The Reign Game
4
"Ahhhaha, holy crap-"
-
Coming from the rural backwoods of Gaia, there were some things that Yuffie was bound to scarcely understand, although she played it off as a small lapse in her all-knowing memory. One of those things just so happened to be computers. Wutai ate dust in mankind's technological races, so the ninja girl had failed to develop a top-notch skill for them before taking to the main lands. Her only merit lied in the fact that she could even work the almighty cell phone and, to a lesser extent, the boob tube. But anything set in front of her with more than twenty buttons that wasn't a basic calculator or television remote and Yuffie had no choice but to raise the white flag.
Reeve's palm pilot beckoned for a little spin around the proverbial block. Being the former Shinra employee that he was— and, sadly, would forever go down in history as once part of the evil company's parcel— surely he was a gateway to some juicy databanks about secret loot the world over. No-brainer. Shinra no doubt had bank accounts, safety deposit boxes and more galore stashed in some of the most remote and unassuming locales on Gaia, waiting to be pillaged, plundered, appraised and spent. Now if only she could work this damn thing and not seem like she was snooping or flat out breaking it while trying to meet her snoopy ends.
Meanwhile, Reeve stood talking out in the hall.
Yuffie sat at his desk, conveniently shielded from view by the box towers littering his apartment office.
She could do it, right? It was certainly worth a shot. One didn't need to know rocket science to be able to operate something as simply small as a digital assistant.
"Hmm…" The ninja girl weaved her head to the right for one last look at the doorway. The mother who had been lounging on the couch with her children occupied the threshold, nodding her head occasionally to whatever was being spoken. That spindly little body wrapped in ratty blue wool would be another handy barrier from prying eyes.
One more glance…
"Cripes!"
The electronic device began ringing off the hook like a phone and Yuffie fumbled with the thing before dropping it back down on the desktop with a clatter. The shuffle of footsteps beyond the boxes served as indication that Reeve, with those amazingly keen ears for his age, heeded the cry of his device and was coming to check on it accordingly. The ninja girl twirled into her older companion's chair, thrust her hands in her lap, and spat out an awkward whistle.
"Hmm?" Reeve jutted his chin curiously at Yuffie before picking up the ringing contraption and thoughtfully jabbed his finger at this and that on its crystal screen. He made soft sounds of interest, glancing briefly at the girl who stared up with all the innocence of a pleading, hungry mouse. "I just got a message from Barret. Apparently he's planning some sort of gathering at Cosmo Canyon in a week if anyone's interested."
Yuffie sighed and reclined in the rough, tweed-backed chair, throwing her legs up on the desktop. With a huff, she asked, "Really? Cool, what kind of gathering? Another party to celebrate how awesome we are?"
"Not exactly," he replied.
"Then what'll be the fun in that?"
"He didn't go into detail, but apparently it's for AVALANCHE. The old AVALANCHE."
"Huh? Oh, well… I guess that's cool."
"That reminds me," Reeve chuckled, smoothing back his dark hair. "Sorry for stepping out before you could tell me what you…needed from me."
"Oh!" the ninja girl exclaimed. "It's like this. I need a ride."
"A ride…?"
--
"Smoke!"
-
There was a bad idea for every good idea conjured and put into action. And there was a terrible outcome for every good one that came afterwards. Sometimes, two, or even three. Consequences saw no need to ever limit themselves.
-
"By all that is shining and holy on Leviathan's scales! Urrrk…!"
The skies were impossibly blue that morning, yet seasonably lazy and serene, with a streak of misty black arcing up then spiraling down towards earth. Birds circled confusedly over the site where the trail of smoke had made its impact far below. At the very end of that trail sat a small, sooty stain of a wreck, still belching a blossom of smoke and crying little orange flames that struggled to be seen inside the billowing blossom-cloud. A few yards away, a doubled over Yuffie nearly fell face first into her own vomit as she gazed upon the disaster she'd only haphazardly escaped with her life.
Her bright idea had fallen short.
The ninja girl sat fuming quietly to herself. Her face was bitter, chagrined, but mostly from the aftertaste of the up-chucked breakfast pooled at her knees.
No more flying. Forever.
Now, who could she blame for this debacle?
Reeve. For Leviathan's sake, the man was almost two whole decades her senior and had a hell of a lot more common sense than she did. Why, why couldn't he have told her that flying a plane on her own would be a bad idea? An achingly painful, poorly planned, or maybe-she-was-just-asking-for-it bad idea? And here she thought she'd gotten over her motion sickness, as well. Some advice Cloud gave me back then…
Now how would Yuffie make it to the main continent? Where was she, anyways, for that matter?
The ninja girl sat back in a patch of tall grass and pulled out her phone from a pouch. She thanked gods that she managed to hold onto her things before the crash, otherwise she would've been in a lot more trouble than just suffering some trifling nausea. Groaning quietly, she flicked it open and dialed a few buttons.
"And thank modern technology…" Yuffie smirked considerately.
