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I was pushed backwards, and landing with a thud on the cold wood floor. I grumbled irritably as I stood up, turning around when I heard the doors to the cathedral creaking open.
“The rain stopped, if you want to head back to the Twi-LIGHT building.” Cloud said upon entering. “Any reason you’re here?”
“I saw somebody prowling Nioglow and I knew all Exodus’ platoons weren’t set to patrol the city at that time.”
“What’d you find out?”
“Nothing, I couldn’t find the person and I was closer to the cathedral when I was sure I’d missed ‘em and I decided to stop here since I was soaking wet.”
He nodded and looked at one of the stain glass windows saying,
“But it appears the rain’s started again.”
“It was probably only a break in the storm, or those were the outer bands and this is the real thing. There’s also the chance this is just remnants of lake-effect rain. There are numerous rivers and lakes it could of passed over.”
He stood beside me and looked at the mural saying,
“That’s quite a piece of work. Do you have any idea what it’s of or who made it?”
“No.” I replied as his arm settled around my shoulders, “Skyevi called it a Valhalla.”
“Skyevi?” He asked surprised. I inwardly cursed at myself for not thinking as he asked, “What do you mean Skyevi? You’ve only had dreams of her lifetime, but by the way you said that you act like you’ve spoken to her. Is that what you haven’t been telling me?”
I looked away, not replying.
He stepped in front of me, hand on my shoulders saying,
“You can trust me, I won’t tell anybody if you’re trying to keep a secret.”
You’re the only one I’m trying to keep it a secret from…
“It’s nothing.” I lied.
“If you’ve been talking to Skyevi, she must of told you who the reincarnation is.”
I didn’t meet his eyes and kept my silence. I took a deep breath and sighed,
“You’d better sit down. It’s a long story.”
After explaining the last few conversations with Skyevi, leaving out the parts that hinted to him, and after I was finished he was silent for a moment before asking,
“So if we go to Niveldon we might be able to learn more our about Gaia?”
“Yeah. After Ragnarok’s secure, Maaya plans on heading to the Spherical Line, than Niveldon. The Spherical Line visit should only take a few days, there won’t be any combat unless we’re attacked by Niveldon. It’s unofficial, but the Spherical Line is an ally of Ragnarok’s.”
“If we don’t find anything,” He said meeting my eyes this time, “Do you still plan on going through with this?”
“You know I have to.” I said meeting his gaze, “If I don’t do this we could end up in a situation a thousand times worse than this.”
“But you said yourself there’s a chance Akiko could keep her consciousness and destroy herself and Skyevi.”
“And End of Time.” I added. “If there was an item like the Blood Crystal that could draw power from Gaia that I’d be able to control to destroy them…”
“Let’s head back to the Twi-LIGHT building.” He said abruptly standing up. “The rain stopped, so we should get going.”
I nodded, grabbed my soggy clothes, and blew out the candles on my way out.
I didn’t even attempt going to bed upon returning to the Twi-LIGHT building, I just changed my clothes quietly so I didn’t wake Kairi and headed down to Twi-LIGHT’s surveillance system. Kiata’s was fairly impressive, but I hoped Nioglow’s would be better. It was a good assumption too, since this was the main Twi-LIGHT base. Since I had the master card, I had access to any lock or computer terminal. There were only five master cards, and Trenxi had kept them all. We had four, but the fifth he still had didn’t do him shit because whichever Twi-LIGHT base he was at now, he didn’t have any access to the main surveillance system.
As I guessed, these labs weren’t guarded by Exodus guards. It made sense they were still trying to secure the underground completely, and attempt reversing the experiments preformed on the citizens of Myildaypain and Nioglow. It was more than dismal to learn half the citizens of Nioglow hadn’t left the city and that they were merely taken into the underground for experimentation.
I was wondering through the halls of the surveillance level, and entered the room with the main terminal. Nothing was on, so I booted it up. I whistled when it activated, showing me maps of all the Twi-LIGHT bases in small windows. It was all voice-activated, too.
“Computer,” I said familiar with the procedure because the systems linked to Skyevi were usually voice-activated, “Show me an enlarged map of this base.”
Affirmative. It replied.
“Tell me where Maaya Nikoji’s room is.”
Room 374, Level 31.
“Tell me Maaya’s current location.” I said, testing it.
Room 67 Underground Level 77.
“Alright. Can you open a video or audio feed?”
Affirmative. Which one?
“Both.”
Affirmative…processing.
The large screen build into the wall changed and I saw Maaya in a computer room, talking to Celes and a few Exodus guards I didn’t know about the mutated Nioglow and Myildaypain citizens.
“Good.” I said, “Can you tell me the location of Robert Trenxi?”
Affirmative. Searching…he is presently located in Nerovilliah, northern section of Dalmara.
“He’s not in Ragnarok?” I asked surprised.
