Chapter 11: Mark of the Traitor
The glittering afternoon ocean greeted Rufus as the young Shinra president stepped down from the deck of his ship into the warm blaze of Costa Del Sol's harbor. A helicopter hovered in the bright sky, ready to carry him to his next destination.
Heidegger, the maintenance executive, lumbered after Rufus, shouting orders at the sailors scurrying about the docking ship. The Shinra president scanned him for a moment with an inscrutable expression. As Heidegger turned to him with a censorious review of the sailors' performance, Rufus's cool voice intervened, silencing him.
"Heidegger, you haven't been doing your duty on this journey. The Avalanche group was on the boat; and, it seems, so was Sephiroth."
Heidegger's broad face became a brighter shade of red. He straightened instinctively before the young man's contemptuous blue eyes, his large fingers tugging at the collar of his green suit uneasily. "I did my best, Mr. President," he answered, disgruntled.
Rufus lifted a lazy eyebrow. "You obviously did." He turned and gestured to the helicopter. The hovering aircraft, buzzing like a giant insect, lowered itself and threw down a rope ladder, which Rufus ascended. He left Heidegger motionless, his jaw working, rage overtaking him as he slowly absorbed the scathing contempt saturating the president's last words.
"Coast is clear," Tifa whispered. The party stole down to the docks of Costa Del Sol and progressed towards the main street, surveying the resort town's sunny expanse of sea and skies. A brown-haired woman in an orange bikini, who was sunning on a small boat floating next to the docks, spotted Zack as the group walked past her. "Hey, you!" she cried. "You there— tall, dark, and handsome!"
"Zack, for you," Tifa said, tugging at his sleeve.
Zack approached the woman. "Yes?" he said politely.
The woman smirked at him saucily, leaning forwards and lowering her lashes over her dark eyes. "Don't be shy, handsome. Come stay with me for a while."
Zack turned away without replying, his cheeks crimson. He walked away from the waterfront without another word. Reno, who observed the exchange, strolled towards the woman. "Hey there, sweetheart," he drawled. "I'm present, available, and fully ready for you."
The woman's lip twisted, and her eyes turned cool. "Sorry, I don't go for red hair."
"Damned bad taste," Reno muttered, turning away.
Tifa chuckled at his affronted air. "Come on, Reno," she said, grabbing his arm. "There'll be enough women here, even for you. Let's go."
Men and women filled the white streets of Costa Del Sol, all lightly-dressed to suit the lingering heat. It was a warm, leisurely, casual place, and it agreed with Reno at once. His spirits gearing a habitually mercurial shift, he made his way towards the nearest bar, Rude following him. The others agreed to meet later at a candy shop at the port end of the street. Aerith walked into the shop, and was inspecting the barrels of multicolored saltwater toffies on offer. Barret decided to get coffee, and Zack said that he'll scout around for clues. Tifa strolled down the main street by herself. She entered a tropical bar near the corner of the beach, thinking to order a drink. It was a dimly-lit, musty place, suffused with pleasant smells and filled with the low chatter of guests sipping fruity cocktails. Tifa meant to settle herself at a table and order something, but before she could do so a man stole from the corner, and tugged at her arm. "Listen," he said. "Have I got an offer for you, beautiful."
Tifa drew back from him. "Sorry," she said coolly. "I'm not up to these kind of offers."
The man chuckled, and shook his head. "That's not what I meant." He indicated a table in a shadowy corner, inviting her to have a seat. She complied after a momentary hesitation, and he immediately took the opposite chair and leant towards her confidentially. "Look here," he began. "I saw you coming with these people from that fancy ship, and I was wondering if you folks have any money. I've got a materia here; somethin' special." He produced a shining turquoise globe, and Tifa bent over the table for a closer inspection. The man withdrew his hand immediately. "For cheap," he whispered. "What do you say?"
"How much?" Tifa asked. She gagged a little at the price. "Sorry," she said, leaning away from the man. "That's terribly expensive."
"All right," the man said. "I'll lower it a bit. But you've gotta have it, sweetheart. Not everyone can afford that kind of a materia."
Tifa appraised the man silently, weighing her options. He seemed eager to sell that materia; more like to be rid of it, she guessed. High-end materia was difficult to acquire, and only the elite could afford it. She decided that perhaps she should leave the bargaining to someone else who was more knowledgeable about these matters. "I'll have a word with my companions," she said, rising from the chair. "Please wait here."
