Author's Note: Hi everyone. Wow! Eleven chapters. Has it been that many? Thanks for sticking with me thus far! I'm sorry that I didn't include the dolphin. It just seemed...a little weird to me.
Announcement: I have recently been working on a new Final Fantasy VII story as a collaboration with the immensely talented Shade the Hero! It will take place after DoC (about a year). Coming soon to FanFiction!
-JUNON-
We left the farm, heading west to catch some wild chocobos. In the game, I would make them wander around atop the chocobo tracks on the world map using the lure. Here, all we had to do was wait for one to appear and feed it some greens. It was definitely much easier, though we had to repeat the process twice more in order to get one for each of us.
As I sat atop the great bird, I wondered exactly how to direct it to go where I wanted. Tifa must have picked up on that...she was so skilled at reading her friends. I loved that about her.
"Place your hands at the base of its neck," she explained, "and gently push in the direction you want it to go. Chocobos are highly sensitive and will pick up on the slightest movement."
I did as she instructed, and the chocobo began moving. I tested the "controls" a bit, trying to acclimate myself to the movements. I had expected a really bumpy ride, but it was actually very smooth and fluid, nothing like riding a horse. I glanced over at Cloud and Tifa, noticing that both of them were fairly skilled at riding. After a little practice, we headed towards the marshes, which the chocobos had no problem navigating quickly.
As we approached the mountain, a small cave began to appear in our field of vision. That wasn't what caught my attention, though; what caught my attention was what stood just to the side of the cave. Fifty feet had been a severe underestimation. The it had been enormous when it was alive, but the serpent was now spiraled around the trunk of a large tree, the peek spiked through its massive head. Its scales glistened in the light, offset by splotches of bright red blood that was dripping from its open jaw.
"Did Sephiroth do this?" asked Cloud as he dismounted his chocobo, which immediately ran away when he did. Tifa and I followed suit, allowing our chocobos to flee.
I couldn't answer. I simply stared up at the dead monster, my mouth hanging open in shock. It looked like a giant cobra to me. I walked closer to the display, examining the giant reptile. Surrounding the corpse were hundreds of scales, scattered along the ground. I reached down and picked one up, placing it in my pouch.
We continued into the cave, which appeared to be lit by phosphorescent light coming from the fungus that lined the walls. There were multiple directions we could travel, and Cloud looked at me for some kind of direction. I tried to think back to the game and this specific part of it. I nodded my head to the right, whispering, "Turks."
Cloud and Tifa both nodded. It felt so great to have their trust. I was no longer some outsider; I was an invaluable member of their team...and a friend. I couldn't have asked for a better adventure. As we passed through the cave, we heard a low, gruff voice echoing through the caverns and then a woman's voice in response.
Entering another section of the cave system, we saw the bald tank standing on sort of a stony shelf of a ledge. Behind him was an exit from the cave, lit up by the sunlight outside. Across from where he stood, and higher up on another level was the blonde female Turk: Rude and Elena.
"Just a second," said the Turk just as we laid eyes on him. "Do you know who I am?"
"Yeah," Cloud answered him, "You're the Turks."
"This shouldn't take long, then," the bald, deeply tanned man told us, "It's difficult to explain what the Turks do..."
"Not really," I countered.
"Kidnapping..." added Cloud.
"Extortion..." I continued.
"Murder..." Tifa finished off.
"To put it negatively," he agreed, "you could say that. But that's not all there is to it, anymore."
He stopped, scratching his head and obviously trying to figure out how to explain things to us. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, I thought.
"Sir, our orders are to pursue Sephiroth," came the woman's voice from a ledge across from him, "and to stop you lot every step of the way."
She also stopped, thinking for a moment.
"Wait, it's the other way around," she corrected, "You're getting in our way."
"Enough, Elena," commanded a familiar voice, "You talk too much."
In through the exit to the cave walked Tseng.
"Follow the other orders I gave," he told her.
"The...the ones to follow Sephiro- I mean – the target to Junon Harbor?" she asked, to which Tseng closed his eyes.
"Elena, you don't seem to understand the meaning of the words 'You talk too much.'" he said in a flat tone.
"Oh...sorry, Tseng." she apologized.
"Both of you go," Tseng ordered, his voice betraying his mild annoyance "Don't let Sephiroth get away."
They saluted Tseng and passed him through the exit. The bald one, whom I knew was named Rude, turned to look at me just before he left.
"Reno said he wanted to see you after the injury you gave him healed." he informed us.
"Yea, tell him he should have put up a fight, I say," I spat at him.
"Skye...nice to see you again," Tseng said. "Looks like you will avoid Shinra a bit longer now that Sephiroth has emerged."
"Yeah, good luck with him," I shot at him.
"Well, then..." Tseng continued, "Stay out of our way."
He walked out of the cave.
