Hey everyone! First, I want to apologize for always being slow in updating and responding to messages/reviews. As I'm sure you've probably figured out by now, communication isn't my strongest point... And as usual, felt nervous about putting this up for a while, and had quite a bit of difficulty finding the best way to write this. Shame it took half a year to finish though. I might have thrown too much in here, but I saw this as the only opportunity I had of getting certain things out before we go deeper into Crisis Core. But on a brighter note, this story just reached it's 6th anniversary :D In 2009, either on or near June 9, it first saw the light of day on Quizilla, but the website reached its demise around October, if I remember right...
And as for that 'little something' I mentioned last chapter A/N, that'll have to wait for December to come out since my creative juices failed me last year. As of now, the project's going well.
This chapter isn't really a happy one, but later on I hope you like how it turns out. The last part is one of the reasons why I'm nervous about this going up. I almost didn't go through with it...
I actually started trying to compose music, and began working on a little something on the side today while adding lots of final touches to this chapter. Because Mekina was going through my head at the time of making the piece, I might make it her theme. It's peaceful, and might bore those of you not interested in that kind of music. If you're curious about how it sounds, I'll try and put the link in my profile. The link is xKumikoxChanx and the music is called Guardian. It should be up soon :)
Thanks for continuing to read this slow updating story!
Disclaimer: The only things I own are Mekina, Joe, and Darius... Takamo too. Everything else is owned by Square Enix.
Adding on some more moves to one of the forms you began, your like for the newly created movements was ever growing. Striking your blade at the air with a swoosh, you then spun around to face the other way, and twirled the sword between improvingly nimble fingers while watching the town with a surveying look. Nothing dangerous had yet to appear, though the time for said monster sightings was drawing near.
"Coincidences just don't seem to end."
Not stopping your movements, you curiously glanced at the one the voice belonged to. "What makes you say that?" Joe removed himself from the ladder, now standing on the upper level as well. He was holding a sword and your attention was immediately drawn to it. "And why do you have that with you?"
Wordlessly, he approached and you slowly ceased in movement. "Have you ever tried dual wielding before?"
Blinking at him, you replied with a slight shake of the head. "Not really..."
He gave a low hum in thought before briefly falling quiet. "Do SOLDIERs dual wield?"
"I don't think we're allowed to do that... well maybe a 1st could, but I'm not really sure. It's not something I've actually seen done," you answered, examining the steel in his hand. The blade was dull and the hilt was black. A training sword.
"I think you should give it a try," and with that, he pushed the hilt into your free hand. Nodding to the blade, he added with a small smile. "Who knows, you might even be a natural at it. If you are and you do become a 1st, you could be the first 1st to dual wield..."
"'The first 1st to dual wield..." you echoed softly, now mirroring his smile. Tilting your head slightly at him, you could tell that he was putting some sort of pieces together in his head. Deciding to humor him, you chose to give it a go. "Alright, but stand back. Wouldn't want to gut you or anything."
"Definitely wouldn't want that," he chuckled, moving a safe distance away.
Gaze lowering to the swords in hand, you spun one around, then the other, getting use to the feel of weilding two. After a few seconds, you opted for holding the one on the right in reverse while the one in the left remained in a normal position, aimed forward. As you made the adjustment, even though you weren't looking at Joe, you could tell he was assessing you with watchful eyes that didn't miss much.
Beginning to move, you slashed your right arm in front of you and spun to the left, swinging the other as you returned, facing starting position. Left arm extended straight out, you shifted the hold to reverse as the sword in the other hand spun to normal position before going into a quick series of motions. Using two at once was an odd thing at first, but after a while it began to grow on you. If dual wielding actually was a thing in SOLDIER, you didn't think you would mind going along this path.
When you finally stopped, you shifted the swords around to face forward and Joe spoke his thoughts.
"The way you do those moves reminds me of a man I knew from years back."
"Was he a SOLDIER?"
"No, no, he wasn't... he wanted nothing to do with them."
