The final push of inspiration needed for this chapter was brought to you in part by Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and its Sephiroth Challenge. I spent quite a few hours getting my butt kicked on very hard mode until I finally beat him through a stroke of sheer luck.
Anyway...
I hope you had a happy new year, everyone! I meant to get this chapter up like, two months ago on Thanksgiving (and later Christmas), but it didn't feel ready to post by those times despite my efforts. So, I just kept chipping away at it until it became the chapter you now see before you. Thanks to all of you who read, reviewed, messaged me and hung around my Tumblr account. The support is very much appreciated.
So, I'm not sure how many of you saw it in the last chapter, but I mentioned a poll on my profile. Not going to go into too much detail here, but it's something I did to satisfy my curiosity and see which pairing with Cassie is the most popular amongst the readers.
As of the posting of this chapter (01/14/21), the standings are as follows:
Reno and Vincent are in first place with eight votes to their names (Zack was the first in first, but has since been surpassed)
Sephiroth is in second with six.
The now dethroned Zack is in third with five.
Angeal and Genesis are tied for fourth with four votes.
Ryuu (Lu Ten) and Reeve are tied for fifth with two votes.
Cloud and Tifa are tied for sixth with one vote.
I know this doesn't reflect the true statistics (trust me, the whole reason I started this was because it was starting to get hard to keep track on my tally), but it's still interesting to see.
Names will be added as the story progresses (because I'm sure another ship is gonna set sail at some point). Even if one is no longer an option (like Reeve), or just not going to happen (sorry, but not really Cloud/Castalia shippers), they will remain on the list because I want to be fair.
So...yeah.
Moving on, we are now at the beginning of a new segment in Castalia's life. After [almost] twelve years, she will be leaving Nibelheim and venturing into the unknown. What awaits her in the vast, open world- free of the limitations of game boundaries and scripts? Something dangerous? Something fantastic? Or maybe...nothing at all. Who knows?
With that, I will leave you to it. Please read on, and I hope you enjoy.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Act 1: The Unknown Journey
Scene 1: On Our Way
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
"Cloud...there's something I need to tell you."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Tuesday, July 28th, [ μ ] - εуλ 1999~
He couldn't be hearing right.
"Cloud?"
"What did you say?"
Castalia winced, looking guilty- which didn't make sense because there was no way she had just said-
"I'm...leaving Nibelheim at the end of the week."
Shock and disbelief andpanicandfear -
He pushed it all to the side and stared her down. "No."
She blinked. "What?"
"You're not leaving."
Not to where he couldn't keep an eye on her. Not to where she could unwittingly stumble into ShinRa's clutches without the buffer of home and family to help protect her. Not to mention all of the other dangers out there. Zolems and tonberries and- shit, the first AVALANCHE was still a thing around this time, wasn't it?
"Cloud, I know it seems sudden-"
"You're damn right it's sudden!" he snapped, a bit of his calm slipping as he thought more and more of what she could run into out there. "Four days, Cass? Really?!"
Although Ma had seemed upset about something for about a week now but had brushed it off when he'd asked, and Da-
"Tifa's party," he said in realization, then felt his gaze narrow. "You've been thinking about leaving for months! And you tell me now?!"
"I didn't want to hurt you!"
He faltered at the tears in her eyes, and when she continued, her voice was soft- imploring.
"Cloud...you're my little brother. Do you know how important you are to me? I-... You're the last person I would ever want to hurt, but I knew this wasn't going to be easy to accept, so I just kept pushing it off a-and...I'm sorry."
"Then stay."
She would be safe here because he was going to make sure Nibelheim never burned. She would get to live a long, happy life with Ma, Da, and the twins without ever experiencing the kind of hardship he once had. Deep down, though...Deep down, he knew a life here just wasn't for her.
That didn't mean he wanted her to leave, much less when he still wasn't strong enough to protect her.
Castalia screamed as she fell to her knees, the bloody talons of a sonic speed glistening red with her blood-
-replaced by the sight of her on a cold, metal table, that same scream echoing hauntingly as a shadowed figure hovered above her, glasses flashing menacingly in the light.
He ripped himself out of the mental image, his heart racing, and his body cold.
"Stay," he heard himself ask again. "Castalia, please. Don't go."
"I-... I can't."
His eyes were burning as he closed them. "Fine."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Sunday, August 1st, [ μ ] - εуλ 1999
It was...kind of strange.
