Hey there, guys! Welcome to the first Illusory Flame update of 2010, and boy do I sure hope I'll be able to finish the first volume this year. It's sure been a long road! Actually, come to think of it, it's been just about a year since I started updating again after my very long hiatus… It was nice to see some of my pre-hiatus reviewers leave some feedback even after all, I have to say, so I knew I wasn't completely forgotten. XD

That also reminds me, about when I mentioned that the climax was coming soon. It's approaching soon for Embers, not for the entirety of the story of Illusory Flame—that's way, WAY off in the future. Remember, Illusory Flame is gonna be a trilogy, so we still have two more volumes to go! Whoopeedoo.

On to other things! Mainly regarding my page-long author's note from last chapter. Because I'm a big, fat liar and an overworked writer, I've decided not to do that rewriting of the Cloud and co. section I was talking about! Not only do I just feel so pressed for time, especially now that I've started a new semester of college, but to be quite frank, I don't think you guys really care enough about Cloud and co. that it'll matter to you. I know you wanna see more of Kallie and Yazoo and Aurei and Loz anyway. :P

Illusory Flame: Embers

Chapter 21

Somewhere Out There

"Then… that boy or that woman really wasn't lying after all." Seated in his wheelchair, Rufus was looking out through his bedroom window in Healin Lodge. "And that news report was right to say… they are truly still alive."

Our worst nightmare, it seems, is still attempting to return.

Rather than uttering that latter thought aloud as well to Tseng, however, via the phone that was held to his ear, Rufus kept it to himself. Instead, he merely listened with calm, yet gripping intent while the Turk leader finished up his report on the day's happenings—involving, most primarily, the encounter within the Mythril Mines. Already, Rufus had been informed that, once the Turks had determined where the targets were, they had landed the helicopter in a discreet location before entering the mines and hiding themselves, laying in wait for their quarry that would inevitably pass through.

Yet, while they did eventually corner the very individuals they had been hunting, what unfolded had exceeded beyond anything any of them had been expecting. The boy's 'boss' had told them of 'unlikely aid' that the remnants would be receiving; she had reassured him that she would also lend them 'unexpected assistance' if they were to confront their adversaries. 'Unlikely' and 'unexpected' certainly had been a way to describe it all, and it had almost proven to be more than they could handle. Even now, the Turks were all bewildered by what had occurred only a mere hour ago.

"That much seems to be true, sir," Tseng solemnly agreed. "Had we not trusted what the woman told us, things would have certainly turned out differently. I, or anyone else of the Turks, most likely wouldn't be talking to you right now were it not for the… assistance that she provided us. At least, I'm assuming it was she who summoned those serpents. While they seemingly acting of their own accord, they still appeared to be responding to someone else's orders."

"However she might have been assisting us, we are clearly in debt to her some way or another." Something else that Rufus was reluctant to reveal, though, was that he also felt gratitude towards the woman for having been able to protect the lives of his subordinates.

The Turk leader's voice then, however, grew even graver. "Regardless, I still can't bring myself to fully trust her yet; it would be unwise to at this point."

"Naturally. I would have expected that, helpful though she may be, she would still be under suspicion until you were able to find out more about her and that boy."

There was a short chuckle, and then it was back to business. "On that matter, have you heard anything more from that boy or his 'boss'?"

"Nothing." Although Rufus had re-watched the tape the boy had delivered again and again, just to ensure he hadn't missed any details, that definitely didn't count. "Judging by how that boy bailed out of here, I doubt he's going to return anytime soon, if at all."

"Too bad. We could certainly use a few more answers as to what the hell's going on. It seems like she would know exactly how the remnants would have been able to survive, or why they're allied with these women."

Huh, the remnants having women as allies… It was hard for even Rufus to believe that he was thinking such a thing, for it was the last thing he would have ever expected of Sephiroth's puppets.

"Let us hope someone will tell us, in any case," he said. "Regardless of who that might be, however, I suppose only time can tell when we'll get an explanation of sorts. At this point, anyway."

"But, hopefully what investigations we can do will change that." Now, that familiar determination was evident on the other line, one that Rufus had always been able to rely upon to get the job done. "Especially if time is of the essence."

"Then, your next move is…?"

"Rude and Reno will be heading to Kalm to follow up on a possible lead regarding that woman I fought. Aurei Driessen, as Rude says she's called. As for myself and Elena, we'll be returning to Healin Lodge."

"Instead of pursuing the remnants?"

Tseng's voice hardened. "I need to get Elena someplace where she can have time to recover and heal her arm, and I know Healin will be the safest location for her."

Knowing of how close Tseng had become to his female comrade, and her own lingering, though still unspoken, sentiments for him, Rufus smiled, but did not question Tseng's decision. "It's the most hospitable place we have, that's for sure, but even then our adversaries have been able to infiltrate it."

"I… realize that." No matter what, though, Rufus knew Tseng wouldn't make such a decision unless he had confidence it would turn out for the better. "I can only hope that those serpents will be able to protect her there, and you as well, now that we know what this 'unexpected assistance' really is. It was risky enough leaving you there by yourself."

Rufus had to chuckle. "You're making me feel like a child without a babysitter. I hope you haven't forgotten I can still handle myself when left to my own devices. I survived two encounters with Kadaj, after all."

"Sir, you know he only let you live because he needed to find out about where you hid Jenova's head." Although Tseng remained respectful of his superior at all times, his tone was still admonishing. "Considering we have nothing to hold them at bay now, there's no telling what they might do. If anything, they've become more dangerous in their desperation, as that seemed to be the case when Yazoo threatened to kill Reno and nearly succeeded."

"But they're not heading towards Healin, are they? They were attempting to get through the mines, after all, and it seems unlikely that they would want to backtrack at this point."

