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Chapter 10

Jiro set his hammer aside, running a hand across his brow more out of habit than from any physical discomfort from the heat of the forge. He stepped outside, leaning against the side of the building, closing his eyes as a gentle breeze pulled at his hair. I need to have Tsuki give me a haircut. It's much too long for my liking, he thought, taking out the hair tie before gathering all the strands that had pulled loose and tying them all back again.

He stood there for a few minutes more, listening to the quiet. The children are gone. I wonder if Tsuki and Ikuyo took them out of town for a picnic or something? If so, I hope Cloud or Vincent is with them. I can't believe how many more monsters there are roaming the plains nowadays... His thought trailed off, his gaze wandering to the open fields down the road. A splash of color caught his attention, and he squinted his eyes, trying to make out what it was. Blue orbs widening, he stepped back into the forge, reemerging with a spear. He moved to the entrance of the town, waiting for the monster to approach.

A lion-like creature ran across the plain, his fur red in color with a flame on the tip of his tail. Several feathers adorned his mane, as well as a gold bracelet just above each paw. Scars could be seen on his legs, showing black through the fiery coat, as well as one running through his right eye. He slowed to a lope and then a walk as he neared the village, finally coming to a stop several feet in front of the blue man. He sniffed the air, curious.

"Go on! Shoo! Go back to the plains! The village isn't for you!" Jiro yelled, brandishing his lance as he tried to make the odd beast leave.

Red XIII raised an eyebrow. He seems to be human, although he smells strongly of materia. Where in the world did he come from? he wondered. He cleared his throat, ignoring the spear being poked at him for the moment. "I will be happy to 'go back to the plains' when I finish my business here," he said.

Jiro's eyes widened. "You, you can talk?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yes, I can talk," Nanaki replied, resisting the temptation to roll his eye. Although he should have been used to it by now, that reaction was getting old.

The icy being paused. "What business do you have here?" he asked a little suspiciously.

"I'm looking for a man," the feline stated.

"Why do you think he's here?" the blue man asked.

"Because this is the town he was staying in when I first met him. And there was an incident several days ago with two other men that I believe he was involved in."

Jiro clutched his spear more tightly, holding it in a ready position. "Are you friends of those men?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, no. I am from Cosmo Canyon, and they came through a few days ago with a rather...interesting, story to tell. I came to see if Vincent Valentine was here and possibly involved in the incident or, if he wasn't, to see if I could find any 'demons' roaming the plains, threatening to steal people's souls," the lion-like creature explained, his tone showing what he thought about the ludicrous story. "Vincent was a traveling companion of mine a short time ago, and I thought the men may have mistaken him for a 'demon,' if the circumstances were right."

The blue male smiled slightly, remembering what Ikuyo had told him about Kishi's description of what had happened. Sounds like Vincent is their demon alright, he thought. "Vincent has been staying in the village for the past week or so. I'm not sure where he is right now, but I can help you fi-" Jiro was cut off as the beast howled suddenly, his body jerking reflexively to the side as an arrow lodged itself into his right hind leg.

Kiyotaka cursed, ducking back behind the building as he loaded another bolt into the crossbow. Piece of junk! That should have pierced his heart! How could anyone possibly sell such useless weapons? he thought, leaning around the corner and taking aim again. The crossbow was suddenly taken from his hands. Startled, he glanced up, looking into Vincent's expressionless, crimson orbs. Without a word, the sharpshooter walked past the kneeling man.

Jiro held his spear out in front of him, unsure of how the lion-like creature would react to being attacked. A sound made him glance to the side, relaxing slightly when he saw the familiar profile of the gunman.

Red XIII noticed him, too. "I've never known you to use a crossbow," he ground out between clenched teeth, flinching as he moved his hind leg.

"You've never known me to miss, either," the ex-Turk replied, calmly walking up to the lion-like creature. He knelt down next to the injured limb, setting the weapon down on the ground beside him. "Lie down and hold still."

Although he lay down obediently, a low growl rumbled in Nanaki's throat as the bolt was pulled from his flesh. A hand on his back warned him against trying to stand just yet.

Vincent placed his hand on the wound, heedless of the blood staining the glove as he closed his eyes. A soft, green light circled around the feline before it converged on the wound, mending the damaged tissue. He stood, stepping back.

The lion-like creature also rose to his feet, his leg feeling sore, but not unusable. He turned, following the gunman into town. "I thought you might be here," he stated.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to come," the black-haired man replied. "I thought you'd be here sooner than this."

