Capitulo Ocho
Disclaimer: Most of this story is property of Square Enix. The only things that aren't are my original character, Harper, and the plot for this fan fiction. In no way do I claim ownership of Square Enix's work.
A/N: Ok, So I've come up with a system of sorts. Any time a line/paragraph thing is NOT indented… that signifies a p.o.v. change.
Chapter Eight:
She'd had a bad feeling for a while, and it was unrelenting. As of yet, she hadn't told Vincent; Harper wanted him to not have any worries for a while—she had caused him enough trouble.
He was happy in the Forgotten Forest. At least, that's what she thought. He had lapsed into a rhythm that matched the slow cadence of the Forest, but perhaps it wasn't peaceful: it always seemed that there was something smoldering just under his surface. But no matter—she was happy to be there with him.
Today was the day though. She could suffer this interminable anxiety no more. She was going to the Forgotten Capitol…Just as soon as she could find Vincent. All she did find was a note. Vincent had beat her to it and had gone to the Capitol because of a bad feeling he had, and—depending on what he found there—was going to Midgar to inform…someone.
She threw up her hands with a deep sigh. "Great." With that she sat down to wait.
"I think she wants you to move on, man," the two Turks were back and Reno was again freely expressing his opinion. They stood to either side of the door (again); Reno with his arms crossed and head tilted back as if he wanted a nap; Rude silently standing with his fists on his hips.
"Did you find them?" Tifa asked hurriedly.
"Only a witness," Reno replied, walking forward a bit. "Kadaj's gang took the kids." That wasn't surprising.
Cloud turned toward him, asking, "Where are they?" There, that was the answer to Rude's "do you care" question.
"The Forgotten City," Rude said. Cloud, Reno and Tifa all faced him. "Their base."
Next thing Cloud knew, he was on Fenrir and going to the City of the Ancients.
They had enough children. Now was the time. As Mother's son, it was his duty to tell them the truth, show them the way back to Mother. But their forefathers were traitors; would it be easy to lead them home?
Kadaj had Loz assemble them all before the lake in front of the great shell; before the lake in which Big Brother's precious Aeris Gainsbourough was asleep in her watery grave. Marlene wasn't among the children on the other side though. No, she was the bait.
"Mother gave me a very special gift:" Kadaj started. The stuffed moogle a pig-tailed girl held was probably a gift from her mother. "the power to fight…against a planet that torments its people." He spread his arms wide.
Loz watched with a serious expression. Marlene clung to his leg and Yazoo watched uninterested. Marlene heard what Kadaj was saying and knew what he was talking about—geostigma.
Kadaj went on. "Mother gave this gift to all her children." The kids still weren't very interested. "That's right. You and I are brethren." He could hear their little minds tuning in. Finally he lowered his arms and turned around. "Brothers and sisters, chosen…when we inherited Mother's memetic legacy through the Lifestream." He lifted both his arms toward the sky and brought them down quickly, gesturing to heaven, or to life. "But," he turned each part of his body deliberately as he faced them again. "…the planet doesn't like that." He strode toward them. "It's trying to hold us back. That's why," Kadaj pointed at those before him and swept his gaze and point over them all. "…it's been racking out bodies with pain, filling out hearts with doubt!"
When Kadaj's gaze fell on Denzel, Denzel ducked his head and tried not to be noticed. He hadn't really wanted to come, but they said they could cure geostigma…only now…this man was preaching, not healing.
"I will heal you," Kadaj said. "Then we will go to Mother." A foggy, mist-like glow surrounded him; it seethed like Flame. "We will join as a family and strike back at the planet!" The mist shot upward like a ghost. Kadaj's display of power was impressive.
He took a moment to calm down. "Do as I do." Kadaj entered the water and darkness from him diffused into it. His eyes never left his soon-to-be- converts until he raised his hands to drink from the liquid they cradled. It was a cleansing drink: his pain would be gone for a while. HE gave a great sigh of relief, letting his arms simply flop back to his sides.
Kadaj looked at the children watching him, surprised that they weren't leaping over one another to get at the water, but slowly, one by one they went. He kept on eye on Cloud's boy, Denzel. Denzel too drank, against the protests of Marlene.
Kadaj smiled—everything had gone according to plan. The water-turned-cure would indeed ease the pain of the stigma, but it would also make them puppets to his and his brother's will.
Cloud's mind drifted to a flower filled meadow. He stood back to back with Aeris…
"You came," she stated. "even though you're about break." All he could do was listen. "That's a good sign." She put a hand on his infected arm. "So…why did you come?"
"I think I want to be forgiven." He did. He didn't know why he was just realizing that. "More than anything."
Aeris laughed, not mockingly. "By who?"
What? What did she mean by that?