You gave him a curious look. "Were you friends with him?"
"Aye," Joe nodded. "He was a good man... didn't have much of an easy life though," he murmured with arms crossed as he looked over the village, a nostalgic gleam in his eye. "Found out he was from Wutai, so I'm sure you can imagine why he felt the way he did."
Glancing to the village as well, you lowered your eyes a bit. "Yeah, I can imagine..."
A brief time of silence passed until Joe turned his attention back to you, though you didn't look to him just yet, eyes trained on the surrounding area.
"It's weird to say, and I know I probably shouldn't, but you really do remind me of the guy. If your hair was dark, I'd even go as far to say you resemble him physically to an extent. Even some of the stuff you said to Darius reminded me of him."
"...So that was what you meant by coincidences not ending." And maybe the reason why he was so quiet when I talked to Darius, you noted.
You knew he thought the uncanny resemblance meant something, and calmly pondered over this information. You knew what happened on that day you were born, and were sure there couldn't be any possible way for something like this to occur. What you didn't consider was that maybe you had an uncle out there somewhere... Alright, the fleeting thought had crossed your mind, but you didn't want to get your hopes up. Reflecting on this, you thought about what to say next.
"What was he doing here then? Was he into fossils or something?"
Joe smiled at the memory and shook his head. "No, he wasn't into that. He was actually interested in what lied beyond the sleeping forest."
Now you were even more curious, and the man responded to your look with a nod of his head to behind you. It was directed to the opening of the forest where you felt the tug from earlier.
"We told him not to go inside, but he was persistent. Most who go in never come back since the place confuses all who enter as long as it sleeps." Both of you stared at the opening a while longer before turning back to face each other. "People really only have a chance of coming back if they use the lunar harp before entering, which he managed to obtain after a few days of staying here. Using the harp wakes up the forest."
"I see..." A sleeping forest? This had peaked your curiosity quite a bit. "But what happens if you feel sort of a pull to the forest?"
"A pull? If you're experiencing that, then all I can say is to try avoiding this spot in general. Nothing good comes from magical forces calling to people," a grim expression had taken hold of him as these words of warning were spoken.
Hearing this reminded you of the voices you try to block out. Despite going for so long like this, the soft murmurs and whispers continued to remain. What if, somehow, these things were both connected to each other? All of this made you have chills. Eventually, a teasing smile revealed itself on his face, making you relax and let the breath you were holding in out.
"In all seriousness, I really do suggest not getting near it. I don't know what this pull exactly means, but I wouldn't risk it."
"Okay, I get what you mean," you nodded, heeding the advice. Avoid magical forest at all cost. Got it. In an attempt to forget what had just resurfaced, you tried turning the conversation back to this man you supposedly resembled. "So what did he want from the forest?"
"Not what's in it, but beyond it..." Joe corrected which you rolled your eyes at. "It's said that there's a forgotten city hidden away past the trees, and the only way to reach it is through here. The guy wanted to make a present for someone using some kind of material found from there. Made me really think about how much this person had to mean to him in order to come all this way, just to make a gift..." he trailed off. As he spoke, your expression softened a bit which Joe didn't miss, though he didn't comment on it.
"What did he make?"
"You're jumping ahead now... When he left, none of us thought we'd see him again. But sure enough, after maybe three or four days of him gone, he came back. He never did show us what he made, saying that he wanted his beloved to be the first to see."
Well, so much for finding out about that.
You hated how much it actually disappointed you to not find out. You hated realizing you held a small glimmer of hope for something that had an extremely low chance of coming to be. With memories of a time long past in mind, you reflected on how your mother and father looked on that day. Since he wasn't able to tell you what the gift looked like, maybe he could enlighten you with another thing...
"Could you tell me what he looked like?"
