Author's Note: Ahhhhhhhh! It's been so long. It's been too long. It's good to be back with this fic. Next, I'll be happy to update Lady of the Lilies Rewritten...

P.S. May 10th, 2013

I just spent the past three days editing all 10 chapters and the prologue. Added this, deleted that, and so on. No, not much has changed at all, except for adding dialogue, sprinkling some profanity, changing Jonathan's name to Jiro, and altering Cloud's confrontation with Zack in chapter four (this time, he uses a weapon!). If you're a fan, I recommend you check it out a little...

Ch 10

I'm a Container

On the way, Miss Kisaragi gets airsick. It's not a pretty sight.

Her face turns pale green, and all of the boys are scrambling toward a small box in the back of the helicopter. Seph-chan merely turns away, muttering, "Lord, give me strength." Zack manages to get the emergency bag first. Yuffie grabs the bag from his hands and hurls. Marlene grimaces and buries her face into my… chest.

"Don't worry, sweet love," I tell her. "It'll all be over soon."

I have to tell you, though: as much as I feel for the lady, it's a very welcome distraction. For all of us.

Ten minutes later, while Miss Kisaragi is trying to recuperate, the pilot announces that we're getting close to the drop-off. Shera mentions that we're somewhere in Upstate New York. Marlene still has her face buried in my chest, and now, she's nuzzling and muttering incoherent words. Seph-chan watches with a disturbed look.

"Is that… okay?" he questions.

"I suppose so," I reply (with uncertainty). "I think it reminds her of Mum…"

"It sure looks nice, though," Reno leers from his seat.

Elena smacks him. "Go screw yourself, you perverted freak!"

Seph-chan rolls his eyes.

As we close in on the drop-off point, the helicopter flies over an open field. I look out the window and see a lit up airstrip in the distance. I can see the airplane, and alongside it, there's a large building. I almost sigh in relief... but I'm not optimistic enough to count my chickens before they hatch.

A few minutes later, the helicopter begins its descent.

As we get closer and closer to the ground, Jessie suddenly shouts out:

"We've got company!"

Everyone looks out the windows. A black car is driving on a road adjacent to the field. It drives off the road, into the field, and heads straight towards our landing point. I gently push Marlene off, and she grumbles in protest.

The whole group seems to be on edge. No one was expecting anyone to come and greet us. The appearance of the car is definitely strange… but to me, not very troublesome. If it was someone who was sent to harm us, wouldn't there be more than one?

"I think I'm becoming a little too calm about all this," I comment.

"Why would you think that?" Seph-chan replies incredulously. "You've killed several people today. You grew breasts inside of an elevator. You've learned that your mother was a Mafia princess. And you just discovered that you can do the martial arts on instinct. Why would you be fazed if some mystery person came to say hello to us?"

I think for a few seconds and nod. "Of course. How stupid of me."

The helicopter sets down on the ground. By then, the car has stopped several yards away. The passenger door opens, and to my surprise, Tseng climbs out and slams it behind him. His hair blows back in the helicopter's wake. My companion stiffens in outrage. The entire group becomes tense, and I can sense an overwhelming dread.

Ignoring the glares and mental curses being flung on our unwanted guest, I stand up from my seat and grab my "luggage". I walk straight towards the cockpit and command the pilot to open the door. He reluctantly pushes the button, and the helicopter opens up for me.

As I quickly step out, the cold air slaps me in the face. I hear Seph-chan calling out to me, shouting over the engine.

"Hey! Hey! Heeeeeeey!"

Taking a deep breath, I pay him no mind. I circle around the helicopter and make my way towards… Tseng. Obviously, judging by their reactions, this isn't going to earn me any brownie points with the rest the group. I can't dare look back.

Tseng waves at me with a smug grin on his face. He's laughing at me. I am not amused.

A firm hand clamps around my arm, bringing me to a halt.

"Would you kindly let me go!?" I snarl.

But Seph-chan tugs me backwards, and I try to escape his grasp.

"Will you—!" I begin to snap.

"This man… is not on our side," he suddenly tells me. "Don't you forget that…"

My heart begins to thump in my chest. I almost forget to breathe.

And then, he simply lets me go… even giving me a slight push forward. I look back at him in shock, but he isn't even looking at me. He's giving Tseng a withering look.

Great. Lovely.