"All right," answered the man. "But don't be long about it, miss. I may have to leave soon."
After Tifa left the bar, another man emerged from behind a bamboo curtain hung at the back of the bar and approached the materia seller. "That young woman," he said. "Did she give you her name?"
"No," answered the materia seller. "But she's a lovely thing, ain't she?"
"She's familiar," the other man said slowly. "I think that I'll wait here until she returns. I want to have a word with her."
The seller shrugged. "As you please, Johnny," he replied.
Tifa ran into the plaza above the beach, scouting for her companions. Of the group, she thought that perhaps Zack, having worked in the army and with Shinra, would be most familiar with materia, and she decided to speak to him. But as she walked down the white stone stairs that led to the sand, a curious picture caught her eye. A young woman that she instantly recognized as Aerith was standing next to one of the colorful chairs peppering the beach, and conversing with the man lounging upon it. It took Tifa a few moments to recognize the man, but when she did, she froze in place. He was dressed a little differently, more suited to the humid heat, but there was no mistaking him otherwise. It was professor Hojo.
As Tifa approached them, Aerith's words reached her ears. "Are you perfectly sure that it was heading towards Corel?"
"Absolutely. You would do well to follow it there, child."
Tifa stepped forward. "Sorry to interrupt this friendly chat," she said ironically. "So nice to meet you, professor."
Hojo turned in his seat, apprising her for a moment that Tifa considered to be insultingly, and no doubt deliberately, protracted. "The pleasure is all mine," he finally said, quite complaisantly. "I was just speaking to the Cet... uh, to your lovely friend, uh… Aerith. I informed her where the clo— where Sephiroth was heading."
"How kind of you," said Tifa, sarcasm saturating her voice. "And what motivated you, professor, to give us such kind advice? The goodness of your heart? What do YOU think, Aerith?"
One of Aerith's enigmatic smiles appeared, the kind that Tifa secretly began to dislike. "We were merely sharing opinions," she stated serenely.
"So what's the deal, Hojo?" Tifa asked the professor, not bothering to hide her hostility now. "What is the connection between Cloud and Sephiroth?"
Hojo ignored her, and a smile bent his thin lips. Tifa felt her anger rising. She knew that Hojo held the key to the mystery of Cloud's fate, and was frustrated to realize that he would not reveal anything without some kind of coercion. Here he was, possibly with all the answers, and he would not talk. As if reading her mind, Hojo rose from the seat. "I'm sorry, my dear," he said pleasantly. "I have told your friend all that I know. Goodbye."
Tifa looked after him as he strolled across the sand and up the white stairs, her fists clenching. For a moment she debated whether she should run after him and execute the worst of her intentions. But then she felt Aerith's fingers on her arm.
"I understand how you feel, Tifa," the Cetra said softly. "But you know that he won't tell us anything useful on purpose. Or worse, he'll try to mislead us. It's best to just follow any information that he gave voluntarily, and leave the rest for later."
"I don't trust anything he says," Tifa spat. "He… he has his own goals, I think. Independent of Shinra. He's probably just trying to use us."
"And that is why we should be careful," said Aerith. "And if he wants to use us, at least some of his information may be good."
Tifa could see the sense of Aerith's reasoning, but she just shrugged and turned. "I'll look for the others and let them know," she said, speaking over her shoulder. "Please stay here, all right? The last thing we need is to get caught by Shinra again."
She walked away without waiting for a reply and soon stumbled across Zack, whom she filled in on the news. He did not seem surprised. "I spotted Hojo walking down the street," he said. "He's got some bodyguards, though. It's a good thing you decided not to follow him."
Tifa was recalled to her original purpose, and told Zack about the materia seller at the tropical bar. "I think you'd better make the bargain," she said. "I know next to nothing about materia."
"I don't have much experience with materia either," he said, "but I'll take a look. You should go catch some rest, Tifa. You look worn out."
She shrugged. "I AM worn out," she admitted.
He left in the direction of the bar, and Tifa returned to the beach. She surveyed the shore. The sea shone a luminescent blue in the midnoon sun. She walked down to the sand and discarded her shoes, approaching the edge of the water and allowing the cool waves to wash her feet. Then she removed the band from her hair and lay on her back, allowing her tresses to spread around her like a dark fan.
