Yuna, Aerith & Tifa

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud gave a small shrug, he was not entirely sure on who they could ask for help. Though he had a feeling that this time it might be difficult. "Don't Know" Cloud answered as he adjusted his sword behind him.

Yuna smiled and gave him a small kiss on his lips before beginning to sprint up the beach and back to Besaid so they could contact Buddy. She took off without Tidus, her hairtail swinging behind her. "yes... what are you to do?"

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack had a short conversation with one of the DSS commanders before he and Aerith boarded the Shera and greeted Cid. The aging pilot was grumpier than usual, for obvious reasons and chuntered at length as the two made themselves comfortable for the trip to the crater.
"What're we headin' to the crater for?" Cid grumbled, glancing at the two of them.

Tifa sighed and looked down at her hands when Cloud replied. It all felt so hopeless right now.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith looked up Zack as she nestled into his side.
"I just... need to be closer to the Planet," she said in reply to the Captain's question, not taking her eyes off of Zack's mako blues.

Tidus gave a playful growl, sprinting off after Yuna.
"Oh no you don't!" he called as he started catching up with her quickly.

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud frowned lightly when Tifa turned to her hands. She seemed so down, he didn't like seeing Tifa this way at all. Cloud gave a gentle smile and put his hand over hers in comfort. " Don't worry Tifa, Gaia will have it's time of peace" For it to be true, Cloud had to believe in it himself, he knew Aerith will be able to find out whats wrong and they would be able to get rid of it without probably some more help.

Yuna tried to fight Tidus off on the way back to the village, though he was more faster than her. Lulu was up with her son a curious smile growing on her face when the two of them entered the village. "And where have you two been?' She asked bouncing her two year old on her hip. The boy had grown up so much like his father that it was scary. Yuna skipped passed happily towards her house smiling innocently slowly making her way to find her teleport sphere. " No-where"

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa looked up at Cloud and gave a small smile, "Alright... i trust you." She said, smiling warmly.
"Have you eaten recently?" She asked, knowing that Cloud had been forgetting a lot in recent days.

Zack gave Aerith's cheek a gentle stroke, trying to comfort her.
"We want to find out what's happening."
He jumped slightly as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked the caller.
"Tseng?" He said curiously, opening the phone the answer it, "Zack Fair here."

[The Painted Lady]

Tidus skidded to a stop when he saw Lulu with baby Vidina. He grinned, ruffling the child's fiery hair gently.
"Hey kiddo!" he said cheerfully.
"Love to stop and chat, but Yuna seems to be on a mission," he laughed.

Aerith kissed Zack's cheek in reply, but quickly straightened when she felt his phone buzz between them. She watched his face curiously as he answered the call, wondering what Tseng would be calling about. She hadn't heard from the Turk in a while now.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.
"... She's dead," came Tseng's quiet voice, steady but extremely strained.
It seemed even his well-practised business manner couldn't completely cover up his emotions.
"Elena..." he sounded a little disbelieving, "... she's... dead..."

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud thought for a moment and had never really paid attention to his growling stomach, but now that Tifa had mentioned food, he could feel his hunger. "recently?" Cloud repeated, his mako blue eyes looking down to his stomach. he rubbed the back of his head with his hand before went to walk off. "i'll see if i can go find something"

Yuna quickly grabbed Tidus and pulled him into the tent. " Your getting slow Tidus" Yuna said with a giggle as she activated her teleport sphere. the sphere began to glow but it would be a few minutes until it would be warmed up. This was on of Shinra's last inventions for Yuna before he went his separate ways, Yuna never knew where he went.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack went rigid when he heard Tseng's voice.
"W-What? How? When?" He questioned, eyes wide with disbelief. He could hear the grief in his old friend's voice even as he tried to mask it. He glanced at Aerith, eyes deep with a sort of fear.

Tifa jumped to her feet as Cloud essentially answered her question.
"I'll go with you." She said with a smile, "Maybe we can get a bite to eat together."

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith's eyes were wide now too, hearing Zack's response. Something horrible had obviously happened. She took his free hand, squeezing it tight, but she didn't ask what was wrong just yet. She didn't want to interrupt.