"Yes, I can see the welcoming party was all ready for me."

The ex-Turk shrugged. "They are suspicious of outsiders and have good reason to be. I have actually been watching for you; but, as I said, I thought you'd be here sooner. When you didn't come, I thought they might not have said anything about the incident."

"I would have been here sooner, but I was delayed. I'm just glad you have cure materia with you. I gave all my materia back to Cloud," the feline stated.

As if summoned by his name, the blonde appeared, running into town from the opposite direction. "Red XIII! Vincent!" he called, stopping when he reached them. "What happened?" he asked, slightly out of breath. "I heard howling."

"Red XIII was shot with a crossbow bolt," the gunman explained.

"Shot? By who?" the swordsman asked. The sharpshooter looked pointedly past Cloud, towards one of the buildings.

The blue man was standing in the shadows, confusion and anger warring on his face. Try to kill the monster coming into town and I'm still in the wrong. I just can't do anything right, can I? he thought, turning away. If Jiro wasn't fighting the beast, why was he holding his spear like he was about to skewer it? he thought angrily.

The blonde took a step towards him. "Kiyotaka..."

"I don't need a lecture, Cloud! Least of all, from you!" the blue man yelled, disappearing between the houses.

"I'll go talk to him, Cloud. I think he was just trying to help me," Jiro explained, heading after his friend.

Nanaki watched the exchange impassively. "So, there is more than one. What are they, exactly?" he asked, after Jiro was out of sight.

"Cloud!"

All three of them looked up as Skye ran towards them. "Cloud, is everything alright? You took off so suddenly!"

The swordsman scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry to worry you, mom."

"'Mom?'" the feline questioned. "Cloud, I thought you said that your mother-"

"Oh, it can talk!"

"Why don't we discuss this inside?"

Everyone looked up at the new voice, seeing Masaki walking towards them. "After all, it's been a while since we've had a guardian of Cosmo Canyon come through here. I'm sure he's tired from his journey," he stated. "We can discuss this at the inn." Shrugging, the group followed him inside. He led them up the stairs and into one of the guest rooms, seating himself at a large table. Cloud opted for the bed, sitting on the mattress and leaning against the bedpost. Nanaki sat near him on the floor and Vincent leaned against the wall just inside the doorway, his arms folded across his chest. Looking a little unsure, Skye sat next to her son on the bed.

"So, what brings you to our small village?" Masaki asked, directing his question to the feline. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that no one had joined him at the table.

Red XIII looked at him, the feathers in his mane swinging gently as he turned his head. "Two men came through Cosmo Canyon last week with a rather dubious story. I came to investigate," he explained. He shifted his gaze to the sharpshooter. "They claimed that they had run across a demon on the plains, a fiend that could not be injured by bullets and tried to devour their souls. I am relieved to see you uninjured, but I would very much like to hear the actual version of what took place."

Vincent looked up, meeting the feline's eyes. "One of the children wandered out of town. Those two men found her and were, from what I heard of their conversation, planning on selling her to Dio for a small fortune. I intervened."

"And they tried to stop you with their guns, at which point you changed to your Chaos form," the lion-like creature finished. The ex-Turk inclined his head slightly. Nanaki looked over the sharpshooter carefully. "How many bullets?"

The dark-haired man was silent for a moment before replying. "Ten."

Skye looked back and forth between Red XIII and Vincent, confusion showing clearly across her face. Vincent mistaken for a demon? Chaos form? Ten bullets? Does that mean he was shot ten times? she wondered incredulous. How could he have survived? How could he have healed that quickly? How could I have missed all of this? I know I was a bit preoccupied with Cloud, but... her thought trailed off.

The feline looked surprised at the admission, as well. "Ten?" he repeated, staring openly at the gunman. "And you are not only alive, but already fully healed?"

"You shouldn't be so surprised. You are familiar with Chaos' healing abilities," the ex-Turk replied softly.

"Cloud," Skye said, getting her son's attention. She was definitely feeling out of the loop during this conversation. "What is 'chaos?'" she asked.

"Chaos?" the blonde repeated. "Well, um, it's kinda hard to explain..."

"Chaos," the gunman started, everyone's attention focusing on him, "is the destroyer of life."

"'Destroyer of life?'" Skye repeated. "How can that be? You recovered from multiple shots in less than a day!"

"This extraordinary healing ability is within me- it is not something I can share with others. Chaos is immortal. As its host, I don't believe my body can die," he explained.

"Host? You mean, chaos is like a parasite, or something?"