"Remember earlier when I said if you had darker hair?" Seeing you nod, he continued. "Well, his was black and kind of long with dark eyes to match. The guy went around with a helmet, always wore it when he first got here. Took a while for him to take it off, actually. After a couple days, it seemed like he warmed up to us enough to start letting his guard down. Also had some Wutai armor, and carried two swords and a lance with him." The description had you sink a bit.
That was not the man in your dream.
The one you dreamed of didn't seem like a fighter, he leaned more towards a civilian, whereas this man seemed like a warrior. You pushed these thoughts away for the time being, although your curiousity about this mysterious man had yet to waver. Part of you wanted to meet him and see what he looked like yourself, but knew the odds of this happening weren't very likely. Especially since Joe said this happened years ago. Not to mention, it wasn't exactly the best thing to do either, seeing as he wasn't on the best of terms with ShinRa. And even if you did make some kind of attempt at this, all trails would be long gone.
But still, what if there was some kind of connection?
Doing your best to dismiss the thoughts until Joe was gone, you continued conversing with him a little longer.
Going quiet for a moment, he observed you. Nodding to himself, he muttered. "Aye, the resemblance is there alright, but mostly when you fight..."
"Well, I'm flattered I remind you of a warrior from Wutai." To be honest, you were.
Joe chuckled. "They're quite the adversary when the time calls for it."
"Yeah... they are, aren't they," you said distantly, reflecting on when you crossed paths with Wutai soldiers.
"Aye. That they are..."
. . .
Sitting on the ground with arms loosely over your knees and sword resting against a shoulder, you continued watch over town. Having stayed at the highest part of the area to overlook everything instead of moving around like before, you were now distracted by thoughts. And in times of idleness, like so many others of this world, you were pulled to dwell on things in a more darker sense, especially after all that has transpired. Of course you were partially thinking about Takamo's father, and were happy to have the chance of coming across him, yet you still couldn't help but feel a bit empty because of it. This wasn't something you expected to feel in the slightest. Not at all. It kind of made you wonder if the emptiness was always there, and it only became apparent after the excitement of the discovery died down.
It was bittersweet.
Instead of thinking about the desertion, you had taken to pondering more about family. You knew it wasn't your place, but you didn't think Takamo's mom was... here. And after a while of thinking about that, your mind shifted to the fact that Angeal's and Genesis' were no longer around either. Was it a regular occurrence for people to lose family? Even when you were little, you would see others around your age alone at times. Was this really such a normal thing to happen?
I wonder how many families out there are actually all alive and together? Genesis had both of his parents, but he killed them... Trembling either because of the chilly breeze ghosting past your skin or for another reason you would rather not acknowledge, you slightly closed in on yourself. If I could, I would kill just to have my parents... You didn't want to admit it, but a part of you hated Genesis for doing what he did. Part of you truly despised him for doing such a thing, but at the same time... Beginning to feel frustrated with yourself, you let out an irritated breath.
It just wasn't fair how it all turned out.
Arms now crossed with your sword between them, you gripped the weapon tightly with a hand as your eyes lowered to the dirt at your feet. To grow up without ones parents, like quite a number of people in this world had done, you didn't doubt that some of them would kill if promised their family would come back by some magical twist of fate. You also knew some wouldn't give into taking the life of another... they were strong enough to move on and rise above their pain.
They probably had the pleasure of at least knowing their relatives for some years, so they knew their family wouldn't want them to do such a drastic thing in exchange for them to return, you mused bitterly.
No matter how hard you tried to take things in a positive light, you found it growing harder to do as the days went by, and these thoughts were beginning to darken the mark all the more. You wished you could be like them. You truly did.
It just wasn't fair.
Ducking your head into your chest, you hugged your sword close, also causing the necklace to become more pressed into you in the process. Eyes shutting tightly, some moistness managed to escape the corners of your hues, catching in your lashes. Feeling the coldness of the jewel to your skin had you think. Fifteen years in this world and you still didn't even understand what your mother meant in that note. Thinking back to it had you sink further into this heavy ache resonating in your chest.