"And you're absolutely sure about this, Cassie?"
I smiled sadly at the worried tone. "Yeah. I'm sure, Ma."
Despite the clear passage of time, the minutes and days and years I'd spent in Nibelheim had always had a sort of...endless quality to them. So much so that, now that I was moving on, it almost didn't feel real. That was normal, though...right?
"Really sure?"
"Skye," Da sighed, bringing me out of my thoughts as he wrapped an arm around her. "We both knew this was coming. Even if she hadn't told us, Cassie's shown signs of wanting to leave for a while now."
Wait. "I have?"
He smiled. "I'll admit, you did take me by surprise when you told me, but once I had time to think about it, the signs were pretty clear. I remember what it was like. That curiosity and wonder about the world- knowing that there's nothing more you can learn where you are."
It was a bit more than that, but he'd pretty much hit the nail on the head otherwise. Only...that meant-
Something must have shown on my face since he chuckled. "I don't blame anyone for not continuing on my own journey all those years ago, much less you. In fact, I'm positive that finding you was my journey- I just didn't know it at the time."
"Why are most of the guys I've met so fond of cheesy lines?" I asked, the exasperated tone of my voice betrayed by the fond grin tugging at my lips. "Cloud, make sure you don't follow his example, okay?"
"..."
The smile I'd been keeping up faltered at his silence, made even worse by the fact that he wasn't looking at me.
Just as he'd been doing ever since I'd told him I couldn't stay.
Da frowned. "Cloud-"
"Cassie!"
I was almost knocked over when Helena tackled me in a hug and buried her face into my shirt. "D'you really have to go? I just got my license! What if I forget something?! O-Or mess it up, or-"
"Helena," I sighed, not sure if I was glad or upset at the interruption, but I also knew if I let her go on like this, she would work herself into a panic. "You wouldn't have passed if you didn't have the knowledge and skill you needed. You'll be fine- definitely in a much better place than I was when I first got my license, that's for sure. Besides, Cole wouldn't let anything happen to you."
"Kept this one from blowing herself up at least five different times," the man in question, who had arrived shortly after her, agreed with a snort of laughter and a nod at me. "Charged her for it, too. Keep that in mind if you ever get the idea to experiment."
Liar. He hadn't charged a single gil.
Who was I to interfere with his fun, though? Instead, we just shared a look of amusement over her head as she frantically assured him that she would never, ever even think about experimenting.
We both knew that was a lie too. She had seemed far too interested in my modifications while she'd been apprenticed to me.
"Okay then! I wish you luck, Master Cass!"
I felt my face heat up, still not used to the (now legitimate) title, and the sensation only worsened when Cole started snickering.
"Thanks, Helena. Good luck at the shop. The war's not over yet, so you're gonna have your hands full, but don't overwork yourself and don't give ShinRa any leeway. We're the closest town to Wutai with an alchemist- any threat you get from them about taking their business elsewhere if you don't complete an order in a certain timeframe is just a bluff. They aren't going to do that if it means spending more money to have them shipped from somewhere further away."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Helena grumbled darkly. "There's no way I'd give them any leeway."
That, I was sure, wasn't a lie.
Cole patted her on the shoulder and pulled her back enough so that she wasn't between us anymore. "Soon as this war's over with, we'll probably go the Canyon's route and declare ourselves neutral territory. Doubt anyone here wants anything more t'do with ShinRa."
"I'm...not sure they'll be so agreeable to that," I told him, absently biting my lip as I thought it over. "Not with the mansion and the reactor here. Both of those seemed like they were still pretty important to them when they came."
As long as Jenova was in the reactor, I was pretty sure ShinRa was going to fight tooth and nail on keeping it there. Not to mention if, by some miracle, they did agree, they'd probably want to clear out the mansion. Hojo would most definitely come for that, and if he discovered Vincent was gone-
Well, that wouldn't be good for anyone.
"We'll figure it out. We'll need to get rid of the reactor if we want Lockhart's ideas to work, but I suppose they can keep the mansion so long as they leave the town alone. It's far enough away from here that we can ignore them, and it's not like anyone bothers with it anyway."
It was only thanks to the various control exercises that Vincent had drilled into me over the years that I did not fidget at that. Or at the heavy stare I could feel on me that I just knew was Cloud's.
Sure, now he felt the need to look at me...but at least his silence seemed to have included my visits there.
"Right. Either way, be careful."
