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[powersouls]

@tifa.lockhart | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[emosey]

You said you wanted to help, right?

[powersouls]

[Straight to the point as always, Cloud.]

I'd like to. Why?

[emosey]

I saw a post on the network.

[ He links it for her convenience. ]

[powersouls]

I still don't know much about how the AI work, but this one seems to be one of the only things trying to help everyone trapped in New Amsterdam. I asked someone to tell me about the UNA, and everything he said just reminded me of Shinra.

[emosey]

Cassius mentioned "genetic mutations." I'm not getting the impression that he's talking about people.

[ Continuing the Shinra comparison, this reeks of Hojo's particular brand of evil. They'd seen for themselves that he'd had far more cooking up in his lab than just super soldiers. ]

[powersouls]

Do you think they might be experiments?

[emosey]

Don't know.

We could always go and find out.

[powersouls]

I think we should. I bet they need all the help they can get.

[emosey]

Right.

Well, there's probably no harm in taking a look. Anything more than that, we can decide once we're actually there.

[powersouls]

Okay. Do you know how to get there? Should we ask?

[emosey]

Maybe. There was some kind of map attached to that post. That doesn't mean it'll be easy to find, though.

[powersouls]

There were those gates people were talking about, right?

[emosey]

Yeah. I think only the one in New Amsterdam isn't working.

[powersouls]

We should try it, don't you think? Maybe it'll help us understand a little more of what's happening.

[emosey]

Ok.

How much time do you need to get ready?

[powersouls]

I'm ready when you are.

[emosey]

Are you at the hotel?

[powersouls]

I'm waiting in the lobby. Do you think you can keep up without your sword?

[emosey]

Don't worry. I've already got a plan for that.

[powersouls]

Is it a surprise?

[emosey]

Well it wasn't.

But now you'll just have to wait and see.

[emosey]

Tifa. [ The distress in his voice is palpable. ]

I need you to call me back as soon as you get this.

[powersouls]

[Oh, no. Tifa tries not to panic, but a part of her does anyway.]

Cloud? Are you okay?

[emosey]

I just saw Aerith, Tifa.

She's here.

[powersouls]

[There's a long pause as Tifa's breathing goes shallow and rapid.]

Are you sure? How do you know it's her? That can't be possible, right?

[emosey]

I saw her at one of the landscaping work stations. We talked. It's... definitely her.

[powersouls]

Is she alright? Does she... [Tifa catches herself, tries to keep her voice steady and fails.] Does she remember?

[emosey]

No. She had no idea.

[powersouls]

[Oh, God. An odd note of panic enters Tifa's voice.]

Did you... Did you tell her?

[emosey]

Yeah.

[ He can only hope that he made the right choice in doing that. ]

[powersouls]

[That twists the knife a bit. She's not sure if she would have had the strength to tell Aerith. She still hasn't even hinted about her concerns to Cloud, has she?]

Is she alright?

[emosey]

I'm not sure.

You know how she can be.

[ Always trying to put others before herself. ]

[powersouls]

Yeah.

[Tifa knows exactly. She and Aerith are a little bit the same in that aspect—focus on others to avoid focusing on their own feelings.]

Did you tell her I'm here? Can I go see her?

[emosey]

Mm... Yeah. I think she'd probably like that.