I trudge forward on my own; my feet are feeling bloody heavy.

Tseng walks away from the car to meet me. He's carrying a large shopping bag with a bow wrapped around the handles. More birthday presents, I suppose.

"Glad to see that you arrived in one piece," he says. He then hands me the bag. "Here."

"Are there any more surprises coming my way?" I ask coldly.

That's possibly the most stupid question I've ever asked.

Tseng grins, showing his teeth. "Most likely."

"Marvelous."

00000

The sky's growing darker by the minute. The helicopter quickly flees from the drop point.

Tseng and I walk ahead towards the building. I make sure to keep three feet between us. He's carrying my suitcase for me like a gentleman. Everyone else keeps a good distance away.

"Who exactly are you?" I ask curtly.

"Me?" Tseng replies coyly. "I'm nobody. Only a simple man who walks in the Chinese Underworld. It's nothing for you to worry your pretty, little head over."

I grunt and bite my lip, controlling myself. He snickers.

When we reach the side entrance, he whips out a small block from his pocket. A key. He looks back towards the others and scowls.

"I'd understand you bringing Sephiroth and the girl along," he says, "but I don't believe that dogs are allowed on airplanes…"

I ignore the snide remark. "Why do you have a key to this place?"

"I don't. This is a skeleton key."

I stare at the small block with some fascination. Tseng opens the door and tosses it towards me. I snatch it quickly from the air.

"Keep it," he says. "I've got dozens of them. You'll be able to enter every Triads' outpost in the city of Hong Kong."

"I'm not so keen on that," I reply.

"Oh… you will be."

Tseng lets me go in first and shuts the door behind him. I hear the hydraulics buzzing away in the door and freeze. He shuts his eyes tight and grins with mischief. My eyes open wide. A few seconds later, someone violently bangs their fists against the door. I can hear Seph-chan yelling a slew of profane combos that I've never heard of before. Tseng barely contains a laugh.

I hope someone's plugging Marlene's ears.

The other side of the door quickly grows silent, leaving me to wonder what on earth is going on.

"They're circling around to the front entrance," Tseng informs me.

"Sephiroth doesn't like you very much, does he?" I observe.

"I believe he loathes the air I breathe," he replied. "But that's alright because my feelings are mutual. Let's have a chat before they find us."

I nod curtly, and he leads me through the back hall. All the while, my companion's warning doesn't leave my mind:

"This man… is not on our side. Don't you forget that…"

And to be quite honest, this Tseng character gives me the creeps.

But what kind of enemy showers you with gifts and wishes you a happy birthday?

"I have a question for you," he says.

"And what might that be?" I reply.

"How many times has Nicky spoken to you?"

At that, I remain silent. I forget to walk altogether, utterly dumbstruck. Tseng glances at me with a laugh.

"You have the funniest look on your face," he mocked. "I only wanted to know how he was…"

"I…uh…"

I don't know what to say… nor, do I know if I should say anything at all. I'm just shocked that he'd actually be able to know of my "conversations" with Nicky.

"Though, to be quite honest…" Tseng continued, "when I left that house, I feared you'd no longer be yourself the next time we'd meet. But …you've impressed me. You're Dr. Strife's son, alright."

"I don't mean to contradict you," I answer, "but I don't feel remotely myself at all!"

"The fact that you're saying that proves otherwise." He gestures toward the door at the end of the hall. "Let's go."

I keep walking nonetheless.

"Who exactly… is Nicoli?" I ask. "What's he to you?"

His lips curl in a smile that resembles a jackal's. I make sure to side step a few more inches away from him.

"Nicoli?" Tseng muses. "Hmmm. Ah, yes. Little Nicky."

He lets out a sigh, and I can clearly see the nostalgia in his eyes.

"My little rival. No, more like my archnemesis. But, for some reason, I liked him. I respected him. And I actually hope that he felt the same. We had… very interesting conversations together."

I almost chuckle at the thought. It sounds like a situation out of a comic book or some action movie. But…

"You're talking in past sense," I note.

"Nicky committed suicide almost seventeen years ago," Tseng reveals.

…

My jaw drops.

"W-what!?" I cry. "Wh… how!? Wha…I…! He's dead!?"

Tseng rubs the back of his head. The look on his face becomes oddly clueless.