"Very true, sir." Now that Rufus had brought that up, Tseng did seem more at ease. "Still, with everything that has been unfolding thus far… it seems there's no telling what might happen to any of us now."

"Paranoia is such a wonderful feeling to have, isn't it?" In the high standing he had once possessed, even someone like Rufus hadn't been immune to a bought of heightened wariness every now and then. It automatically came with the job, and Tseng could concur with that.

"If that was the case in times like these, we would probably be the happiest people alive."

Both laughed lightly, albeit halfheartedly, before Tseng told him he had better be going, and would most likely be there in an hour or so if all went well, to which Rufus responded that he would be expecting them then. The lengthy call over, Rufus lowered the phone as he settled back in his wheelchair, continuing to gaze out the window before him at the forest beyond, dimly lit with the last of the fading sunset. As much as he had come to admire the beautiful scenery that Healin presented, his thoughts resided not here, but upon the events that had occurred in the Mythril Mines.

What other strange twists of fate can you bring upon our lives, Planet?

Lately, Rufus was starting to feel as if he had been caught in some divine form of tug-o-war. When one of the Planet's creations had nearly obliterated his life two years ago, partially crippling him even to this day and forcing him into a life of secret obscurity, he was sure it was punishment for his crimes against the Planet. Upon having contracted Geostigma several months prior, its daily pains adding to what injuries he had sustained from the Weapon's attack, it appeared doubly certain that his fate had been sealed.

And yet, in spite of his suspension in limbo, of only anticipating when the end of his days would be, something had begun to call to him. Whether the Planet itself had chosen to speak to him or it was merely his own instincts, it had been enough to break him out of the lifelessness that had once held sway over him and make him realize that, even if he would still die, there was yet something more he could do with what life he had left. There was yet the opportunity he had to clear his conscience, so that he wouldn't have to join the Lifestream as pathetically as his father had, and that opportunity lay in the chance to discover the true cause of Geostigma.

As irony would have it, though, it had been because of that curiosity chaos had been wreaked upon the world again, in having the Turks investigate the Northern Cave. Would going after the remains of Jenova, and then keeping its head in hiding, have changed anything in the long run? As heroic as his and the efforts of the Turks had been, had it really been the right thing to do? Despite his endeavors, Kadaj had been able to reclaim 'Mother' after all, and their worst nightmare had at last been resurrected. In the end, Cloud would be the one to again defeat Sephiroth and put a stop to the darkness he had created—at least, so everyone had thought.

Now, of all the people the Planet could have chosen, am I to be the one it has placed its faith in?

That wasn't Rufus attempting to be egotistical about his role, though, as much as he probably would have been two years prior. Even if he hadn't heard the Planet itself speaking to him, or any other sort of direct communication, after Tseng had relayed those events he was convinced more than ever that the Planet was indeed calling upon him to do something about this rekindled crisis. It wasn't the first time the notion would have crossed his mind: the woman herself had told them she would ensure the Planet would be their ally in the battles to come.

Expectedly, those cryptic words had baffled them all, but more or less because none of them were able to accept the idea that they would actually be receiving aid from the Planet itself. Rufus in particular had decided to remain skeptical until he saw the evidence for himself that it was the truth. Was the Planet truly going to turn to him as a savior, despite the fact that his company had nearly choked the life from the world, frivolously expending its energy without a second thought? Furthermore, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to believe such a thing, out of fear of what the Planet truly might have in mind for him…

But, regardless of what they wanted the answer to be, Rufus well knew now, that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, those serpents were the clincher in this situation. They might have come and fight and gone without so much of a word as to what the hell they were, yet it couldn't be anymore obvious that they were the Planet's assistance the woman had spoken of. Everything Tseng had described of them seemed to indicate they were of some otherworldly power.

On top of all that, what was most apparent to him was their purpose as an antithesis, a creature that was a polar opposite to the Shadow Creepers the remnants were able to summon. That couldn't be a coincidence. They had to be a sort of defense mechanism for the Planet; that could be the only reason for their existence.

But, that woman… Just what did she have to do with the Planet? Was she among those who would claim themselves as the Planet's defenders, like Avalanche once had, but had a legitimate reason to say so? The fact that he simply could not determine their true intentions, however, whether or not they were some kind of divine entities, made him uneasy more than anything else.

Perhaps, then, thought Rufus with wan amusement, this is how you'll choose to punish me, Planet. To keep me in such a haze of uncertainty.

While he chuckled aloud at the thought, it was not out of any desire to spite the Planet or spit in the face of fate. No… whatever the Planet had in mind for him, regardless of whether or not it had chosen him as a 'protector', Rufus well knew it was not his place to question it. Whatever his eventual fate would be, he would deserve it, for everything he had done to place the earth in such a sorry state. When his fate was decided, he would not resist; he would not ask for repentance, beg for forgiveness, or plead for mercy.

Maybe that steadfastness was merely because of his unwavering pride, for Rufus would not deny if there remained some selfish intentions in him. But, he did not deny that if he was given the chance to make amends and clean his slate, as that boy had said he could, even if only a little, then he wasn't about to idly let that opportunity slip by.

And, maybe, this will be just be the beginning of it all… At the very least, that just might be true of his role in this battle for the Planet.

"Three days! Three whole stinkin' days and we haven't seen one sign of those silver-haired baddies!"

"And you've only been here for two of those days," Tifa lightly admonished the energetic and impatient ninja girl, who was furiously pacing the ground just outside of a Cetran hut in which they were staying. At the moment, though, they were by themselves, as Cloud and Vincent were off elsewhere in the forest. "We're all tired of having to wait here, Yuffie, but there's still a possibility that the remnants will come here, and we'll have the upper hand if we can somehow ambush them."

Though Yuffie did stop her pacing, she still did flail her arms about in frustration once before planting them on her hips with a huff.

