The morning after Cloud's victory at the Battle arena, Aerith and I arose and ordered in room service from the Ghost Hotel's kitchen. The food arrived and we made plans while we ate. "As soon as we're finished up here." I said. "I'm heading to the museum and not letting the keystone out of my sight."
Aerith shook her head. "I'm wondering if there's any point."
"How do you mean?"
"Well, suppose we did prevent Cait from taking the thing... Would it really accomplish all that much? For all we know Shinra would just find a way to force their way through the security systems anyway. Or Sephiroth might on his own. Maybe we should just play this through the way it's supposed to go, at least as far as Knowlespole." She replied.
"That's an awful risk Aer."
"Nah, I really don't think it is." She said smiling. "I'm confident in you."
"I'm not."
"Then you need to change that. Have some faith... It'll be rough, sure, but we'll both come through it in the end..."
I laughed slightly. "You know something I don't?"
Later, Aerith would tell me that she very nearly spilled the beans about her meeting with Ganthet and his allies then. Instead, remembering his admonitions, she said "I know that Ganthet must've chosen you for a reason... He wouldn't have grabbed just anyone out of their world, right? Look, maybe what we should do is this: We'll go ahead with your plan to try to stop Cait, but if it doesn't work then we set our minds on seeing the rest through."
"I guess that's how it'll have to be." I agreed.
After eating, we planned to proceed straight to the Battle Square museum. But before this could happen, a loud banging came on my door. "Yo Y/N! Up and at 'em! We got a problem!" Boomed Barrett's voice.
"What!?" I asked. From down the hall I heard the sound of Yuffie banging on the door of Aerith' empty room.
"The damn cat is what!" Barrett answered. "Cait's ripped off the Keystone! Cloud an' Teef are huntin' him down but we need help!"
"Alright, you go ahead!" I shouted back. "I'll head for Wonder Square!" Barrett agreed and I heard the sound of his heavy boots clomping away down the hall. "That was fast." I said to Aerith. "I didn't really expect this til' after dark."
The sound of Yuffie banging futilely on Aerith' door continued. "C'mon Aer! Wake up!"
"What will be will be." Aerith said to me. "How we gonna handle Yuffie knowing I spent the night here?"
"I don't really care what she thinks." I answered. "And she probably won't notice anyway. This is Yuffie we're talking about."
"It's Yuffie, yes. But she's also a teenage girl. She'll notice." Aerith said as we walked to the door. "Oh well, I had hoped no one would know 'til afterwards... Risk of unpredictable changes and all... but it can't be helped."
We exited into the hall and went to Yuffie. She spun around in surprise as Aerith said "I'm already up Yuff, let's go already!"
"Okay good!" Yuffie said. She began to speak rapidly, but slowed as realization hit her; "Cloud and Teef are looking for Cait in the Battle Arena, Barrett's watching the main hub, and Red, Vinny and Cid have Rount, Event, and Speed Squares covered... I'll hit the Choco Tracks if you guys take the arcade... and... Wait a minute... Where were you anyway?" She stared at Aerith.
"None of your business."
Yuffie blushed. "Oh my god, were you two...?"
"Not now Yuffie!" I snapped. "Chocobo Square!"
"Oh, right!" She rushed off with many a backwards glance...
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=== Begin Third-Person P.O.V. : Cloud ===
"There he is!" Tifa shouted, pointing. Cloud turned to see Cait Sith, Keystone in hand, run around a corner and out of sight. They gave chase, and pursued the cat through the back monster-holding areas of the Battle Arena. Behind cages, the creatures roared and bellowed but could do nothing. Cait got a slight lead and used it to open the gate into the actual arena. Cloud and Tifa chased him through, leaping over the dead body of the King Behemoth Cloud had slain and the park employees trying to clean it up in time for the night's duels, then out and past a startled reception clerk.
"What in the world is he thinking?" Cloud asked.
"Beats me." Tifa answered. "Though, he is a robot... Maybe someone's remotely controlling him."
"Someone from Shinra, then." Cloud said.
They chased the robo-cat out of the Battle Square and into the Saucer's main hub. Barrett was waiting there and attempted to tackle Cait. It almost worked. Cloud and Tifa made it just in time to see the cat jump off the back of the captured moogle and keep running on it's own. "Damnit!" Barrett swore, and he joined the pursuit.
They next found themselves in the Speed Square. Cait ran for the roller coaster, hoping to board and take off. He failed to notice the shadow where a shadow shouldn't have been until Vincent grabbed him. "Explain yourself!" the gunman demanded.