"Well, not necessarily dead," he admits. "But he isn't exactly alive either. Hmmm. It's a real brain scratcher…"

"But… I don't understand," I reply. "I've been talking to him… the same way I'm talking to you right now!"

"So… how many times have you spoken to him?"

"Why should I tell you that?"

Tseng shrugs with a nonchalant smile. "You don't have to. But…it would be nice… if you told me how he was doing."

I narrow my eyes, but I find myself considering it. After all, he's been very helpful… enemy or not.

"Well… he's…" I begin.

But all I can think about is my impressions on Nicoli. Nicoli…who was smiling in a forest filled with burning cars and corpses. Nicoli… who gleefully beheaded a fish. Nicoli…who laughed and joked after bombing a drug factory.

"He's morbidly… cheerful," I declare.

"That's great!" Tseng replied. "He hasn't changed a bit."

I facepalm in disbelief. "And I thought things were starting to make sense! How am I able to talk to a dead person in my head? I never even met this bloke before all of this!"

"Technically, you're not talking to 'Nicoli', per se. You're actually interacting with his memories."

I glare hard at him. The delighted grin on his face is irritating me.

"That makes even less sense! Why the bloody hell do I have someone else's memories in my head!?"

"That's because you're a container, Mr. Strife."

Tseng opens the door and steps to the side. I'm too confused to reply back or even say something. I let him usher me on through.

C-container? I think. What do he's mean by 'container'…?

"Yes… that's exactly what you are," he says behind me. "A container that has the memories of Nicoli di Luciano implanted into your brain and your body."

I turn around to face him, but he's already closing the door between us. My briefcase is sitting on the floor.

"I'm sure the Kitten will be happy to explain everything now," Tseng sneers. "See you in Cape Town."

He shuts the door, and for a short minute, all goes quiet.

Or maybe… that's only me. I'm not sure if I'd hear a bomb go off right now. Container? Implanted memories? In my brain!? I may not know what in hell is going on around here, but any fool could figure out that this can't possibly be good.

I drop everything—the nodachi and the shopping bag—and grab my head, pulling at this stupid, bushy hair. My face turns hot, and I grit my teeth.

Did Mum and Dad… I think. They knew about this too, didn't they!?

I wanted answers. I didn't want to find more questions!

"Oh dear…was that too much for you to hear?"

Nicky's voice is the last thing I want to hear. "Shut up…"

"Well, don't blame me,"he replies. "It's not like I ever had a say in this."

"Shut up," I whisper.

"Calm down!" he urges. "It's the only thing that's kept you safe so far. Isn't that what matters?"

I feel his hand clamping down on my shoulder. This person, whose supposed to be nothing but a memory. Why is he able to touch me!? Why!? It doesn't make any sense!

"Shut up! Don't touch me!" I yell.

I swerve around fast, putting all my weight into the palm of my hand, and shove him in the chest with all my might. But, instead of seeing Nicky, I end up watching Seph-chan go flying backwards on impact. He falls to the ground with a grunt and thud.

I cover my mouth, trying to muffle the girly gasp.

And we're not alone. Zack, Reno, and Elena are gaping from a few feet away. The rest of the group enters the room and sees him sprawled and wheezing on floor. Marlene is holding Yuffie's hand.

"Why's Kitty-chan on the carpet?" she asks.

"You all missed it!" Reno says. His face is nothing short of euphoric.

My companion slowly sits up on the floor and gives me a dark look.

"Do you have a problem with me ?" he asks curtly.

I think tears are running down my face.

00000

Within the hour, the pilot starts up the engine, the group shuffles up the steps, and the plane finally takes off. And so ends my first trip to the U.S. of A.

Good times…

As soon as the pilot announces that we can move around, I fling off my seatbelt, take off my bloody baby doll shoes, and hole up in the bathroom, rinsing my face with cold water. Knocking the wind out of Sephiroth Skandon had been another powerful distraction, but I'd felt too bad about it to let it last.

The questions in my head are screaming now, and it's gotten worse. Yes, my parents had to have known about this too. All about me being… a "container". All about this 'memory imprint'. All about… this person who's talking to me in my head! But… to what extent? How much were they involved in this? Who put these memories in my head in the first place!? Did they know who did it? Or, perhaps… were they the ones who…?

Someone knocks at the door, and I end up snapping at him or her on reflex. I turn off the faucet and open the door, wanting to know who would dare interrupt my thoughts… and I find myself staring into Seph-chan's glaring face. Suddenly, I feel very meek; I shrink away.

