Chapter 15 - Many Meetings
Submitted July 3, 2007 Updated April 21, 2008 Status Incomplete | When the author's world is connected, she goes on a quest through time with Yuffie and Riku to find her way home. Appearances by the casts of FF7&8. Rated PG just to be safe. For anyone who's ever wanted to travel to other worlds. Comments please!
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Chapter 15 - Many Meetings
Chapter 15 - Many Meetings
Chapter 15
It was a very strange group that made the trip back to Traverse Town: A flying mix of gummi and airship, what looked like a brightly colored Easter egg, and a huge metal dragon. I wondered what Squ- Leon would have to say about this. Not to mention how Cloud would react to seeing his companions again. And then, there were two best friends to reunite. I had a feeling this would be a very interesting meeting.
I staggered out of the Excalibur, still not fully recovered for my near-death (or heart-removing) experience, only to be hit by a human missile. “I thought they had you...” Yuffie gasped into my shoulder as I struggled not to fall over. Then, suddenly furious, she punched the afore-mentioned shoulder and shrieked, “Don’t you EVER do that to me again, do you hear?!”
“I’m sure she can hear,” Riku said dryly, “as well as everyone within ten miles of here.” Indeed, everyone in the docking area was staring at us, and Tifa was smothering laughter. I was about to use my staring-at-the-floor tactic when the hissing of hydraulics attracted my attention.
Everyone turned to watch as a ramp slowly descended from the Raganorok’s belly. My mind was reeling. This wasn’t possible- but then again, I wouldn’t have thought Traverse Town even existed until a few days ago. I kept my eyes glued to the ramp as it finally touched ground. One by one, four people emerged, all teenagers: A blond boy with a tattoo covering half of his face, a girl dressed all in pink, carrying a whip, a gun-toting cowboy, and finally, a raven-haired girl who smiled and waved as she came down the ramp.
‘Rinoa...’ I mentally named her. ‘Squall’s sweetheart.’
‘No way!’ Yuffie replied. ‘He’s really missed her...the way he talked about her... So, this is what she looks like...’ I thought I felt a brief flash of jealousy from her, but it was gone as quickly as it came.
While her companions huddled near the Raganorok, looking uncertain, Rinoa marched right up to the AVALANCHE members and chirped, “Hi! Which one of you is the captian?”
“I’m the captian,” Cid replied. “Thanks again fer’ your help.”
“No prob’,” Rinoa said in her cheery voice. How anyone could be so up-beat after fighting off so many heartless was beyond me.
“So, did you guys lose your world, too?” Cid asked gruffly.
“Well...” For the first time, Rinoa seemed unsure of what to say. “I remember it being destroyed, I think... But it’s back now, so that couldn’t have happened, right? Except...” She sighed, a surprisingly sad sound. “The heartless are back, and two of our friends are gone. We’ve been looking for them...”
Cid looked sympathetic. “I think we can answer some of your questions at the Council Meeting. We should let Leon know another world’s been connected.”
I chewed my lower lip in nervous anticipation. I knew which two friends Rinoa was talking about. I felt guilty, as though somehow the knowledge made it my fault. But, if I did tell her... well, that wouldn’t exactly help the World Order, would it?
The small house would have been much too crowded with so many people inside, so instead everyone waited at the first district café while Cid went to find Leon. It seemed like forever before they arrived, Cloud and Aerith in tow.
The reaction was amazing. Leon and Cloud wore almost identical expressions of wide-eyed disbelief, mouths hanging partially open. Aerith, on the other hand, squealed excitedly and nearly leaped onto her friends. While AVALANCHE exchanged their greetings in the background, (complete with back-slapping, bear hugs, and more excited squealing) Le- oh shoot, we all know what his real name is- Squall quickly turned away with slumped shoulders, bringing a hand to his face and covering it. He was however, too slow for the observant Rinoa.
“Squall?” she whispered in awe. “Is it really you?” Squall began to walk away, but she darted in front of him and forced his hand away from his face. It was her turn to experience wide-eyed disbelief as she looked into the scarred face of the twenty-five year old man whom she had known at seventeen. “B-but... how?” The others had joined Rinoa by now. “Oh man...” Zell trailed off. Quistis gasped, and Irvene shook his head. “Time compression...” Squall muttered. He tried to pull away again, but Rinoa flung herself on him in a hug. The embrace spoke of sorrow, of too much time spent waiting, wondering whether the other was still alive. It took awhile, but eventually, Squall hugged her back, a shuddering sob running through his body. Then, he finally pulled himself away. Just in time, too...
“Sorry guys! I didn’t know we were meeting here and it took me awhile to find...” Sora stopped short when he caught sight of the rest of the crowd in the café. “Who are these people?” I laughed out loud at his puzzlement, causing him to turn in my direction... and the direction of the person sitting next to me.
“RIKU!!!” Sora yelled, putting a good three exclamation points into it and hurling himself at his friend with so much enthusiasm that he knocked the chair completely over. I was gaping for breath between bouts of laughter by now ( I’m easily amused, if you can’t tell). “You’re alive!!!” Sora exclaimed, scrambling to his feet and helping Riku do the same.
‘And kicking,” Riku grinned.
“You can send!!!” Sora stated the obvious once again.
“Thanks to her,” Riku waved a hand at me, and I was stunned as Sora gave me a hug, too (minus knocking over the chair this time).
“Thanks,” he said.
“No problem,” I replied, trying (unsuccessfully) not to blush, which caused Riku to go into a laughing fit of his own.