"I really hate that guy," I mumbled.
"So they're after Sephiroth, too?" Cloud asked.
"Mmhmm," I answered, making my way towards the exit.
"What if they get to him before we do?" Tifa questioned.
I started climbing the ledge. "They won't," I told her. "They will always be a step behind us."
"So, we shouldn't worry about them?" Tifa asked.
"Correct," I confirmed, reaching the top. I thought about that for a moment, then added, "Well, don't worry about them finding Sephiroth before us."
Exiting the cave system, we found ourselves on the other side of the mountain range. I could see rolling plains for miles in almost every direction...except for to the south, where I could just make out the very edge of a tree line. Beyond that, I saw a tower, where I knew the condor and the huge materia would be. I also realized that Yuffie might be somewhere in that forest and that we could most certainly use the ally.
Unfortunately, it was really out of the way, and I couldn't lead them there on the off chance that we might find her. Playing the game, I knew Junon Harbor would wait for me to get there; in this alternate reality, I couldn't be certain of this. No, I was pretty sure time marched on whether we showed up at the harbor or not. It was best that we head straight there.
"So what happened back at the farm, Skye?" Tifa asked as we moved west.
"I honestly don't know," I told her. "Ever since I-"
I stopped myself from saying "ever since I got here"
"-started out on this journey," I continued, "There have been some weird things happening to me."
"But you passed out," she persisted.
"I don't know, Tifa," I answered, "I had this strange vision about that chocobo."
"The white one?" she asked.
"Yea." I replied, "I think I saw who his family is..."
"What is it like?" Cloud interjected.
"The family?"
"No. Your visions...what are they like?" he questioned.
I had to be careful here. I didn't actually experience visions, so I wanted to describe them in a way that would make sense.
"How do you know when you're hungry?" I asked. "Sometimes, your stomach grumbles and makes noises, but other times, you feel it. You don't get visions of food or a message saying 'feed me'. You just...know."
I paused, looking at each of them.
"That is what it's like." I finished.
They both stared at me, and it was difficult to read their expressions. Cloud then nodded.
"I think I get it." he said.
We walked in silence for a while longer, unsure of what else we could say to one another. What do you say after a conversation like that? Finally, Cloud broke the silence.
"And Rufus Shinra...he knows that you have these feelings?" he questioned me, "How interested did he seem in them?"
I tried to think back to his reactions, but if there was one thing I remembered about Rufus, it was his phenomenal poker face. I remembered how weak I had been, giving into the fear after Tseng had slapped me. I told Rufus that I knew everything that was going to happen. Dammit, why did I have to be so weak?
"I can't be sure, but he did say that he wasn't going to hand me over to Hojo," I recalled.
Tifa and Cloud exchanged glances.
"What?" I demanded. "Is that bad?"
"As long as the Turks don't get their hands on you again," Cloud said, "it'll be fine."
...Great! Another thing to worry about!...
(Hey! It was your idea to be all 'I can predict the future')
"Who asked you?" I snapped out loud at the voice in my head.
Cloud stopped and looked at me. "You did!"
...Shit! I said it out loud!...
"Sorry, I was...talking to myself..." I tried to explain, but it made me sound crazy.
...You! Whoever you are! No one asked you!...
To my utter surprise and greatest relief, Cloud suddenly chuckled.
"I thought I was the only one who did that!" he smirked.
Shabby. That was the only way to describe the lower village of Junon. It wasn't quite as dilapidated as the slums of Midgar, but then it wasn't well kept either. It seemed like the town put a lot of effort into initially building the village, but after that, the upkeep was just too expensive. Places that were once probably beautiful were still functional yet unkempt. The streets, which were most likely fresh cobblestone at one time, looked worn and scarred.
"What happened to this place?" I wondered aloud.
"It's so run-down," Cloud added.
"Well, now, this is rare," said an older gentleman as he approached us. "We almost never have anyone other than the Shinra people visit this town."
"There's your answer," I told Cloud.
"Looking for a place to rest your head?" the gentleman offered.
"Maybe later, sir," Tifa smiled at him.
"I'll be waiting for you!" he replied, his mood brightening.
We walked towards the shoreline, taking note of an elder man. He wore galoshes and some rubber pants. I deduced that he was a fisherman.
(Brilliant deduction.)
...Are you still here? Shut up!...
(Touchy! Touchy!)
"Ahoy there, newcomers," the fisherman greeted us. "You here for the parade?"
"What parade?" Tifa asked.
"For the new president," he explained. "I'm hopin' things will be different with the new president. Maybe they'll help clean up the water...ever since Shinra built that upper city during the war, the water down here got really polluted. Haven't caught any fish since then."
I was going to tell this poor guy not to hold his breath...that Rufus wasn't interested in helping anyone but himself. I refrained, however. I didn't want to shatter his hopes, so I simply smiled. Neither the fisherman nor the inn keeper...nor anyone else, for that matter...had seen a man in a black cloak. All anyone could talk about was the parade and the new president.