No. He is currently in Twi-LIGHT base in Nerovilliah, Level 24 in Room 77.
“Tell me the location of Akiko Ragnarok.”
Name not found.
“Akiko Trenxi.”
Twi-LIGHT located in Nerovilliah, Level 22 Room 48.
“Open a map for the base of Nerovilliah.”
Affirmative.
I studied the map, and shook my head in surprise at how detailed it was.
No wonder Trenxi knew exactly what to expect from Kiata…he didn’t even need Lena if he had this kind of surveillance over us then.
“Only fifty levels above ground and fifty below…” I muttered quietly. “Computer, tell me the location of Zeev Rozarera.”
Nerovilliah Twi-LIGHT base, Level 13 Room 55.
“Tell me the location of Lena Mashima.”
Nerovilliah Twi-LIGHT base Level 13, Room 55.
“Computer, let me see the file for Anan Nimbostratus.”
Affirmative. Searching…
It opened in seconds, basic information first like date of birth, height, weight and that sort.
October 15th is his birthday… I thought randomly.
I told it to scroll down, and kept going until I found the two names I was looking for.
“Computer, tell me the status of Luther Rozarera.”
Deceased. He died three years ago.
“Cause of death.”
Overdose of sleeping drugs when intoxicated.
“Tell me the status of Neolaina Nimbostratus.”
Deceased. She died from a disease called Lorcarsa fifteen years ago.
“What does Lorcarsa do to the human body?”
Lorcarsa is something a person is born with. In the early stages, the person will have trouble developing normally and usually stays small and frail all his or her life. Symptoms in teenage years are tiredness, low endurance, weak immune system, and pale skin. These symptoms grow worse as the person ages, and no person born with Lorcarsa has lived past fifty. Some people with Lorcarsa die as infants or any of the time between.
“Are there any cures for Lorcarsa?”
Exposure to Skyevi radiation, but if not handled properly the person can get Evi poisoning and death comes in short order.
“And since Skyevi is only a fairly tale to most people, such treatment would be extremely expensive, correct?”
Affirmative.
“About Neolaina Nimbostratus, was she treated for Lorcarsa?”
No. The family’s financial status was low and she died at the age of twenty-nine.
I was silent a moment, for another piece of the puzzle had been fit into place. I had wondered how Cloud knew so much about Skyevi, since I knew Evi poisoning victims weren’t told much and Twi-LIGHT soldiers were told even less, so I didn’t really know why he knew so much, but I hadn’t given it much though because if he was conscious most of the time and knew how to hack Twi-LIGHT’s computer, he’d have access to the same information I had for the most part. I had another question, but since I didn’t know Lylia’s last name I wouldn’t be able to locate her.
My cell phone rang in my pocket and the computer said,
It appears you have a call.
“No shit.” I said dryly and flipped my cell phone open.
“Ohayo gozaimasu?”
“It’s already AM?” Maaya asked, sounding surprised.
“Afraid so, what’s up?”
“Akhy I’m in the 67th room on the 77th floor of the Twi-LIGHT underground, can you come here?”
“Yeah, sure. Why?”
“I want you to see this.”
“Alright. Dewa, nochihodo.”
“Sayonara.”
I closed my phone and replaced it in my pocket saying,
“Sparky, I’ll be back soon. Don’t boot yourself down.”
Sparky?
“Your artificial intelligence is pretty good. Yes, I’m nicknaming you Sparky.”
Affirmative.
I jogged to the stairs, more than a little winded after running down the flights of stairs between the 34th level to the 77th underground level. I entered the computer room Maaya was in and she looked worried. She seemed to relax a little upon my entering saying,
“Celes, you and your platoon are dismissed.”
“Understood.” She said with a bow, Nohinog etiquette.
When it was just Maaya and me, she pointed to the computer screen in this small cubical saying,
“One of the woman here that was to be mutated has…an interesting past.”
“Elaborate.”
“Well,” Maaya started, “She was registered in Myildaypain as ‘Lylia Rozarera’ but when we checked we learned her name is actually ‘Lylia Anueh’, I couldn’t get much information on her, but wasn’t Anan’s stepmother named Lylia?”
“Yeah…” I replied.
“Rozarera isn’t exactly a common name, either. I think it’s Mazarain descent, so there’s not much of that here in Ragnarok. The point is, do you want to tell him? Only he’d be able to tell, after all…”
I was silent a moment before saying,
“Might as well. He didn’t like his stepmother much,” Is that an understatement, “But I think it’d be a good idea to tell him.”
Maaya looked at me curiously asking,
“I thought you were keeping it a secret that there isn’t a reincarnation. Not that it has much to do with the present matter, but…”
“I told him.” I replied, “One less secret that could screw us.”
She nodded saying,
“Shall we wait until morning?”
