Chapter 10

Detour of Fate

Kunsel stood outside the gate to the small, sleepy mountain town, watching the retreating form of a slender girl as she hurried away into the town proper. He'd barely caught sight of her, hiding in the shadows of the tall wooden pole, watching as he and his small band of troopers approached. She's probably run off to inform the mayor of their arrival—Kunsel had sent word ahead when they stopped at The Gold Saucer, letting them know they were coming.

He sighed and turned to one of his troopers, noticing with amusement that the shy trooper suddenly had his helmet on again. It had been against regulation, but Kunsel had given him leave to keep it off during the trip. Motion sickness and enclosed spaces didn't mix very well. "Well, Strife. Zack told me this is your home town, isn't it?"

"H-he did? I mean. Yes. Yes it is." The boy—only sixteen if Kunsel remembered the personnel file correctly—took a deep breath, obviously trying to shake off the nervousness of being addressed. His stammer caused the other two troopers to snicker, which in turn led to Cloud wilting further. Kunsel waved the others to silence, keeping his attention on Cloud. This was the trooper Zack had liked so much? Zack had been the one to recommend the boy for the mission. Kunsel admitted that having someone who knew the town and area would be useful, but he hadn't expected the boy to be so…so…

Timid.

Oh well, nothing to be done for it now.

"If you could point the way to the Inn, we can get settled in. Once we do, I'll set you all up in shifts for guarding." He turned to eye the other two Troopers, seeing them snap to varying degrees of attention as he did so. He hadn't gotten the worst troopers. Not by far, they were all competent, from what he remembered of the personnel reports. Discipline problems, but those in charge of assignments figured that it wouldn't matter for such a…leisurely mission.

Kunsel sighed; catching the look one of them was giving Cloud. That one had been picking on the boy the entire way here, ever since he'd heard that Cloud had been personally recommended by a SOLDIER First Class. He'd have to keep an eye on him.

"Strife." The call had the boy jumping, and scrambling on ahead, making for one of the larger houses on the western side of the town. They all looked the same to Kunsel, all built in a similar style, six houses ringing the town center, with more and more roofs peaking up from behind them. They pressed almost to the base of the depression, the mountain peaks rising around them.

A population of no more than a hundred…why would these people still live out here? The reactor mainly supplied power to the Company's space program, located on the other side of the range, but this town had been here for decades before that project was opened. Kunsel liked to do his research before a mission, but because he'd only had a few hours the night before, he felt like he was missing something. Something important. This Mako reactor was one of the first built. Why here? Why so far out of the way? Had this town been founded by the workers who built the reactor? But given the suspicious looks from behind curtains and in doorways they were receiving, Kunsel knew they weren't used to ShinRa personnel. Engineers who worked on the Mako reactors were far too valuable for ShinRa to just let go.

But not everyone shied away from them. Kunsel motioned for the group to stop near the wooden tower in the center of the open space. A tall, well-muscled man with brown hair and a rather richly decorated coat came was jogging toward them from one of the eastern houses, the same girl who had been watching them at his side. Judging by the (relative) finery of his clothes, and the size of the house he'd just exited, he wasn't just another townsman

"Mayor Lockhart, I presume?" Kunsel asked, glancing at Cloud for confirmation. The boy seemed to want to shrink away, but caught himself, snapping into a very impressive parade rest. For a cadet. The others weren't quite so sharp, or quick, but they did so once they saw what Cloud was doing. Reluctantly. "Yessir."

He's either going to shame them into becoming more disciplined, or they are going to try and break him of it. Kunsel chewed on that thought for a moment. The former was definitely the more favorable of outcomes. He'd have to come up with some duties to keep them all occupied during their stay, if he didn't want the cruel nature of bored boys to come out. Maybe he could train them? That was a possibility. "Mayor Lockhart? I am Kunsel, SOLDIER Second Class. I trust you got our request for lodging?"

"Yes." The man responded, coming to a stop before Kunsel, taking in his uniform and then those of the troopers around them, "This is a much smaller group than the last one. You are here to investigate the monster attacks, aren't you?"

"No." Mayor Lockhart's reddish-brown eyes narrowed at the response, then harrumphed, crossing his arms, "Then what are you lot here for? We've sent numerous requests to get the nest taken care of—the dragons are growing bolder, and there are other strange monsters lurking up in those peaks. Ones we haven't seen before. The merchants can't cross the mountains now. If I didn't know any better, I'd think ShinRa was deliberately dragging its feet to force the merchants to rent their cargo planes."