Another long pause. Obviously Tseng was really struggling to keep his composure.
"... Well... we were making our way back from Costa del Sol... We've been held up everywhere we've gone, but..."
He took a shaky breath.
"When we stopped off in Kalm, there was a disturbance out on the streets. So we went out to investigate. There was a man holding gun to one of the stall owners."
He swallowed quite loudly, voice starting to break a little.
"I-I told her to stay back, but... she wouldn't have any of that. And when she pulled her gun..."
There was a thud as Tseng dropped to the ground.
"The bastard shot her down," he said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his voice even in his burning throat.

Tidus grinned, wrapping his arms around Yuna's waist, looking over her shoulder at the sphere in her hands.
"Not slow, just paced."

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud stopped for Tifa and nodded. "Sure.." It might get their minds off the stress for a moment or two. Exiting the room, he began to make his way with Tifa.

Yuna felt Tidus's hands wrap around her waist. The Sphere was just about ready,
" Brace yourself, Rikku knows we are coming"Yuna said knowing that it was probably going to be overwhelming when they arrive as Yuna hasn't seen Rikku in a few months. The Al Bed had been a bit caught up with the new Home for the Al Bed communications. The Spheres glow grew bigger and engulfed the two of them sending them towards Bikanel Desert.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack gritted his teeth together, trying to contain the anger. These killings had to stop, violence like this had not happened since the whole Deep-ground affair, and that was nearly two years ago.
Without a word he handed the phone to Aerith and stood, moving to whisper the news to Cid, who looked shocked. He then left the cockpit, needing some space to vent his anger.
It was hard to believe the cheery blonde Turk was dead... he'd always thought her over-estimation of her own abilities would be her end.

[The Painted Lady]

"Tseng..." Aerith whispered into the receiver, watching Zack leave.
"Tseng, what happened?"

Tseng wasn't surprised to hear the Cetra's gentle voice on the line. Without warning, the man began sobbing quietly. Aerith felt the pit of her stomach drop out. She knew he'd have to be alone - there was no way he'd break down in front of anyone... Even crying on the phone was a real stretch for him.

"Tseng, is it Elena?" she whispered.

There was a long pause where Aerith listened to Tseng's laboured breathing, before he seemed to pull himself together a little. His voice was still weak and shaky.
"I just..." he swallowed. "I just can't believe she's gone..."

Aerith felt her heart contort at the pain in his usually emotionless voice. She wished to hold him and soothe him.
"Tseng, Zack and I have to go the Northern Crater right now, but when we come back to Midgar, we'll look after you, okay? You'll stay with us."

There was another long pause, then a large sigh.
"Yeah, okay Aerith..." he finally said quietly.
"I... have to go..."

"Okay," Aerith replied tenderly.
"Hey Tseng?"

"Yeah?"

"We'll stop this, okay?"

"... I know."
Click.

Tidus laughed, tracing patterns over her stomach with his fingertips.
"I'll be sure to take cover then," he said, before the sphere covered them, and there was a lurch.

[Yuna Braska]

You could feel yourself fall through the series of spheres you had to travel through before getting to the desert. The white shimmering light disappeared and a huge complex opened up to them. It looked similar to their old Home, but so much more advanced. It was like the Al bed's own civilization out in the desert. Yuna deactivated the sphere and was confused by the sound of something coming towards them and quickly. She unwrapped Tidus's arms and could see a person in the distance. She looked like a grasshopper in the desert.
"Yunie!" They called from a distance. Yuna smiled happily as Rikku came form the Al bed city gates towards the couple. Another person was behind Rikku, but was only walking.
"Told you" Yuna prepared herself for Rikku's death grip. The girl flung herself at her cousin, tipping Yuna to the sandy floor.
"Your Late YUNIE!" Rikku said coming from a sweet jump of glee to a angry face. She stood up with her hands on her hips and pouted like a child.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack had found his way straight to the on-board gym and was taking his anger out on the punching bag. His shirt was discarded and he was already dripping with sweat thanks to his rage and the sheer intensity of the workout he was now putting himself through in order to keep himself distracted.
Elena dead. While the deaths of civilians had been enough to fuel his drive, the death of one of their own number had only made him even angrier.
This is messed up. What have been done to warrant all this suffering? When will we get peace?

[The Painted Lady]

"Zack?"
Aerith's soft voice came from the gym door, holding his phone in her hands. Tears were slipping slowly from her face and she looked down. Was this just the beginning?

Tidus laughed as Yuna was knocked down by her cousin.
"Ever consider you might just be early Rikku?" he teased.