Final Fantasy VII: Another Story
By:
Mystwalker
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII.
A/N: And we're finally off the Glacier! Okay! Time to start climbing, guys!
Thanks go to JazzQueen, Madcap Minstrel, SpiritDreamWarriors, DJ Meltdown of Ground Xero, Irish-Brigid, Symphony's Feather, Eavenne, CupofTeaforAliceandHatter, and Roza Anne for the reviews and support. Appreciate it!
Madcap Minstrel, Seph became a LOT more sympathetic for me after Crisis Core. Before the game, I hated the guy, after it, I was kind of fascinated and sad for him.
Irish-Brigid, Cissnei could so totally cosplay Black Widow. And now, you've got me thinking. XD I guess Rufus could be Iron Man—he's got the genius billionaire part down at least. No, no, Reeve! Reeve would build an Iron Man suit, except it would be cat-shaped and—it's late, I'm tired. I'll stop.
Symphony's Feather, yes, to Shion, it meant that he used to be even faster. As for update days, updates are whenever I can get them out. As a grad student, I can't promise more than that, but I'll try to do one a week. And never apologize for long reviews. I like reading them! ^^
XxXxX
File 040: Over the Wall
"So, Zack and the others ran into some trouble?" asked Aerith, handing a cup of tea to Cid. With the fire as low as it was, the tea wasn't as hot as it should have been, the cold of the Glacier sapping the heat from the cup as soon as it left Aerith's hands. Still, Cid cupped it in both hands and grimaced as he took a sip, scowling down at the cup of tea.
"I think so," said Shalua, holding her human hand out towards the remnants of the fire. "That's what Nanaki said, anyway."
Aerith's eyes moved past Shalua to where Nanaki was sitting, a few feet away from them facing the mouth of the cave. He'd gone out to watch for Zack, Yuffie, and Vincent, claiming to not feel the cold the same way they did. The warrior's eyes occasionally scanned the skies, and she saw him lift his head to sniff at the air once in a while, his tail flicking back and forth with the motion.
"Ah, shouldn't be any trouble," said Cid, waving his hand dismissively as he took another long sip of tea. "Zack can handle himself. Vincent too."
"What about Yuffie?" asked Blaire, blinking wide green eyes at Cid.
"Brat's too annoying to die," Cid grunted.
Aerith frowned, her hand closing around her staff where it was lying next to her. She believed that, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel worried. Maybe it was the fact that the dream still stuck with her, that in the back of her mind, she was still standing outside on that Glacier scene, listening to the voice of the Planet. Maybe it was the weight of the task she had given, without being told what it meant or how to start.
Unite them, the Planet had said.
But how?
"You haven't heard from any of the others, have you?" she asked when she realized she was staring into the flames, looking up at Cid and Shalua.
Shalua shook her head. "No signal," she said.
"Everyone left before we did," added Cid, shrugging. He tossed a scrap of wood onto the flames. It burned up far quicker than Aerith was comfortable with. "Guess we'll see 'em tomorrow. Probably."
"Cid," said Shalua, her eyes narrowing at him.
"What?" asked Cid. "I'm just bein' realistic. This place is fucking insane. You couldn't pay me to fly a plane out here. Now, an airship—."
"Airship?" asked Aerith, turning towards Cid. A memory came back to her, that of a machine model in the Shinra Building, before their escape from Midgar. "Is that like the one Shinra has?"
Cid scowled. "It ain't theirs," he said, scrounging in his pocket for a cigarette. He came up with one and held it between his fingers, lighting it in the embers of the fire. "It's mine. It's got my name on it, doesn't it?"
"Are you talking about the Highwind?" asked Shalua, glancing at Cid.
Cid took a long drag from his cigarette. "Those bastards took it from me," he said. "Took the Bronco too. Wasn't enough that they took space away. They had to go take the skies too. I bet they're using that airship right now. Bet that's what they're gonna use to haul Rufus Shinra's ass up onto that crater. Hey, Aerith, are we close?"
"We are," said Aerith, watching as the ashes fell off the end of Cid's cigarette, smoldering embers falling onto the ground of the cave. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the pull northward, feel it resonating in her with each breath she took. It hadn't felt this way, not even for the Temple of the Ancients.
