Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Paths We Walk ❯ Chapter II - Through the Looking Glass ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: This is a rewritten story. After two years, I decided I wanted to rewrite the story. Because I found a completely different route.

Please read & review!

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, Square Enix does.

Miniature rooster idea belongs to Illusor Meaneld.

 

Paths We Walk

Chapter II - Through the Looking Glass

 

Dorian sighed as she sat down against one of the rather large hills. "Cosmos Canyon, one step closer to my goal," She said with a smile, as she rested where she currently was. "It's going to take days to get to Nibelheim this way," She muttered as she saw a miniature rooster strut past her. For some reason, she couldn't help but laugh. It made her think of Reno. She smirked as she stood up, only to feel a sharp pain move through her mind and tried to move. Images, disjointedly moved through her mind.

 

Dorian gripped the ground.

 

"Hey, are you alright?" A voice called.

 

"I'll be fine," She explained as she managed to stand up and turned around to come face to face with not a person in the conventional sense. It was a rather large feline with red fur. Dorian's mako-infused eyes stared at the creature before her.

 

"You have Geostigma," He said bluntly.

 

"Is that what it's called, I wasn't sure," Dorian explained in as-matter-of-factly.

 

"You didn't know?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

 

"Nope, I just woke up near a town that had ended up looking after me," Dorian supplied. She looked at him and was trying to think of how to appropriately ask the question that came to mind.

 

As if reading her thoughts, the animal smiled and said, "You wish to know how I can speak." He let her nod before he continued. "All of my kind are capable of speech young one," He told her. "I'm Nanaki, but some call me Red XIII," Red told her.

 

Dorian bit her tongue in regards to asking why they called him Red. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Dorian," She said to him.

 

"If I may ask, what are you doing this far out?" Red asked.

 

"I'm heading towards Nibelheim," Dorian informed him. "I was just taking a breather before I move on."

 

"Why Nibelheim?" The long lived animal asked.

 

"I need to find something out that happened there," Dorian told him.

 

"Some secrets are best left uncovered," Red said sagely.

 

"Even so, the outcome is sometimes worth the price," Dorian said with a smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you Nanaki." She turned from him and began to walk away.

 

"Strange child, I hope she makes it to her destination," He said aloud. Then something struck him, why hadn't she taken the cure? When she turned towards the girl, she was gone, no where in sight.

 

---

 

Dorian sighed as she continued her trek away from the canyons. She groaned as the passed the land , she was so tired, it wasn't even funny. It wasn't like she could lay down and rest at the nearest motel or hotel. Dorian covered her mouth with one of her wrapped hands as she closed her eyes. "No depth perception sucks," she said aloud.

 

"Then maybe you should give up," a familiar voice announced. You could hear the smirk in his voice.

 

Dorian turned around with a smile. "Aww carrot top, I thought you had forgotten me," She said with a mock pout as she placed her hand over her heart. Despite these guys chased her down on a regular basis, she didn't see them as that bad. She of course knew their names by heart, always fighting her, claiming they were there to take her to Shin-Ra. Reno by far was the easiest to annoy, which was the most far for the black haired woman.

 

While she had lived in Gongaga, each day she 'battled' a different person. On Mondays, she always battled Tseng. Tuesdays was "annoy Reno day", Thursday was reserved for Rude, and always on Fridays was Elena, she had heard commented as the chick fight. It was hardly what could be considered a 'chick fight'. Especially considering Elena's skill with guns and Dorian's skill with both her own sword and materia.

 

"Now who could forget the mummy?" The red haired Turk shot back with a smirk on his face. He held his EMR over his shoulder, in his usual laid back mood.

 

"Is it Tuesday or Thursday?" Dorian asked as she placed her index finger and thumb on her chin, as if taking a thinking pose.

 

"Friday," Rude answered in his usual simple way he seemed to do it.

 

"Then where's blondie? I usually fight her on fridays," Dorian commented and gave a most perplexed expression on her face. It was true, she had a very expressive face, it spoke volumes of her mood.

 

"Our apologies, but the routine has changed," Rude commented as he tugged on his gloves pulling them up as to notify her the fight was about to begin.

 

Immediately Reno ran at Dorian with his EMR as if he was going to strike her.