“Don’t I get a hug, too?” he asked jokingly.
“Fine,” I pretended to be angry. “You’re just as bad as Yuffie,” I muttered, mock anger completely failing me as we hugged, still shaking with laughter.
It was a very strange group that made the trip back to Traverse Town: A flying mix of gummi and airship, what looked like a brightly colored Easter egg, and a huge metal dragon. I wondered what Squ- Leon would have to say about this. Not to mention how Cloud would react to seeing his companions again. And then, there were two best friends to reunite. I had a feeling this would be a very interesting meeting.
I staggered out of the Excalibur, still not fully recovered for my near-death (or heart-removing) experience, only to be hit by a human missile. “I thought they had you...” Yuffie gasped into my shoulder as I struggled not to fall over. Then, suddenly furious, she punched the afore-mentioned shoulder and shrieked, “Don’t you EVER do that to me again, do you hear?!”
“I’m sure she can hear,” Riku said dryly, “as well as everyone within ten miles of here.” Indeed, everyone in the docking area was staring at us, and Tifa was smothering laughter. I was about to use my staring-at-the-floor tactic when the hissing of hydraulics attracted my attention.
Everyone turned to watch as a ramp slowly descended from the Raganorok’s belly. My mind was reeling. This wasn’t possible- but then again, I wouldn’t have thought Traverse Town even existed until a few days ago. I kept my eyes glued to the ramp as it finally touched ground. One by one, four people emerged, all teenagers: A blond boy with a tattoo covering half of his face, a girl dressed all in pink, carrying a whip, a gun-toting cowboy, and finally, a raven-haired girl who smiled and waved as she came down the ramp.
‘Rinoa...’ I mentally named her. ‘Squall’s sweetheart.’
‘No way!’ Yuffie replied. ‘He’s really missed her...the way he talked about her... So, this is what she looks like...’ I thought I felt a brief flash of jealousy from her, but it was gone as quickly as it came.
While her companions huddled near the Raganorok, looking uncertain, Rinoa marched right up to the AVALANCHE members and chirped, “Hi! Which one of you is the captian?”
“I’m the captian,” Cid replied. “Thanks again fer’ your help.”
“No prob’,” Rinoa said in her cheery voice. How anyone could be so up-beat after fighting off so many heartless was beyond me.
“So, did you guys lose your world, too?” Cid asked gruffly.
“Well...” For the first time, Rinoa seemed unsure of what to say. “I remember it being destroyed, I think... But it’s back now, so that couldn’t have happened, right? Except...” She sighed, a surprisingly sad sound. “The heartless are back, and two of our friends are gone. We’ve been looking for them...”
Cid looked sympathetic. “I think we can answer some of your questions at the Council Meeting. We should let Leon know another world’s been connected.”
I chewed my lower lip in nervous anticipation. I knew which two friends Rinoa was talking about. I felt guilty, as though somehow the knowledge made it my fault. But, if I did tell her... well, that wouldn’t exactly help the World Order, would it?
The small house would have been much too crowded with so many people inside, so instead everyone waited at the first district café while Cid went to find Leon. It seemed like forever before they arrived, Cloud and Aerith in tow.
The reaction was amazing. Leon and Cloud wore almost identical expressions of wide-eyed disbelief, mouths hanging partially open. Aerith, on the other hand, squealed excitedly and nearly leaped onto her friends. While AVALANCHE exchanged their greetings in the background, (complete with back-slapping, bear hugs, and more excited squealing) Le- oh shoot, we all know what his real name is- Squall quickly turned away with slumped shoulders, bringing a hand to his face and covering it. He was however, too slow for the observant Rinoa.
“Squall?” she whispered in awe. “Is it really you?” Squall began to walk away, but she darted in front of him and forced his hand away from his face. It was her turn to experience wide-eyed disbelief as she looked into the scarred face of the twenty-five year old man whom she had known at seventeen. “B-but... how?” The others had joined Rinoa by now. “Oh man...” Zell trailed off. Quistis gasped, and Irvene shook his head. “Time compression...” Squall muttered. He tried to pull away again, but Rinoa flung herself on him in a hug. The embrace spoke of sorrow, of too much time spent waiting, wondering whether the other was still alive. It took awhile, but eventually, Squall hugged her back, a shuddering sob running through his body. Then, he finally pulled himself away. Just in time, too...
“Sorry guys! I didn’t know we were meeting here and it took me awhile to find...” Sora stopped short when he caught sight of the rest of the crowd in the café. “Who are these people?” I laughed out loud at his puzzlement, causing him to turn in my direction... and the direction of the person sitting next to me.
“RIKU!!!” Sora yelled, putting a good three exclamation points into it and hurling himself at his friend with so much enthusiasm that he knocked the chair completely over. I was gaping for breath between bouts of laughter by now ( I’m easily amused, if you can’t tell). “You’re alive!!!” Sora exclaimed, scrambling to his feet and helping Riku do the same.
‘And kicking,” Riku grinned.
“You can send!!!” Sora stated the obvious once again.
“Thanks to her,” Riku waved a hand at me, and I was stunned as Sora gave me a hug, too (minus knocking over the chair this time).
“Thanks,” he said.
“No problem,” I replied, trying (unsuccessfully) not to blush, which caused Riku to go into a laughing fit of his own.
“Don’t I get a hug, too?” he asked jokingly.
“Fine,” I pretended to be angry. “You’re just as bad as Yuffie,” I muttered, mock anger completely failing me as we hugged, still shaking with laughter.
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