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agreed. can't wait for more.

Lol. Thank you very much n.n
The only reason they agreed there was because they didn't have anything to lose besides maybe getting caught in the rain. THe main reason Cloud went was to see that she was wrong really ._.;
Guess I should have explained that better.
Thank you again n.n

Also. Be sure to look at Operation: Retrieve Stolen Flower Cart as well as the LOVELESS screenplay ^_^

I love reading fanfiction period. I just wished I had joined sooner so I would have to catch up on it all!

X: Birth of a Hatred

To head west was what they were told and before evening fell, they were already leaving Costa del Sol behind. Trudging across the land caused the usual quiet air to fall upon the group as well as foul moods, especially from Barret. But that was the usual indeed. Terasu kept a distance from the rest of the group, staying a good ways ahead of them by following the rather wide dirt path that led the way. The only things that were going through her mind were the things that Hojo had said to her.
Obviously the fact that she was an experiment somehow tied her to Sephiroth. But how? Sephiroth had the answers. But so did Hojo though it seemed impossible to get anything from him. She did not even bother to stop by the man who attempted to give her warning of strong creatures wandering the path ahead. She failed to even hear him mutter to the others how a person dressed in black failed to heed his warning as well.
“Hey, Terasu?” Aeris had managed to catch up with her. “You alright?”
“I just want to find Sephiroth. That’s all.” As they moved along they passed by a working mako reactor though the fumes which came from it simply urged them to continue on their way considering the smell of raw mako is not a pleasant one. Beyond the reactor were train tracks on wood that seemed to be rotting judging by how much it creaked when anyone or thing moved on it. Several times pieces of wood broke beneath members of the group who were only saved by the others. When off the wooden supports for the tracks, the group continued along a mountainous path and eventually arrived at what seemed to be a city of simply homeless people. In Terasu’s mind, the town itself was worse than what Cloud and the others had described to be the slums of Midgar. The dusty ground only had a few buildings standing, looking more like shacks than the homes which they were. Scraps of metal had been wielded together to make the walls and rooftops of the homes. There were no windows as metal had also been used to simple form shutters for random openings in the wall. Other than the houses, large pieces of metal covered the ground, tents littered the town, as well as a few random shops that seemed to be dependent on a wobbly table out in the open.
“What is this place?” Terasu asked out of pure confusion. “This place looks like it was a waste land of sorts.”
“This is what’s left of Corel,” Barret said quietly as he took the lead of the group His tone and demeanor changed completely from what Terasu had gotten use to; however, it was not only her who was puzzled by everything changing so quickly. “This is where I am from.” The group followed behind Barret as he wove through town, the whole time he seemed to be hanging his head as he wandered about in order to avoid seeing the people who glared towards him.
“What’s wrong with these people here?” Aeris asked quietly feeling a certain uneasy air about the whole town of Corel as eyes followed them.
“What the hell do you think you’re doin’ showin’ your face around here?! Think we forgot about everythin’?!” Barret said nothing to the man who was obviously yelling at him.
“What are they talking about?” Cloud questioned finally as they continued away from the angry elderly man.
“I’ll tell ya in a little bit. I jus’ wanna get away from these people right now,” Barret muttered quietly. The five continued and soon arrived at what seemed to be a platform of sorts. “The car will be here in a little while.”
“So what’s going on?” Terasu questioned as she looked at the cable which reached into the sky in order to reach heaven.
“What happened?” Tifa asked tilting her head to the side.
“You guys wanna know the truth about why I don’ like ShinRa?” Barret asked as a purple colored car slid down the cable until it stopped, even with the platform. “This is where my hometown used to be. Corel was a mining town but then, ShinRa came along and that was the first time I ever heard the words mako reactor.”
The mayor turned around to face the few who had gathered for the meeting with the representatives of the ShinRa Electric Company.
“What are we going to do?” He asked calmly as he sat down in his chair. “Dyne is the only one who objects-“
“I’m definitely against it!” The young man yelled folding his arms.”There’s nothing to talk about if you’re thinking about throwing our coal away! It’s been protected for generations! Our fathers and their fathers all risked their lives for the coal! There’s no way we could get rid of it!”
“But,” Barret interjected, now walking from his small corner. “Everythin’ is going mako. Coal is dropping in value. It’s a sign of the times.”
“That’s right!” Scarlet, dressed in her typical red colored dress called from across the room only to give a laugh. ShinRa will guarantee your livelihood once the reactor is completed. So what do you say?”
“No!”
“Dyne,” Barret pleaded quietly, walking towards his friend. “Dyne. Corel won’ survive with jus’ coal anymore. I don’t want Myrna to suffer anymore. Think of my wife – think about your wife!” Dyne bowed his head down and slowly shook it slowly.
“I know how you feel! I know what you’re saying makes sense! But – Damn it! I won’t give away our coal mines!”
“Dyne…You have to understand,” the mayor called softly from his chair. “This is the way of the future.”

“And so, we sold our mines to ShinRa. Eventually the reactor was completed and life seemed as if it would get better. At least, when I left town that week to go make some trades with Dyne, I remember it seeming to be a little brighter than what it had been months ago.”