"Well, Chocobo Hair better know what he's doing," she muttered, kicking at a stone on the ground. "I've been itching at the chance to acquaintance those freaks with my shuriken for having taken all my materia, and some of the good ones too!"

They're not all just your materia, Yuffie.

The thought was light-hearted, even making her smile a little as she was reminded of Yuffie's lingering obsession with materia, but Tifa was otherwise inwardly agreeing with her frustration on many levels. It was true: she, Cloud, Vincent, and now Yuffie had all been waiting here for some sign of the silver-haired men, and hadn't left the area of the Forgotten City since they had arrived roughly three days ago. The other half of their party, Cid, Barret, and Cait Sith, had likewise been staying at the Northern Crater with the airship for that amount of time as well, and for the same purpose.

Other than that one news report, of someone sighting the remnant in Edge, along with that mysterious girl, nothing else had apparently been turned up since that could possibly lend a clue to their whereabouts. If the remnants had somehow gotten wind that they had been detected, Reeve had postulated, then it was highly probable that they would be taking greater measures to go about unnoticed, and thus it would be even more difficult to locate him or the girl who was supposedly accompanying him.

While they could have been combing the countryside in search of the remnants, they had all agreed that it would be better to attempt to trap them in one of the two places that were the most important to them, which would be either the Forgotten City or the Northern Crater. Cloud in particular had strongly supported this plan, since the remnants had been able to lead unexpected ambushes in both locations. In the meantime, Reeve had also assured them that agents of W.R.O. would also be investigating both Edge and Midgar for further leads, and then possibly extend the search to such places as the Kalm area.

"Really, where else can they possibly go?" Yuffie continued to vent, vigorously throwing up her arms again. "It ain't as if they've got anyplace that'd be more important, right? This was supposed to be their base or something, like know-it-all Vince said, and then there's the Northern Crater where they were after bits of Jenova before the stupid Turks took them away. Ugh, it's so gross that they'd be after something like that!" she concluded with a visible shudder.

"It doesn't add up, I'll agree on that." That growing inevitability made Tifa more uneasy every time she thought about it, and that was happening often in the few days that had passed. "There's really nowhere else that they'd want to visit, if you're trying to see things from their perspective, but maybe we're just not thinking of someplace that they would go. It just seems like… with their apparent survival, something we're not aware of got tossed into the mix, and that's what throwing us off."

"Gee, if only we could figure out what it was!" replied the Wutaian girl sarcastically, beginning her pacing again. "Why did those jerks have to come back from the dead? Everything was just fine and dandy all last week, thinking that there's nothing left to threaten the world, and then I get a call telling me that they're still around and my help is needed and blah blah blah! There's so much I could be doing with my time right now, instead of waiting around to kick some stupid remnant's butt!" She sighed then, shaking her head slightly. "It's been painful enough being here for two days, and I can't even imagine what it must've been like for you guys, searching for one whole day here and turning up nothing!"

Tifa had to chuckle then. "It has been pretty tedious, every minute of it. But, if it means finally being able to put an end to the chaos they've been wreaking, and making sure Sephiroth won't come back, I'm sure it'll be more than worth it."

"It'd better be, especially after all it took for me just to get here! That was horrible enough." Her face seemed to turn a little green simply from having thought about her motion sickness. "Maybe it would be better just waiting here, as long as it means I don't need to get on some crummy airship again…"

Even the mere recollection of what it was like to get airsick was enough to subdue Yuffie, just about one of the only things that possibly could, and so she slumped to the ground, holding her knees to her chest. "Oh really, just when are Cloud and Vince gonna get back from their watch? They didn't see anything there this morning, and I doubt they're gonna see anything tonight."

"Well, they should be coming back right about now. Cloud said he and Vincent would be back around sunset, given they haven't found anything."

The 'watch' Yuffie had been referring to was a part of the regime they had adopted during the three days they had been here, to ensure that they would be able to catch the remnants at every possible turn. Since it had become likely to them that the silver-haired duo might first arrive at the main part of the Forgotten City, rather than the temple-like building on the outskirts that had been their base, they had decided that perhaps it would be best to split up into pairs and wait at either respective location. If either pair saw anything, they would notify the other pair via text message.

Tifa had to remark, though, that she was surprised at how adamant Cloud had been about choosing to scout out the base, when he had been so reluctant to do so initially upon their arrival. Perhaps he was doing so to fully overcome that reluctance, or… he was merely watching and waiting for something else to happen there. Either way, she was just happy for him that he was no longer so affected by that place.

Another half hour or so passed, and still Cloud or Vincent hadn't return; by this time the sun had already set and the forest seemed to have come alive with its eerie white glow. When Tifa finally did see a sign of the others, appearing on the path amid the tree line, she was both startled and confused to see that it was only Vincent, alone yet walking calmly towards them. While Yuffie had promptly leapt to her feet, Tifa had already hastened towards him out of concern.

"Vincent! Is Cloud—?"

"Relax, Tifa. He's fine." It seemed as though Vincent had been preparing all along for her reaction at Cloud's absence. "He merely asked to be alone for a while there."

"Like he hasn't been alone enough already!" pouted Yuffie the moment she reached them, planting her fists on her hips. "Honestly, does he need to keep proving how macho he is, always handling everything all by himself? If he really doesn't need me, of all people, then I'd be just fine hauling ass back to Wutai!"

"So, why did he want to be alone? Did he say?" asked Tifa, in order to interrupt what might have been a long rant on Yuffie's part. "Does he really think he can take them on by himself, if they—?"

"Tifa, do you really think that they're still coming?"

The sudden question caught her off guard a little. "It's… It's still possible, isn't it? There's nowhere else that they would want to go other than either here or the Northern Cave, we're pretty sure of that."

"Are we, though?" He didn't give her much time to ponder the answer, because she already knew it. "Face it, we all know that, if the remnants were to come here, there would have been a confrontation of sorts by now."

