Yuna, Aerith & Tifa

[Yuna Braska]

Yuna remained a little calmer against the coil that surrounded them then Aerith was. Though she didn't take her eyes off the beast as it made it's statements against Aerith. She didn't know what to say to the beast, she wanted to know more about him.. it reminded her of Sin, the beast that almost destroyed Spira.

[Tifa Lockhart]

The creature simply continued to laugh at Aerith's defiance, swinging its great head back and forth in a careless motion.
Your selflessness benefits no one. Those who care for themselves and themselves alone are the ones that survive. The creature eased its coils, releasing the two women, We care not for your people nor your planet. They are of no consequence to us. The creature bought its head back away from them, obviously done talking. You will remain here where you cannot interfere, and when we are done, you shall be returned to the surface to watch the final end of your miserable world. If they are lucky, your loved ones may still be there when we return you.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith felt as if her heart might burst, feeling tears sting at her eyes.
"You can't do this!"

Tseng was completely perplexed and, dare say, heartbroken. After searching through the rubble for hours, they had found nothing. No traces, no blood, no bodies. It was as if Yuna and Aerith had disappeared off the very Planet.

"Are you sure they were here, Sir?" Reno asked with a sigh.

"Of course," Tseng snapped, making the red-head shrink back to continue his job.
The Director stood back, holding his head, looking over to Zack with a helpless expression.

[Yuna Braska]

Yuna cupped her mouth with her hands when the monster began to leave. "This is heartless" Yuna spoke not believing the acts that the beast was to commit.

Cloud rummaged through hundreds of rocks, arriving at the hard floor once again with no trace of either of the females. He was getting frustrated and fast.

Rikku pushed Gippal out of the way when she went into the rubble searching for her cousin. "She cant of just gone.. " Rikku stood up and went deeper to search

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack sat silently slumped against the wall, his eyes staring at the floor in a glazed half-conscious way. Tseng's potion had done its work in healing all Zack's wounds, including the bleeding bump on his head, but it could not stop the throbbing bleariness of his concussion, nor the ache of his heart. It felt like it had been forever, and despite everyone's effort, they'd not found Aerith.
She can't be gone.... not now... He whimpered inwardly.

The creature laughed as it moved away, dissolving back into the lifestream, its black ooze tainting the vibrant green. It's bubble of security remained around Aerith and Yuna, afterall it did not want them dead.
Stop us. We dare you. The creature jested before it was completely gone.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith broke into tears, collapsing onto the ground of the air pocket surrounding them.

Tidus suddenly stopped his work, yelling loudly into the air.
"Where is she?!" he demanded, grabbing his head as he turned back to face Tseng and the others, as if expecting them to give him immediate answers.

Tseng gritted teeth as he looked down.
"Something has happened here. I don't know what, but Aerith and Yuna aren't here..."

[Yuna Braska]

"Do you think they might of gotten out?" Gippal asked as he stepped carefully over the rubble.
Rikku pouted. " There is no other explanation really" she said to Gippal folding her arms. Cloud still was searching, he didn't want to confirm they were not here just yet, he wanted to search under every piece.

Yuna stumbled back slightly, shocked by the past events... she wondered what the others were doing. Looking to Aerith on the ground, she couldn't help but to slowly cry too as she bobbed down to hug the girl tightly, allowing her to lean on her if needed.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack slammed his fist into the wall on which he leaned when he heard the others debating what could have happened to Aerith and Yuna. That's when he spotted something dark on the ground behind Tseng. In a flash he'd staggered to his feet, retrieved his sword that lay beside him, and just in time he was killing the creature that had formed from the black puddle behind the Turk.
Panting Zack swayed, clutching his head as he braced himself against the wall.
"It's one of those creatures...." He groaned, pointing to the carcass of the creature, it looked a bit like a cockatrice, though strangely mutated. "I think... i think they took them..."

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith leant into Yuna's embrace, but quickly dried her eyes and tried to calm herself.
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this," she said softly.
Her voice grew stronger now.
"I'll find a way to get us both out of here safely, I promise."

"Shit," Tseng swore quietly under his breath as he whirled around when Zack launched himself at the forming creature. He hadn't even heard it. That quickly, that easily, he could have been joining Elena. He wasn't sure how he felt about that...

"Where would they take them if they did?!" Tidus demanded.

[Yuna Braska]

"You don't need to be sorry... " Yuna said still comforting her friend. "We can work together" She replied with a smile.

"Yeoch" Rikku said as she watched the fiend hit the floor. "Why would they take Yunie!" Rikku asked.

Cloud drew his sword quickly when he heard Zack move his. Though he was to far away to act upon the monster. Cloud groaned slightly and threw a rock away from him in anger, though his expression was still and unreadable.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack just tried to remain calm, bracing himself against the wall with one hand, while the other clutched his forehead.
"I don't know." He said in reply to Tidus' question, "Wherever the monster is i guess." His answer was a bit tense, but he managed to keep his voice relatively calm. At least until Rikku questioned him as well, he snapped slightly, hitting the nearest wall with an angry fist.
"I don't know dammit. And i don't know how to find out--" He stopped yelling abruptly with a small exclamation of pain, and lapsed into complete silence to nurse his aching head.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith smiled to Yuna smally, taking her hand and squeezing it with a nod.
"Yes, of course."

Tseng moved beside Zack, concern etched on his face.
"Take it easy Zack..."
He looked over to the red-headed Turk that stood awkwardly.
"Reno, do you have any potions with you?" he asked, holding his hand out expectantly.

"Yessir," the Turk replied obediently, handing the Director the item he requested, which he then passed to Zack.

Tidus gripped his head with a noise of frustration. This wasn't good... how would he get Yuna back?...

[Yuna Braska]

Cloud shook his head. "Tsengs right..." Cloud said clenching his fist to suppress his own anger. " There is no need to yell at anyone Zack." He said to his friend and looked to Tidus who was holding his head tightly.

Rikku went quiet after Zack's rage, she decided sit on a pile of rubble and try to think herself... though she was not getting any ideas.

Why wouldn't they of taken Zack? Gippal thought to himself with the knowledge that Zack was also in the tunnel. Why just the girls

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack accepted the potion from Tseng, drinking it quickly. It had been a very long time since he'd needed more than one of these... he never would get used to their odd taste.
"Why would they only take Yuna and Aerith, and not me too?" He asked huskily once he'd finished drinking. Seeming a little calmer now since his angry outburst. He didn't know that he was voicing Gippal's unspoken question. "What do Yuna and Aerith have in common? And why would it cause the creature to take them?"

[The Painted Lady]

Tseng looked down.
"Aerith's... unique qualities have got her in plenty of trouble in the past," he said, with an ashamed tone to his voice.
"I wonder if this entity feels threatened by her... after all, it appears to operate from the Lifestream..."