"Don't worry," he sighs. "I'm not mad at you anymore. I think…"

"Uhuh…" I nod (in disbelief).

He grabs my arm, yanks me out of the bathroom, and shuts the door.

"Alright," he mutters. "What did he say to you? It's obviously gotten you all worked up—."

"You have a very painful grip," I complain bitterly.

"I'm sorry," he answers (without letting go). "What he did he say?"

I huff at him, but there's no point in hiding anymore. At least he's promised to spill the beans.

"'You're a container, Mr. Strife,' he said. 'A container that has the memories of Nicoli di Luciano implanted into your brain and your body…' he said. Oh… and that I'll be seeing him again in Cape Town."

His face goes bright red, and the corner of his mouth starts to twitch. The expression on his face kind of reminds me of a look Mum gave me—years ago— when I accidently cracked her Lalique unicorn. At the very least, that look isn't for me this time.

He lets me go, turns around, and waves for me to follow behind. "Come on. We're gonna need to sit down…"

00000

It's been a long time coming for this. The majority of the motley crew has disappeared into a lounge room in the back. Before I leave for the moment of truth, I sink to my knees and give Marlene the strongest bear hug I can muster. She whines in protest, but I don't feel her struggling.

"Sweet love… promise me that you'll never change," I beg.

"I don't know what you mean," she responds, "but…I guess… I'll do my best?"

I suppose that's enough to hear.

"I can get taller and grow boobies, right?" she asks.

"That's permissible," I reply. "But stay away from boys."

She nods with a smile, and I lift her up onto a seat.

Tifa takes a deep breath and sips on a ginger ale. Yuffie is fighting her motion sickness again. Biggs and Wedge are glaring at me.

"You're not coming with us?" I ask.

"We're not allowed," Tifa replied, smiling softly. "You should get going."

I pat Marlene on the head and trudge off towards the back. The door is cracked open by a wastebasket.

As soon as I open the door, Shera practically shoves a mug of tea under my nose.

"Chamomile sweetened with pasteurized honey," she informs me.

"Good enough," I reply. "Thanks."

The mug is warm in my hands. I didn't realize how cold they were.

The lounge is small (it's in an airplane, of course), and there's hardly a place to sit anymore. There's a very long ottoman lined against the wall, and everyone else is piled onto it. Elena isn't pleased to be sitting next to Reno, but Jessie seems perfectly content next to Zack. Seph-chan is sitting quietly in one of two armchairs; his eyes are closed, there's a frown on his face, and his hands are folded as if he's some kind of movie commander. Or perhaps, I only see it that way because of the saké bottle and shot glass sitting next to him on a lamp stand.

The other armchair is unoccupied, and there's one more spot on the couch.

Right. Next. To. Zack.

Shera closes the door, looks at me, and purposefully sits next to him, and I happily take the chair. I take one more sip of tea for British satisfaction.

"How come they get to wet their whistles, and we don't?" Reno complains.

"Shut up and let Cloud drink his ruddy tea…" Shera says in monotone.

Seph-chan pours himself a shot.

"You're drinking, Seph?" she asks incredulously.

"Of course I'm drinking," he replies. "We'll all want to drink after this…"

"You can say that again!" I murmur.

Seph-chan narrows his eyes at me, and I stare down at my tea, puckering my lips.

"Well, now that we're all gathered here," he begins. "Would you mind telling us why we're going to South Africa?"

I take a deep breath and let out a long sigh. I try to think of the best words to say… since the answer to the question makes me feel like a lunatic. Never mind that they'll probably understand anyway.

Ah, screw it! My life is crazy! Everything's crazy! Everyone's crazy!

"That's because…" I reply, "someone by the name of Nicoli di Luciano… told me to go back home."

The lounge goes deathly silently. Most of their faces go pale, and Reno gapes almost comically. Seph-chan merely drains the shot glass and fills it again.

"Judging by the look on your faces," I continue, "you seem to know him very well…"

"…L-liar…" Zack stammers.

I raise an eyebrow. "It's no lie."

"There's no way you could ever see him!" he argues. "He's—"

"Dead?" I finish.

The lounge becomes quiet again, so I pick up my mug and sip tea again.