"What?" Yuffie nearly shrieked. "You mean… we've been waiting three days for those stupid remnants, and now they're not gonna be coming at all! I've just wasted three days of my life, three precious days, and all for nothing!"

"And you've only been here two of those three days," Vincent quietly admonished her. Naturally, Vincent was the only one who didn't take well to Yuffie's energetic and often obnoxious presence. Though he never said anything, of course, he was probably wondering why he hadn't gone with Cid's group instead. "I doubt it would be entirely wasted, since now we can rule out the possibility of them returning to their base. But, the truth is that Cloud probably realized this after the first night we were here, when we didn't see any sign of the remnants."

"Cloud knew that?" Shaking her head, infuriated, Yuffie smacked a fist into an open palm. "Oh boy, once he gets back, I'm gonna be sure to pound his head in!"

"Spare us the violence, Yuffie," muttered Vincent.

Barely restraining her next tirade, Yuffie still stomped the ground in frustration. "Then, why? Why's he been keeping us holed up here if he knew they weren't coming?"

"The answer is obvious. Isn't it, Tifa?"

It was, and that was why she had merely been standing there in silence since Vincent's question, her hands clasped behind her back as she stared off down the path, in the general direction of where Cloud still was. She did know why he was truly here, Vincent wasn't the only one who had come to realize that it wasn't necessarily the remnants they were waiting for here anymore. Perhaps she had deduced it later than he had, but it hadn't taken long for her suspicions to grow regardless.

"He's… really waiting for some sign of her, isn't he?"

"Her? Whaddya mean, her—?" And, just as quickly, Yuffie realized exactly whom they were referring to. Almost immediately, she piped down. "Oh… her…"

Aerith… Cloud would never stop waiting for her.

"Yes, her." Even Vincent's voice softened out of respect for their former companion. "Perhaps he is a fool, to still think that she will appear to him somehow, but Cloud has his reasons to believe so regardless."

That instantly piqued Tifa's interest. "Wait… he does? Did he say something to you about it? Did he really say that's why he's still waiting here?"

"He did, but you didn't hear that from me." Vincent lowered his face more behind the collar of his cloak. "When he asked if I could leave him by himself at the base, it was then I asked him if there was another reason why he didn't want to leave the Forgotten City just yet. While he was reluctant to answer at first, I probed him more about the matter, and eventually he told me why.

"Apparently… she has been appearing in his dreams during the past couple of nights. Well, I shouldn't say appearing—Cloud said it was more like he could sense her presence and hear her voice, sometimes even while he's been conscious."

"He has been?"

"So he told me. In those moments when he can sense her, he says, he feels as though he's not supposed to leave just yet. There's something he's supposed to be waiting for."

"Waiting for?" Yuffie repeated, folding her arms. "What, waiting for those baddies?"

"You said it was unlikely, Vincent, but… could that really be the reason?"

"Who knows?" he answered wryly. "It is hard to ascertain whether or not these visions are real or Cloud is inducing them himself. All the same, however… if Aerith is involved, then they most likely have merit to them. After all, he said that, if he does get to see her again, perhaps she will be able to shed light on why these things are happening."

"That much is true…" Tifa agreed quietly. "We all know that, if it wasn't for all that she's done for us, none of us would probably be here now."

"Indeed. But, if Aerith were to show herself here, wouldn't she have done so earlier? Perhaps the first night we were here, even?"

"Maybe…" Yet, Tifa couldn't help but feel that, no matter the circumstances, it felt wrong to question Aerith's actions or decisions. It was certain that, even in death, she continued to be a protector of the planet; besides, it seemed that there were certainly many more things she was capable of now than when she was alive, and thus she would have her reasons for whatever she had to do, if only for the planet's sake.

"Well, I suppose that, once again, all we can do now is wait and see." Sighing, it was with a flourish of his crimson cloak that Vincent turned about, facing the direction of the hut that had become their temporary quarters. "Hence, I'm going to take a respite from all this waiting. Perhaps Cloud will have discovered something during that time."

"Ditto that, I'm coming too!" Abruptly turning on her heels, Yuffie followed right behind Vincent, probably much to his disgruntlement. But just as abruptly, she once again stopped to look back at Tifa, and saw that she was still staring off into the forest. "Hey, ain't you gonna come too, Tifa?"

Glancing back at Yuffie and Vincent, the latter also having halted, she didn't answer straightaway, instead turning her gaze back to the forest.

"He said he wished to be alone, Tifa," Vincent called to her. "I know of your concern for him, but perhaps this is for the greater good, if something is to finally happen."

"I know… But, I can't forget what happened to him the last time he was here, all by himself." For several moments longer, she continued to deliberate, still gazing into the forest, and then at last made up her mind. "I'm going, Yuffie and Vincent. Maybe I won't necessarily be with him, but I'll keep an eye on him from a distance… I just can't help but feel that something bad is going to happen to him if we let him out of our sight for even a second."

In a very rare occurrence, Vincent chuckled. "Isn't that usually the routine? If you must go, though, then I won't stop you. When I left him, by the way, he was standing near the pool, across from the base; he should still be there."

Tifa smiled back appreciatively. "Thanks, Vincent."

"Well, good luck to you, girl! You're gonna need it, dealing with that pain in the ass."

With a wave of her hand, Yuffie once again skipped after Vincent, starting to bombard him with questions and general chitchat that never ceased to fail to amuse Tifa. Not a moment later, though, she turned her attention back to the Sleeping Forest, beginning to walk down the trail that would lead her to where Cloud was waiting—waiting and watching for whatever he believed Aerith had in store for him.

Aerith… Though she spoke in her thoughts, Tifa still hoped that the flower girl would be able to hear her- she would, surely. You've always guided us down the right path from the very start. You've never led us astray.