It's so pleasant here, she thought, staring dreamily into the bright sky; it's so peaceful; as if nothing exists beyond this stretch of the beach and beautiful sea. The people here are happy; they live for pleasure, and in ignorance. She closed her eyes, the sun's warmth settling around her. Maybe the less that you know, she thought to herself, the happier you are. Sometimes I wish that I could obliterate all my memories and live in ignorance, if only so I could feel happy again.
Zack spied the materia seller soon after he entered the tropical bar. The man sat at a corner-table, having a quiet discussion with another man. They both eyed Zack as he took a chair and introduced himself, requesting to see the materia. But before the materia seller could speak, the second man intervened. "Where's the girl?" he asked.
"Why do you need to know?" Zack inquired. The man's tone was eager, and this made him uncomfortable.
The man eyed him silently, as if sensing his reluctance; but then he suddenly spoke. "You! I KNOW you."
Zack scanned the man more closely, now genuinely puzzled. The tones of that last declaration sounded unfriendly. "I'm sorry," he said, trying to diffuse the sudden tension by remaining polite. "I don't think that we've met before."
"You can't remember me, eh?" returned the man, his voice sardonic. "But I can't forget that you abandoned me in the mountains of Nibel when I was sick. Just barely made it back, I did. It's a good thing I have a good memory, or I would have died."
The mountains of Nibel… and now Zack knew the man. "Johnny," he said, staring at him, and feeling a little shocked. "I— I didn't recognize you."
"Of course not," the man answered disdainfully. "Why should we care about those we betray?"
Zack flinched inwardly, sensing Johnny's contempt. He recalled the burning guilt of five years ago, when he felt that he failed so many people— Johnny, Cloud, maybe even Tifa... But what could he have done? What did he know? He was just a soldier, and barely twenty.
"Johnny," he said, as calmly as he could, "I do understand your anger. But you should know that I couldn't defy my orders openly. Maybe I should have. And I'm sorry." He tried to catch Johnny's eye through the shadows of the bar. The man had changed, he noticed; his hair was longer, his body thinner. He was an ordinary-looking enough young man, unmemorable, and Zack would not have recognized him again. "But," he continued, "about Sephiroth—"
"Don't say anything," Johnny cut him off, retreating from the table until his features were blurred into the warm shadows. "I don't want to hear nothing. I know the stories about Sephiroth going mad, and they say that he's dead. But I'm away from all of that now. Been making a good living in this place, and got myself a girl. I don't want to hear anything more about Shinra in my life."
Johnny, Zack sensed, was expressing the typical outlook of people coming to Costa Del Sol. They sought to escape into the leisurely warmth of the town, immersing themselves in its false serenity, ensconcing themselves inside a bubble that protected them from the turmoil of the world outside. "I understand," he said quietly. "And I ask you to forgive me. But about the girl who came with me. Well, remember our guide, Tifa? She and I are questing for Cloud, who was the young SOLDIER member sent on that mission. They're both also victims of that day."
Johnny did not offer an answer. The materia seller caught his eye. "Hey, boss," he said. "You want me to cancel out on the sale?"
After a short silence, Johnny said: "No, sell it to them, and make it a fair price." Then he turned, and walked away.
"Johnny," Zack called after him. "Thank you." But Johnny disappeared through the curtain enclosure without a reply.
When the group gathered again near the corner shop, Zack pulled Tifa aside and revealed the sparkling turquoise globe cupped in his hand. "Look at this, Tifa" he said. "I think that it may be a really good one."
"Which kind is it?" Tifa asked, scanning the materia. It glowed like a jewel, translucent and beautiful.
"I'm not sure," he answered. "I'll try to find out. The seller couldn't tell me. It's probably black market goods." He briefly wondered if he should tell her about Johnny, and decided against it.
Tifa shrugged. "All right. Keep it until then."
He placed the materia in his shirt pocket. "Well, then," he said. "Let's rest a bit more, and then make our way to Corel."
Costa Del Sol and Corel were separated by a verdant mountain range, crisscrossed by an abandoned railway. Corel was Barret's hometown, and he served as their trail guide. They tried to query him about the town, but he was close-mouthed and said that he hasn't been there in six years, and that they'll see what's going on when they get there.