"What!?" Elena cries. "Dead!? How—"

"Why does he want you to go back to your hometown?" Seph-chan asks calmly.

"He didn't bother telling me," I answer… ignoring everyone else.

"That little prick," he growls… inhaling another shot. "How many times has he talked to you?"

"I didn't keep track. For a dead person, I think he's rather fond of me."

"Well, his mind isn't exactly dead…"

"Are we supposed to be following this!?" Jessie interrupts.

"What do you mean Nicky is dead!?" Zack retorts. "He went missing! No one knows what happened…"

"Nicoli committed suicide a long time ago," Shera corrects. "It's a fact."

That shuts them up jolly good. It makes me feel a little bit better, knowing that I'm not the only one being kept in the dark. Nevertheless…

"That's all fine and dandy," I say. "Now that that's cleared up… I'd like to know one thing: why is it that I have a deceased person's memories… in my head?"

"Do you want the joke answer or the serious answer?" Seph-chan offers.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes," I reply bluntly.

"Even if you won't like what you hear?" he warns.

"I'm getting used hearing things I don't like."

He then drinks a third shot of saké.

"Fine…it's because your father put them there. On the Madame's orders. While you were still in a test tube."

My mind goes blank. I end up spilling tea all over my clothes, and I let out a scream from frustration… and the scalding heat.

I think I should've accepted the joke answer.

00000

"So, let me get this straight," I say. "When I was a fetus in a tube… my dad inserted nano-machines into my body… so he could imprint Nicoli's memories into me?"

"Yup," Seph-chan replies. "That's pretty much it."

"My life sucks," I mumbled.

"Your life sucks?" he scoffs. "Not only was something very similar done to me… but I'm also the one who has to keep everything from falling apart here! Let's switch places for a bit, and then you'll know what 'suck' really means…"

I don't know how we ended up like this. All I remember is being rushed to the lounge bathroom by Shera and getting my face dunked under a running faucet. The rest is a blur, and now, my companion and I are sitting next to the bathroom door, leaning against the wall. He's drinking saké straight from the bottle now.

I've caught myself thrice for sucking my thumb. And I'm now wearing my shirt from this morning.

I hope I haven't given anyone a panty shot.

"You mind answering three more questions?" I ask.

"Sure," he replies.

"Good. For starters, are my parents… really my parents?"

"Technically."

"Technically?"

"Dr. Strife did use your mom's ova… and then, he used his own…"

I hold up my hand in a stop signal. "I get the idea."

Seph-chan chuckles at me. "Genetically manipulated, of course. You're such a virgin—"

Suddenly, he looks up, and a scowl appears on his face.

"You moronic little busybodies!" he yells.

I turn around just in time to see scampering feet. Bloody eavesdroppers.

"Second question?" he asks.

I slump against the wall and stretch my legs out. I feel… so damn tired.

"Was everyone on this plane born in vitro?" I inquire.

"Only the people in this lounge," he replies. "Everyone else was born the old-fashioned way."

"Ah, good for them."

I glance at the bottle in his hand.

"May I have some too?" I plead.

"Ask again in five years, Princess," he replies.

"What? I can shoot people, but I'm not allowed to shoot saké? Mom let me drink Burgundy and Chianti all the time. Good for the heart…"

We glare at each other for a minute or two, without blinking. He sighs and hands over the bottle.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point."

I take a sip, and it's the worse thing I've ever tasted in my life. I stick out my tongue.

I thought this would make me feel better, I muse. It really is an acquired taste!

"Okay, last question," I cough. "And you'd better be honest with me."

"Sure," he replies.

"Did my parents… really die from an accident?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know. Perhaps, it's because I've been through, seen, and learned so much freaky shite for the past couple of days… that I'm starting to think that someone came along and whacked them instead!"

The amusement disappears from Seph-chan's face, and he pinches the bridge of his nose. He takes the bottle back out of my hands and finishes it off in seconds.

"That's the story I was told," he answers flatly.

He doesn't look me in the eye. That says it all.

"Hooweee!" someone coos.

Our eyes dart up, and we see Reno poking his head at the end of the hall.

"So, you really don't know a thing, do ya!?" he declared.

"Get lost, Reno!" we yell in unison.

And he quickly backs off.

"My life sucks…" I whisper, spreading my hands over my face.

Seph-chan nods in allowance. "Of course, it does."

Have a nice day!