"Explain this laddie!" Cait replied, and he threw the Keystone as hard as he could. It arced high in the air, descended, and was caught by...
"What the hell!?" Barrett exclaimed as the second Cait, complete with it's own moogle, caught the Keystone.
"Another one!?" Cloud asked.
Cait number two turned and ran...
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=== Resume First-Person P.O.V. ===
Barely had we arrived at the entrance of Wonder Square when I saw Cait standing near the location where we had first met him. "Hey cat!" I shouted as we ran towards him. Seeing us, he turned and started to run. Before he could get out of range I cast a bolt spell. The robot shrieked and fell silent, smoke pouring out of the moogle's ears.
"Wasn't that a little excessive?" Aerith asked as we walked up to him.
"It was only a tier-one spell." I answered. "It shouldn't have hurt him that badly."
We knelt down and examined the cat. "There's no keystone here..." Aerith said.
"Hmm... No Keystone... Way weaker than normal... I wonder..." Before I could reach the conclusion on my own, a ruckus of noise arose from the direction of the entrance. Then Cait rushed in, and stared in shock at the Cait I had fried.
"Whoops! So much for that plan!" He said. "I'd better find one of the fully-upgraded copies!" He ran out a different door than he had entered by. Cloud, Barrett, Vincent, and Tifa arrived moments later.
"You got him!" Tifa cheered.
"Afraid not. This seems to be a cheap knock-off. The real one you're chasing just came and left." I said.
"Nuts! Which way did he go?" Tifa asked. Aerith pointed and we all ran out together.
Over the next half hour we chased various Caits around the park. I lost count of how many there must have been. A few seemed to be full-power combat ready models like the one that had travelled with us, but most were flimsy copies. Cid, and later Red, joined us as we came across them. I expect we must have been quite a sight to the other patrons, a large group rushing about after a weird cat, yelling and cursing as we went. It seemed that the Caits were purposely avoiding the Chocobo Square, which made sense given that they would need to get the Keystone there at the last minute.
Finally, the Keystone holder ran for the tube to Chocobo Square. We followed, but when we arrived at the racetracks he was nowhere to be seen. "What the...? Where did he go?" Cloud wondered.
"I was sure he came this way." Barrett said.
"He did." Vincent said. "Strange."
"Hey guys! Look what I caught!" Came the sound of Yuffie's voice. We looked to see her approaching with a Cait struggling in her grip. "Of course, he doesn't have the Keystone." Yuffie continued. "I can't get him to tell me where it is."
"Why, it's right here Lass." The Cait said. He motioned to someone behind us, and Yuffie gasped as I turned to see what she saw. Another Cait, holding the Keystone, ducked out of a door and threw it to the Cait Yuffie was holding. That particular Cait took advantage of her shock to free himself, leap on top of her head, jump, grab the Keystone, and run.
We tried to follow, but as soon as we rounded the next corner we found our path blocked by an army of Caits, at least a hundred of them. "I hate cats..." Barrett said.
"The feeling is becoming mutual." Vincent agreed.
Beyond the wall of robots, a helicopter appeared from somewhere below the square, rising into view past the edge. Cait threw the keystone to it's pilot, who then flew away.
With that, the army of Cait's dispersed and soon only one was left. He faced us and we faced him. "Sorry about that Lads, Lasses. We had no choice."
"There's always a choice." Tifa said. "So, what, you've been a spy this entire time?"
"Is there really even a 'you' or are you just some guy at a remote control board in the Shinra Tower?" Yuffie wondered.
"Aye to the first question." Cait answered. "I was indeed sent ta' spy on you. A qualified aye to the second question... Yes, there is a guy at a control board, but there's also a real 'me' in here. I call the shots unless I'm told otherwise."
"And who is the 'guy at the control board'? Red asked.
"I can't answer that Lad. Not allowed. Anyway, let's just pack up and go. If we hurry, Rufus will only get to the temple a few hours ahead of us."
"Us!?" Barrett demanded. "What da hell makes you think we'll let you stay with us after this!?"
Cait shrugged. "It's your choice. But, I'd like to continue. The real me really wants to help you out."
Cid said "That's not the issue. The damned issue is, what happens the next time your controllers make you turn on us?"
"It's a fair question." Red agreed.
"Aye, that it is." Cait admitted. "Still, you can be alert for it now that you know... And I might be able to smuggle you inside information as well."
"That's good enough for me." Cloud said. "We can't waste time arguing here. Let's move, I want to be on Rufus' heels when he goes in the temple..."