[Takes place after Black Swordthread, allowed by Tifa]

Heading towards the edge of the unharmed island of Honshu, Zhane was desperate to find a helicopter or something that could fly so that he could find Lauren. Obviously, he would first check his home street before he would head to the temporary department where they registered the names of the dead as well as the injured and which hospital they were located in.

Having arrived, Kelson activated the channels, projecting out his voice to the hangar. "Dave. Open the hatch!" he shouted in a fearless voice for if his family had died, what can he be feared of? There was silence. But within moments, the hangar itself replied in an non-altruistic tone. "Ahh....hows the Coliseum, dream pursuer?" the voice was loud enough to give Kelson and Zhane a shiver.

"Is Janice and Bella alright?" Kelson shouted hoping that the person called Dave would reply honestly. "Them? I don't know. Even if they died, what can you do?" he shouted in an aggressive and non-negotiable tone. Dammmit...why is he still stubborn....

"This isn't the time to be stubborn!" Kelson yelled at a verocious tone. Zhane stepped back, fascinated at Kelson's anger. Never had he seen him so happy. His impression of Kelson was a nice and optimistic person, now, to Zhane, this was a total change of character. "Now will you let me in?" Kelson shouted once more through the public microphone.

This wasn't a sign of threat, but isntead, fired up Dave's anger. "Me stubborn? Ha! Who was the one who was stubborn to leave the Hangar and leave to the Coliseum? Who was it that said 'It was my dream to work there?" Dave shouted. "It was you! Because of your dreams, you abandoned your wife and your kid. You should be disgraceful and ashamed of yourself! You shouldn't come back!"

Zhane was now dumbstruck. Yes, at times Kelson may seem to be a bit careless and very lazy, but to think that he abandoned his wife and kid just to pursue his dreams was something beyond Zhane's imagination. What a heated battle... Zhalnest mumbled with followed a silent laugh. Zhane cursed at the situation. "Your making it worse..." Zhane said. Then he heard a clapping sound, but it was a mental noise. Congrats...you can talk to me via the same mind...nice...it seemed that you;ve improved!

Cursing this, Zhane quickly added his own voice to this quarrel. "Okay...Dave. Listen. If Kelson can't land here because its his plane, well consider this. This is my plane, my property. he's just a guest, now will you let us land here?" Zhane said in a hurried voice. "No! Your a friend of Kelson so bad luck!" Dave replied in a nasty voice. This tickle Zhane's limits and immediately, he took a deep breath, whilst raising his arm to prevent Kelson adding more fuel to the fire.

"Fine. What can we do so that we can land here?" he asked. Kelson looked at him. "Nothing. Leave!" Dave declared. Zhane greased at the screen. "I'll challenge you in a mobile suit battle. If you win, we'll leave. But if you lose, we can stay and borrow one of your choppers." he suggested. This was a tempting situation for Dave. "What suit do you have?" he asked. Zhane smiled. "None. Whatever you provide me. I'll use it. As long its a mobile suit." he said.

Dave laughed. "You'll never win against me kiddo! I was picking up shit from elephants way before you were born. But since you-" but he was cut from a distinct and superious voice. "Enough Dave!" With seconds, he was on the line with Kelson and Zhane. "What is your name young man?" Zhane smiled for he knew that this man had a honest and loyal voice. "Zhane Treyest."

"You may land your plane here. And I will lend you a helicoptor. But be aware, it had not defenses." the man said. "And Kelson. Your family is safe. They are here with us." Kelson gave out a breath of relief. "Thank you...Jeff" Kelson said with a smile on his face. "No worries." the man called Jef said.

And so, within the next few minutes, they landed the aircraft in the hangar and within the hangar, Zhane that this was indeed similar tothat of an abandoned hangar. As they landed and left the aircraft, he smelt the fresh air of Japan. He loved it. He hadn't been back for two years, and when he did come back, Japan was in a state of turmoil. As soon as the two stepped on the grounds of the hangar, they were met with many people namely a young girl of around the age of 7, and a women around the age of 30. Zhane knew who these were for they were Kelson's family.