Not even for the Forgotten Capital. Not until she unleased Holy. "We're very close."
The Planet must really be getting desperate, to concentrate so much of its power in one place in time.
"That's good," said Cid, exhaling a plume of smoke. "Less time we spend out here, the better."
He took another drag, looking like he might say something more, but whatever it was was cut off as Nanaki sprang to his feet, his eyes still focused on the world outside the cave. Hands went to weapons, and Cid grabbed onto his spear, getting ready to use it as leverage to pull himself to his feet when the figures that were approaching came closer. Aerith exhaled as their voices filtered in through the wind and white outside, and she realized she recognized them.
Zack.
Aerith got to her feet.
"—telling you," Zack was saying, his voice drifting over towards them as he entered the cave. "It wasn't what it looked like!"
"Yeah, right," said Yuffie, giggling. "I'm gonna tell on you to Aerith. Really I am."
"Oh, come on, Yuff, you're not gonna do something like that."
"Tell me what, Yuffie?" asked Aerith, smiling as she and Zack stepped into the cave, fresh snow dusting their shoulders and the front of their winter jackets. The two of them were red-faced and breathless from the cold, and Yuffie was wearing some sort of circlet on her head like a trophy. Where she had gotten that, Aerith could only guess.
"Tell you how Zack over here got caught up by some snow lady's charms," said Yuffie, grinning.
"I keep telling you," said Zack, "She cast a spell on me! I couldn't help it! You would have done the same thing too."
"But I didn't," said Yuffie, sticking her tongue out.
"Snow lady?" asked Aerith, folding her arms. She gave Zack a teasing smirk. "Zack Fair, do I need to be worried?"
"Come on, Aerith, you know you're the only one for me," said Zack.
"Ew," said Yuffie, dancing away. "Gag."
This time, it was Zack's turn to give Yuffie a grin. Aerith gave him a look that wasn't entirely convinced.
"Uh-huh," she said.
"What?" asked Zack, looking back at Aerith. "It's true."
"If you two kiss, you're both sleeping outside," said Yuffie, already moving towards the other side of the fire without looking at them. "That's my rule as team leader!"
"Oh, Yuffie, I don't think you have to worry about that tonight," said Aerith, turning away from Zack, who looked suddenly crestfallen, staring after her as she walked away. She ignored him, still smiling as she turned her attention towards the last member of their team coming in from the snow, a man in a deep red cloak. "Hello, Vincent," she said. "Nice to see that you made it."
Vincent gave her the barest hint of a nod, stepping forward. Aerith watched him go, smiling slightly to herself.
"Wait, Aerith—," said Zack, stepping forward.
"Alright, everyone, bed," said Yuffie, throwing a pillow at Zack and hitting him in the side of the face. "I don't know about you, but I wanna get off this Glacier!"
"Team leader's spoken," said Aerith, dancing just out of Zack's reach and walking towards her bedroll.
"But, Aerith…"
Aerith's response was to giggle, as the group of eight settled down for the night.
XxXxX
Holzoff's house was a welcome sight, a small cabin nestled against the backdrop of Gaea's Cliffs. Lights shone in the windows, casting squares of glowing light onto the snow and ice below. Although the temperature outside was still frigid, the cliffs kept most of the northern wind from bearing down on them, and in their shadow, Cissnei found that she could finally breathe easy.
Figuratively, of course.
The ex-Turk tugged at the scarf she had wound around the lower half of her face as a muffler, glancing at the man behind her. Sephiroth had come to a stop, his eyes fixed on the cabin.
"Is that it?" he asked.
"That's it," said Cissnei, nodding. "Holzoff's house is the last occupied building between here and the Northern Crater. If we want to have a hope of scaling the cliffs, this is the place to go."
Sephiroth frowned, studying the sheer rock wall that rose up in front of them, so high that from this distance it seemed to dominate the horizon, cutting off their view of the sky. She knew what he was thinking. Shinra, if they truly were on their way, wouldn't need to climb. They would have no problem simply flying over the rocks and reaching the Northern Crater before then.