And to go with these thoughts, a new uncomfortable one had taken to lurking in the back of your head, and began to grow. What if the Wutai man you heard of today was actually related to you? What if he actually turned out to be a long lost uncle, or something of that nature? If that was the case, then you would have Wutai blood running through your veins, wouldn't you? This had you swallow hard. What if when you went to Wutai, you unknowingly struck down distant relatives? Gaia, that would be heartbreaking. Could this be what your mother meant? You were actually part of the people you helped defeat?
You soon reached a point where you were beginning to fear that all of these questions would make you go insane if they kept plaguing your mind. As if the numerous questions because of the desertion wasn't already enough to have, you managed to obtain more for an entirely different reason. And to make it worse, these new ones had a chance of not even being true. Why did your mind have to ponder constantly about things like this anyway?
None of this was fair.
And then in this moment, your PHS attracted your attention.
Becoming still for a time, you eventually, reluctantly pulled it out to see you who it was. Flipping it open, you saw you had new mail from Zack. Quietly staring at the title with distant eyes for a moment, you gently pressed the button to begin reading what was sent. When about a minute passed, the corner of your lip twitched. An unwanted smile was fighting to take to your features. Now chuckling to yourself, you lowered your head, and shook it lightly to either side. The words 'families extend beyond blood' came to mind, and you began focusing on that small group of people you called friends.
As much as the negative thoughts drifting around hurt, you couldn't allow yourself to linger on them for too long... but even you knew a bit of reflecting was needed, so long as it didn't consume you entirely.
Leaning into the light winds lapping at you, you tried to reassure yourself just as you had done a number of times before. Two are a ways away, but there still might be a chance to get them back... These familiar thoughts seemed to have a small effect in eliciting a tiny hopeful feeling. And though you knew this wasn't completely a good thing should everything end in flames, you also knew, after being absorbed in thoughts like those, having a bit of hope could go a long way.
It always did... didn't it?
Besides, getting a little burned in this situation was inevitable. And it wasn't like you hadn't already taken any heat. It was just another ordeal life was throwing at one of its occupants, and even so, you had to remember that you weren't alone in this. With two of the most influential people in the company leaving, one having been in the role of 'Heart of SOLDIER', of course many were effected by the sudden change. This goes without saying for Sephiroth and Zack, as well as the many SOLDIERs who followed the fiery swordsman.
And about that Wutai warrior, you decided to try and put it aside. There was no point in speculating about something that had a cold trail for so long. You had a better chance at getting answers that had to do with Angeal and Genesis.
With an arm to your side, your fingers lightly grazed the injuries hidden beneath the thick cloth of the standard 2nd class uniform. When you focused on it, you could actually feel your body gradually mending itself together. Doing so made your mood lighten a bit. "Kudos to SOLDIER perks..." you murmured, wiping your face with the back of a hand. Just as your body was recovering from these wounds, you knew more effort had to be put into doing the same with the mental ones. You couldn't succumb to dark thoughts just yet.
In no more than an hours time, things on this mission were suppose to start taking place.
And indeed things did.
. . .
Instead of paying so much attention to the ground around the town and its entirety, you should have also been keeping an eye to the skies. You weren't expecting what was terrorizing these people to look so... well, dead. Flying around was what looked to be an undead dragon. All that appeared to remain were the bones, aside from the wings which had tears and holes running along them. But despite the condition, it was still capable of taking flight. Eyes never leaving the danger in the heavens, you slowly rose to your feet, ever reliable sword drawn to the side. Sparing the town a quick glance, you saw that the few people who once were out had now quickly hidden themselves away, and rightly so.
You never knew something like this even existed, and didn't blame them for being terrified. When this was over and you had downtime, you would have to be sure to look more into monsters of the Northern Continent for future tasks.
From this angle, you saw it was missing its eye, but weren't sure if the other out of view was as well. It didn't take long to find out about this, for you had soon gained its attention, and in the shadow of its right eye, a faint white glow was sighted. Narrowing your own glowing hues at the creature, you went into a stance as it flew closer, both hands at the hilt and by your face as the blade pointed towards the threat. With a roar as it swooped toward you, your grip tightened around the hilt before you ran forward, meeting the undead beast head on with a battle cry of your own.