That…probably wasn't too far off the mark, Kunsel realized. From the sounds of it, this had been a growing problem over the last few months, yet the mission had only crossed Sephiorth's desk last week. And even then, only because of the missing SOLDIERs and the possibility of Genesis' involvement. Someone at ShinRa had likely looked at the economic advantages of having the pass impassable, and deemed it an acceptable loss.

"I'm afraid I cannot comment on that matter, sir." Kunsel responded carefully, remembering his training. Not the SOLDIER one. "We ARE here in response to the monster attacks, but as protection detail, rather than investigation and extermination. The loss of the last Squad means that SOLDIER is unwilling to take any more risks here. Our mission is to keep the town safe until one of the First Classes can be spared to complete the task."

"I see. So the situation will not change, and ShinRa will drain us dry with the costs of this…protection." Lockhart almost sounded…resigned beneath his anger. "So be it. We did ask for ShinRa's intervention after all. I should have known better. You will be given room and board at the Inn." He waved a hand to the building where Cloud had been leading them, "If you need potions or other supplies you will have to buy them. We only have a small stock, and I can't order people to ruin their livelihoods for you. I expect the area around the town to be completely free of monsters."

Kunsel let the demand wash over him, not rising to the bait. That had been his plan. He would take the troopers out tomorrow to clear out anything too close. It would be good experience for them, and would give him an idea of what was out there. "Thank you sir."

The man huffed again and stormed off, but surprisingly the girl didn't follow. She lingered, letting Kunsel study her carefully. She was a teenager—quite pretty, if a bit young for him—with long brown hair and eyes just a hint redder than the mayor's. Was that a common trait among the town? Or, more likely, were they related?

"Do you…know many of the First Classes?" An odd question. Kunsel considered for a moment. She made it sound as if there were plenty of them. ShinRa never released numbers for the public. Most didn't realize that there had only been three First Classes for years. And now there were only two, given Zack's promotion and Angeal and Genesis' desertion. Lazard had always been overly strict with that last promotion. The required mako injections could do more harm than good if the recipient wasn't stronger and more resilient than the common SOLDIER.

"A couple." He waited for her to ask another question, but she seemed hesitant. "Why?"

"I had a friend…who left town. He said he was going to become a First Class."

Kunsel caught Cloud flinching, and suddenly the boy's reluctance for this mission was understandable. He had slammed the helmet back on his head the moment they'd come within sight of the gates, and Kunsel was sure Cloud had seen the girl waiting. He stopped himself from sighing. It looked like he would also have to deal with a bit of teen aged drama. He couldn't let this effect the boy's performance like this.

"None of the Firsts are from Nibelhiem, I'm afraid." Kunsel said carefully, watching Cloud wilt through the corner of his helmet's viewing slot, "But…If he left recently, he's likely still in training. With the war over, the company has restructured the cadet program, and battle promotions are gone. SOLDIERs like Zack Fair, making First at 18, are an anomaly. Most Seconds don't get their position until their twenties at least."

He was saying this as much for Cloud's sake as he was for the girl's. Zack was an exception to the rule. He'd joined the cadet program at 14—the minimum age. War-time policies left a high demand for SOLDIERs, and was rushed through with the other talented cadets. He made Second at 16, battle-promotion, and then caught the eye of one of the Elites. Trained personally by Angeal, not to mention his performance in the whole Genesis debacle…Zack deserved that title of First. But he was not the norm. If Cloud was looking to Zack as a judge of whether he should be a SOLDIER by now…

Most cadets failed the first test. They just weren't ready yet. They were rotated in with the regular Army to gain experience, and then in a year or two, if they survived, they could take it again.

Kunsel made a note to pull Cloud aside later. He really needed to talk to the trooper about this.

"So that's why…He's probably just busy training then." The girl suddenly seemed to brighten, "That explains why he hasn't written. Probably too embarrassed to tell me he hasn't gotten into SOLDIER yet. Thank you, sir! It's relief. I've been worried."

He didn't mention that 'training', aka the rotations in the army, did end up killing over 50% of the applicants, but instead smiled at her, "No problem. The name's Kunsel."

"Tifa." She returned the smile, sunny and bursting with energy, as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders. She glanced to the side, noticing the mayor glowering at her from the door to the house they'd come from. Apparently he'd finally noticed her absence, "I'm sorry about Father. He's just worried. Nibelhiem relies on the merchants going through the pass."

"I understand." Kunsel shrugged in what he hoped was a 'what can you do about it' way. He was happy to have his theory of familial relationship confirmed. "We'll do our best to clear out the lower slopes. Once the situation in Midgar is resolved, the rest will follow."