"Have you ever been up there?" he asked Cissnei.
"Personally?" asked Cissnei in return. "No. I don't know of anyone who has. We've done fly-bys of the Northern Crater, but we've never actually sent anyone down on the ground. The area is…protected."
"Protected?" asked Sephiroth, glancing at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, it's protected." Cissnei started forward, walking towards the cabin. After so long out in the cold, her limbs didn't much like the idea of moving, but she forced them forward anyway, taking one step after another as they closed the distance. "The center of the crater itself, where we've detected the mako anomalies, has some kind of…structure over it. We—I don't know if it's natural or not, but whatever it is, it's certainly strange. And dangerous. The mako readings from inside that structure were off the charts." Her eyes moved northward, towards the wall. "I imagine it's only gotten worse now." She eyed the wall, considering it, before turning back towards Sephiroth. "I wouldn't recommend flying either, even if you can. The wind at the top of the cliff is intense. It nearly threw off our best chopper. I'm not sure even you could fly in that."
Sephiroth said nothing, but from the look on his face, he wasn't totally convinced. Cissnei decided to ignore it for now. While she wouldn't recommend it to anyone, if Sephiroth wanted to brave the wind at the top of the wall, it was his choice. She didn't think he would have much of a problem with climbing either. But then again, he wasn't the one she was worried about.
Getting Nanaki up the wall would be a…challenge. But she was sure they would figure something out, if they all managed to put their heads together long enough.
Assuming they all managed to make it there. She put that thought out of her mind, following Sephiroth as the two of them climbed over a snow drift between them and the cottage.
Sephiroth paused at the top of the drift. Cissnei came to a stop behind him, looking over at the cabin. She let out a soft sigh of relief when she noted the figures standing in the snow just outside of Holzoff's door. From this distance, she caught sight of Nanaki's distinctive silhouette, along with a pair that could only be Zack and Aerith. She counted, running her eyes over the large group. There were eight of them, and they were all standing.
So Zack and Vincent's groups had met up, and had apparently all made it safely. That was good. Seeing them there felt like a weight being lifted off her shoulders.
She slid down the other side of the snow drift, finding herself smiling as she made her way hurriedly to Holzoff's door.
"Zack! Yuffie!" she said, raising her hand in the air. Her breath misted in front of her mouth as she hurried over to them. "You made it."
Zack and Yuffie turned, the two of them standing at the head of the group outside of Holzoff's door. Zack grinned, raising his hand in a wave, and Yuffie stretched her arm up in the air, waving it vigorously towards them. In the background, Vincent turned his head, watching them out of the corner of his eye, and Aerith had to release Blaire's hand in a hurry as she took off at a run, nearly spinning Aerith all the way around as she launched herself at Sephiroth. He caught her in mid-air, seeming surprised and a little bit confused by the child clinging to him. Cissnei hid her smile, looking away from the sight and turning towards Zack and the others.
"You made it," said Zack, grinning.
"What?" asked Cissnei, smiling teasingly at him. "You were worried?"
"Pfft, yeah right," said Yuffie, resting her hands on her waist. "Like we would worry about that. I was just wondering who Rekka would go to if you died, that's all."
"Aw, Yuffie, I missed you too," said Cissnei, giving the ninja a smile as she took her place in the group. Behind her, Sephiroth carefully lowered Blaire onto the ground, the girl still clinging to his hand as the two of them stepped forward. Cissnei looked around at the others standing in their circle of light. They looked worn out from the previous days, but alive, all of them. That was good. Hopefully Holzoff was taking visitors. They would need their strength in the times ahead.
"Any sign of Cloud?" she asked, looking at the others.
They lowered their eyes, not meeting hers. Apparently, she had been asking what they all were thinking. Cissnei exhaled, letting out a puff of air as she scanned the horizon.
"He'll turn up," she said. "He can't be too far off now."
"I'm getting a little worried, though," said Aerith, gripping her staff tighter. "The three of them had to fight to get out, didn't they? What if someone got hurt?"
"They'll be fine, Aerith," said Zack, looking back at her. "Cloud's tougher than he looks."
