Final Fantasy VI-2: Clyde's Journey

Chapter IX – Return to Zozo

Only seconds later, the great bird swooped down once more, cawing at the frightened people, obviously very hostile at the moment. Clyde ran outside once more, his eyes following the violent esper as it flew around with its vivid feathers gleaming in the sunlight, cawing continuously.

"Sir Clyde! Take cover!" called a voice.

Clyde turned to see Tom Geeda hiding in the trees near Owzer's house, looking very panicked.

"Don't worry about me," he said before running down the steps into the center of Jidoor as the people cleared out.

Palidor obviously saw him, because it stopped in mid-flight and dove right for him. He looked straight into its menacing eyes, staying put as it came closer and closer with great speed. Just as the golden beak nearly impaled him, Clyde jumped high into the air, swinging his sword directly downward. The blade struck the top of the bird's head, causing it to spasm and slap Clyde away with its giant wings. The creature screeched in pain as it shook its head around. It recovered after a few moments and turned to face Clyde, who had been thrown against the wall of a close-by building.

"Great…"

Clyde staggered to his feet after grabbing his dropped sword from the ground, his left shoulder now badly bruised from hitting the wall… maybe he should've kept his armor. Palidor slowly stalked towards him on its terrifying talons, its head swaying from side to side as it edged closer.

"Clyde! Run inside that shop!"

Clyde looked over to see Geeda standing at the top of the stairs to Owzer's house, pointing at the building he had been thrown into. He was about to take his advice when Palidor's head whipped around to see Tom at the stairs. The bird cawed and charged forward, its colorful wings outstretched. Geeda quickly dove back into the cover of the trees, and Clyde ran after the esper. Suddenly, an odd whistling noise came to his ears, and it began to echo all over the town. Palidor stopped and looked to the sky, bewildered at first. It hesitated for a moment before jumping into the air and flapping its wings wildly, creating a harsh wind that nearly knocked Clyde off his feet. The bird then shot over Owzer's house and disappeared from sight.

"Oh no you don't!" Clyde yelled.

He ran as fast as he could to the town entrance, circling around the borders of Jidoor swiftly. He stopped when Palidor was once more in his sights, flying off into the distance towards the mountains. Without even thinking, he ran in that very direction, kicking up dirt all around him as he sped across the deserted land. Clyde completely ignored the sun's heat, all of his intentions set on chasing after that esper. He had to know what was going on, and running through a considerably hot region with a coat didn't deter him at all. As he passed a large forest on his way, he was suddenly hit by something from the side, to which he stumbled face first into the dirt and hurriedly jumped to his feet.

Behind him was an odd green creature maybe only three feet high. If he remembered correctly, these beasts, Crawlers, were armed with poison feelers and odd black magic that could weaken the strongest of men. The small monster jumped forward with its tiny teeth gnashing. Clyde quickly struck it with his sword, knocking it back a ways. Taking advantage of the situation, he started running again, leaving the stunned animal behind.

He was finally beginning to feel fatigue upon him as he finally came up to the large mountain range, with a considerable distance to go still. He eventually abandoned his plan of running and just walked the rest of the way, hoping that he was heading in the correct direction. There would be no other reason for Palidor to come this way, because Clyde felt certain that it was fleeing to Mount Zozo, the mountain that the rebel city of Zozo was built up against. His last visit here wasn't without its own excitement. Apparently Cyan, the gifted swordsman of the heroic group (hailing from Doma), had taken refuge in the mountain after the world broke apart. Celes, Sabin, Edgar, and Setzer had all found him and got him back on the team. However, only a day or two before battling Kefka, Setzer remembered an interesting detail in the mountain that led to Locke, Clyde (as Shadow of course), Setzer, and Cyan venturing back into the mountain to find a switch in the ground, which is what the airship pilot had remembered. Upon pressing it, they were attacked by a black wyvern, which turned out to be one of eight of the legendary dragons, ending in a rather easy victory for them.