She chatted a little bit more, but eventually succumbed to the dark looks given her by her father and went to him. The moment the door closed behind them, and Kunsel and his troopers were left alone in the center of a too quiet town, the jeers started.

"Cloud and Tifa sitting in a tree—" Kunsel cut off the sing-songed whisper with a sharp motion, apparently the Troublemaker had picked up on the connection as well. The SOLDIER turned to face the boy, "Are you a soldier, or a child? Do not forget this IS a mission, Huwitt." He motioned to indicate the other trooper, a slightly older boy who hadn't joined in with the singing, but had begun to hum along, "Green, take him and go to the Inn. Get our room ready. After that, laps. Around the tower."

"How many?" Green asked hesitantly.

"Until I tell you both to stop. Now go."

They scurried off, leaving Kunsel alone with Cloud.

"Now. We will have to have a talk about your…attitude toward this mission, Cloud. But for now…I mean what I said. It isn't shameful for a cadet to be in your position. You are actually better off than most. You caught Zack's eye." Kunsel softened his voice. He was a Second class. He had experience leading squads, but that didn't mean he liked the harshness authority needed sometimes. "They aren't part of the program. They only see the failure. They don't see the training. Ignore them."

"Sir. Ignoring them would be detrimental to squad cohesion." The boy's voice was wavering, but the rebuttal caused Kunsel to quirk an eyebrow, not that the trooper would be able to see thanks to the blissful anonymity of his helmet. Cloud's stance was firming up, the boy beginning to unfurl once the pressure of watching eyes vanished. He thought he could see what Zack liked about this boy now. He just needed confidence.

"The insults then, not the people." Kunsel chuckled, "Even in SOLDIER you will work with petty people, we just happen to be stronger than most. You cannot let them shake you up like that. Especially not on a mission. Do you understand?"

"Yessir."

Kunsel spotted Green and Huwitt exiting the Inn, jogging reluctantly toward the water tower. Kunsel clapped Cloud on the shoulder, "Now, I want you on first watch, up near the edge of town. You know the local wild-life, I assume?" Cloud nodded, his helmet bobbing, "Make note of anything you see that doesn't belong. Anything new. Out of place. The request said, along with new monsters, some of the stronger ones from the mountains have been migrating closer to town. I need to know what we are up against, so I can plan. After…oh say, sundown I will send one of the others to relieve you. Probably Green. He seems the more sensible of the two. Once you give me your report, you may visit your family, if you wish."

"Yessir!" Given a task to do, Cloud seemed more focused. Focused was good, Kunsel decided, watching as he jogged toward the back edge of town, rifle bouncing with his swift gait. Focused would let a SOLDIER ignore nervousness, or awkwardness.

He turned to watch the troopers. They were jogging lazily, chatting as if it were just a stroll. He set his jaw, pulling out the displeased commander. Cloud would one day be a SOLDIER, Kunsel knew it. Just like he knew Zack would make First class from the moment he saw him. These two…they would either end up dead, or dishonorably discharged for insubordination if they continued on like this.

You needed to be able to trust your fellow soldiers. Enhanced or not. Even Army Troopers, like these two. Even the Turks had to trust each other, even if they didn't trust anyone else.

That thought twanged at him, a long acknowledged guilt bubbling up and seeping into the cracks behind Kunsel's mask, even as he barked an order at the two troopers. They startled, exchanged glances and then picked up the pace, although it wasn't until Kunsel sent a weak Fire spell nipping at the heels of Huwitt that they were running at a satisfactory speed. This was punishment, not an exercise.

He was used to it. Used to it gnawing at his gut. He knew how to shove it away. He knew how to bury it under masks and personas and helmets.

For all he'd told Cloud. For all he knew about it, Kunsel hadn't gone through the cadet program.

x-x-x

Cloud felt…tired. It wasn't even physical exhaustion. Not like Green, who'd seemed a little more zombie like than human as he'd shuffled up to Cloud's post to relieve him. Had Kunsel really worked them that hard?

He was just…mentally tired. Lingering effects of his motion sickness. Seeing Tifa like that. The conversation…being home.

Green and Huwitt didn't even make the list. He'd been picked on ever since he was little. For being blonde in an otherwise dark-haired town. For not having a father. For being small and slender. Girlish.

When he moved to Midgar, and then eventually Junon, where the Regular Army was stationed and trained, the teasing had remained, even if some of the reasons had changed. For failing the cadet exam. Twice. For being weaker than everyone. For being a country bumpkin. For gasping the first time he'd seen an airship…

He didn't like it. It threw him off. Despite his familiarity with it, it would always stab at him, make him doubt himself. Make him wonder. But he could deal with it. In the grand scheme of things, bullies were the last thing he was worried about.