"I know that," said Aerith. "But still, you can't tell me you're not worried."
The look on Zack's face told Cissnei that he was. She gave the horizon one last scan, prepared to ask Holzoff for the equipment to go out and find Cloud by herself, when Nanaki suddenly perked up, raising his nose to the air. She turned towards him, feeling hope spring up in her chest.
"Nanaki?" she asked. "Do you smell something?"
"It's faint," said Nanaki, in reply. "This cold doesn't hold scent, and they're downwind of us. But I think I can smell Cloud." He paused, his tail flicking back and forth like a beacon as he sniffed the air again. "Tifa and Barret too. But…"
Nanaki's ears perked up suddenly, the fur on his hackles rising. Cissnei tensed, noticing his change in posture.
"Trouble?" she asked.
"Perhaps," said Nanaki. "There's—."
"—Look!" said Yuffie suddenly, cutting Nanaki off. "Over there!"
She pointed at something in the distance, causing the group to turn towards it. Cissnei looked, squinting as she tried to make out what Yuffie was seeing. In the distance, a pair of figures crested another rise, making their way towards them. It was difficult to see from this far away, but as they rounded the top of the rise and slid down the side, she caught sight of Cloud and Tifa, followed by Barret's distinctive bulk. And behind them, a smaller figure moved, dressed in a travel-worn cloak that hid her movements. Cissnei frowned, studying it. The figure looked almost like a child, but the way it moved was not childlike at all. It moved with a cat-like grace, easily skirting the edge of the rise and following along behind them.
It moved like…it moved like…
"…Shelke," Shalua breathed, her human hand pulled against her chest.
XxXxX
The inside of Holzoff's cabin might still have been considered on the cold side, but after coming out from the Glacier, it was almost sweltering. The party of fourteen sat huddled together on a large fur rug, sipping at cups of warm tea as Holzoff himself made himself busy in the next room. The heat of the cabin, coupled with the heat of so many warm bodies cramped into one space, had driven at least a few people to shed some of their layers, and even Vincent toyed with the edge of his ragged red cloak as though he was considering it.
All eyes, however, seemed to be on Shalua and Shelke.
The young Tsviet sat in the corner with her back against the wall, still wrapped in the brown cloak that she had been wearing. Her hands rested loosely on her lap, the blue lines on the backs of her gloves having gone dark since the last time she was seen at the Forgotten Capital. Cracks spiderwebbed their way across the channels where the glowing mako had once been.
Shalua studied her from the other side of the room, her own cup of tea sitting forgotten in her human hand. Not for the first time, she was struck by Shelke's resemblance to the girl she had once known, the one that had been taken from her. But those eyes weren't the eyes of a child. The first time she had seen her, they had been coldly empty, devoid of any emotion except whatever sort of determination would see her through her next fight. Now? They were still empty, but it was an emptiness of a different kind.
She wanted to get up and go to her sister, to hold Shelke to herself like she had wanted to do since that terrible day. But the way Shelke looked at her told her that the girl still didn't recognize her, that in her mind, those days didn't exist anymore.
That everything they had had together was just…gone.
She took another sip of her tea, forcing herself to look away.
"Anyway, that's the story," Cloud finished, from his seat on the floor next to Tifa. "So, if no one minds, Shelke will be travelling with us."
"Well, you're welcome to come along, Shelke," said Cissnei, sitting cross-legged against the wall opposite from Cloud. "The more allies we have, the better."
"Yeah, that's great and all," said Cid, "But how the hell are we gonna get fourteen people up those damn cliffs? Even if she is a Tsviet."
"That's where I come in, I suppose," said Holzoff, making them all look up. The climber was standing near the doorway to the other room, a tray of steaming cups in his hand. He set the tray on a barrel in the corner of the room, letting those who hadn't yet gotten something to drink pass it around as he folded his arms and leaned against the pillar. He was an old man, his hair long-since gone gray, and his skin tanned and weathered from exposure to the elements.
"My name's Holzoff," he said. "I've been living here twenty years now. If you're planning to head north, you better listen to my story. You ever hear about those who challenged the cliff?"