So, please… if you are trying to tell us something, then please tell us what to do next… Help us understand why all of this has been happening.

It had taken a full day, and it was nearly sundown by the time they had reached their destination, but Loz and Aurei had finally arrived at Fort Condor. Being used to full days of almost non-stop hiking by now, with occasional monster encounters along the way, the journey had been tedious as always, but certainly not as much as yesterday. Aurei had also warned Loz beforehand that, with this being one of W.R.O.'s only military bases, there would certainly be armed guards scouting the area, especially at night. Even then, though, they found the patrols easy enough to evade if they made their way carefully through the rocky, sparsely vegetated landscape, treading quietly and keeping low to the ground; it became easier to navigate as well the closer they got to the fort.

In spite of all that, however, the more the night progressed, the more unsuccessful the day's endeavors felt to Loz. No matter how much effort they put into their search, they still hadn't been able to turn up anything, and he didn't know how much more of this he could take.

"They gotta be here…" Frustrated and furious, feeling the tears stinging his eyes, Loz pounding his fist against a nearby wall of rock, causing a nice large, new crack to suddenly run along its face. "They just gotta be here somewhere!"

"Loz!" Aurei immediately snapped in a hushed voice. "Keep it down! Remember, we're near a settlement now, and they have patrols in the area who could easily hear us!"

Already being so disheartened by the lack of success with their search around the Fort Condor area, Loz barely felt stung by Aurei's reprimand, dully watching as chunks fell from the rock wall. He didn't even flinch when some rocks bounced off his shoulder, clattering down the mountainside like a miniature avalanche. Surveying the damage that her silver-haired companion had created, Aurei rubbed her face with one hand, sighing deeply in her own aggravation.

"Loz… I'm just as frustrated as you are that we haven't seen any sign of Kallie or Yazoo here. I myself was sure that we would be able to encounter them somewhere around here, but perhaps we're both merely in the wrong places at the wrong times. Either way, it will be even more difficult to find them now that nightfall's here."

"But… But I can see just fine in the dark."

"You can. I can't, especially with all this cloud cover. I don't want to use any sort of illumination either, or else the patrols might see us. Look," she said suddenly, in an even softer voice so that it was barely a shout, pointing over at a small, moving light off in the distance, the indication that a guard was on the patrol. "There's someone over there right now… They might have heard us, so let's move away someplace else. Perhaps now we should take a look at the landing site for the airship."

Only nodding his assent, Loz quietly followed her without another word, glumly reflecting back on the rest of the day that had passed with little luck finding their respecting missing family members. He was so sure that they would have reunited by tonight, and even had his hopes up while they had been crossing the plains, keeping an eye out as far as he could see for the other two. Now that even Aurei was saying they ought to call it quits for the night, the whole day had felt like nothing but a failure.

"Loz…" she said after a while had passed in silence. "Just because we couldn't find them today means we'll never find them. At the very least, though I'm sure you won't like the sound of it, we have more of a chance of finding them in Junon. If for some reason they miss this airship ride, at least they know we're all heading to Junon."

"Aurei…" His voice was very much unchanged, as if he had never heard Aurei's assuaging statement. "Are you… are you sure something didn't happen to them back in the mines? Are you—?"

"How many times do I have to tell you today? I am sure that they were able to make it out like we were. I told you, at the very least, it is certain that our paths will cross again."

Indeed, Aurei had reprimanded him many times throughout that day for having asked her again and again, sometimes on complete accident, and others because he had fully intended to. Thinking back on it now, Loz realized then why he had repeated such a redundant question over and over. Every time he heard it from Aurei's lips, he wanted to believe it would bring them one step closer to the truth. That, eventually she would realize something incredible and suddenly decide that was what they had to do in order to find his brother and her sister again—and soon. Sure, she said it was practically destiny that their paths would cross again, but that could take days, weeks, months… even years!

Probably sensing that she still hadn't quite convinced him, Aurei sighed again. "If you still don't believe me, have it your way. We're most likely not going to find them again tonight, and I'm not going to repeat myself again."

"I know," Loz answered finally. "It's just… me and Yazoo were separated for a while once, and I had no idea if he was alive or dead, or just barely alive… I just didn't know, and it… it was… so painful."

"I see."

With that, Aurei fell into silence again, and the journey again proceeded in taciturnity. Somehow, though, Loz didn't need her to tell him what was most likely going through her head right now: being so dedicated to her father's welfare, she must understand well the anxiety Loz had experienced during the first time he had been separated from Yazoo, and that he was certainly feeling all over again.

Loz had to wonder, though, if her calm attitude about the whole ordeal wasn't just because she was so reassured that they would reunite, but rather she really didn't care at all about Kallie… But no, she couldn't, could she? They were family, after all. Yazoo might not treat him nicely, but he was still a brother to him, that much Loz was sure of. He would be just as adamant to reunite with him too, right? After all, Loz could visibly remember that battle against Brother, when all had seemed hopeless until Yazoo had come rushing into the fray, eyes alight with a resolve like Loz had never seen him wear before…

"What makes you care so much about Yazoo?" she suddenly asked, startling him from his reminiscence. "I've yet to see him treat you decently, and still you insist on sticking by his side no matter the circumstances."

That wasn't a hard question even for Loz to answer. "Yazoo's… all that I've got left. He and Kadaj were the only people I ever knew, and now that Kadaj's gone…"

Knowing he didn't have to finish his sentence, he merely let the implication hang there, his gaze lowering to the ground. Once again, Aurei was silent in response, but undeniably out of respect more than anything else.

"Loz, I must say that… you have certainly surpassed my expectations of you."

His head snapped back up to gaze at her, nonplussed. Aurei had expectations of him? "I have…?"

"That's right. Of all the people I would have expected to understand the importance of such values, I… would have never imagined it to be you."