Barret walked ahead of Dyne as they along the railroad tracks only for a distant scream to catch his attention. He looked over his shoulder towards Dyne and the two hurried towards Corel as several more yells followed the first. When they arrived to their small town, all that was before them was a world of fire as Corel had been consumed by flames. Occasional gunfire could be heard and a few ShinRa infantry men could be seen running about with their guns. The two men felt as though they had walked into Hell itself. Before them there was no home as they could remember it being, there was no town to come home to, there was no Corel – only flames danced on the ground, reaching into the air. “ShinRa troops blamed everyone in Corel for a reactor failure. The reactor had exploded. They said that everyone was part of a rebel group and as a result, they passed judgment quickly and carried out the sentence swiftly,” Barret said quietly as what seemed to be a single purple train car slid down towards the platform. “Dyne and I ran for our lives. ‘Member those tracks before here? ShinRa people managed to be right on the other set of tracks when they shot at us. Dyne got hit and knocked towards the side. He caught on with a hand and…” Barret trailed off with his voice shaking. “I tried to help him up but they shot him and hit his hand! They were chasing us out of Corel directly too so one of them hit him right in the wrist or hand and he fell! He fell all the way down!”
“Barret,” Tifa said quietly as she moved to rub his arm. He turned away from her however. An announcement came on warning that the car was going to leave soon from the platform. As Tifa moved to attempt to comfort Barret, Aerith turned towards Cloud and tugged on his sleeve.
“I’ve got an idea,” she whispered quietly to him. “Let’s go,” she said as she walked into the platform. Terasu stared silently towards Tifa and Barret.
“I didn’t know. I just thought-“
“None of ya knew! I didn’ wanna talk about it!” Barret said quickly towards Tifa, shaking her off of his shoulder. “Now what are you guys doing?!” He asked as he turned around, seeing Terasu following after Aerith and Cloud, Nanaki trailing behind her.
“I guess we’re going for a ride,” Terasu replied rather quietly as she entered the car. “You guys coming?”
“Come on Barret,” Tifa said pulling him along. “You don’t need to be down here.” Without too much of a fight, Barret was the last he to climb onto the car. As they all seated themselves the motors of the large propellers attached to the sides of the car begin to whir loudly and with a jerk the car started to climb up the cables, away from the platform. A strange silence filled the cart as nobody wanted to speak feeling that it was not their place to with the tale that Barret had told. Thankfully, the ride was a fairly short one and the car stopped in the theme park-like casino dubbed The Golden Saucer, named after the golden color of the metal which formed the structure that stood as tall as the ShinRa headquarters of Midgar.
“I feel like I just entered a circus,” Cloud muttered as he stepped out. “Maybe we shouldn’t be here.”
“No. Come on,” Aeris said quickly. “I have a plan,” she said quietly and pulled Cloud along. With the one who had silently been called leader being dragged off, the others had no other choice but the follow. Once the mess of paying in order to enter had been cleared up, everyone had to give a large portion of their money in order to purchase a lifetime group ticket which would cover up to twelve people entering at once, they entered a large room decorated with plenty of blinking lights and arrows pointing many different ways with signs hanging above holes which seemed to be slides.
“What are we doin’ wastin’ our time here?!” Barret yelled as he watched Aeris peering down into the holes. “Don’ you guys remember we’re lookin’ for Sephiroth?!”
“We’re going to go play,” Aeris said giving a nod as she finally selected a slide to go to the arcade square. She stood in front of it and turned towards Barret who was silently throwing a fit. “You going to come?”
“Hell no! We need to look for Sephiroth!”
“Well. Let’s go then,” Aeris said turning away from him and hopping down one of the slides. Terasu simply watched as everyone else, besides Barret, split up and go down separate slides.
“Hey,” she finally called over towards Barret quietly. “You going to be okay?”
“Do I look like I’m going to be okay?!” Barret yelled only to slip into one of the holes labeled ‘The Arena’. Terasu figured it was for the best not to leave him by himself as people, when severely depressed, tend to get crazy ideas when they are left alone. She gave a silent sigh and finally slipped down the slide as Barret had done a few moments before. Flashing lights decorated the long slide, half blinding Terasu on the way down the winding slide. With a soft thud on a pillow of sorts, Terasu had finally reached the end of the silly slide.
“Whoever thought this place up was on some good drugs,” she muttered as she rubbed her eyes and stood up. She found herself in a tube which had signs directions painted on the side. One arrow pointed towards her right directing her to where she had come from. The other arrow pointed left with ‘to The Area’ painted under it. She ventured out of the tube and found herself looking to her right where there was a clear view of the land far below. How many miles could she see from standing in that one place? The rather fast wind would cause her hair to obstruct her view frequently but she eventually just held her hair in place so she could simply enjoy the view. Sure it was mostly desert which surrounded the Golden Saucer but she could see mountains and rivers, even forests in the distance. But she had other things she needed to do right now, she could enjoy the scenery later.
Terasu turned away from the ledge and found Barret sitting on the first few stairs of hundreds which led up to the massive building with spotlights shining on the golden letters ‘The Arena’.
“What do you want?”
“To come check on you. I believe someone should insert a cheesy ‘because that’s what friends do’ here,” Terasu replied as she simply sat down on the stairs with Barret.