Her PHS mobile, like everyone else's in their ever connected and privileged group— because the heroes of the world needed technology just like this to save and keep safe their much beloved Planet— came built-in with the always invaluable, the life-saving, the ingenious Planetary Positioning System, PPS for short. It was one of few technologies Gaia's people as a whole could call an accomplishment so far— sure, mankind never really made it into space yet but that didn't stop a tricked out metal ball with wings from making it instead. Yuffie pledged more thanks that she didn't need to know how to work rockets or those infinitely essential satellites to put it into action. All she needed was a fingertip and a button for that fingertip to press. And here the girl was, no longer lost in the middle of a great, faded expanse of plain nearly as far as the eye could see. She was only somewhere northeast of Junon, now. A fairly faraway piece of northeast, but northeast nonetheless. Sardonically, she considered it a success that she even made it this far on her own. It was nothing that a little willpower couldn't handle.
Now willpower was going to have to see Yuffie all the way to Junon before she could rest and relax in commemoration of her first ever solo plane crash. Her body ached all over, her stomach still tossed and turned from vertigo. It was going to be a hell of a trek to civilization but a bed was beginning to look pretty great right about now. A bed. And a bath. The perfect motivation.
And a meal…
"Actually, the meal could wait," the girl thought aloud. The doughy taste of stomach acid and digested cereal clung to the back of Yuffie's throat as she tried to swallow it down. She didn't think she could even get to her feet; the bile was enough to keep her grounded and a little out of breath. But when the tough got going… she'd rather not be sitting monster chow.
--
Another day was slowly setting upon the quiet settlements of Cosmo Canyon. It being the week's end, the common gatherers of the Candle had dwindled long before the sky melted from a dark, golden red to the most vivid purple. With a new week bordering on the horizon, little more than a few hours away, Nanaki's people considered it virtuous at this time to lay down with the sun and rise with it— as a means of taking advantage of the physical and spiritual renewal they'd gain, and need, for a fresh week of maintaining their lives in the canyon thereafter.
Of course Nanaki thought himself entitled to fewer or extra hours here and there. He was still a growing cub, after all, not to mention busy when the time called for diligence. Flexible hours in rest and action were a must. Although the young beast planned on cashing in some extra time for a snooze, company came knocking at Cosmo's door. A preemptive call left Nanaki at least a little prepared but…
"Your timeliness is uncanny."
Barret approached the low, circular dirt dais on which Cosmo Candle sat, where the other lounged in a cozy ball against the calm orange flames amongst incoming night owls. Nanaki flapped his fiery tail and yawned in greeting at the large man practically stomping his way towards the meet and greet. He hadn't seen his comrade-in-decisive-arms in about a month, which could have been said for pretty much everyone else in their ragtag group. Shortly after the end of Meteorfall, everyone returned to their respective homes to rebuild, to recover, to just move on. As for Nanaki himself, he had Deneh to look forward to. Although, a slight pang of guilt mocked him for not inquiring into his friends' goals post-Meteorfall. He'd hoped that surely they had futures glinting on the horizon, as small but sweet as his had the potential to be.
Barret would be a nice start in rectifying that niggling guilt.
"S'up Red."
"I was kind of getting ready to turn in for the night, actually. Under the stars and whatnot."
"It's only twilight, foo'. Listen up," the big man huffed as he dropped down on one knee. He slapped a meaty paw on Nanaki's scruff, causing him to furiously flop onto his stomach in surprise. The beast bristled, but eventually settled back down in order hear to what Barret had to say.
"Make it quick…"
"Shit, he wants quick. Now, Red, I gots a favor. You know AVALANCHE started here in Cosmo, right?"
"I know some sort of activist or terrorist group occupied my home some years ago. Whether or not it was AVALANCHE is something that remains to be seen. But they were wily enough to call Shinra here, so maybe…"
"Shit, AVALANCHE was never a terrorist group! Lousy…"
"Barret, Barret," Nanaki slapped his paw on the ground, hoping to wrest the big man's attention away from his little grumbling, curse-filled haze.
"Oh, my bad. For real, though. I need an escort through those shitty caves to the back of the canyon. Here yo' chance to shine, hot fuzz." Barret slapped a mighty hand once more upon the beast's poor scruff, but redeemed himself somewhat with a scratch behind the ears. For such a big, abrasive human, he had his moments. Otherwise, how would little Marlene have ever survived his care? A would-be paradox of the decade.
Nanaki lifted his head in chagrin before pulling away to stretch his body into a long train of fire lit fur.
"Well, the Gi have long since settled from the last time we were down there," he answered with a quick glance over at Barret. "But why would you want to go back through there?"
"It was the old group's last wish to be buried someplace meanin' somethin', know what I'm sayin'?" the dark man grunted, splaying his palm open and staring down into it.
"So you had them buried below my father?" Nanaki pressed.
"Got a prob'?" Barret grinned as if ready to fight.