I noticed a set of stone stairs descending towards what looked like the shoreline, where a giant power station stood. I looked at Tifa and Cloud, nodding my head towards the path, and, without question, they followed. A little girl was playing by the sand, building a rather magnificent sand castle. As soon as she saw us, she jumped to her feet.
"You aren't from Shinra, Inc., are you?" she questioned suspiciously.
"Of course not!" I told her, "We hate Shinra!"
"I don't believe you!" she shouted, looking at Cloud. He was dressed like he was from SOLDIER, and his eyes glowed. "Get out of here! Leave me alone!"
"Great!" Cloud mumbled.
I knew what was coming next...or I thought I did. There was no dolphin here, so it was a slight deviation from the game. The little girl's attention was focused on Cloud and how much he looked like a Shinra employee. Behind her was going to be a monster, but there was no reason for her to run into the water.
"Honey, we're not from Shinra," I tried changing my tone a little. I wanted her to get away from the water. Instead, she backed away from us, getting closer to the danger I knew was about to emerge.
"No, get out of the water!" I cried, becoming more alarmed, but she kept backing up. I could see the creature coming, gliding in on the air. It looked like a demented combination between a serpent, a mosquito, and a lionfish having a long, blue and purple snake-like body that curved in the shape of a mosquito's posture. It's head had almost a mane of wine-colored spikes around it, and its eyes were yellow with a pinpoint pupil. It moved as if it were floating on a water current, though it was flying through the air...I knew exactly what it was...the bottomswell.
"You stay away from me!" the girl hollered at us.
"No, little girl!" Cloud shouted, his eyes widening with concern. "Come away from the water!"
The bottomswell saw its prey, swooping in and striking the little girl from behind. She fell face-first into the water, completely still.
"Damn!" Cloud yelled, "Come on!"
Into the fray we charged, ready to take on this monstrosity to save the little girl. I connected with the materia I had, and it revealed this strong creature to have a weakness.
"Weak against wind!" I called to the others.
The creature dove in at Cloud, circling in front of him and hitting him with it's tail. Tifa leaped forward, raising her hands above her head and then letting them fall in a round pattern; a great, green light enveloped the monster and seemed to stick to its surface. I watched it writhe in pain and then roar, revealing its frustration. It hadn't expected so much trouble.
The bottomswell suddenly elongated itself and shuddered slightly. Just like in the sewers, the water level arose and crashed into us. I had tried to take a deep breath before the wave had hit, but there hadn't been enough time. I coughed violently as my lungs tried to expel the water I had inhaled. I saw tendrils of blue energy erupt from Cloud. He drew back his sword, holding it for a few seconds, and then he swung it over his head and down to the ground.
A colorful beam of light burst from his sword, traveling along the ground until it made contact with the beast with an explosion of heat and sheer force. The creature, again, released an angry growl, opening its mouth, and sending what looked like a bubble straight at me. I found myself encased in this odd sphere, unable to move or fight. The green light that had stuck to the monster fluctuated and constricted, obviously causing it pain. At that very moment, I suddenly felt my strength slowly seeping from me. It felt like something being peeled off of my soul, and I gasped at the sensation.
Cloud turned to me, and, for one crazy moment, it looked as if he were going to cut me down. A second later, I realized that it was the sphere that was his target, and once his sword made contact, the barrier shattered. Turning my attention to the bottomswell, I took out my new composite bow, grabbed an arrow, and attempted to aim for the eye (which was insanely difficult since the creature was constantly moving in the air as if it were floating on the surface of the water). I missed the eye but managed to hit its head with the shot. It recoiled from the pain, so I must have done something right.
Finally, the green light pulsed one final time, and the monster curled up and fell into the water, a nasty green foam oozing out of its mouth. We dashed to the little girl, lying face down in the water, and Cloud gently picked her up and brought her to the sand. He put his ear to her chest, his expression saddening.
"She's not breathing," he announced.
"Is she...dead?" Tifa asked.
"Priscilla!" came a voice from above.
An older man came hobbling down the stone steps.
I had learned CPR after an incident at my job. An older gentlemen passed out in the parking lot outside the club, and I hadn't known what to do. As with everything in my life, when I felt inept or out of control, I felt I needed to improve upon my store of knowledge so that I would never feel like that again.
"Cloud, do exactly what I say," I told him, "When I tell you to, tilt her head back, pinch her nose, and gently breathe into her mouth twice."
"Wha?" he recoiled slightly.
"Trust me!" I ordered, placing one hand on her chest and the other on top of that one. I began compression, counting to thirty. "Now."
As hesitant as he was, he still did exactly what I told him to do.
"Do you hear anything?" I asked.
"No."