"Daddy!" the young girl cried as she ran with her arms spread out, hoping to embrace her father that had left her quite a few years ago. Hearing this, Kelson ran up to her and smiled, a smile that gve out relief and hope. A smile that meant everything to him. "Bella!" he shouted as he had also ran towards the kid hugging her like a monkey hugging its bannanas.

Having a miniature reunion, Kelson looked upto Janice. "Hows it been?" he said as he brushed his hand across his face, wiping the years out of his face. "Its been good. How have you been?" Janice asked. Kelson smiled. "Its been good..." he mumbled as he hugged Bella with more strength. "But not as happy as today..." he said smiling. The three smiled and with this, it brought Zhane to tears.

Wiping it, this sort of relationship had stunned him. He had longed for it, but never achieved it. He wished to create this when he and Lauren married and had a child of their own, but he knew that he couldn't think of this. Lauren hasnt been located yet and so this droppd his intentions by a few miles. Nevertheless, he was patted on the shoulder by an elder. The elder looked as though he has slept for the passed week and so but otherwise, he was an average japanese Elder.

"Dont worry young man. She will survive..." he mumbled. ZHane smiled. "Thank you..." he said as he also brushed his shirt across his eyes, wiping them of the wet tears. Lauren...live... At this point, Zhalnest came and smiled. Aren't you gonna go? he said with a slowly and sly voice, one that intimidated rather than encouraged. Yes...we will

Within minutes, the two was ready to depart from a hangar. But instead, they were stumbled as the elder tapped Zhane on the shoulder. "Young man. I suggest that you dont take a helicoptor." he said. "Look at nature. Its being blown away. And soon, your helicopter will also be blown away." he said as he looked towards Kelson, who was departing from his family, once again, but this time only for a short time.

"Kelson, needs to recover his loss of family love for almost 6 years. Please. Let him experience it." he begged as he began to dig his hand into his pocket. "Take the Vector. It'll be of use later when you go through the piles of junk and trashed lands." he said as he took out a key and threw it to Zhane, who caught it just in time. "Looks like we have a weapon!" Claimed Zhalnest in a horrid laugh. "Shut up..." Zhane said through his mind before smiling and patting the elder. "Thank you" he said before he turned around and looked for a labelled suit called the Vector.

As he looked at it, it practically wrote the word: Japanese on it for it bore a similar resemblance to the ancient samurais. Zhane was intriged but Lauren replaced this importance. I will find you...

Inserting his activation key, he twisted it and began to type in a password that appeared on his front monitor. Tapping the password that the elder had told him before, ZHane quickly closed the hatch, utilized the controls with his hands, gripping them with devotion. Then, as the front hatch of the hangar blew open, he quickly turned his controls and instantly, he tilted his controls forward and within an instant, he smiled.

"Im there for you Lauren..." he said as he saw the light blowing into his face. With the full fledge light blowing against him, he quickly stepped on the accelerator, charging his direted plasma array, his secondary thruster bank and most of all, the Resources Management bank was all charging. Then, with a thrust of his hand, he jolted the machine forward, shooting it out towards the open sky as he soared higher and higher around the area.

As he reached the skies, he looked down and saw that Japan had indeed been trashed and damaged by the waters. Hovering over the water, he checked the monitors and instantly, had it to track living people. "Lauren, where are you?" he kept on mumbling as he had his new mobile suit scanning for Lauren as he flew towards the closest hospital.

Leaving the hospital, it seemed that Zhane had already wasted his time in the hospital. He had simply gone through most of the hospitals around, well, the ones that had survived the crash. Where can you possibly be? With such desperate measures, he quickly jolted towards the next location of the nearest hospital, which could be housing Lauren. As he passed by, he saw a town, ravaged by many floods and many crashes of roofs of buildings. "This is insane..." he commented as he looked around. "Yes...just like me eh?" Zhalnest said as he made it humerous. But Zhane didn't find this funny, and he ignored him.

