BOOK TWO: PURSUIT

SIX

"Well, hello there," an older man maybe in his late fifties greeted us at the front door of the large farmhouse as he swung it open. "Looking to cross the marshes?"

I nodded. "Possibly. Can we come in?"

"By all means," he smiled, adjusting his glasses.

We followed him inside, my boots and Barret's clomping across the hardwood floor while Red's paws hardly made a sound. Ahead of us in a small kitchen was a plain wooden table covered in a white cloth with several chairs around it. A large, round black serving dish with several bright red apples in it sat in the middle. The walls inside were as white as on the outside except for on the left, which was almost entirely built out of red bricks and held the sink, stove, and oven.

The farmer motioned for us to sit down. "The name's William, but everyone in these parts just calls me Choco Bill. Not hard to guess why. Anyway, if you're wanting to go south, it'll probably be safer for you to ride a chocobo. The marshes are more dangerous than ever these days, and a lot of people who go there don't come out again."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

Bill scratched his gray, bushy beard. "A lot of strange monsters live there, not to mention that finding solid ground isn't always easy in that place. One wrong step and it's bound to be your last. But if you ride on a chocobo, you'll be fine."

Barret frowned. "An' how are they safer?"

"They've got very sharp senses and know the paths to take to reach other side," Bill explained. "Plus they're faster than any of the monsters. You can just zip right through the marshes in no time. It's also the only way to avoid being attacked by the Midgar Zolom."

"Midgar Zolom?" I echoed, not liking the sound of it.

Bill shuddered. "It's a huge serpent-like creature over 30 feet tall! It can hear the footsteps of anyone in the marshes. You might not see it at first, but sooner or later, it'll find you. And then—BAM! It attacks! It's fast, but you can avoid it by riding a chocobo."

I wasn't sure I completely believed Choco Bill's talk of a monstrous snake lurking in the swamps, and from Barret's skeptical expression, he didn't either. But there was no sense in taking any chances. Red seemed as uncertain as we did, sitting nearby as he listened to it all, and I didn't know whether to accept what Bill had said or dismiss it as a sales pitch. And there were other things I needed to know first.

"Has anyone else tried to cross the marshes lately?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Bill said. "Two people that I know of. The first was a man in a black cloak. I heard he just walked into the swamp yesterday. But without a chocobo, the Midgar Zolom probably got him. And the second was a dark-haired girl, must've been a teenager. About the same age as my granddaughter. She bought herself a chocobo early this morning and rode south, probably into the marshes as well. If you hurry, you might even catch up to her."

It was decided then. "Thanks. What do we need to do?"

"To purchase a chocobo, please talk to my grandson, Billy. You can find him in the chocobo stables at the end of the farm."

"We'll do that," I nodded. "Thanks."

Taking our leave of Choco Bill, we got up and headed outside. Tifa and Aerith were still over by the fence watching the chocobos, and as I walked with Barret and Red toward the stables, I waved to the girls and motioned for them to join us. They did, and a moment or two later, we all stepped inside the long white building behind the paddock, the sun shining above us in a clear blue sky.

Rows of stalls lined either side of a wide aisle, some empty and one or two with a chocobo rustling about inside. The place smelled like hay and straw and greens as well as the unmistakable odor of chocobo. Not pleasant, but far better than the acrid mako stench of Midgar, and a lot more tolerable. Early afternoon sunlight shone through a pair of small windows at the far end of the stables as two teenagers, a boy and a girl, busied themselves caring for the huge birds.

The boy noticed us first. "Howdy! What can I do for you?"

"We're interested in buying some chocobos," I said. "Think you can set us up with two?"

He stuck his hands in the pockets of his green shorts and shook his head. "Sorry. You old folks are out of luck!"

"Old folks…?" I raised an eyebrow as Aerith stifled a giggle.

Billy nodded, the bright yellow feather stuck in his wide-brimmed hat bobbing with the motion. "Unfortunately, we're all out of chocobos. My sister Chole and I are taking care of the ones in here and out in the paddocks for some of our other customers."

I frowned. "So what do we do? We have to cross the marshes."

"You know," he said, "if you really want some chocobos, you could always go out and catch 'em yourself."

"How do we do that?" I asked.

Billy went on. "Wild chocobos often roam around these parts. Just look for their tracks. But if you don't have a Chocobo Lure on you, they won't show up at all. They're very cautious by nature."

"Chocobo Lure?" Barret grunted. "The hell's that?"

Billy pulled out of his pocket a small crystal orb that glowed with a deep purple light. "It's a special kind of materia that attracts chocobos. They like shiny things, and this little beauty acts like a magnet to 'em if you've got it equipped. But without it, don't expect to see any. I know it sounds a bit farfetched, but it really does work!"