"Please," he scoffed. "What do you take me for? Some reckless kid?"
"That depends on the day."
"Punk."
"Geezer."
We stared at each other a moment longer before a smile broke onto my face. "I'm gonna miss this."
"Then make sure you come back once in a while."
"I will."
"And take this."
He handed me a small, dark brown pouch connected to a belt. It was made of leather that felt soft and pliable in my hands- almost like a well-worn sweater -so it was probably something previously owned. I must have been staring at in confusion though, since he sighed after a moment.
"It's one of my old traveling packs," he explained. "Might not look like much, but it can carry its fair share."
Now curious, I opened up the pouch, stuck my hand in, and then felt my eyes widen as I managed to fit my whole arm instead.
This was a freakin' hammerspace bag. What the hell?! He had no idea how huge a deal what he had just given me was! None!
"Odds are you'll get one from the guild once you make your way to their headquarters in Midgar," Cole went on, oblivious to my inner squeals of excitement and joy as I swung my arm around inside the pouch. "Who knows how much they've improved since I was there, but it never hurts to have an extra."
"I didn't even know these kinds of bags existed," I admitted, finally (but reluctantly) pulling my arm out.
Yeah, it was true that you could carry a lot of stuff in the games, but I'd always chalked it up to mechanics.
I had never been so happy to be wrong.
"They're not common. Usually, you'll only see master craftsman or the upper echelons of the military carrying them- though some bastards'll get them just to be able to say they own one."
"Ridiculously expensive. Got it."
He snorted. "Right. So don't lose it."
I was quick to fasten it around my waist, looking at him when I was done. "Thanks, Cole...for everything."
It was really because of him that I was here now. Cole had been the one to approach Da all those years ago, requesting that I learn item synthesis. If I hadn't...I honestly didn't know what I would be doing instead. But he did, and because of that, I had a purpose. I had a goal. I had the knowledge and skills that might spare the people I loved from going through that terrible series of events.
I owed him more than words could ever express.
He must have caught on to some of those unspoken words, however, since his gaze softened just the slightest bit. "Don't mention it."
I nodded, trying to ignore the slight ache in my throat as I turned to face my family one more time. "I-... I guess I'm off, then."
Ma handed Cirrus over to Da before bringing me into a tight embrace. "Take care of yourself, Cassie. Don't forget to call us once in a while, okay? Or send a letter if you can't do that."
"Okay."
I heard her sniffle before she stepped back, taking the twins from Da so that he could have his turn. Da's hug was tighter, but I relished the feeling of comfort and support I'd come to associate with it.
"I'm gonna miss you, Sweetpea...but I know as well as anyone that this is something you have to do. Just don't be afraid to visit if it gets to be too much. No matter what, we're here for you."
"I will. Thanks, Da."
He stepped back, and I took a moment to hug and kiss the twins, my heart feeling heavy at the thought that I wouldn't get to see them grow up the same way I had with Cloud.
"Cirrus, Rinan, you two keep being good for Ma and Da, okay? Big Sis is gonna be gone for a while, so I'm counting on you to cheer them up."
Cirrus blinked sleepily before snuggling deeper into Ma's arms, but Rinan smiled and waved a pudgy hand in my direction.
"Iiya! Iiya!"
I laughed, even as I felt the heaviness grow. "That's right, 'Nan. Can't let Big Sis Iiya go without a proper goodbye. Thank you."
I looked around, feeling almost nostalgic as I noticed Tifa hovering at the edge of the crowd, much like she had the day she'd asked me to come with her to ask Master Zangan if he could teach her. Only this time, she seemed intent to stare at the ground.
"Tifa."
She gave a start but didn't look up. I sighed, then walked over and gave her a hug of my own.
"I may be leaving town," I began, quietly enough so that only she would hear, "but that doesn't mean I've forgotten, or will forget, my promise. I will always, always be there for you, Tifa. If you ever need me to come home, all you'll have to do is say the word, and I'll drop everything and come running."
"...Really?"
"Really. Just promise me you'll help keep an eye on Ma, Da, and the twins while I'm gone."
She stepped out of my hold, her expression brighter than before. "Of course I will!"
I grinned. "I knew I could count on you. Take care, Tifa."
After one more hug, I turned to the last member of my second family.
Like Tifa, Cloud was also looking at the ground, his arms crossed and his brows furrowed as he frowned. I let out a slow breath and walked over, stopping only when I was about an arm's length away.