"Values…?"

"Being as committed to your family as you are. In this world, there exist so many people who have such wonderful families, families that are whole, and yet they don't appreciate how fortunate they are until it is too late. I cannot say I would reserve any sympathy for those people, after all my family has been through, being as divided and scattered as we are. Only having had my father around has made me realize just how fortunate I am to have had even only one member to care for me, and whatever is in my power to protect that, I will use it."

She stopped then, looking back at him with the utmost earnest in her eyes. "So, whatever happens, Loz, don't ever forget the ties you have to your family. No matter what anyone tells you, being able to take nothing for granted is one of the greatest gifts you could ever have."

"Still no sign of them, huh?" muttered the orange-haired girl, surveying the landscape as best she could from the ledge she and Yazoo stood upon, high up on the mountainside of Fort Condor. "You'd think that, if we're both heading in the same general direction, we'd be bound to run into each other sooner or later."

"I agree. We should have come across them by now."

While they were strangely able to agree upon several different subjects throughout the day, if there was one thing Yazoo would have been able to concur with her at any given time, it was sharing in her frustration that they had seen nothing of either Aurei or Loz. Like the others, unbeknownst to them, they were having just as little success as they were. Yazoo, too, was thinking that they were also in the wrong places at the wrong times, and that at the very least they would encounter them somewhere in Junon. When he had presented this idea to the girl, she had proceeded to ask him if that really meant he would aid her in retrieving May, should she also be in Junon.

"…If we still cannot find the others," he answered, after a moment, "then, yes. I suppose it will be necessary."

"Well, that's a relief to hear," she responded, expectedly sounding surprised that he had actually agreed to help. Yazoo was also glad that her reply hadn't been a snide or sarcastic one either. "And hey, even though you seem to have it perfectly under control, I can help you find your mother too."

Yazoo didn't quite respond at first. After having revealed so much to her about Mother earlier today, he again had been wondering if it had been so wise of him to do so. Would Mother eventually want to meet the sisters herself, possibly even the illegitimate half-brother? He hadn't received any sort of vision or a warning from her either, telling him that he shouldn't have disclosed so much information about her…

As several moments had passed and he still hadn't answered, the girl spoke up again. "Well, I guess it isn't necessary, or you just don't want me to… Either way, I understand. Guys I've known didn't usually want me meeting their moms either."

At that, Yazoo at last turned to her, but only to give her a strange look. What relevance did the latter statement have to anything? Just because he was male, he would be reluctant to have Kallie meet Mother? The strange logic some humans had, especially from this one, as he was discovering.

Furthermore, Yazoo was starting to sense something didn't feel quite right with this picture in general, a feeling he had been gradually realizing up to now… Not only they had been able to see eye to eye on things lately, all day they hadn't had a true argument as had become typical of them during the journey. There was the dispute that had occurred this morning, or the small spat after lunch, but those certainly paled in comparison to the argument that had occurred last night. Even then, they had reached an unspoken truce of sorts. It certainly was an odd feeling, that the girl hadn't been irritating him so much today…

"What?" the girl responded, after seeing the strange look he was giving her. "So, that's not the case? Well, I guess I stand corrected, but you don't have to tell me why. I've discovered it's hopeless getting answers out of you when you don't want to give them."

He actually chuckled a little at that. The girl might be insolent, but was at least observant. "I am merely unsure if your help will be required or not. It will depend on the circumstances once we reach Junon."

"You mean whether or not Aurei or Loz will actually be there with us. It's gonna be a big inconvenience for us all, huh?" Sighing then, the girl slumped back against the rock wall behind them. "Just where the hell are those guys? If only I'd get another one of those visions, that'd be handy. For some reason, 'cuz I'm not, I'm getting the feeling they're somewhere nearby. I also wonder how close Raide is to Junon, if he's really heading out there after all."

She then groaned. "Oh, screw it. There's obviously nothing more we can do for now, and I'm seriously doubting we're gonna find them at all tonight. If they're trying to stay undetected as much as we are here, with all these patrols around, then there's really no chance of us running into them."

"For once, you're a voice of reason."

The girl laughed, although softly as to not attract attention. "I know, for once, right? Maybe I'll actually turn out to be like my sister after all." Then, for the first time, as she looked back towards Yazoo, she was smiling, even slightly grinning, at him. "What do you say we find out where that airship is supposed to land tomorrow morning, then find someplace to camp for the night?"

Though Yazoo did see the smile as being one of the strangely amiable things that had occurred between them today, he did not regard its significance beyond that. "Let's go, then."

When she had told Loz that he had exceeded her expectations, Aurei had not been lying. She herself could not believe that it hadn't been a lie, for this wouldn't have been the first time Aurei had lied about something of this nature. If the circumstances called for it, she would not hesitate to lie about anything. But, somehow, when it came to Loz—Loz, of all people, she could not bring herself to lie to him.

It's not because I don't trust him… After all, ever since she had begun her training so many years ago, her mentor had told her to be expecting an ally like him, an ally to aid both her and Kallie in the battles that were to come. But, she had expected him to be a mere comrade, nothing more; Aurei hadn't ever believed he would become a close companion, someone who she actually could share such dark and deep secrets with. Telling him about the importance of family values and taking nothing for granted wasn't something she exactly preached to just anybody either.

"Hey, is this the place?"

Having been so deeply lost in thought about these startling revelations, it was perhaps a good thing that Loz had spoken up, or else even she might not have realized that, after much more hiking and climbing the rough terrain, they had finally come to their destination.

"I believe so," Aurei confirmed, examining the huge, wide open area before them. Though the area was brightly lit by floodlights at each corner of the perimeter, she was certain that, as long as they stuck to the shadows amid the rocks and vegetation, they would go undetected. "This does look like the ideal place to land a giant airship."