Cracking his controls forward, he continued to fly, fly closer towards the hospital. As he hovered over a town, he saw that this town was empty. He saw the buildings toppling one another and this made Zhane wonder. "It seems impossible for waves to do that..." he commented as he continued to hover. As he looked around, he saw that only a few puddles of water was visible and when he compared it to the past towns, it was truly an easy contrast. Then, he concluded something like a normal person. "Pirates!" he shouted as he quickly stopped the Vector in mid-air, preparing his weapons. Then, slowly, he tilted his controls forward, hoping to not see any of the pirates in the area to see him. Dam Pirates...why are they here for? Are they planning to steal the woman or the money? Or are they planning both? Sickening rats!

Pushing his controls forward, he soon maneuvraed though thousands of crumplings. This was almost analogous to a trash, a public rubbish trash. This area, was violated by Pirates, and not the nature itself. "These guys must have thought that since the watar crashing is such a big issue and crisis, it was time for them to slip themselves in between the line and use it to their advantage." he muttered as he quiickly jolted forward.

As he reached a certain level, his sensors picked something up. Looking at his radar, he saw nothing, but as he looked forwrd, it looked as though there was something. "What the hell is happening..." he cursed as he continued to push his controls. Then within a second, he felt that something was grasping his suit, limb by limb. His arms were outstretched as well as his legs. This was almost like a pentacle symbol. "Fuck! Should have known. Comprehensive Cloaking!" he cursed as he forgot such a system.

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the area and soon, he heard it loud and clear. "Hahahaha! Nice of you to fall into our trap. We, the R.A.P.: Rectified Amplification Pirates shall rob you and your items. If you wish to leave this area alive, please place all your valuables inside the cockpit and leave immediately!" he laughed. As soon as he laughed, Zhane's monitor beeped dangerously as they soon caught the signals of his surrouning suits. Five suits, all weakly equipped. Fuck this!

As he was caught in such a poisition, Zhane quickly thought of something. Well...my limbs are held out, outstretched. I cant reach my weapons but my thermal hammer and the gatling gun are able to be used... Qith a quick calculation, Zhane knew something that the other guys didn't know, his suit had enforced magnetic field, one that repels the armour, but that was limited and once it reaches the limit, it is gone.

As his left arm was pointing at one of the mobile suits and his chest pointing towards the leader of this stupid group, Zhane hoped simply for the best. "Anything for Lauren..." he mumbled as he quickly smacked two buttons simultaneously. As the two buttons activated, the barrels of the gatling gun quickly rolled and soon, the ends of the barrels instantly released several jolts and beams of green flash towards the mobile suit whilst the hatch of the thermal hammer slid open and within a second, it released a super heated hammer towards the leader. "Don't intervene in my life!" he cursed once he jammed his controls forward, jolting upwards.

Once the mobile suit in front of the gatling gun received full impact, exploding with the pilot ejecting at the nick of time, Zhane quickly closed the barrels to allow them to cool before reverse pulling out his sword. As for the leader, it had been swift and used its knife to slice it open and simulataneously destroying the hammer.

"Well...since its one down..." Zhane had said as he quickly had his left hand retracting his sword out as he quickly swung to the other side, having the blade slicing at the top of the mobile suit's head. As he did so, he quickly reversed his thrusters which consequently pulled him towards the ground but as he did this, he instantly stopped just so that the force pushing the sword down would be able to slice the suit in two.

Although his plan wasn't flawless, the pirate inside the suit was too slow to react and so, the pilot lost both its life as well as the suit itself, blowing it right beside its comrades and its bait. With the explosion giving a small shake across the battlefield, it was enough to shake the pirates off Zhane so that he could take the Vector up another level. Landing on the ground flawlessly, he smiled as he witnessed the screen.