I sighed, not sure how much I believed him but knowing we didn't have much of a choice. "Fine. Anything else we should know?"

"Yeah. Wild chocobos are often chased by monsters for food. They eat the poor birds all the time. But if you can kill the beasts before that happens and save the chocobo, you'll be able to ride it. You've gotta be careful, though. Wild chocobos are very timid and tend to run away in a flash at the slightest thing. But if you can feed them some greens, that should keep 'em occupied long enough for you to saddle 'em. Once you get off 'em, though, wild chocobos run away. They're pretty skittish and not used to being ridden, after all."

"Alright," I nodded. "How much for the materia?"

Billy held it up. "I can sell it to you for 2,000 gil right now. Shall we get down to business, then?"

It was a steep price, to be sure, but we could manage it. We bought the materia along with a pair of old leather saddles, reins, some greens, and a few other things we would need. It didn't take long, and we were just finishing up when I turned to see Aerith take a hat from a rack on the wall and try it on. It was a wide-brimmed wrangler's hat much like the one Tifa had once worn as a teenager.

Aerith grinned. "Well? What do you think, Cloud?"

"It's definitely you," I smirked.

"Yeehaw!" she laughed, doing a pretty good imitation of a chocobo wrangler's accent. "Let's go catch us some chocobos!"

Tifa chuckled. "Sounds like fun."

"Since you like the hat so much, ma'am," Billy said, "why don't you go ahead and keep it? It's on the house."

Aerith shook her head. "Oh, I couldn't do that. How much?"

"Naw, it's alright. You folks've gone and given us some mighty fine business today. So just think of it as a token of our appreciation."

"Thank you! I mean, uh… much obliged, pardner!"

Billy walked away, but before we could head back outside, his sister Chole hurried over to us. She pushed a few strands of her long, reddish hair from her face as her plain burgundy dress swished around her. She looked at us with a pair of pale blue eyes.

"Wasn't it really expensive?" she sighed. "The materia, I mean. I'm really sorry about that. Please don't be mad at my brother or Grandpa. Ever since Mom and Dad died, it's been like this…"

"Don't worry about it," I said. "They were a lot of help."

Chole smiled. "Thanks! And if you ever decide you'd like to raise a few chocobos of your own, come back and see us."

I nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Fitting the Chocobo Lure into my wrist guard, I led the others out of the stables. As we passed the paddocks again, I saw a sparkle on the ground out of the corner of my eye over by the fence. Tifa must've seen it too because she went right over to it. One of the chocobos stood just on the other side, the dirt at its feet clawed up as something bright red and shiny sparkled in the daylight.

Tifa picked it up. "Cloud, look! Another materia!"

"Looks like the chocobo dug it up," I replied, taking a good look at it. "Billy said they like shiny stuff."

Red gazed at the materia as well. "Fascinating…"

I glanced at him. "Any idea what kind it is?"

"Judging by the color, I would guess it to be a summon. But which one, I do not yet know."

Summon materia are quite powerful, capable of letting you call on the being whose essence is stored inside it and bring it forth to inflict a devastating attack on your enemies. I wondered how one had managed to find its way here but decided it didn't really matter. It was ours now, and it would surely come in handy.

Tifa fit the new materia into one of the slots on her fighting gloves. "Well, whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough."

"Right," I agreed. "Hang on to it."

Our business at the farm finished, we set out into the rolling fields of tall, waving grass to search for chocobos. We stayed together for the time being since we only had the one Chocobo Lure and kept our eyes open for tracks. It didn't take too long to find them, a set of three-toed imprints in the ground. We followed them as they led to the southeast, and a short while later, we finally saw our quarry.

The chocobo squawked, cornered by a pair of Elfadunks, pale blue creatures with thick bodies, long snouts, four stubby legs, a pair of long white horns, tusks, and sharp teeth. I motioned to the others, and they all fanned out as I drew Hardedge. While Barret, Red, and I charged at the monsters, Aerith and Tifa hurried over to the chocobo, feeding it a few greens and doing what they could to calm it down.

A few minutes later, it was all over, the Elfadunks lying dead on the ground. I slid Hardedge back into my new double harness I'd had made back in Kalm to hold both it and Buster, and they lay crosswise against my back, a hilt poking up at an angle behind either shoulder. Then Tifa and I got the chocobo saddled and bridled as it stood before us, calmer now with Aerith cooing to it and patting its feathers.

"You ready?" I asked her.