The old train path was an unexpectedly peaceful trail in the middle of the green ridges of the Corel mountains. The ruins lent a certain melancholy to the beauty surrounding them. At these heights the sun shone with brightness but not with warmth, and the magnificent view of the low-lying meadows spread serenely below. Unlike the dour Nibel mountains at whose feet Tifa grew, the mountains of Corel were quiet, and a little sad.
Tifa watched the misty meadows, narrowing her eyes against the sunlight. She's lived in the city for so long that she became accustomed to its darkness and grime, but she never forgot how much she loved the open outdoors and fresh mountain air when she was a child. Now she wondered how she could stand breathing the foul air of Midgard for even one day.
"When this whole matter is finished," she said to Aerith, "I will never go back to Midgard. I hate it. I'm going to live in the backwoods, in a place that is quiet and safe. I don't care if it's not very rich, as long as it's peaceful."
Aerith smiled when she heard Tifa's defiant tone. "When this whole matter is finished," she said, "I don't care where I'll live, as long as it's with someone that I care about."
"That's rubbish," Tifa said, with some asperity. "You can get sick of that, I promise you. If you live in a pigsty with pigs you'll soon grow to hate it, no matter how nice the pigs are to you."
Aerith shrugged at Tifa's derisive tones. "I guess that if I truly care about someone, I'll still try to make the best of it." Then she slowed down a little, and joined Reno and Rude.
Tifa bit her lip. She's been too harsh with Aerith, and she knew it. She decided that she should not speak to Aerith about such things anymore, since they would inevitably raise the same issue – the specter of their rivalry over Cloud.
As the group neared Corel they spotted the vision of a mako reactor, lying dark and dismal on the soft gray background of the hills lacing Corel. "You never mentioned that they built a reactor near your town," Zack said to Barret. "I did hear that a mako reactor used to operate in this area. I did not know that it was here."
"It is," Barret answered grimly. "It's the bane of this town. Follow me."
North Corel was not easily visible from a distance, and at first seemed to contain nothing. The group approached it from the dusty trail leading down from the train path, and eventually beheld the fringes of the town. "So they did return," Barret muttered, halting at the edge of the road leading directly into the town. He stood for a moment, gazing at the distant buildings. His companions remained silent. They could now see clearly that the place was a mere shantytown, with cabins and tents serving in place of proper dwellings. Barret suddenly shook his fist once, in rage. "Now that I see it again," he said through clenched teeth, "I know that I'll never forgive Dyne!"
Tifa spoke softly. "Isn't Dyne that man we've seen at the Shinra executive conference? The city architect who sat next to Scarlet?"
"Yes," Barret answered. "He's been that bitch's lover for at least six years now. Well, then, let's find a place to sleep, if they have anything like that 'round here anymore, and I'll give you the full story, since you must be wondering about it for a while now."
As the group strode through the town, passer-byes stared at them silently but made no inquiries as to their identities or purpose. The town had a listless, dour air, and its inhabitants didn't seem to care much for strangers. Barret led them into a shabby wooden cabin containing several rooms, which was Corel's version of an inn. After paying for three rooms, Barret gathered his fellow-travelers in one, and began his story.
"That man, Dyne, used to be my friend. Well, I wouldn't call him a friend, exactly. You see, he married Eleanor about ten years ago. Me and Eleanor were neighboring kids, our families were friends and we were always close when we were kids, and later too, like a brother and sister, because we were both only children. But when I was twenty-five— she was twenty-two — Dyne came to town. He was a smart man, and a good-looking one; a brilliant designer of buildings and such, and he said he could make our town the top of the line. He was liked by everyone; he dazzled 'em with his enthusiasm. I liked him too. For a while it looked like he was sincere. He did a very good job of building nice things in Corel; can't deny that. And a year after he came, he married Eleanor. I married my Myrna, and we were all good friends. Dyne and Eleanor had no kids; and after a while they thought that Eleanor couldn't have any. Dyne paid a pretty penny to have them both checked by top doctors from Midgard. And maybe that's where he made contact with Shinra."
"And six years ago, they came. Scarlet of Shinra, and her bodyguards. Sayin' they wanted to propose 'solutions' to us. They laid all their plans before our eyes; and Dyne was there, on their side."