Vincent chuckled, humorlessly. "Or something."

"But, how? How did you come to have something like that inside you?" the woman asked.

The ex-Turk met and held her gaze, crimson eyes staring into blue. "Hojo had many on-going experiments, long before he set his sights on the inhabitants of this town."

Nanaki's ears perked up slightly. "The inhabitants of this town? So, everyone here is a former resident of Nibelheim? And Hojo is the one responsible for this..."

"Yeah," Cloud replied. "When Sephiroth lost it and burned the town, ShinRa gathered up all the survivors and gave Hojo his pick. They killed all but twenty-four of them," he said, his voice hard.

"So, there's only twenty-four people left in the town? Difficult to be self-sufficient with such low numbers," the lion-like creature pointed out.

The blonde snorted. "There's only twelve left, half of them children. The other twelve were used for the Jenova Project," he said darkly.

"You mean, the men in black capes?" Red XIII asked. The swordsman nodded.

"You're right, we're not self-sufficient," Masaki said, speaking up from the table. "But, back before the reactor was built, we used to trade with Cosmo Canyon. Would you be interested in doing so again?"

"I do not foresee the Elders having any problems with establishing trade again. What did you have in mind?" the feline asked.

"That's a good question," the innkeeper said, leaning back in his chair. "Pelts aren't in high demand anymore, and I'm too old to be out trapping, anyway. We have one blacksmith among us that can make fine weapons just like his father, but I don't think he should have to provide for the town alone. Skye, do you have any ideas of what we could trade?" he asked.

The woman looked a little startled to be suddenly brought into the conversation. "Well, Tsuki is a good mechanic, but the only vehicle in town in that old truck, and that hasn't ran in years." She stared at the wall pensively. "I worked at the weapons shop for a while a few years back. I suppose I could make some bangles out of dragon hide," she said slowly. A grin spread across her face. "I can even get my own dragon, now."

"Mom, please don't try to take down a dragon by yourself just yet. And, uh, don't use any fire-based attacks," he cautioned, giving Vincent a sidelong glance. The sharpshooter either didn't notice or chose to ignore the blonde.

"Very well, I shall bring this up with the Elders. Of course, there is still the issue of protection, to make sure there isn't a repeat of the incident with the little girl," the feline stated.

Skye smiled. "I don't think that will be a problem in the future."

At Red XIII's questioning look, Cloud elaborated. "Basically, everyone here is materia. They have every defensive and offensive spell, as well as the summons, available to them. And now, three of them know how call upon the magic. A few more days, and I imagine they all will."

"Materia? But, how?"

"Hojo was creating materia in the reactor. He was trying to create more 'ultimate soldiers' by making the materia an actual part of a person. In this, at least, he seems to have been successful," the swordsman explained.

The lion-like creature shook his head. "That man just did not know when to stop..." He stood, his tail swishing behind him. "Well, now that everything has been resolved, I need to be getting back. I will return in a few days time to inform you of the decision of the Elders. I do not believe they will turn down your proposal."

Skye watched the feline leave, Masaki and Vincent following him out the door before she turned to look at her son. "So, he is a friend of yours?" she asked.

"Yeah. I met up with him in Midgar, and we happened to be going in the same direction, so we traveled together for a little while," he said evasively.

"What's his name?"

Cloud blinked. "I guess I never introduced you guys, huh?" he said, scratching the back of his head. "He is Nanaki, son of Seto, but we call him Red XIII."

"Nanaki," she repeated, memorizing the name. "Well, I suppose I should get busy. Making bangles isn't exactly easy or fast work. Are you ready to teach me how to take down a dragon?"

. . .

Cloud sat in the shade, listening to the voices through the wall. Although he couldn't understand what was being said, he knew Masaki was discussing the idea of trade with the other villagers. Not really being able to contribute, he opted to skip the meeting. He blinked as a familiar noise caught his attention, reaching down and pulling his phone from his pocket. Flipping the top up, he looked at the screen before placing it to his ear.

"Hey, Tifa," he said, keeping his voice neutral.

"Hi, Cloud. Um, is everything alright?" the voice asked on the other end.

"Yeah, everything's fine," the blonde replied.

"Oh. You've been gone so long and you didn't call, so I thought that something might've happened."

"No, not really. I've just been delayed, is all. A few things came up, and there were some other things that I needed to take care of, too," he said, nonchalant.

"Things to take care of?"

"Yeah. I thought Zack's parents should know what happened to their son."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I was just worried about you, is all," she said.