She blinked. "Me? Thanks, Cloud! I'm all set!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Aerith put her foot in the stirrup while I held the bird steady, and she swung herself onto its broad back. Taking the reins as I let go, she led the chocobo around the area in a slow walk before coming to a stop right in front of me. She leaned forward in the saddle, still beaming, and raised a hand to take the brim of her hat and tilt it in my direction. "Howdy, pardner! Need a lift?"

Barret laughed. "You really gettin' into this, ain't ya?"

"Yeah, I guess I am," she said. "But it's fun!"

"Ain't nothin' wrong with that," he agreed. "It's good to lighten it up a bit sometimes. Right, Spikey?"

I flashed them a wry grin as I got onto the chocobo behind Aerith. "Sure. Just don't expect me to start talking like a wrangler. My sense of fun only goes so far."

"Oh, come on!" Tifa teased. "I'd love to hear you do it, Cloud!"

"Me too!" Aerith piped in.

I shrugged. "Maybe some other time. But for now, let's get moving. We still have to find another chocobo before heading into the marshes. There's no way we can all fit on here."

"An' what about him?" Barret wondered, indicating Red.

The chocobo shied away a little as he approached, but Aerith easily kept it under control. Red looked up at us. "I will be fine, Cloud. Don't worry about me. I can keep up."

"You're sure?" I asked. "What about the Zolom?"

"There are advantages to having four legs, you know. I can match a chocobo's speed without much trouble, and I do not tire easily. Besides, I do not think I could sit upon one of those birds anyway. As far as the serpent of the swamp goes, I can stay ahead of it. I can also help us find a path through the marshes."

I nodded. "Alright. We'll be counting on you, Red."

"Understood," he replied. "I'll do my best."

With that, we got underway, Aerith keeping the chocobo at a walk as Tifa and Barret kept up with us on either side and Red took the lead. We followed the tracks, figuring they would lead us to more, but it was another hour or so before we found a wide patch of ground amidst the grasslands that was crisscrossed with more chocobo tracks. Red led us off to the left, and before long we found another of the birds, this time trying to outrun two Levrikons.

Aerith brought our mount to a stop and I hopped off, drawing my sword as I did so. Just as before, I fought the monsters alongside Barret and Red while Tifa tended to the other chocobo, giving it some greens and keeping it calm. Aerith helped us out with a few blasts of ice magic from atop her chocobo, and before long, the Levrikons were down and we had the second bird saddled and ready to go.

Tifa grabbed the reins and hopped on while Barret sat behind her. Then, as I put Hardedge away again and got back on the other chocobo with Aerith, Tifa brought hers up next to ours. "Looks like we're all set. Off to the marshes now?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "We'll ride until we get to the edge, stop for a bite to eat, then head on in."

"How long do you think it'll take to get across?"

I sighed. "I'm not sure. The swamp goes on for miles, though. So it may take the rest of the day, maybe even into tomorrow."

Barret frowned. "An' if that big-ass snake monster shows up?"

"We run," I decided. "If what Bill told us about the Zolom was true and not some tall tale to help him sell his birds, that'll be the safest bet. We can't fight something that big and fast. Not unless we get a hell of a lot stronger first. Getting to the mines is our priority."

Aerith glanced over her shoulder at me, her emerald eyes suddenly uneasy. "Do you think Sephiroth ran into it?"

"If he did, it's dead," I told her.

She frowned. "Are you sure? It sounds powerful."

"Positive. There's no way he'd lose to a thing like that. I told you all how strong he is, remember?"

"I know, it's just… hard to believe," she said.

I didn't blame her, though. Not really. "I know, Aerith. But it's true. I saw him kill that dragon in Nibelheim without even breaking a sweat. That snake in the swamp wouldn't last ten seconds against him. He's as strong and deadly as I've told you."

"He is," Tifa added quietly. I looked at her, remembering that day. I knew she was, too.

Aerith swallowed hard, adjusting her wrangler's hat with one hand and then the strap tied beneath her chin. "A-Alright. But you know, we should probably still be careful. Even if he killed it, there might still be others out there. It might not be alone."

"You're right," I said. I hadn't considered that the Zolom might not be unique. "We'll keep our eyes open."

Aerith tugged lightly on the reins, and soon we were moving again. She glanced back at me once more, her mouth twisting into a little grin as her spirits lifted with the ride. "Why don't you hold onto me, Cloud? I promise I won't let you fall."

"Uh, okay…" I shrugged, scratching my head.

I had been riding with my arms hanging at my sides, using my legs to grip the chocobo's body and stay atop its back, but at Aerith's urging, I slid my hands around her waist and scooted closer to her. Her fingers closed over mine for just a moment, sending warmth tingling through my belly and making my heart beat a little faster. The scent of her hair teased my nose with its floral aroma, and the warmth of her body close to mine felt surprisingly good.