Barret addressed Zack now, as if he knew that the young man would understand the events that passed because of Shinra's involvement with his own town. "Dyne was an ambitious one. We couldn't even begin to guess. He contacted Shinra and told 'em about our town; proposed it as a likely site for a mako plant to replace the coal-mining that's been going on for generations past. We had a council, and we all agreed to have it built, swayed by Dyne and his persuasive tongue. You must know how it is, to be poor and to be suddenly promised great riches."
Zack nodded silently, and Barret continued. "Dyne made many trips to Midgard, and was ultimately employed as their city developer. It was a great opportunity for him. He replaced the old one, and made Midgard what it is today, or so I hear. I always knew that he was a brilliant one; but why our town—" his voice was flooded with that same barely-controlled rage again. "Why did he choose to come to OUR town, and destroy it in such a way? The day he came, our town was a doomed one. And I know to whom he returned, again and again— that slut, Scarlet. She was his agent in all of this. Seems like they're still together now, still defiling Eleanor's memory. When he was employed by Shinra he would leave Eleanor for weeks at a time. She wanted no hand in his plans, didn't want to leave Corel, and she guessed, poor thing, that he was going to Scarlet in Midgard. I began to hate him, and I wanted to help Eleanor. She stayed at my house. Myrna supported her as much as she could, and I tried to encourage her, but she was always low in spirits because of him. I could see how much it hurt her. And Dyne noticed it. He began to turn a cold shoulder to us all, jealous, blaming us when it was him who was at fault. He stayed away, and the weeks became months. He had no idea at all what was going on with Eleanor."
Barret paused, heaving a sigh. His voice sank a little, and became softer. It was apparent that he reached a difficult part of the story.
"It happened six years ago. The mako complex had an accident. Shinra blamed us for the explosion; said that the rebels among us, who resented the reactor taking jobs away from them, had committed a purposeful arson. To hell with them! They went around making arrests while the town was in flames. I couldn't save Eleanor, nor Myrna. But I saved Marlene, who was just a tiny newborn. For weeks afterwards I feared that she would die on me. And Corel was in ruins, nothin' but ashes. And Dyne— Dyne believed their dirty stories; must've been Scarlet who convinced him that they were true. He blamed us, and only came to survey the town afterwards, and to hear the news that his wife was dead."
Barret's eyes burned darkly with the memories. "So I— I went to Midgard after some months. I vowed to revenge myself on Shinra. I wanted to kill Dyne, but I couldn't get past the heavy security. After a while, the thirst for revenge on him dwindled, and I invested my energy into settling the score with Shinra instead. I guess that it was also because of—" but here he paused. "Well, and I started Avalanche with Jesse and the rest of 'em. Tifa joined us after a while. That is all."
"I'll never forgive Shinra," he concluded softly. "But most of all, I'll never forgive Dyne. That despicable traitor."
But Zack remembered Johnny's words and looked away, feeling uncomfortable. It's not that I justify Dyne, he thought, and it's not that I'm comparing these two very different situations. But I wonder… if sometimes… we DO care about those we betray.
© Written by Hadas Rose
Final Fantasy VII is © Square, 1997.
Okay, Zack, if you don't take advantage of offers, no matter how casual and brazen, you will get what you deserve. You may not have other chances. You were warned.
Or, nevermind. I like you shy that way.
We've got two materia now: icy and turquoise. Don't worry, you'll find out what they do. Eventually. One's pretty easy to guess anyway.
NOTE (for the early-adopter readers who read the non-updated version of chapter 10): I revised chapter 10 slightly since, as I already know, it doesn't make too much sense for Cloud not to travel with Aerith, as she had a "safe" tool at her disposal 24/7 (and I couldn't have him join since it would have been too complicated for plot reasons, and would have generated an unbearable amount of Tifa-Cloud-Aeith drama). So I added another explanation - basically, that Sephiroth won't fall for the same trick twice, and/or will be ready for the whole Cloud-Aerith interaction next time. I also threatened to write up a Scarlet/Barret romance if readers pay too much attention to the plot holes resulting from the revision's emphasis on the Cloud/Aerith romance. And I can think up worse punishments, so buckle up and enjoy the ride. ;)