Silence fell, a few of them exchanging glances with each other. When no one responded, Holzoff continued on.
"There's an old legend that says something fell from the sky here long ago," he said. "That's what's supposed to have pushed the land up and formed the cliff. Thirty years ago, Yamski and I took this cliff on to see what was on the other side. But we weren't prepared for it. We did expect the temperature to be low, but.."
He shook his head, lowering his eyes to the ground. "On that cliff, there's always a biting cold wind. The cold air lowers your body temperature, steals the heat right from your bones. Yamski was below me. He cut his own rope…and I didn't even notice. Ever since then, I've settled here, continuing to challenge the cliff, and providing warning and shelter for my fellow climbers. If you're going to climb the cliff, there are two precautions you need to take. First, you need to check your route. It's hard to find because of the snow. Second, once you get to a ledge, get out of the wind and stay warm. Understand?"
More silence, and then nods. Shalua looked up, watching as the others exchanged glances and nodded. Sephiroth turned towards Holzoff, from where he was leaning against the wall next to Cissnei, his arms folded. "We understand," he said.
"Good," said Holzoff, nodding. "You must've used a lot of energy getting up here. Better get some rest before you head out."
With that, he walked up the stairs and into his own chambers in the loft, leaving the group alone. As he left, Cissnei immediately got to her feet, moving to follow him. Shalua watched the ex-Turk climb the stairs, noticing that she wasn't the only one. She wondered what that was about, and decided to put it out of her mind for now. She was sure an explanation would come eventually, if there was even one to be had. For the moment, she had other concerns.
Zack and the others got to their feet, a few of them stretching and groaning as they rubbed at aching shoulders and backs and started grumbling about finding somewhere to sleep. As the group started dispersing, getting their gear ready and filtering into the house's other room, Shalua got to her feet, slowly approaching Shelke. She tugged at the other girl's arm just as she was walking away, about to slip into the storage room where they had stashed most of their gear.
"Shelke," she said, holding onto Shelke's arm by the elbow.
Shelke tensed, looking back at her. The girl's eyes moved over her dispassionately, before returning to her own. Shalua exhaled, unable to deny that she felt disappointed by the fact that there was no recognition there.
"Yes?" Shelke asked.
"Don't you know me at all?" Shalua found herself saying.
Hesitation. It was barely present at all, but it was there, the first hint of something else behind Shelke's eyes. They moved away from Shalua's for half a moment before looking back at her. "You are…Shalua Rui," she said. "And…I am Shelke Rui. Your sister."
Shalua's breath caught in her throat, her grip tightening slightly around Shelke's arm. "You remember?" she asked, tugging the girl a little closer towards her.
Shelke glanced away from her again, her eyes moving towards the floor. "I found records within Deepground's database regarding my entry into the Deepground SOLDIER program," she said. "What I found agrees with your story. That does not mean I remember."
"I…I see…" said Shalua, slowly releasing her hold on Shelke's arm. Her hand dropped to her side, limp, as the girl stood there motionless, her eyes on the ground.
"The evidence shows that we are biologically siblings," said Shelke. "However, my memories of the past are incomplete. I am uncertain as to whether or not they will come back. I'm told it is reasonable to express regret at this point. The girl you have been searching for is dead. I'm sorry."
That single statement, said in that aloof dispassionate tone, almost undid her. Shalua exhaled as Shelke turned away, raising her hand to her mouth as the girl started to walk. Shelke wasn't looking at her, her eyes still to the ground. As though she really did feel the regret that she expressed.
"No, she isn't," Shalua found herself saying, causing Shelke to look back. "She's standing right in front of me."
Shelke's brow furrowed, the slightest hint of confusion.
"You're still alive, Shelke," Shalua continued. "You might not be the same as you were, but neither am I. That doesn't change the fact that you're still my sister. Maybe we lost what we had before, but that doesn't change what we have now. We can fix this together."
Shelke stared at her, frozen for a moment as if stunned. Then, the moment passed, and she lowered her eyes to the ground again.
"Some things can't be fixed," she said softly, turning away.
TO BE CONTINUED