"All we gotta do now is sit and wait here 'til it comes, right?"

"No, Loz." For once, though, her voice was lighthearted rather than admonishing. "We would be too easily found by the guards who patrol the place; it's risking enough just being here right now. Let's find someplace else to rest for the night, since the airship most likely won't arrive until sometime in the morning."

"And I'll be sure to get you up tomorrow morning too. Really, I will."

That took Aurei off guard a little indeed, but she was quite appreciative nonetheless. "Thank you, I will appreciate that."

After a little more surveying of the landing site, the two turned and began to head back the way they came to get here. Notably, Loz lingered behind for a little while, still continuing to examine the place before following in her wake. The entire time, even though Aurei had told him to give up the search for the night, he still persevered in his own quiet way, constantly looking about in all directions for any signs of their missing siblings. With those feline eyes, it was probably an effortless task for him. Again, Aurei did have to remark to herself upon his utter devotion to finding the others, for he was even more eager and anxious than she was, and that was just something else that she hadn't expected about him.

Nothing is what I expected about him. The only thing about him that had met her expectations was his general inhuman physicality, his overall unnatural appearance, and especially his incredible strength. That had been it. When Aurei had confronted him for the very first time, in thwarting both him and his brother from abandoning Kallie, she had been glad to fight someone of his caliber, someone who had given her a true challenge on the field of battle.

From there on, though, everything else about him had been a surprise, and especially a great disappointment. While she had already garnered from their skirmish that Loz didn't exactly possess the highest level of intelligence, she had been baffled at just how truly childlike his mentality was, despite how so thoroughly masculine he was in appearance. After having been waiting for so long to see what this destined ally of hers would be like, Aurei admitted that she had felt gypped.

At least Yazoo had met her expectations, harboring a cold and calculating persona to rival her own, much more like the inhuman being she had imagined she would meet. Then again, perhaps such a childish mentality was what made Loz so inhuman after all—it, too, was certainly something unnatural. Just not in the way she would have expected.

While Aurei was quite certain that many startling and shocking things had overwhelmed her sister all throughout this journey, she well knew it was because of the simple fact that this was all so novel to her. But here, for most of her life, Aurei had been training and taxing herself to the limit for this adventure, and even she was beginning to feel all that preparation still hadn't been enough. Nothing had prepared her for the fact that, for what felt like the first time in ages, Aurei had begun to feel a true attachment to someone other than Father, and it didn't happen to be Kallie.

It's been so long, but, for once… Aurei eyed Loz once again, who she knew remained unaware of her newfound revelation, if he would ever be aware at all. I have a companion to call my own.

I smiled at him. I actually smiled at him.

Not only that, but Kallie had bantered with him, even flirted. Maybe it was merely because she was tired, whipped from having spent another full day of walking and fighting, and she was certainly willing to blame it all on that. But, even then, it still had all felt so natural, and that alone freaked her out a little, for Kallie knew it meant she had actually felt comfortable in his presence. It wasn't just having gotten used to being around him; that had probably happened a while back, ever since she had resigned to allying herself with him. No, this was a different sort of comfort… good-natured, amiable, even benevolent.

Who thought I'd actually be feeling that around him, of all people? she wondered, looking over at what she could see of his profile.

Currently, her arms were folded behind her head as she lay upon a hard rock floor, just like last night, only tonight they had managed to find refuge in a shallow cave of sorts, with a rather low-lying ceiling which was short enough that they weren't able to stand upright inside. Seated at the entrance, his gun resting at his side, Yazoo was keeping a watch on the surroundings, as was usually his job whenever she or Aurei had to retire; he wouldn't need sleep tonight, he had assured her of that.

After they had taken a look at what they presumed was the landing site for the airship, it was well past nightfall by the time they had discovered this cave and decided to make camp here for the night, someplace discreet where the fort's patrols wouldn't be likely to find them. Not only would Yazoo be keeping an eye out for the patrols, though, but also making sure that they wouldn't be missing their potential flight in the morning.

"And you'll be all right, pulling an all-nighter?" It was an extremely dumb question, Kallie knew, for she had been able to see that he could stay up all night with little difficulty. Either it was another side effect from her fatigue, or it was just one of many suspicions she had about his unnatural capabilities that she needed to confirm…

Expectedly, Yazoo gave her nothing short of a disdainful look. "If you haven't observed already, Loz and I do not require the amount of sleep that ordinary humans need. Only a few hours of rest every few days will suffice."

"Lucky you."

Kallie truly did wish she had that same sort of capability, though. If only it weren't for her fatigue, she would have been willing to search all night for Aurei and Loz. Hell, if it hadn't been for her fatigue, she would have continued to scour the streets of Edge until the early hours of the morning, that one fateful night when May had first vanished… Even if she knew now where May had been taken then, Kallie still wouldn't have felt so helpless about her situation, if only she had known she would be able to do something more.

"Well, since I'm still just an ordinary human, I'm gonna be getting some sleep now." Rolling over on one side so she faced the wall behind her, Kallie put her head down upon the pack that had become her usual pillow, then suddenly looked back over her shoulder at him. "Oh, and no using guns as an alarm clock tomorrow morning. Got that?"

"As long as you actually wake up."

"Don't worry, I will." Snickering, Kallie put her head back down and closed her eyes. "All right, g' night now."

She heard him give a slight scoff, but other than shifting his position a little, he did not respond further. It was just as well, since Kallie really did want to get some sleep. That, and she was in the mood for something other than conversation, something that she had automatically been finding herself doing the past couple of nights before she would fall asleep. As a matter of fact, Kallie had purposely turned towards the rock wall in order to fight the temptation, but rock walls were only such a comforting sight. Eventually, she would find herself restless enough anyway that she rolled back over again to face Yazoo's general direction again.