It took him a good half an hour to finally reach around the mountain chain, Zozo only half a mile away. Feeling re-energized, Clyde broke off into a run once more, racing across the darkening land. For some reason, these mountains were always covered by clouds, and it rained at all times in Zozo. He flinched as he felt the first drop hit is face, soon running into a whole barrage of raindrops as he neared the city.

He reached the dreary world of Zozo within minutes, the rains seeming harsher than normal today. Zozo was a very dangerous place filled with monsters and criminals from Jidoor, and Clyde never liked being here, even as a mercenary… something about it made him uncomfortable. The former assassin felt like he was already on a new adventure as he proceeded further along. Looking around, a suspicious group of three men could be seen huddling in the corner of the entrance, along with many others just pacing about the rainy city, all darting their heads around as if they were being followed. Clyde approached the group by the entrance.

"Excuse me! Have you seen a very large bird come this way recently?" he asked, having to raise his voice to be heard over the heavy rain.

"Haven't seen anything like that!" said one.

"Nothing!" said another.

"No birds around here!" said the third.

Clyde knew how this city worked… everyone here was a liar, with the exception of a merchant regularly wandering around the inn. He nodded to them and ran around the side of the pub, a massive multi-storied building right next to the entrance. Standing patiently by the door of the inn only yards away was the merchant himself. Clyde had never spoken to him before, but his comrades had and always got results from doing so.

"Excuse me sir!" he called as he walked over to the man.

"Yes? Need something?" he asked.

"Have you seen a large bird come this way today?"

"As a matter of fact I have! It just came by, cawing really loudly! I think it went up to the mountain!"

"Thank you!" Clyde replied, turning around and dashing back to the pub, swinging around the corner and throwing himself inside, his body and clothes completely drenched.

The pub was a shabby building with an odd man creeping around behind the bar. Clyde ignored the man's strange looks as he ran to the stairs, being careful not to slip on the floor. He wasn't exactly sure what any of this was about, but a strange sensation inside him made it seem like pursuing Palidor would lead to something big.

"What a way to go back to the old life…" he said to himself as he continued on up the building.

Obviously train robbing wouldn't be something to be necessarily active in now. But he definitely didn't care to think of himself as a warrior either. Maybe he was just Clyde the Journeyer? There was so much to think about, yet so little time to think about it as he reached the outside again, walking amongst the stairways on the side of the pub with a rotting roof providing cover from the rain. As he moved along, he could tell his wet clothes were weighing him down, and he quickly took his heavy coat off and simply threw it over the edge, letting it fall to the world below. Within seconds of hitting the ground, several men raced to reach it, willing to grab anything that they could get their hands on obviously.

But, with that burden gone, Clyde climbed the rest of the way easier, finally reaching the door that led straight into the mountain itself. He ran on through and was now going down a long rock passageway, very little light available to him as he stumbled around. It wasn't long before he reached the core of Mount Zozo, traversing the treacherous pathways around the threatening trenches. The inside was like an unrealistically giant cave, with just the right amount of light to be able to see. He finally saw brighter light from a hole in the side of the mountain wall, leading to the outside ledges of the landform.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Clyde shook violently, knocking him off his feet. He whirled around at a distinct roar behind him. Coming from a crevice he had just passed came a sallow hand, pulling upwards as a whole form rose from the earthen opening. A giant with brownish-yellow skin and tattered blue and purple rags with chains around its wrists and ankles, along with huge leather boots appeared from the crevice. Clyde glared at the monster, holding his sword at the ready as it slowly stalked towards him.

"Come on! Come get me!" he taunted.

The giant growled and rushed forward, hurling its massive fist at its human target. Clyde narrowly escaped the attack by ducking to the left side as its powerful knuckles pummeled into the ground, creating a large crater where Clyde once stood. He only had a second to think before the giant's right foot came swinging right at him. The edge of its boot clipped him on his left shoulder, still bruised from his altercation with Palidor. Clyde gritted his teeth in pain as he was knocked onto his back.

The left foot soon came right over him and nearly crushed him before he painfully rolled to the side, the ground shaking from the impact. He quickly jammed his sword through the giant's boot, stabbing its foot. The monster roared in pain and shook its foot around wildly, sending Clyde against a jagged wall, his sword sliding out as its foot rose.