Harshly bringing your sword against the monster's bones as hard as you could, it was forced to the side, wheeling towards the dirt platform you stood upon. Swiftly recovering, it twirled around, firing a flare at you in rage through it's sharp, decaying teeth. Tossing yourself into a roll to the side, you grimaced from the pain of your injuries as you forced yourself back up in order to avoid it ramming into you. This time, you hit it once more, but the blade fell between an opening in its ribs, only to collide against the inner part of bone. More cracks befell the creature along with a loud screech, and before you could remove your weapon from the inside in time, it batted its ragged wings and made for the skies once more. Your eyes widened.
Aw, hell!
Throwing your other hand up, you clenched it around a rib as you were taken from the land below to up above to what would be your first air fight. Twirling in air with you latched on for dear life, another loud roar sounded through the area, causing you to flinch from the closeness. When it finally stopped spinning after a few more turns, you used a lower bone for footing to heave yourself onto its back. And despite the situation, took a moment to look at everything from air without helicopter for once.
Afar, you could see the mysterious northern crater you had read so much about, and were in awe from how huge it was. Gaze moving down to the forests around the Bone Village, you caught sight of a glimpse of something hidden within the trees. There was a gentle light emitting from the place secluded within, but you didn't have any more time to wonder about it. As much as you wanted to continue taking all of the new sights in, you had to focus on the main problem at hand.
Finally managing to wiggle the weapon out of the bones openings, with a hand still clinging at the dragon, you swung at its back, bringing it to lower closer to the trees. You actually broke several of the bones off with that attack, and as the pieces descended, some chipped apart even further mid air. And as the dragon and you descended, fear began to take quite the liking of you. At a fast pace, both of you were now diving for the trees. In retaliation, you pressed against the back of the dragon, readying yourself for whatever would happen next. Despite the possibility of dying at any second, you couldn't deny how exhilarating this was.
Being in life threatening situations like this made you forget about the things haunting your mind. Perhaps this was why you loved to fight so much?
Spinning once more as it carried you down, you both went through the trees. The occasional branch and leaves hit against you as it continued its swift motion before turning back up to persist in flying in a normal position. Hearing another roar from behind warily had you glance back to see another bone dragon flying after you through the trees. If it weren't for the trees, you would have tried out the fire materia you picked up before leaving HQ, but with things the way they are now... Turning back to the dragon you were on, you attacked it a couple more times, bringing it closer to the forest floor with each blow.
When you felt the ground was in a more safe distance of reaching without too much harm, you delivered one more strike to the creature before abandoning its back. Landing to the forest's floor with a roll, you quickly recovered in a crouch as it crashed into the ground in a huge burst of dirt and brush. Heart pounding from the whole experience, you got to your feet and looked to the remaining one charging onwards, wings beating powerfully at its sides. With the adrenaline rush still continuing, you got in a stance and glared at the dragon, a dangerous air flittering about your form.
You could feel something coursing within, and focused on this energy. It was not the first time this was felt, but once your primal instincts kicked in, you knew how to act on it. You were probably close to obtaining this when you fought the summon a few days prior... all you needed was a little push. Who knew fighting and falling off an undead dragon was all you needed? Swooping down past the trees, it was within several meters of you, and had readied a flare at the mouth before firing off seconds later.
Sword pulled back ready for the attack, you quickly swung and brought it to the fire. Focusing on the limit break, you cut through the fire with a gust of wind, successfully shielding yourself from most of the attack. Despite feeling the heat close to your skin, you didn't cease in movement, and raised your blade once more. Soon colliding with the dragon in consecutive hits, each slash took a visible light that traveled through the creature as the assault went on. When the sword crashed against the bones, they shattered from the force and were soon blown away.