The Pirates instantly saw the flaw in their plan and down to three, they had to act fast. Before Zhane could even react, the pirates activated their comprehensive Cloaking System, rendering them totally invisible. Zhane cursed at this. "Fuck...where are they?" he shouted as he turned his suit side to side hoping to see some sort of beam emmition. "This is annoying..." he shouted as he continued his movements. Deep inside, Zhalnest raised his lips, forming a curve line.

The Pirates were quickly annoyed with the instant destruction of their two comrades. "Stay in formation! We must avenge Paul and Kane!" the leader shouted as he shifted his controls in the same side rotating his suit in a circle. 'Yes!" the rest of the team shouted as they began to draw their metal sword, ready to use it to penetrate the armour of the lonely suit.

"Lets go!" demanded the leader as he quickly halted his controls before stepping on the accelerator jolting his suit forward with his sword raised up ready for the ultimate penetration of the armour of the enemy suit. "Now!" he said as he quickly pushed his controls forward throwing his suit with the sword ready to stab through the armour of the enemy suit.

But before he knew it, his arm had already been disabled by a miscellaneous slash from a sword. "What the hell?" he claimed as he turned around before receiving an intercom channel. "Game over..." the piot of the enemy suit had said. The leader was dumbstruck, unaware of the situation. as he was in his state of unconsciousness, he slowly witnessed the slicing and lashing of his other comrades each ending up in a situation where their lives simply evaporated into thin air. He couldn't believe it.

"Zhane...I'm having fun here!" Zhalnest shouted as he quickly smiled with an ungracious smile as he swung his blade once again out in the open air, managing to catch the invisible suit by the side, slicing and destroying the suit as the blade pierced the weakened armour. "What have you called me for...I am definitely gracious of it!" he exclaimed as he brought his sword down on another suit who decided to pierce its invisible sword. The sword sparked flares as it penetrated through the particles of the cloaking system before it ended the lives of both the suit and the pilot.

After the destruction of it, only one was left and that was the leader. Zhalnest just smiled for he knew that he would be attacked as soon as he stopped. Lowering his sword, he waited for the leader. He felt that there was no point in moving since he was going to be a target. "So Zhane...I once again thank-" but he couldn't finish it for Zhane had butted in. "Zhalnest...spare his life!" ordered Zhane. Zhalnest smiled. "Well...Zhane...Although I am gracious that you allowed me to take control but there are things that are unforgivable..." he said with a snare on his face. Just as he replied, he quickly weilded his sword with skills of a master as he took grip by the handle and as he crouched down with his sword in a horizontal stance, he quickly utilized his thrusters to swing both his body and sword across the air. But definitely, Zhane was wrong. It wasn't thin air.

"No Zhalnest!" Zhane claimed but he was a mere second too late. The blade of the sword had attaached itself with the invisible machine and soon enough, he heard the screeching sounds of a sword being penetrating through not only a layer of hard solid metal, but also a layer of Comprehensive Cloaking particles. As he did so, Zhalnest laughed endlessly at the hopeless enemy.

"Hahahaha1 Hah ha ha ha!" he laughed as he slowly pushed the sword further and deeper into the centre of the machine. Then as it reached to a certain disance, Zhalnest established a connection with the pilot. "Any last words?" he shouted whilst he continued to laugh. The Pirate coughed as the heat surged into his cockpit. "No..not this...no!" was all he said as he shielded himself from the heat due to the natural movements of the human body and mind.

"Hahah...you sick rat!" Zhalnest added whilst he pushed the sword slowly into the cockpit. Witnessing this, Zhane knew that the life of the Pirate was going to be gone no matter whether the sword was retracted or pushed through. "Zhalnest...Im taking over!" Zhane shouted as he battled with the mind of his evil ego. Zhalnest's laugh instantly halted as he felt that his control was weakening. "No....not now!" he shouted. But as he said so, his eyes instantly failed the blood red hue and instead was glowing a darker and more lively peaceful red whilst his hair somewhat changed tones. "Rest in peace..." Zhane said as he tilted the controls forward, ending the miserable life of the Pirate.