"These things were never this difficult before!" Clyde gasped, slowly rising to his feet.

The monster once again threw its fist at him, which he ducked to avoid and was hammered in the back with the debris from the wall. His sword was only a foot away, and he grabbed for it quickly before the beast grabbed him in between its fingers. Clyde was lifted into the air by his legs, his sword hanging loosely in his fingertips. The creature raised him up to the level of its face, staring directly into Clyde's eyes. It let out a hideous roar, bringing incredible pain to Clyde's ears. He was completely helpless now, with a comparably weak sword than he had used before, and with no aid from his companions. He really should've kept his armor now.

Suddenly, a loud screech came from the opening in the wall. Both Clyde and the giant turned to see Palidor squeezing in through the hole, clicking its beak. The creature immediately dropped Clyde, who landed very roughly on the ground. The two monsters approached each other slowly, squaring off inside the mountain. The former mercenary watched with apprehension, crawling as fast as he could to the nearest wall.

The giant ran forward, throwing a hard punch at the esper. Palidor's head shot straight down and stabbed its attacker with its sharp beak. Right after, it swiped its right wing across the giant's face, sending it stumbling backwards. Clyde didn't know how to feel now, as Palidor was supposedly dangerous now, and yet it had basically just saved his life. The fight continued as the giant slapped Palidor in the face with the back of its hand, nearly knocking it over the edge of one of the nearby chasms. The bird esper quickly recovered and assaulted the monster with its claws, slashing at it relentlessly. The giant was now helpless as it was repeatedly scratched up. Finally, Palidor hooked its talons into the creature's chest, then pushed it back with such a force so that it fell straight back into the crevice it appeared from, screaming all the way down.

"Good work…" Clyde murmured in reference to Palidor.

The esper then snapped its head in his direction, sending a piercing shriek at him. It flapped its wings erratically, charging towards Clyde's injured form.

"Shit…" he coughed, attempting to crawl away, sword in hand.

It came closer and closer, snapping its beak as it cawed furiously. Clyde had very limited mobility, wondering why he ever decided to run out here in the first place, because now he was in too deep. He was about to attempt to throw himself into the crevice, hoping that he would land on a ledge safely, until something suddenly came to mind…

"Wow, I haven't seen throwing skills like that in a while… you're about as good as Shadow the assassin!" echoed Celes' voice from yesterday.

Without wasting a second, Clyde held himself up with his left hand, swinging his sword across and flinging it straight at Palidor. The blade pierced through the bird's left wing, causing it to scream out in pain, stumbling from its course and running about wildly. He took immediate advantage of the situation and struggled greatly to stand. Once he was somewhat on his feet, Clyde limped as fast as he could in the direction that he came from, leaving Palidor to flail around the inner mountain in pain.

"This is just too much now…" he groaned to himself as he went along the mountain passageways.

The sounds of the esper's screaming faded as he once again found the dark path back to Zozo. After his vicious confrontation, he felt completely dry now, but in a lot of pain at the same time. The last time he felt this way was when he was attacked by an elderly behemoth in a cave on the Vedlt. The only difference then was that his friends had quickly come to his rescue.

"If only Interceptor were here," he said solemnly, feeling disheartened at the absence of his dog.

He knew his pet would be fine in Relm Arrowny's hands, but he was always the best companion he'd ever had. Interceptor was there to protect Clyde at any time, just like man's best friend should. In return, Clyde treated him very well, using most of his mercenary money to buy the best dog food around. He felt that his friendship with his dog was kind of a second chance after his failure for Baram…

"Baram…" he said softly, still limping along.

He would never forget that night. The two of them had just pulled off an amazing heist on a train, stealing a great deal of supplies and treasure from the Empire. Unfortunately, they were apprehended too soon afterwards. He and Baram had escaped by throwing themselves into a nearby river as they were escorted to Vector for incarceration. The river only carried them a short way before they both jumped out and ran through the cover of a nearby grove of trees, the Empire chasing right after them. As they fled, the soldiers fired upon them with their long-range weapons, mostly consistent of crossbows. Baram had taken several hits as they climbed a high mountain, their only means of escape at the time. When they reached the summit, leaving the soldiers far behind, but pursuing, Baram had lost a fatal amount of blood, hanging on to his dear life.

