vincent outside the hotel. "Why are you just sitting there?"
He almost seemed to jump at her voice, "There is nothing else for me to do here."
She crossed her arms, "Are you being nostalgic?"
"No, there nothing in my past to be happy about."
She sat down next to him on the large tombstone on which he was pirched, "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
She put a reassuring hand on his claw, "I think you're just so use to the darkness that you don't think there's any light left, if you look further I'm sure you'll find it." She smiled at him warmly, which he didn't seem to respond to, "Of course I suppose you should start small, you don't want to blind yourself. Be like the night."
He turned to her, "I am."
She shook her head, "No you're not, look." She pointed up to the ceiling, painted black with little lights to imitate the midnight sky. "Even though it is very dark there are thousands, millions of stars that make up for that darkness and make it beautiful. Those stars are the things that make life worth living."
"There are no stars in my sky."
She stood up, "Get out of your coffin Vincent, you are the only one keeping you from seeing the stars." With that she got up and walked away, "I'm joining Red and Yuffie for a play and it doesn't start for about two or three hours, you�re welcome to join us." She had almost made it to the tombstone when Cloud and the others made their way up from Round Square.
"What's up?"
"We're gonna have a meetin'." Barret answered her. So she and the rest of the mix-matched group went into the hotel lobby to discuss their quest.
After the meeting Yuffie and Ralena went to Wonder Square to play the games, promising to meet Red XIII before the play. Fortunately it was a special night and everything was free. Yuffie easily beat Ralena at the fighting game, but Ralena seemed to be a natural at Snowboarding one. "I hope I can really snowboard one day, that was fun."
"Why would you wanna do that?" Yuffie retorted, "This one's more convenient.... and real snowboarding's cold."
"Let's try that game!" Yuffie followed Ralena to the arm wrestling game, both lost horribly, but it was fun enough. After trying their hand at the basketball game, they went to the meet Red at the play in Event Square. Before the play actually started Ralena stood in the aisle looking around at the audience.
"Why do you keep looking around like that?" Yuffie asked.
"Are you expecting someone?" Red finished.
She took her eyes off the rest of the chairs and the door long enough to respond. "I invited Vincent to join us, he needs a little fun in his life." Before either of her fellow audience members could respond music began to play and the house lights went out. "Oops, play's starting." She sat down and the curtain opened, the narration made the story sound like a fairy tale for children. The Evil Dragon King kidnapped the kingdom�s princess, Rosa. Then the Legendary Hero Alfred wandered on stage, looking almost lost. "What the? Is that Cloud?"
"It seems it is," Red answered. Then a knight walked up to him, well not so much walked as twirled, and said dialog so cheesy that she was sure a 10-year-old could do better. Cloud still seemed lost so the knight introduced the King, who also spun on-stage. The king said that he knew someone who could help him, on that cue in came a wizard. Apparently not having seen the wizard Cloud first walked up to the knight, who directed him to the Wizard. The whole time Yuffie and Ralena were doing their best to quiet their laughter. "What would you like to know?" asked the wizard.
Cloud grinned, "What are the Princesses measur-"
Then entered the Evil Dragon King, with the Princess Rosa, "How dare you ignore me!"
"Please Help me!" The princess cried.
"Hey! That's Aeris!" Yuffie exclaimed quietly.
"Now say it, who is your enemy!?" EDK bellowed.
Cloud just stood there a moment and then with a grin pointed to one of the cast members on stage, "The King."
"Cloud! You're ruining the whole play!" Aeris yelled she stood up and walked up to Cloud and slapped him, he then spun and fell to the ground.
"HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME!!" EDK yelled once again.
"Shut up blabbermouth!" Aeris then charged the dragon and knocked him off stage.
Ralena laughed as the narration continued, "What an incredibly strong princess! And the New Legendary Hero Rosa lived happily ever after."
"Oh man I have to buy a copy of that," She went to the back and purchased a copy of the nights show. After that Yuffie and Red decided to go to bed, but Ralena decided to take a moment to check out the chocobos. She yawned during the second race she watched and decided to turn in for the night. On the way up to the Hotel she saw Cait Sith leaving. "Hey Cait where you going? It's nearly midnight."
"Oh nowhere..." the cat said nervously.
For a moment she found it odd that she got no emotions off the cat, but dismissed it to her exhaustion. "Ah I know," Cait almost looked nervous as she passed behind him. "You have a gambling habit don't you?"
"Yeah," Cait said as though her were ashamed, "I do."
"Well just don't -yawn- spend too much money or Barret'll fill you full on holes."
"I'm sure," the cat said leaving the room.