Sadly, with the absence of a moon or any other illumination, Kallie could not perceive him as clearly as she had previous nights, but maybe that was for the better. Also, at least Yazoo having his back to her hopefully meant he wouldn't be able to catch on to her gazing his way, because Kallie was quite certain she didn't want him to take any notice of these growing feelings she was beginning to harbor for him. While she doubted he would care whether or not he knew what they meant, she was still aware it was best he remained as oblivious as possible to her sentiments.

But, the fact that he's not being such a jerk anymore isn't really gonna be helping much here…

Kallie stifled a groan into her pack. To be traveling alone with such company, she was just the luckiest girl in the world, wasn't she? A silver-haired, superhuman criminal freak with creepy feline eyes he might be, but he was still a handsome individual nonetheless; she might have added things like 'moron' and 'asshole' to the list, but for once, she couldn't bring herself to because they had actually gotten on well today. Then, because of that, just thinking about how nicely he had treated her made her feel that certain thrill again, and she had to muffle another groan into her makeshift pillow.

It was so juvenile, so stupidly juvenile. Here she was, a girl in her late teens going on twenty in a matter of weeks, and she was having a silly crush on some guy, which Kallie knew hadn't happened since her school years. Still, as ridiculous as she knew her infatuation was, perhaps calling it a mere 'crush' was a bit inappropriate. Especially since Yazoo was unlike any male she had ever had feelings for, this infatuation was rather different. It wasn't even that those feelings were stronger, they just felt… darker, if she had to describe it somehow. 'Darkness' was simply a suitable word for him anyway.

On one hand, she was repulsed by him, repulsed by what hatred she still harbored towards him, repulsed by his character and the unnatural abomination she knew he was. Yet, at the same time, Kallie found herself utterly drawn to him, all at once enraptured by his uncanny beauty and fascinated by the sheer enigma that surrounded him. It was a push and pull, a tug-of-war, and damn, it was never a good thing to be caught in the middle.

Of all people I could have been allied with, why did it have to be you, Yazoo? In hindsight, it seemed like she could have discovered so much on her own, and yet Kallie still felt the results wouldn't have been the same if she hadn't enlisted the brothers' assistance. Would things really have been different had she never met Yazoo or Loz? Would she ever have come as far as she had were it not for them?

Furthermore… what would May, of all people, think of her having befriended the very men who had once kidnapped her? Hell, what would her cousin think if it really did turn out that they had helped rescue her? The possibilities of what May's reaction would be pulled at Kallie's heartstrings—the poor child had been through enough trauma already, and it made her seethe to imagine just what else that bastard could be doing to her right now!

How the hell am I gonna explain all of this to her anyway? Kallie did have a suspicion, though, that Raide might have told May at least some of what was going on, especially concerning the fact that she was related to that bastard, or that she actually had another cousin. Nonetheless… Kallie wish she wouldn't have to put up with all this shit, let alone ever having gotten dragged into this mess.

For one so young, the poor girl had already been through so much in her life, and Kallie was at least grateful for the resilience that her cousin had inherited from Uncle—otherwise, she couldn't stand the thought of how scarred May would be for the rest of her life. It already broke Kallie's heart so deeply to know that, whatever the outcome of this battle was, her cousin would more than likely have a life that was far from ordinary anyway.

None of us will get a normal life after this, that's for sure. But if there's one person I know who doesn't deserve it, it's you, May.

Weary though Kallie's body was, and as much as it cried for rest, the thoughts of her cousin, of Raide, of Uncle, of Yazoo, kept her mind wide awake and fitful as they bounced from one person to the next. More than once, she rolled over, attempting to find a comfortable enough place upon the rock, but only having had to sleep twice in the great outdoors was barely enough for her to get used to such bedding. But, eventually, it wasn't long before she gave in to temptation and resorted to what had helped her fall asleep the past two nights, rolling back over to once again gaze at Yazoo.

The entire time she had been tossing and turning, the silver-haired man had barely moved an inch, save for slight rolls of his head and shifts in his position; staying so still hardly seemed to bother him either. Especially with only needing to sleep every couple of nights or so, it really did seem more and more like Yazoo had been born for this sort of thing, whatever the hell he really was… Like his entire existence would only be situated around endless journeys and grueling battles.

Y'know what…? Kallie suddenly came to realize, staring at one of her ungloved hands. Maybe it is better that I still do need my eight hours of sleep every night… It's a sign that I'm at least somewhat human after all.

And there you have it! I know, it's another chapter of nothing really happening to them, just reacting and thinking and traveling and whatnot. I have to say, if I had been the one to create the world of Final Fantasy VII and had the ability to shape the geography according to my story, I would have made it so Junon wasn't so damn far away from the Mythril Mines! But alas, I'm not going to bend the canon so drastically because I'm a good fanfiction author, so Junon shall have to remain miles and miles away…

Well, I don't wanna end this on a negative note, so let's talk more positive things! Rather, more interesting topics, like how it was to write the section from Rufus's point of view. Actually, just when I had finished writing that part, I heard that the On The Way to a Smile: Case of Shinra had just been released, so I went to read it. It basically talks about what Rufus and the Turks were doing in the two years before Advent, and it was a pretty interesting read, I have to say, probably the most engaging of all the Cases of the characters that have been released. As usual, though, since it's such a recent addition to the Final Fantasy VII canon, I'm not going to let it affect my desire to be as canonically accurate as possible.

Also, because I knew not much would be happening otherwise, I decided to make things a little more interesting by bringing a new character, Yuffie, into the fray, as well as finally having something from Aurei's point of view, since we never get to see her true perspective on events and such in the story. Also, I do hope Yuffie's not too out of character… We all know she's a hyperactive ninja, but I tried not to overdo it, since I'm not too good at writing energetic characters like her.

I think that's it for now. As usual, your feedback is appreciated, and you shall see me again sometime next month!