After the explosion of the suit, Zhane quickly retracted his sword and placed it back to its scabbard before he began to send his suit in the hospital direction. However, before he managed to shift his controls, he received a message from Kelson. "Zhane..you there?" he had said.

Zhane opened the channel and visually, he could see Kelson on his front monitor, wide and clear. "Have you found her location?" Zhane asked with excitement. "Yes. It seems that she's not dead. She's in the Royal Japan Hospital. Her status is too private for us to intervene or hack!" Kelson reported. Zhane would leap for joy if only he wasnt confined in this little cell.

"Good...send me the coordinates!" he demanded. "Gotcha.." Kelson replied as he quickly ducked his head a few centimetres and began to type vigourously revealing several patterns and words before he smashed the 'ENTER' button which sent the message straight to him.

Receiving the message, Zhane smiled and instantly inserted the coordinates tohis destination plan. As it analysed it, he looked to Kelson. "Thanks. Keep me updated!" he said. "Will do!" Kelson replied before the two destablished the connection.

Passing through the damaged areas of Japan, Zhane was simpl dumbstruck as he saw the saved grounds of the island. Though this was severe with thousands of bodies beneath it, Zhane ignored it and simply hovered over it, passed through it and soon enough arrived at the location of the hospital. Landing his suit and deactivating the systems, he quickly pulled the activation key out and ran towards the hospital.

..Lauren...Lauren... WIth his mind full of Lauren, Zhane quickly headed towards the reception and then asked the receptionist the location of Lauren. "Lauren...Lauren Krowty..." he muttered under his breath as he recovered from the short sprint. The receptionist quickly typed the name to the computer where it scanned the whereabouts of this person. "Building 5. Ward 1555." the receptionist reported. Zhane was shocked by not only the location but by the number.

"How do I get there?" Zhane asked as he took another large breath. Taking a map from the side, she opened it and began to use it as a guide to help Zhane. "Go through the tunnel here and turn left. This will get you to Building 2. Then, go to the elevators and get up to the seventh level. On the right, should be the 1500-1649 rooms." she explained with the map as a guidance for Zhane.

Taking the tunnel to get to the room, he quickly vanished off the surface of the world as he entered an underground tunnel. Twisting and turning and following the map, he finally arrived at the second building. As he got there, he turned his head in all directions looking for a route to the elevators. As his head turned 90 degrees he saw an avaliable lift. Running towards it, he quickly got to it and within a second or so, he pressed the button to level 7. This instantly jolted him upwards towards that designated level.

"Lauren...please be safe..." he mumbled as he continued on the on hoping that she is alive and ready to see him. Closing his eyes to push the tears back into himself, he soon found himself hearing a 'ding' sound. With that, he opened his eyes and began to face reality. With the doors opening as they slid open, he quickly ran off to the right side, following the instructions of the receptionist.

Heading towards that direction, the first rooms that he saw were 1510. Continuing, he headed straight down the corridor and within seconds, he arrived at the room 1555. He stopped as his shirt flew the other way as the momentum had pushed it. His heart was beating fast as he mumbled the only words that could come towards him. "Lauren..."

Entering the room, he saw that the room was near isolated. There was hardly any people around and only present in this room were the typical curtains and the bed for the hospital's patients. Zhane quickly looked and noticed that Lauren was there, eyes glued shut and snoozing. Zhane smiled to see that the blankets on her chest raised up and down, knowing that this was a sign that she was still breathing. "Lauren..." he said as he took a chair and sat next to her. "Lauren....I will never let you go again..." he said before he grasped her hand and held on to it radiating his warmth to hers.