The next day Cloud, Aeris, and Vincent left for the Temple of the Ancients, most of the others would wait at the Golden Saucer. Once they left Ralena walked up to Cait. "So," she asked quietly, "How'd you do at the track last night?"
"Huh?"
"At the track, how'd you do?"
"Oh, I broke even."
She looked at the cobweb covered grandfather clock. "Hey anyone wanna go with me down to Corel for a bit?"
"Why?" half the gang asked in unision.
"I want to see if Haretia can get here."
"Who's Haretia? Tifa asked.
Ralena grinned, "Come with me and you might find out."
Tifa soon saw how fighting in the valley was a good idea, it helped work down her nerves from waiting around for Cloud and the others to come back. Cid had also decided to join them, though the creatures in this region were hardly a challenge, it gave them something to do. Cloud had asked Tifa and Barret to keep an eye on Ralena and, for some strange reason Cait Sith. It took about an hour until she heard Ralena call out, "Haretia!" Tifa looked up and saw a blue figure charging towards them.
Tifa stood there a moment, "Haretia is a Blue..."
"Chocobo?" Cid finished.
"Yep, she's a special one, she can go over any shallow water. I was thinking that I could race her, if she wants to anyway."
"If she wants to? What are you F&#%ing Dr. Dolittle?" Cid asked sardonically. Ralena rolled her eyes, �Well you guys want to go back up now or would you rather fight some more."
"I don't care," Tifa responded, "I am getting a little hungry though."
"Yeah let's go eat," Cid agreed, "Ain't any decent shit to fight out here anyway." When they got to the station Caith Sith had just gotten off the tram with Barret.
"Barret, Cait, where are you guys going?"
"There's a puzzle at the Temple, the closer you get to solving it the smaller the temple gets. Since my body is artificial and controlled by remote I'm going to solve it. And Barret found it necessary to accompany me."
"...and Sephiroth killed Tseng," Barret added. Ralena took a moment to think about where she had head that name before.
"At least that's one less Turk we have to worry about," Tifa said plainly.
"Uh-huh, well I'm going to go race Haretia, you two have fun ok?"
"Huh? Hey where ya goin'?" Barret called after her.
"Don't worry," Tifa whispered, "I got her."
"Great," Barret muttered.
She was able to win the first few races she took Haretia in before trying it at the next level, she won the first at that one too, the water had slowed down all the other chocobos. But in the race after that a man with a black chocobo beat her easily. After the race she went to talk to him about it. During the conversation she suddenly stopped. "Oh no,"
"Yes, you gotta use a-"
"No, not that. I... I gotta go! I have to stop her!"
"Wha- stop who?" He looked after Her as she ran out of the arena Tifa not far behind.
"Ralena what's going on?" Tifa asked her as she mounted Haretia.
"There's no time to explain I'm sure the others can tell you!" She tried running after the girl but she was riding the large bird very fast and she soon realized she had no chance of keeping up.
"What was that all about?" Red asked trotting up beside Tifa.
"I'm not sure," she answered, "But I think we'll find out."
It wasn't long till the others arrived, and explained what had happened at the Temple. Sephiroth somehow took control of Cloud and made Cloud give Sephiroth the black Materia, and almost made him attack the others as well. And Aeris left, telling Cloud, through a dream that she would handle Sephiroth on her own. "So that's what Ralena meant." Tifa said.
"Where is Ralena?" Vincent asked, having only noticed her absence at the mentioned of her name.
Tifa took in a breath, "She was talking to one of the Chocobo Racers when she suddenly just said, 'I gotta go. I have to stop her,' and then she got on her chocobo and rode off."
"What is she? Nuts?" Barret said.
"How does she plan on getting to her?" Cloud pondered, "You have to go over quite a bit of ocean to get to where I think she has to go, and we'd have to take the Tiny Bronco to get there ourselves."
"Haretia is a blue chocobo." Vincent stated.
"A wha?"
"A blue chocobo can go over rivers and shallow areas of the ocean," Ester said walking up behind the group. The race agent had wandered over hearing their conversation.
"And anywhere the Tiny Bronco can go," Red concluded.
Cloud dropped his head to hand. "Great," he muttered, "this is just great, now we have two people we have to worry about finding."
Cait spoke up, "I not so sure about that." A few of the others gave him a confused look, "She probably went after Aeris."
"Yes, we've established that, but how does she know where to go?"
The stuffed cat brought a hand up in thought, "Well if what she said was true, about being injected with Aeris' mother's blood, then maybe some kind of link was formed between the two."
"Is that possible Nanaki?" Vincent asked.
The flame-tailed creature bowed his head in thought, "It might be, and if it was she might be able to locate Aeris. It would also explain how she knew what happened." He paused and looked back up, "It's a shame she ran off, it would have made it easier to find Aeris with her help."