Aerith giggled. "That's better. When this is all over, how about you and I ride off into the sunset together like in those old movies? I think it'd be a great way to end our journey, don't you?"

"Might be nice," I agreed. "It's something to look forward to."

"Definitely!" she said.

After giving my hand a gentle squeeze, Aerith let it go so she could hold the reins with both of hers. We rode south, Tifa and Barret at our side while Red kept a short distance ahead of us. A light breeze cooled our cheeks as we went on, and we didn't say much for a while, just bits of idle conversation here and there as we traveled. The miles stretched onward, and as we drew closer to the marshes, the ground underneath us began to grow softer and spongier. We passed a few small towns and some villages but didn't enter any of them. The main highway here led toward our destination, but we kept a good distance from it and didn't see many travelers. Few cars and trucks drove this way anymore, and if the rumors about all the monsters in the mines and the Midgar Zolom were true, it wasn't hard to see why.

It was late afternoon by the time we brought our chocobos to a halt less than a hundred yards from the edge of the marshes. A vast, endless expanse of gnarled, twisted trees with long, drooping branches loomed before us not so far away, their thick roots buried deep within the mud that covered the ground. The swamp stretched as far as we could see to either side, contained only by two lines mountains that at the moment were beyond our sight and which converged to the southeast where the entrance to the mines awaited us many miles away.

Aerith and Barret dismounted while Tifa and I stayed on our birds to keep them from running, and we had a brief lunch there in the long shadow of the marshes. None of us said much, and overhead, the skies began to grow cloudy again. No rain just yet, but I could smell it in the air. So as we finished eating and packed up our things, we took out our coats and slipped them on before getting back onto the chocobos. This time, though, I rode in front with Aerith behind me. She had taken off her wrangler's hat earlier and had carefully stowed it in her pack before climbing back onto our bird with me.

"I have a bad feeling about this place," she murmured.

I nodded, eying the swamp. "Yeah. So do I. We've gotta go in there, though. There's no helping it."

"I know," she said, sliding her arms around my waist. "It's just… it's a very wild place. A lot of life, but… dangerous and dark."

"You can sense that?" I glanced back at her.

Aerith tightened her grip on me ever so slightly. "A little. It's part of what I am, I think. The Cetra… they loved nature. They could feel the life around them and did what they could to nurture it. Mom—that is, my real mom—told me about them sometimes, when I could hear her in the church. There's still a lot I don't know, though."

I thought for a minute. "Can you sense the Zolom?"

"No," she shook her head. "It doesn't work like that, sorry. It's just a general feeling, really. Nothing specific."

I shrugged. "It's alright, Aerith. We'll be fine."

Tifa pulled up beside us, Barret sitting behind her as before. "Red's gone ahead to check on the road. Are we going in from there?"

"Yeah," I answered. "If it's still in one piece, that is."

She gazed at the line of trees. "And if it isn't?"

"Then we'll make our own path," I said. "One way or another, we're getting through these marshes."

About fifteen minutes later, Red returned, his face grim. "Cloud. It is as we suspected. The highway is closed and barricaded."

I nodded. "Can we get around it?"

"Perhaps," he answered. "Although from what I could see, the road was in a state of extreme disrepair as it entered the marshes. It does not appear to have been used for quite some time. It must have once led all the way to the mines, but I don't believe it does anymore."

"Alright. We go in here, then. Red, you take the lead. Scout out the land ahead of us and find us a way through. We'll be right behind you. And if you run into trouble, hurry back to us as fast as you can. Aerith, Barret, you two have the map and the compass, so keep us facing south and east as much as possible. We don't want to get lost in there. I don't think I have to tell you how easy that is to do."

Barret grunted. "Gives me the chills jus' thinkin' 'bout it."

"I know," I glanced at him. "Same here. So let's make sure it doesn't happen. I know you guys can do it."

"We will, Cloud," Aerith assured me. "Don't worry about us."

That was all I needed to know. I looked at everyone then, each one in turn, seeing the readiness and commitment in their eyes. We were a good team, and I knew we could make it across the treacherous swamp and into the mines. They knew it, too. Each of us had a job to do, and I hoped that by focusing on those tasks, it would help us keep our minds busy and prevent the anxiety we all felt from getting out of hand. It was going to be a long and difficult journey, our first real test since leaving Midgar. But it was one I knew we would pass.

I lifted the reins, and we got moving. "Let's go, everyone."