Baram had only one thing to ask of Clyde… and that was to deliver his coup de grace for if the empire had captured him, death would be the least of his worries. But Clyde was too much of a coward to do it… he just didn't have the heart to kill his only friend and partner to pit him out of his misery. He left Baram to die on his own and would never forget it.

"I'm so sorry Baram…" Clyde whimpered, feeling his way along the wall as he proceeded forward.

Then his mind fell upon the following events… he had found his way further along the mountains before slipping on a loose ledge and plunging into the ocean. His body was swept away to a distant continent, where he steadily recovered on the shore. When he was well enough to move, he headed north to find a quaint little village known as Thamasa. That is where he met that girl… the girl who took him in when he had nowhere to go… the girl that he could not stop thinking about at the time… the girl he eventually grew to fall in love with. That was even when he first met Interceptor, who had accepted him on his first night in the village.

"My god… the girl… Julia," he gasped.

Never before had he totally recollected this, but it all came back in a massive rush. He and Julia had a daughter, something he only recently remembered. It was only days later that Julia died. A good friend of hers, whom Clyde could not remember at all, took care of the child as he, Shadow, went on his own path. Interceptor attempted to keep him there somehow, but he couldn't bear the pressure of raising a child without a mother alongside him. And he just didn't want to be in a world without Julia. He took the dog with him while leaving Julia's friend the aging man, and his baby girl safe in Thamasa.

Clyde had often suffered from amnesia, and even when he accompanied Locke, Celes, and Terra to Thamasa in the World of Balance, nothing really made sense to him, yet it was all oddly familiar. Something about that night had told him to rescue the old man's granddaughter from the blazing inferno that enveloped the house she was trapped in.

"Relm… RELM!" he shouted for no apparent reason.

Clyde stopped right where he was, just outside the door to Zozo, able to hear the rain perfectly. His head grew a pounding headache from the memories that came back to him, and given his current condition, this wasn't the best time to have an epiphany.

"Julia… Strago… Relm…" he whispered.

Clyde fell to his knees weakly. The girl… her name was Julia Arrowny. Her good friend was the elderly Strago Magus. Eleven years ago he had left Thamasa to pursue a new, emotionless life, and only a year ago from present time did he run into someone that he'd completely forgotten. Relm was his daughter, and he never even realized it. Clyde put his hands to his face, feeling very sick at the moment… yet he smiled. He smiled because his child was still alive and well, and a hero along with the rest of his companions.

A loud crash of thunder broke him out of his sickly trance, and he suddenly stood up with a new motivation. He had to return to Thamasa and seek out Strago and Relm. He ignored the pain in his body, walking as steadfast as possible through the doorway and into the bleak city. Clyde was determined to put these adventures behind him just to be with his daughter again, and nothing would dare stand in his way.

The trip back down was slow going, due to his beating in the mountain, but he survived all the same. He was more careful once he left the pub, avoiding the monsters and people by keeping close to the wall of the building as he steadily edged his way to the entrance. He wasn't entirely sure that he'd be able to make it all the way back to Jidoor, but with his determination, he had to try.

"I'll never leave you again Relm," he said as a sort of reassurance to himself as he passed the entrance to Zozo, leaving the city, the mountain, and the crazed esper behind.

Suddenly, he felt his legs give out, and his whole body became limp. The exhaustion from the day and the returned memories had taken its toll. Clyde fell face first into the muddy ground with the rain falling upon his tired form. Eventually, he looked up at the dark sky one last time and blacked out…

Author's Notes: This chapter is comparably short to the more recent ones, but I feel it served its purpose well. Julia Arrowny is a name I made up completely (with exception for the last name, which is Relm's), and the explanation behind Baram's death, and Clyde's amnesia is just my own speculation of events. The next chapter will be posted as soon as I get reviews on my revival of this story.