"I'm fine. Sorry I didn't call sooner," he apologized.

"That's alright. I'll forgive you as long as you keep your promise. I don't want you coming back after the bar has been rebuilt!" she said, jokingly.

Cloud chuckled. "No, I'll be back to help with the reconstruction," he assured her.

"When?"

He hesitated, thinking about his answer. "Soon," he said at length, looking at the ground.

There was a long pause. "Are you coming back?"

"Yes. I'm just not sure when. There are still a few things that I have to take care of," he replied evasively.

Another long pause. "Alright then," she replied, sounding a little disappointed. "I guess, I'll see you when you get back."

"Bye, Tifa."

"Goodbye."

Cloud shut his phone, sighing as he stuck it back in his pocket. He jumped as an unexpected voice interrupted his thoughts.

"So, my son does have someone waiting for him."

The blonde looked up at his mother. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked, wondering how he could have missed her approach.

"Long enough. So, the mayor's daughter managed to escape? That is who you were talking to, isn't it?" Skye asked. The swordsman nodded and the blue woman smiled. "You were always trying to get her attention when you were little. Now, she's waiting for your return and you're dilly-dallying around here."

Cloud blinked. "What do you mean by that?"

She sat down next to him on the bench, leaning her head back against the wall. "I won't deny that I was relieved beyond measure to see you again, alive and well. I have greatly enjoyed having you here this past week, and everything that has come from that. But, someone is waiting for you. And I taught you better than to keep a lady waiting."

"But, mom-" he began.

"No arguments. We can take care of ourselves here. Jiro thinks he can have several of the weapons ready to sell in a few days time and Kiyotaka is going to help him out around the forge. The rest of us are going to make bangles until we can figure out something else to trade. We'll be fine," she assured him.

He hesitated. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes." She stood, pulling him to his feet as well. "Besides, if something does happen, Vincent will still be here."

The blonde nodded. "Alright. Then, I think it's time I head back."

They walked back to her house and she fixed him something to take on the road while he gathered up his few belongings. Zipping the bag closed, he slung the pack over his shoulder before turning to his mother. She was staring at him, tears shining in her eyes, a paper bag all but forgotten in her hands. "Mom? Are you okay?" he asked, taking a step towards her.

"Yes, yes I'm fine," she said. "Standing there with your bag over your shoulder just reminded me of when you left to join SOLIDER. You didn't take much with you then, either." She wiped a hand across her eyes. "But, now's not the time to get all emotional. You were just a boy back then, but you've grown into a fine a young man."

"I can stay for a few more days. Tifa wouldn't mind-"

"No, no. I'll be fine. Goodness, most teenagers can't wait to get out of their parent's house when they turn eighteen and here you are at twenty-one! I practically have to push you out the door!" she said, smiling as she handed him the paper bag. "Here's a little something for the road."

They walked to the edge of the town. Cloud raised his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. It wasn't long before two chocobos could be seen running towards him across the plains. He turned back to his mother, not sure what to say.

"Oh, don't worry about us," Skye said. "We'll be fine."

"I know," he replied. "It's just, well, I thought you were dead for so long. Even now, it feels like if I leave..." He trailed off, his eyes conveying what his voice could not.

The icy woman put her arms around him, hugging him tightly as he returned the embrace. "Don't worry, I'm not going to disappear without your constant supervision." She pulled back, tilting his chin up and looking into his eyes. "And you had better keep in touch this time," she said sternly. "And not just phone calls, either. I want you to come and visit.

The swordsman smiled, nodding his head. "Yes, I'll do that. You have no idea how much I regretted not doing so before."

The two chocobos came to a stop in front of the pair, both looking at Cloud. The blonde stepped forward, stroking Shadow's neck. "Sorry, girl. You're staying here with Vincent." He turned to Choco, slipping the bridle on his beak. The gold chocobo immediately sat down, waiting for the swordsman to mount before standing up again.

Cloud looked at his mother, who had stepped back to give him room to maneuver on the chocobo. He raised his hand in farewell and she returned the gesture. Pulling on the reins, he turned the large bird and headed out across the plains.

Skye watched him go, his form becoming smaller as the distance between them grew. "Be safe, my son," she whispered as he disappeared from sight. She stood there for a moment before shaking herself. "Well, that's enough of that. Cloud can take care of himself and those bangles aren't going to make themselves." Her head held high and her stride unfaltering, she turned and walked back into the town.

. . .

The End

Author's Note: Any new stories will be posted on Mondays, too.

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