This was Gale Blade.
Cutting through most of its middle section, it let out a chilling roar. Remaining in a front stance with your sword raised and to the side, it eventually dropped, nearly landing on you, though you jumped forward before swiftly turning around to face the newly fallen creature. Watching it become motionless, you looked to the fire behind it, then back to the undead dragon again. You continued staying up a few seconds longer before sparing another glance to the first monster you rode on. A quiet sigh was soon released.
Gaia, that was intense.
Finally relaxing, you slowly lowered your sword, breath becoming more even with each passing second. Putting the blade to rest on your back, you casted several ice to remove the fire before scanning the area. You didn't know where you were, but you didn't think you were too far from the village. Moving in the direction you felt civilization was, a small smile threatened to show itself. "I actually cut through fire..." you said in disbelief as joy began to bubble up inside. Even though that fight was one of the most entertaining ones you had, you could only hope that they were the only two bothering the village.
It would probably take a while until another limit break happened. Who knows, really...
. . .
Wandering around, you quickly came to accept that you were lost. To be honest, you just felt like you were going through the same spot continuously. At some point, you guessed you took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in this peaceful part of the forest. But truly, you may as well have been trapped in an endless loop, what with the sights being all the same like this. Glancing at your PHS once more, the signal still showed nothing. If it wasn't for the bad circumstances, you would have really enjoyed being in this place. It had been a while since you were in a forest, so you had missed it for quite some time now. What you didn't miss, however, was getting lost.
It's been a while since that happened too... pocketing the device before wrapping your arms around your middle, you let your eyes carefully take in everything as you walked deeper into the light brush. Having already wandered around for who knows how long, you didn't know what to do. Well this sucks. Maybe I went too far and went into the sleeping forest by mistake? You could see that happening to you. How were you going to get out of this one? On a brighter note, this place did sort of remind you of that dream, only the time of day drastically changed the way things looked.
Coming to a stop by a tree, you leaned against it. There was hardly much light to begin with since it was only maybe an hour until nightfall when this whole thing took place, but you didn't really want to stop just yet. Even though you hadn't found any monsters so far, you didn't want to just assume you were safe. Looking around at the pale trees, you quietly sighed before giving in, and turned to climb the tree behind you. Since walking around for a couple hours got you nowhere, you may as well rest.
But what would happen if you fell asleep in the sleeping forest? Would something horrible happen?
Then, a childish thought came to you.
What if I become one with the forest and never wake up?
That thought was enough to keep you up through the growing darkness. At this time, you regretted not bringing music along for the mission. Gaia knows you could use some music now more than ever...
Then, with a thoughtful look, you tuned into the hushed murmurs that always resounded in the back of your mind. And as if what was happening wasn't already eerie enough, another strange occurrence took place. Training on a distant voice, the lids to your eyes slightly lowered in interest. It was faint, but one of the many was singing. One of them was actually singing. And right after you started regretting not bringing any music along. How odd.
"Kuwata tsunowo vralai, tsuriji pfuralekai..."
Were you going crazy?
"Kwondzuvai undovartsu wronduwail, tjortetei jeki liago..."
No. No you were not. This wasn't your imagination.
The voice belonged to a woman. Idly, you wondered if she was as gentle and sweet as her voice was. As for the song itself... the song was in some kind of language you never heard before. You didn't understand it, but at the same time you did. Maybe you really were going crazy. And yet... that was alright. For now, at least. The message the woman was trying to give was received. That small form of comfort you had sought in this desolate place was being given to you.
And to think, that was only achieved when you finally stopped pushing away these strange voices. Part of you felt like this was something you should have done a long time ago. Maybe I should try listening more often, you pondered, zoning in on the melody.
When some minutes of this went by, you had eventually broke the utter silence that always clung to the forest by humming softly with the tune. You wanted to remember everything about it, but pronouncing some of the words had proved to hold some difficulty, which resulted to just humming instead for now. And at least it wasn't like anyone could hear you, so you could really abuse this fact if you wanted to. Thinking and knowing so had you almost laugh.