“Sure. He’s probably asleep by now anyway.”
“What would make you think that?” Maaya asked playfully, “You didn’t say why you were up so late either, Akhy. By chance were you two-”
I scowled and cut her off saying,
“In your matchmaking dreams.”
She chuckled saying,
“Awww, but you two look so cute together!”
“I’ve heard this entire story a thousand times, Maaya. I don’t need to hear it again.”
She pouted saying,
“You’re lucky though, you’ve got two guys chasing after you. Although Rikku is trying to ‘distract’ Katsu he’s always liked you.”
“You’ve had more boyfriends than I’ve had guns, who are you kidding?”
She giggled, her fake-pouting gone as she said,
“Very true! I can’t help it that I haven’t found the right guy. All those guys just didn’t have the right personalities and stuff for me. Besides…it’s so much fun to see their reaction when you tell them you want to break up!”
I smirked slightly saying,
“There is something wrong in your head, Maaya.”
She smiled saying,
“Probably! But I can’t antagonize anybody but you right now since Kazuki and Rei are together, Rikku is after Katsu, and you’re the only one who refuses to admit you like the guy that likes you.”
I shook my head saying,
“Sayonara, Maaya. Good night.”
She chuckled saying,
“Oyasumi nasai. I should get some sleep before tomorrow.”
I headed back to the computer room, booted down Sparky, and headed back to my room tired enough to sleep.
“You have terrible sleeping habits.” Cloud said looking at me as I drowsed, leaning against him.
“I didn’t expect to be woken up at four AM and dragged on a plain to the Spherical Line…”
I hadn’t paid any mind to Maaya’s ‘before tomorrow’ since our schedules had been so different I just guessed she had a lot of meeting or something.
“She did say a week before going to Niveldon, not the Spherical Line.”
I grumbled a curse in Nohinog saying,
“I know, I know…”
“Really though, staying up until one AM reflects bad sleeping habits in any circle.”
“How are you even conscious? You couldn’t of gotten much more sleep than me.”
“I didn’t, but I don’t fall into a comatose state when I go to sleep.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” I said sourly, “What can I say? I’m insomnia and when I go to sleep I sleep soundly.”
“Another words you stay up until two AM and wake up at twelve PM.”
“Basically.”
He chuckled saying,
“You’re usually too sleepy to be ill-tempered when you wake up, any reason why you’re irritable now? By the way, how did you wake up like a light-bulb when we were heading to Neivila, but you’re a total zombie right now?”
“How should I know?”
“Did you catch a cold or something last night? You were soaking wet by the time we got back, and it was rather cold.” He asked, feeling my forehead.
“I’m fine.” I said swatting his hand away after it rested in my forehead a few seconds.
“Actually, you have fever. I don’t bother you if you want to sleep.”
I didn’t reply, but I was asleep in the following ten minutes.
What’s going on? I wondered as I saw a woman in her late thirties attempting to right something. Her skin was unnaturally pale, and she was unhealthy thin and sick looking. She probably would have been beautiful if she weren’t so sickly. She had pale blue eyes and light blond hair
These aren’t my memories…wait, I fell asleep leaning against Cloud. He must of fallen asleep, and now I’m seeing his dreams. I was watching the events play out, not really there at all like the other occasions I dream-dropped, and what must have been years after the first memory an argument between Cloud and his father.
“You go missing for three years and come back saying you’re going to be sent to Mazar?” His father, Luther, yelled.
“What did you expect?” Cloud shot back, angry but far more controlled than his drunk father. “I’m better off helping the country than being stuck here as your slave.”
“You had no right to go running off letting your mother and myself worry about you!”
“She’s not my mother. And neither of you give a damn anyway, you just don’t want me dead is because they’ll look into my medical file, see that I had Evi poisoning, and then look into Mom’s file and you’d be found out.”
“Your mother’s death was inevitable!”
“You’re just saying that because you refused to pay child support when you divorced and she was too t thoughtful to bring it to the attention of the court. Not only did she work until she physically couldn’t move, even when you knew she was sick you abused her when you were still married! I know about the things you did to her.”
Luther slammed his beer bottle down on the table, and it shattered as the liquid left in side dripped off the table.
“Why did you even come back here if your only intention was to argue?”
“I only wanted to know if you actually were going to give a damn now, but I see I was wrong and that you’re still the same drunk, selfish, old fool you were three years ago!”
“How dare you speak to your father that way?” Luther yelled, but Cloud had already left slamming the door behind him. Two other military soldiers, identical twins, male and female, were waiting by a car. The female asked,
“Ready to go, Anan? We’ll be in trouble if were late for the plains.”
“Yeah.” Cloud replied impassively.
I didn’t realize he hated his father so much because of his mother’s death…I kinda guessed that contributed to it, but I wouldn’t of guessed that to be nearly the main reason…
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