Tifa…

She'd…grown since Cloud had left. In more ways than one, heat rising in his cheeks as he tried desperately not to think about it. To think she'd asked about him. He'd been mortified that she would discover his failure. His shame. He hid behind the anonymity of his helmet. Hid from her.

Even if she said that—nailing the reason he stopped writing with her little quip—he couldn't show her his failure. In her mind, he was off in some secret SOLDIER facility, training his heart out in preparation for the exam. Not…here. Not hiding behind an infantry-man's helmet, right in front of her—too cowardly to say anything.

"You idiot…" He muttered, bowing his head, itching to take off the heavy blue metal. But no. Not yet. The lights were on in his mother's house, glowing a welcoming yellow despite the late hour.

He'd just given his report to Kunsel—there were monsters that didn't belong. He'd seen a flock of Sonic Speeds, when they normally never left the peaks, and Kyuvilduns skittering about among the shadows of the boulders just outside of town, even if the wooden gate kept them from making their way inside. It didn't make sense to Cloud. What happened to the wolves? And those tracks…

Cloud hadn't mentioned to Kunsel that he'd actually left his post. That he'd picked his way up the slopes. To the bridge.

He found long thick scratches in the stone on the other side. Claw marks.

Dragons. They didn't usually leave the cave complexes. Why? What would drive them out?

He shivered, partly from the thought, and partly from the nippy night air. The mountains were much colder than those in Junon, even with the breeze off the sea. He stopped at the door to his mother's house. Frozen. Fist raised as if to knock.

Maybe…maybe he should just go back to Baldur's Inn. Maybe it was better that no one knew he came home. What if Tifa was watching from one of the windows? Her house was only a couple doors down.

But the light…it was so warm and inviting. This door, scratched and dented, paint peeling…it was home. It was home in a way this town never had been. No, Nibelhiem wasn't really his home. It was just the place that his home was located.

His fist came down; automatically making the sharp, quick military knock he'd heard so often in the barracks in Junon. It wasn't Cloud. No. Cloud wouldn't have knocked. He would have just pushed on in, yelling out an "I'm home!" as he toed his shoes off.

He heard movement inside. Heard the door rattle as it was unlocked. Heard his mother muttering even as the wooden portal swung open.

"Honestly, look at the time! What kind of emergency is it this time? A stubbed toe? If it is Gweneth again, I swear I'm going to—" And she froze, froze at the sight of the blue clothed, helmeted ShinRa trooper in the doorway. "Can I…help you?"

Cloud just stared at her. Just stared at the woman he hadn't seen in at least two years. She looked…older. Her blonde hair was just as bright as his. Long, pulled to the side into a pony tail that draped over the front of her shoulder. Her bangs had that same inexplicable spike that had led to Cloud's nicknames. Her eyes, so caring and loving, were guarded now, watching the stranger on her door step.

"Can I help you?" Her repeated question shocked Cloud out of his stupor. He fumbled for the straps on his helmet, pulling it off to the growing recognition in his mother's face. She gasped and grabbed him, pulling him inside, into a tight hug. He felt her breath hitch, could hear the wavering in her voice as she held onto him, the door clicking shut in its frame—forgotten.

"Cloud! Oh Cloud. My baby…It's been so long. Mummy missed you."

He dropped the helmet to the floor, not caring as it rolled away on the wood. He clung to her as much as she did to him, squeezing out the tears that were gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"I'm home…" The words were whispered, but his mother heard them.

"Yes." She responded, letting up, and wiping away her own tears, a wide smile on her tired face, "Yes you are."

x-x-x

A/N: Say Hi to our new protagonists! For a few chapters anyway. It was definitely a nice change of pace, writing someone other than Zack. Kunsel is definitely more observant. I'm fudging some ages and filling in some background information. Honestly, I have not played Crisis Core beyond the Junon mission. I saw Nibelhiem coming and just noped on out of there. I've been trying to get my psp and game back (lent it to someone and we both keep forgetting about it) so I can replay it but…well, it's a bit late to worry about accuracy now, eh? I've been using various online scripts as references so far, but Nibelhiem…well, I'll probably be drawing on my recollections of the original game as well as the scripts so it won't be quite true to either of them. Besides, you guys aren't here for the games are ya? It wouldn't be any fun if everything was the same.

Nibelhiem is a town with quite a few secrets. Kunsel is very good at sniffing out secrets. Next chapter we go…

Into the Mansion.

See you next week!