Definitely no way anyone with enhanced hearing can hear me now... you smiled, leaning back against the tree.
. . .
Having avoided reaching sleep for the most part, you stirred slightly when the sound of something in the distance caught your ear, disrupting your attempts to ruin the silence. It sounded like you had some competition. Was that a harp? So another being had treaded upon this slumbering forest. It was still pretty far off, but you knew you weren't alone anymore. Nearly the entire time you were here, lost in this pale brush, no breeze was felt, nor did any leaves stir. Nothing really moved or so much as trembled out of place, but now, the leaves seemed to sway.
Hearing something tell you that the forest awakened had you glance around. You didn't get a bad feeling from this news, and oddly enough, felt relaxed about it to be honest. And it being awake didn't change the fact that you still didn't know where to go. It wasn't like a path was just going to appear out of nowhere and lead you back to the safety of the Bone Village. Nothing could be that simple. Although you weren't sure if you should try going to sleep, you went back to humming quietly.
With the knowledge of SOLDIER being able to go on with no sleep for several days coming to mind, you brushed off the thought of resting, and instead considered going back on the move to find a way back to town. Regardless of it now being night, the forest seemed safe enough, and with your eyes, you would have no trouble seeing where things were. And because of that, I should probably get higher up. With better chances of spotting civilization that way, you rose from the branch.
Bending at the knees, you then sprung up to a branch above before briskly moving to another in the same fashion. Reaching the top in several jumps, you took a look around at the other tree tops, hand resting along your own tree all the while. Thankfully the sky was clear, and the moon cloaked the forest in a soft light. Continuing to examine all you could, a sinking feeling took to you. All you could see were trees, trees, and more trees. No village was in sight.
Bringing your PHS out, you flipped it open, and rose it as high as you could, eyeing where the signal icon usually appeared.
Nothing.
You then eyed the battery uneasily.
It had fallen below twenty percent. Staring at the device blankly, you then tried to send out a message to a random contact, only to see the action fail. "Shocking..." Turning it off, you then put it back in your pocket, and closed your eyes. "At least I know someone else is here, too. I just need to find them..." you murmured, trying to reassure yourself.
With the forest now awakened, you were able to feel the wind ghost against your skin from where you last sat, but up here, it had obviously become more prominent. You were tempted to spend the rest of the night where you were due to how comfortable it made you, but had thought better. What if you accidentally fell? The fall would kill a normal human, but not a SOLDIER. Regardless of this, it would still be pretty painful, more so for one recovering from injuries. Besides, having already fallen from the sky from a dragon, you thought you endured enough falls for the time being.
With a long final look, you reluctantly began the descent back to where you were first resting. If it could be prevented, no more falling at that height for you anytime soon. But at least from this height, if something did happen, it wouldn't hurt too badly. Although seeing as you were already injured, you weren't sure how that outcome would turn out if it occurred. Dismissing the thought, when you returned to the former branch, you paused. A dim light of green between the trees caught the corner of your eye. Turning to the side to look, you remembered when you were on the dragon, and first laid eyes on the sight.
So if that's over there... then this direction is probably where the village is, you glanced back to where you had originally been facing when you reached the branch, back now turned to the light. Glancing back to the strange glow emitting from the depths of the forest, you thought about going to it, just to take a quick look. The forgotten city might be over there. Facing the light once more, you smiled slightly, about to go to the forest floor to explore whatever was beyond the glow. About to go into motion, you froze upon having something else gain your attention.
...Did I just see materia float by?
Now focused on where you swore a red orb drifted between leaves, you waited to see if what you thought was there would reappear. When nothing happened, you only stared at the brush a while longer before closing your eyes. You realized just how tired you may actually be, and immediately opted to sitting on the branch. If you were starting to hallucinate materia flying around, the forgotten city could wait until tomorrow. Then you shook your head.
Maybe I really am going crazy.