I continued doing CPR, hoping her brain had not been too long without oxygen.
"Again!" I commanded, and Cloud complied.
"Hey! What are you doing to Priscilla" the old man demanded.
"Saving her life!" I shouted, "Hush!...Again, Cloud!"
As he did, Priscilla began coughing and throwing up sea water.
"Sit her up! Sit her up!" I said, excitedly.
Cloud helped her sit up and cough out the rest of the liquid from her lungs. The old man pushed in front of Cloud, picked up Priscilla, and carried her away from us. Once she was gone, Cloud and Tifa looked at me.
"It's called CPR...Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation." I tried to explain, and then I realized they would have no idea what I was talking about. I could have taken the time to explain it to them, but I didn't think they really wanted to know.
"You gotta teach me that," Cloud said, as if in answer to my thought.
"Uh...sure." I agreed. Me? Teach Cloud Strife? Wow!
...Yes, I'm fangirling! Shut up!...
(I said nothing!)
...You were thinking it!...
Again, I heard that laughter.
...Who the hell are you?...
(Who do you think?)
"Well, he didn't seen very grateful," Tifa commented.
...Who's the other voice?...
(The other voice?)
"It's fine," Cloud replied, "Gratitude isn't what matters."
...The other voice who says 'I'm the beginning'...
(You're hearing another voice?)
"Yea," I answered both Cloud and the voice in my head.
"We should get some rest at the inn," Cloud suggested.
"Good idea," I agreed, still waiting for some kind of reply internally. One never came.
The innkeeper welcomed us into his place, giving us a free night for saving Priscilla's life. Apparently, the older man had been extremely more grateful than we thought because he spread it all around town. Everyone knew what we had done, and they all showed their gratitude in different ways. The shop keepers gave us discounts on all their wares. The baker made us a lovely cake. The metal worker made each of us a trinket, mine was a charm bracelet with birds and butterflies. Tifa received a pair of silver earrings that dangled, and he made a large brooch in the shape of a lion for Cloud.
As usual, I don't remember falling asleep that night. I definitely remember tossing and turning in bed, and hearing Cloud mumbling about Tifa. Yet that point where one is finally about to drift off to sleep?...I couldn't, for the life of me, remember it. I dreamed again, though.
I couldn't see very much; I felt myself being carried, and every now and then, I could see the top of a stone temple come into view. As much as I tried, I was unable to move at all. I could hear many voices, and they were so familiar to me, somehow. They were like faint whispers in the wind, though I could barely make any of them out. More prominently, however, I could hear four people having an emotional discussion.
"So she will live?" a mans voice asked. This voice was deep, comforting...and I felt safe hearing it.
"Yes, she will live a long and full life, Lantris" answered an old woman's scratchy voice. For some reason, this voice set my teeth on edge.
...Lantris? The man's name was Lantris...
"But she won't remember us," said a female voice, much younger this time. Hers also made me feel like I was wrapped in a warm blanket of happiness.
"No. It is for her own protection." the old woman replied.
"Is there no hope she will return to us?" the younger female voice sobbed.
"No, Dannell." the old woman responded, "Time is different where she is going. If she should ever find her way back, you and yours will be long dead."
...Dannell...The woman's was called Dannell...Who are these people?...
I heard the younger woman cry.
"Where is she going?" a young boy's voice asked. Oh, now that voice sounded very familiar; I couldn't place where I had heard it. "Can I go, too? Why can't we all go?"
"The Lifestream will not send all of you," the older woman explained.
I felt a hand on the back of my neck and warmth from it. At the same time, I felt a shiver run down my spine.
"We must hurry," the older woman cautioned, "Once the poison spreads to her heart, nothing will save her."
I felt myself being held against someone in an embrace, and, for some reason, I did not want that embrace to go away.
"The poison will disappear once she is in the lifestream," the old woman said, "All that will be left is a mark on her neck."
...My birthmark?...
Ever since I could remember, I had a birthmark on the back of my neck...just a small circle of pigmented skin with a second circle around it...right near my hairline.
"Say goodbye to her, quickly now!" the old woman's voice became more urgent. "And then lay her in the stream!"
"Thank you...Charna...for saving our daughter."
...Charna? Who is that?...
That name filled me with terror, and I awoke with a start, gasping for breath. I looked around, but it was still dark out. I couldn't understand where this panicked feeling was coming from. I tried to remember back to my own childhood, struggling to recall anything before I was 5 years old, but there was nothing.
...Where are you? Are you there?...
Sure, this voice was there to laugh at me or to give me cryptic warnings, but now that I needed answers, it was nowhere to be heard.
...Answer me, dammit!...
But there was no voice...no answer...no explanation. Just me trying to work out what these dreams were, these dreams that started invading my senses even when I was awake, now. Was I seeing visions of someone else's life? Or was I remembering events of my own?