Feeling her arm being tampered with, she whispered a few words. "Roy...is that you..." she said in a soft and calm tone. Roy was her brother, her little brother whom she loved as much as Zhane loved her. "No Lauren...its me..." Zhane said in his deep and manly voice. Hearing the reply, Lauren raised her eyelids and faced Zhane in the eye. First, was a blurred image, before soon, it cleared to be none other than Zhane himself, the man who was she to marry.

Smiling, she coughed which Zhane quickly told her not be haste in her words. "Lauren...I have toyed with you long enough..." Zhane explained with his eyes beginning to tear.

"Zhane...you have come back..." she muttered with a cough. Zhane smiled and knew that she was in an ill state. Zhane smiled with tears flowing out of his eyes. "Yes Im back..." Zhane replied as he held on her hand with both his hands. As he did this, Lauren weakly smiled as she looked at Zhane's face. "You...look old.." Lauren commented as she raised her other hand and brushed it across Zhane's face.

Zhane smiled. "Yes...Im old...and when your old...you need to get married..." he smiled as he released grip with one of his hands and dugged into his pocket, before retracting it out, pulling a small case lathered in a smoother matieral. "Your dream..." he muttered as he opened the case with one of his hands exploiting his experience in opening it with one hand. Looking at it, Lauren smiled as he saw the rings. The rings shimmered in a combination of gold and silver, with one version, obviously a female's version, had encrypted jewels and a large jewel in the centre.

"You like it?" Zhane asked as he wiped his eyes. Lauren gave a short nod and looked at Zhane. "Put it on for me..." she mumbled. "Okay..." Zhane said as he released grip of her left hand as he took hold of the jewel encrypted ring and began to insert it to her left ring finger.

Sliding the ring into her finger, Lauren released another weak smile before coughing up hard. This time it was terrible for with the cough she gave, came blood. Seeing this, Zhane quickly stood up in order to consult a doctor of her condition change. "No...ZHane...I will not last long..." Lauren said as she tugged on Zhane's shirt.

"No..." Zhane mumbled as he sat back down holding on her hands with both of his hands grasping it tightly. "No..dont say such things..." Zhane said as tears began to spill from the corner of his eyes. "Zhane...Im not gonna last long...lets have the doctors take care of those who will live on..." she said slowly in a deathening tone.

"You will live..." Zhane said as he felt regretful of not spending time with her. "Don't cry Zhane...I love you...and if you love me too, please...help those in need and most of all...find our father...and forget about me" she muttered. "No! I cannot forget you. The first two things can be accomplished by the last..." ZHane replied as tears began to stream beyong his controls. "Please...if not...dont be saddened by my death. Everyone has a limit and I am glad to be part of the Treyest..." she muttered as she felt a sudden surge enter her body. "Please...if you can...find another women...and agree to me..."

"Noo...I want you to be with me..." Zhane said as he cried releasing unlimited amounts of tears. "No Zhane...move on...and before I go...agreeto me...please..."Lauren said as she released another cough which was acommpanied with blood. "Lauren...I promise you...to live on your dream and to find my father..." Zhane said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled exept when compared to ther other smiles, it was a weaker one. "And will you find another women?" Zhane didn't know what to say. "I will...if it comes..." he replied.

Lauren moved her lips to form a smile. "I'll miss you..." she said as she felt the energy escaping her legs. "No! Dont go!" Zhane urged as he shook her. "I must go now..." Lauren replied as her torso began to weaken and lose all of its cells. "No!" Zhane shouted as he began to call out for Lauren. As the energy leaked, Lauren forced out some words. "I love you..." Lauren said as he final words slowly left her mouth as well as he life. Zhane's eyes continued to flow with tears as she saw her hands being deprived of life.

"Lauren no..." Zhane kept on calling for her before he felt that he needed to be strong. Giving her a kiss on the cheek, he felt that he needed to continue and follow out her dreams. "Lauren...I will and forever will...accomplish your final dreams!"

[End]