You took this as cue to try and get some sleep. Unfortunately for you, this would not happen. Around half an hour later, a few words filtered through the air, causing you to stir.
"My soul, corrupted by vengeance..."
As if springing to life at those words, all signs of coming sleep left your being. Sharply, you looked in the direction of the voice, though you could not see anyone, being a little too high up to do so. The leaves blocked the view of who you were sure you heard, waving softly, tauntingly in front of your gaze. Sitting up straight with wide eyes, you didn't know what to do. Was he actually here or did I just imagine that? And if he really was here, what would you even do?
"Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey..."
In this once seemingly frozen place, your eyes instantly caught movement of dark boots slowly approaching your position. So he knows I'm here? How did he...? Heart racing in your chest, your nerves began to kick in. What were you going to do? Ever drawing nearer to the tree you were resting in, you could now see the tail of that red leather jacket swaying lightly behind him as he walked, though you had yet to see his face. What if you accidentally fell asleep and were only dreaming now? Nevertheless, the ex-SOLDIER spoke once more.
"In my own salvation..."
Trailing off, probably enjoying the quiet atmosphere and taking full advantage of it more than he'd ever admit, he soon came a short distance from you, and stopped. The top of his auburn hair was in sight, and he was so, so close. Should you just drop on top of him, hopefully knocking him out in the process? ...Ludicrous. The odds of that happening were incredibly slim, and may as well have been non-existent. But at least maybe then you would have been able to take him back to HQ. If only you weren't lost... Or in another continent.
After the silly thought had passed, his bright eyes met yours.
"...And your eternal slumber."
Not knowing what to say, you only returned his strong gaze, though you were certain yours wasn't anywhere near as piercing as his. You probably looked very, very confused, and how could you not be? Sort of coming to completely by someone who had become like an enigma, appearing and disappearing whensoever they chose, you were at a loss on how to react if they were to suddenly reveal themselves when you weren't looking. Especially on a mission that had absolutely nothing to do with them while in another continent... the thought of this occurring never even crossed your mind.
Part of you felt like this may have been what he was going for.
Was he even here right now, or was this just a spell the sleeping forest placed on you? And even if he was, what would he be doing all the way out here? The only thing past here was the forgotten city, and you couldn't see why he would go there. Or maybe... he really did come all this way for you. If he did, it was interesting to see how the roles seemed to switch around. It made you feel like he still cared in some sort of way. Although he did find you rather fast, you noted.
The only way he could have done that would have to be if he followed you, or someone gave him information on where you were last sighted. You wouldn't be surprised if there was a person behind the scenes giving away info (it was a mass desertion after all, so it would only be natural for there to be a couple people left behind to keep an eye on things). But if this was the case, why would they give info about you? Did he actually come here to find you so soon after losing your way, or were you just enchanted?
Well, clearly I'm another one of this forests victims, you thought, gaze lingering on his own as confusion and silent question ever radiated from your form.
Regardless of all this, the moment did not last much longer, for with a slow wave of his hand, you found you were gradually succumbing to the world of dreams. As he casted this spell, a certain amount of amusement shown behind those mesmerizing eyes. The look reminded you of earlier days with him pointing out when you would become lost in thought. And if the smirk that just appeared as the spell was casted was anything to go by, the man was probably sharing similar thoughts as he looked upon you. Thinking about it almost had you feel as if things were back to the way they once were.
...But why was it that when he was near, you were in danger of losing consciousness? You prayed this would not become a regular occurrence. And as if being struck with a small amount of luck, you managed to not completely give in at first.
Feeling a gust of air from below, you heard the sound of a lone wing beat once, then twice, and soon you were pulled into the ex-SOLDIER's grasp. Despite your efforts against the sleep spell, you did not put up much of a fight when it came to his hold. With heavy eyes half opening to glance at him in wonder, you soon shut them with a flinch when you both went into a sudden, swift motion through the leaves above.
And then you were overcome by the spell.