The young beast grinned back, as if he itched to pounce on his companion.
"It's admirable," he said simply.
"'S what I thought, furball," Barret laughed.
"… okay, okay, I'll bite; let's get this over with. My curiosity has been piqued."
-
The Gi were a warlike people, a trait recalled fervently by Nanaki since his last run-in with their malevolent spirits. While his kind embodied humanity in animal form, these would-have-been conquerors of Cosmo were the exact opposite. Beasts in the shape of lanky, barbarian men— the stars forbid if Gi women appeared the very same. An appalling thought, one especially wasted on his young mind.
Nanaki thanked his friends that these caves were haunted no more by the wayward Gi. Sure, the current state of quiet down here was just as disturbing as the eerie quiet carried on by ghosts of the past, but there was still a certain solace to be found. No more war with the bitter afterlife beneath his home. Now the Caves of the Gi were just… the Caves. Still infested with the occasional monster, but they were swept easily enough under the metaphorical rug.
"Aw shit! Is there a cobweb in my hair? Feels like a cobweb in my hair."
"Barret, if there was, you'd be dead already," Nanaki said.
"Don't remind me about those fuckin' spiders," Barret barked.
The big man trailed behind the young beast, complaining about every other little thing more than either cared to handle. Of course, complaints were to be expected, especially after the last time they visited this place. Save for the Gi's absence, not much had changed. And that wasn't a very good thing, from one point of view. The atmosphere was still dark, dank and stagnant; the slick semi-crystalline walls still glowed a sickly pale color from materia jutting out of the rocky ceilings; and the bottomless pools of water, still dirtied by copper pulled from iron oxide within the earth itself. There was not to mention, the gigantic and shimmering cobwebs that laced the dark, distant corners. Stingers still made their homes here, obviously. Just as well. As long as they didn't come above ground and terrorize the canyon's people, they'd go undisturbed.
Barret didn't like these caves. Former coal miner, Barret, with the thickest skin this side of the Corel Mountains didn't like these caves. Had a star— that wasn't Meteor, of course— fallen on his head to make his hefty companion dislike them? Barring its monster residents and the fact that bloodthirsty ghosts once roamed for heads through which to spear their sticks?
"Why you goin' so slow?" Barret exclaimed. "Pick it up!"
"Do you want me to slip and fall?" Nanaki growled. "I dare say you hold no regard for my safety as your guide."
"Cobweb!"
The beast sighed.
Towards the end of the path the two traveled, there came that expectant dip in its own ground elevation before it snaked up to the surface once again. At its end was the path leading to Seto's memorial, Seto's grave, Seto's guardian throne. And according to Barret, the burial site of the original AVALANCHE, as well.
"This where your old man is standin', right?"
Nanaki nodded at Barret's question, suddenly locked in a mode of solemnity. Nowadays, he couldn't help it. From the day on that he realized his father's true colors, pangs of guilt and respect wracked his body even just thinking about it. He'd stopped at the ascending stone steps, spying the faintest glow of moonlight drip down the glistening rock.
He felt the slightest urge to howl. His jaws worked out a tiny whine in anticipation.
But Barret was waiting.
"Ah well… Let's go, shall we?"
The moon was only a sliver of a crescent, its image unhindered by the high rise wall of canyon homes. This was the perfect setting to another night beneath the stars, but far more secluded. Memorial energies of Nanaki's father suffused the air to give him a sense of… something good. Overwhelming, yet good.
That was the best he could come up with while slipping between mounds of rock to a path rarely, if never, traveled. Behind him, he could hear the big man stumbling down into the young beast's wake. It was like standing in a boulder's potential warpath. Stars help me if Barret trips, Nanaki fretted.
Half in and out of shadow and moonlight, there sat a stony little clearing far below Seto's vigil. It dipped slightly into a chasm, making the simply marked graves hard to see from afar. Nanaki padded slowly towards them while Barret, like a derailed and unstoppable freighter, stampeded towards the graves and stopped just short of the largest one. On a bent knee, he greeted and waved to each marker of the clustered little site.
"So this is the old AVALANCHE?"
"Sho' nuff," Barret answered. Then he pointed resolutely ahead. "These here in the middle is the originals. Big one belonged to a giant named Shears-"
"Giant? Bigger than you?"
"Shit, by like a few inches. And pounds."
"Ah."
"Right next to him is Elfé้. First true leader we eva had. Couldn't find the body back then but… There's Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie ova there, what's left of 'em. Buncha' other fools I can't remember for shit. But we was all friends. 'Cept for this one sonuvabitch. But he's rottin' in hell so good riddance. I-"
"Barret, is that materia set into these markers?" Nanaki interrupted, approaching the graves and sniffing amongst them. The big man grabbed a hold of the beast's tail and drew him backwards.
"Git!"
"Calm yourself! I just want a closer look. Hah, do you not trust me to be able to hold true to funereal propriety?"
"Just watch yo'self, then."
"Humph."