'I'm coming Aeris,' the red head thought as she wandered through the ruins of the city. 'I'm not going to let you go through this alone.' She felt pushed away from the direction she headed, knowing Aeris wanted to this on her own, but she stubbornly continued on her way. She descended the crystal staircase down to the platform where Aeris kneeled praying. She opened her eyes and looked up at her friend from a brief year with the ShinRa. "Why did you come?"
She kneeled down in front of the Cetra girl, "Why shouldn't I? You and I both have the blood of Ilfana running in our veins, even though it wasn't completely nature's doing, I consider you the closest thing to family right now 'Ris. And I am going to stay with you through this."
Aeris smiled at her new found sister, "Do you know how to pray?"
She smiled back, "Ilfana taught me remember?"
Aeris thought a moment, "I do now, all we have to do is pray for the planet." The two girls closed their eyes, sitting across from each other, hands folded in front of them. As they did this they waited silently.
Vincent was worried about everything, Sephiroth was after Aeris, and Ralena was with her. Both of those young women, he realized, were very alike. Almost always happy, bright, accepting, yet seemingly with more wisdom than perhaps every other party member, save Red, and at the same time stubborn and naive. Did they even know what kind of danger they were in? If they did know, did they care? He knew Ralena was a capable fighter, but from Cloud's description of Sephiroth's abilities, he knew that at her current skill level she was no match for him, even with Aeris' help.
He petted Haretia's side as the men in Bone Village dug for the way into the Cetra's hidden city. He glanced over at Cloud who was pacing like a mad man about twenty feet away, then he turned back to the bird. "Haretia?" he whispered to the bird, "If you're really her guardian, as she claims is your namesake, why did you take her here?" The bird simply nuzzled its beak into his chest. "I suppose you're right, it was my job to stop her... if only I had been there too."
Cloud, Tifa and Vincent cautiously descended the crystal stair, where they saw the two girls kneeling below. Cloud jumped down onto the Dais, and Vincent remained one platform behind. Then something came over Cloud and he drew his sword, the whole time both girls remained still. Finally Cloud regained his control and Aeris opened her eyes. Ralena turned sideways so she only blocked Aeris' left side. Both girl's smiled and two pairs of gentle, green eyes looked at their companions.
Slowly Ralena's brow furrowed and the corners of her lips turned down. Then with a sudden realization her eyes shot straight up. Before she could make a sound Sephiroth was already descending from the ceiling. "No!" She moved toward Aeris to grab her and get her out of the way, but only got the end of the Masamune for her troubles. The last foot of his blade went through the side of her right arm and into her upper torso.
In shocked silence the others watched as Sephiroth withdrew his sword. Ralena went to keep Aeris from hitting the ground, she was too busy trying to help her friend through her own pain to notice the small orb that fell from her hair. She reached out to grab Sephiroth, as if to make him undo what he had done, but they pain in her arm pulled her back. Then Sephiroth was gone and Jenova appeared to distract his pursuers, but Ralena knew none of this.
"'Ris? Come on don't die, you can't die." She cradled the girl in her arms, the blood of both staining their clothes and floor. Hot tears streamed from her eyes, "Aeris, we need you. You can't leave us."
Aeris weakly smiled at her, "This... is what... is meant to... be. I need... to help the... planet now..."
"No, Aeris don't talk like that."
"You... you need to he... help the others...."
"'Ris?"
The Cetra's eyes grew distant and she looked past the woman who held her and smiled again, "I... I see...my mother... I see... her Ralena... she's just... just like... I rememb...."
"'Ris? 'Ris," she could never describe the weight of her heart as the girl�s body went limp, "'Ris?.. NOOOO!" Her anguished scream echoed through the room, and out into the deserted city. Tifa came up behind her, Vincent and Cloud not far behind, and gently helped her up. Tifa's own tears flowed silently as she comforted the sobbing girl.
Cloud picked up Aeris' body and slowly walked back up the stairway, oblivious to the blood he trailed. He slowly walked out into the lake on the crystal platform, using his feet to find the edge. Ralena looked up and saw what her was doing, she cried out in protest and ran from Tifa towards him. Vincent put out his arm and grabbed her as she tried to get by. She continued to struggle and reach out with both arms, despite her wounds. Then Vincent spoke up, "Ralena, no." She looked up as if to respond but he stopped her, "Ralena, it's to late, she's gone." She looked into his crimson eyes then back over to the water where Aeris' body was beginning to sink. Ralena closed her eyes, trying to deny all that had happened, and slowly darkness descended on her world.
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Chapter Three