 

Dorian felt a sharp pain move through her left arm as the black blood hit the pristine green grass. Despite the pain she was experiencing now, she pulled her sword out with right hand as her left arm just hung there like it was dead. She grit her teeth and groaned as she squatted quickly seeing Reno's attack plan, hit her until she was unconscious. Dorian knew she didn't have the time to taunt him now, not with Rude's fists coming at her now. She knew he only brought out his own EMR when he was very serious.

 

Reno immediately found that his target wasn't there when he landed and stumbled a bit and turn around to see Rude giving a bit of a few quick jabs as Dorian who was obviously in pain was doing the offensive and avoiding the hits. "Damn mako," he muttered as he ran at her again, intent on attacking her.

 

---

 

The group that now had become the big shots of WRO stood around the holographic projector in the Cosmo Canyon.

 

"Everything ready?" The man known as the founder of the WRO said to the eternal adolescent Shelke. He stood over her as she rested in the seat that only she could use and access the information needed.

 

"Yes," Shelke stated as the seat lowered back. Her eyes took a golden glow, discoloring her eyes greatly. The room seemed to explode in a white light.

 

Everyone covered their eyes in reflex as the room finally turned to normal tolerable light. They took a look around, and found it was a reminder of things they would rather forget. Nanaki growled as he saw a woman with long white hair floating in the tank, her eyes dimly seen... Mako infused eyes.

 

"A female Sephiroth clone?" Cloud asked.

 

"Doctor! There it is, the brain waves are stable!" One of the assistants arouunced.

 

"Breathing normal, heart rate normal... She's beginning to wake up!" Another one of the assistants stated.

 

"I don't think so," Reeve said and viewed all those around the room. There were various scientists in the room. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Rufus Shinra and his Turks.

 

"Jenova," one of the assistants whispered.

 

Those words was like a final plunge. The group said nothing at all but it was obvious that it was like ice water in their veins.

 

"She isn't Jenova," Cloud spoke. "She has white hair and eyes like Sephiroth, but she's neither."

 

"How can you be sure Cloud?" Tifa found herself asking.

 

"I remember vividly what Jenova looked like when Zack and I went to stop him the first time." Cloud explained. "The woman there isn't her."

 

Nanaki of the group was more than just quiet as he stared at the figure who he knew had been the very woman he had seen nearly an hour ago. He felt something was odd about this entire situation.

 

Vincent was naturally quiet, but he looked to Yuffie anyways, she was unnaturally quiet. Anyone who knew her, knew that her being quiet meant something was wrong with the world.

 

It was then, it was obvious the woman was going into cardiac rest and seizure as green mako liquid began to darken, having the same considtency as ink.

 

"She's going into cardiac arrest!" the head scientist yelled. The assistant attempted to free the girl from the pod with little success in their strained efforts.

 

"Nasty stuff," Cid muttered, surprisingly not having a string of curses.

 

"Is that wha' I think that is foo'?" Barrett said turning to cloud.

 

"Geostigma," Cloud said nodding. "Whatever she is, it's not because she's a clone of Sephiroth or Jenova."

 

They watched as Tseng and Elena broke the glass with the ends of the guns. The young woman was caught by Tseng. It was obvious to everyone, that the young woman had pitch black hair now. However, quickly as she had been released she had disappeared.

 

The group soon found themselves back in the room where they had been.

 

"What just happened?" Tifa said. "Why would, why would the lifestream just take her away?"

 

"Perhaps she was taken away because she posed a threat to the lifestream itself?" Reeve asked.

 

"No," Nanaki spoke. "She is still out in the world."

 

"You've seen her?" Cloud asked.

 

Nanaki nodded, "Not even an hour ago, I spoke to her breifly. She mentioned she was going Nibelheim, on foot."

 

"Should we go after her?" Cid muttered.

 

"No," Cloud said. "Not unless we figure who and what she is first. I don't want to go after that woman unless she's absolutely a threat."

 

"The Turks will likely be after her," Vincent commented.

 

“Well then, maybe send someone to talk to her.” Yuffie asked. “Nanaki, did that girl look the same? Like she was covered in the Geostigma?”

 

“Yes, but she was covered in bandages. I believe due to the nature of the disease, she can see only with one eye now.” Nanaki explained. “She commented she didn't even know the name of her disease,” He spoke. “So I don't believe she knows there is a cure for her ailment.”

 

“She doesn't have that much time then.” Cloud finally said.

 

“Who should be sent to Nibelheim to talk to her then? If we can make it to her on time that is?” Tifa asked.