I shivered in spite of myself as we rode slowly into the midst of the brooding trees of the marshes. A mist hung over the place, and an eerie stillness. I didn't need to glance over at Cloud to know he felt the same way I did. Pools of dark, murky water lay everywhere in this place, and the ground was covered in reeds and black, oozing mud. Red loped on ahead, searching for firmer ground, and we followed him, keeping our mounts at a slow but steady pace for now and conserving their energy. I hoped we wouldn't run into the Zolom, but if we did, we would need every bit of speed the chocobos could give us. So for now, we took our time and walked them through the swamp.

"Damn, I hate this place," Barret muttered from behind me.

I sighed. "I know. I don't like it, either."

"You'd think Spike would've waited 'til mornin' to ride on in here. I ain't lookin' forward to bein' in here after dark."

"He didn't want to lose time," I replied, knowing I was right. "That would have let Sephiroth get further ahead of us. We've got flashlights, remember? And I'm sure Red can see pretty well in the dark. If all goes as planned, we'll reach the other side sometime tomorrow."

Barret grunted. "Let's hope it does, girl."

I nodded but didn't say anything else. I guided my chocobo along, letting her follow the trails Red found for us as well as picking her own as she went. I'd noticed that she was a girl when we had first caught her back in the fields. The coloring of the feathers was a little lighter than it was on a boy, and their beaks were a bit shorter as well. Chole had told me about it while Cloud had been dealing with Billy in the stables, and she had mentioned something about a Chocobo Sage, too. I didn't have any idea who that was, though, but had promised her we would let her know if we ever met him during our travels.

The first few hours were thankfully uneventful, and although I was sure we were making progress, the marshes still stretched on for many miles and so it seemed like we hadn't gone very far. We had to turn and twist our way through the trees to stay on solid ground, and though we didn't see anything aside from the insects buzzing around us, we could hear the occasional forlorn cry of a bird flapping in the branches or the croaking of frogs from somewhere deep in the reeds.

But as twilight approached and we traveled onward, the land began to change. There were many more pools of water, and much larger, and it became harder for us to find a firm path amidst the mud. Red's paws were covered in it when he came back to us, his face grim in the fading light. We brought our mounts to a halt as he picked his way toward us, padding carefully across the spongy ground, the tip of his tail burning brightly in the coming night.

"There is a large lake just ahead of us," he growled. "The ground, as you can see, has become much less stable, and it grows worse the closer we get to the shore. If we can reach the far side, however, I believe that our path will become easier after that."

Cloud nodded. "Let's get to it, then. Watch your step."

We went on, and a few minutes later, we emerged from the trees to see the long body of water that Red had told us about. Thick clusters of reeds and cattails lined the edge, and the ground was even wetter here. We inched along, Red testing the way forward with his paws. I glanced at the lake, suddenly uneasy as ripples flowed across the surface. There was no way to see what might be lurking underneath.

"Cloud…" I said. "Do you think something's in there?"

His eyes, their mako glow clearly visible in the gloom, reflected my own anxiety back at me. "Could be. And I doubt this is the only lake in the swamp. It would take a lot more than just one to make the marshes what they are. Best to keep quiet until we're well past it."

I agreed wholeheartedly with his idea, and so we all rode in silence along the western side of the lake. Although the sky was growing dark, we didn't pull out our flashlights yet in order to avoid being detected. I went along as best I could, letting my eyes adjust to the dimness, and it seemed as if we were going to reach the southern end without incident. But then, when we were just over halfway there, my chocobo suddenly jerked around and squawked as more ripples swept across the water. It was all I could do to keep her under control, and I saw that Cloud was having the same trouble with his mount.

"Easy, girl," I whispered to my bird. "What's wrong?"

I heard Barret bringing up his gun-arm as he peered about. "Seems they got wind of somethin' they don't like."

"Yeah, but what?" I wondered.

"Damned if I know, but I don't like it much."

From her place on the other chocobo with Cloud, Aerith looked at the lake, her voice quiet. "Something's not right."

Red's good eye narrowed. "I feel it too, Aerith. We must hurry."

Cloud motioned for us to keep going, but no sooner had we begun than something huge and dark suddenly shot up out of the water until it loomed high above us, a thing born of nightmares. It was, as Bill had said, over thirty feet tall and at least six feet thick. Scales covered every part of its massive body, grayish-brown in most places but yellow along its underbelly. Its long, forked tongue flicked in and out of its mouth as a dry hissing pierced the air and sent chills coursing down my spine. A wide hood of scaly flesh surrounded its round head on both sides, and it gazed at us with a pair of pale, beady eyes as its tail whipped through the air almost with a life of its own.

Gathering itself, the Midgar Zolom raced toward us.