"Cloud-"
"Why won't you listen to me?" he interrupted softly, his voice pained. "You always listened before."
"I do listen," I said with a shake of my head. "And I will always listen to what you have to say, but Cloud...that doesn't mean I'll always do what you want me to."
His eyes clenched shut, but he didn't push me away when I gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I can't stay here forever. I know it's hard to understand right now, but...maybe in a few years-" I cut myself off, then sighed. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, and I'm sorry that this is hurting you so much...but I am leaving. And-" I cleared my throat when my voice broke, but I knew keeping it level was all but an exercise in futility at this point. "...a-and I would really like it if I left knowing there wasn't a chance of my little brother hating me for it."
"...Stupid."
The next thing I knew, Cloud had his arms wrapped tightly around me.
"As if I could ever hate you..."
If my laugh was more than a little watery, well, that was perfectly understandable, wasn't it?
"Please, please take care of yourself," he murmured against me, the distressed tone in his voice making me freeze in place. "Please, Cass. I-... I don't want to lose you."
Suddenly, everything made sense.
I tightened my hold on him even as I felt my eyes start to tear up. "Oh, Cloud..."
It wasn't that Cloud didn't want me to leave...he was just afraid I might get hurt like I had during the attack on Nibelheim. Or worse.
"You won't lose me," I assured him. "It's not like I'll be purposefully looking for monsters, and if I do run into one, I should still be okay."
Mostly because I was sure that- bar a Zolem or a Tonberry -there wasn't anything out there that stood a chance against Vincent, and we wouldn't be stupid enough to hang around anything that did. Though, seeing as I wasn't sure if Cloud even knew he was coming with me- and unable to tell him on the off chance someone in the crowd heard -I supposed his concern over my safety did have some merit to it.
"I'll be fine. I promise. I'll even promise to come visit on the twins' birthday next year, just to tease you for worrying so much."
He huffed out a laugh, and the heavy feeling finally lightened a bit.
"I'll hold you to that."
When I stepped back, I pointedly ignored his red-rimmed eyes and ruffled his hair with a soft smile. "I love you, Chicky."
He seemed to take a steadying breath, then smiled back. "Love you too."
It was much, much harder than I'd thought it would be to turn away and start walking down the path I knew would lead me out of Nibelheim, especially since one last, completely unexpected obstacle now stood in front of me.
Each excited bark felt like a bullet to the heart.
Lilo- the last link I had to the life I'd left behind. She had been with me since I'd been a teenager in my first life- just a bit older than I was now, in fact. I had raised her twice over, and a person couldn't do something like that even once without forming a deep connection. The realization that I would be leaving that behind as well made my heart feel like it was tearing in two.
Funny how this was what finally brought me close to the breaking point.
"Lilo, it-...it's not a walk this time."
She paused, no doubt hearing the heartache in my voice, and tilted her head (she'd always been so, so clever...).
"You need to stay, okay? Stay."
She whined, clearly confused at the command, and I couldn't blame her. Since Minerva had sent her to me, we had gone for a walk every morning when the weather allowed it. It had been our little routine- just a time for two reborn souls to find companionship in one another -and now here I was, about to leave her behind.
Doing this was probably one of the most painful things I'd ever done.
"Let's go together," Cloud murmured as he stepped up beside me. "At least for a bit longer. I'll take over once we reach the fork in the road."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
The walk was quiet, and whenever she was next to me, I found myself reaching down to pet her, smiling sadly when her tail wagged in response. Maybe it was a bit silly to feel so emotional over this, knowing that I wouldn't be gone forever, but...
I also knew that it wasn't ever going to be the same, either.
From now on, every time I came home, I would leave soon enough. Each time, I would have to leave her behind because the world just wasn't safe for a normal dog outside of any village, town, or city. If I were moving somewhere else to settle down, it would be a different matter, but I wasn't- and probably wouldn't until Jenova was gone. It could very easily be years before that happened.
She was seven. How old would she be then?
We reached the fork all too soon, where one path would keep going down the mountain, and the other would eventually lead back into town. We stopped, a brief silence falling over us until I sighed and crouched down, wrapping my arms around her.
"You be a good girl, okay? Listen to Ma and Da, and keep Cloud company. Watch over Cirrus and Rinan and keep the village boys away from Tifa- I know Cloud's been teaching you things. I-... I'm gonna miss you, my little pupperrito."
I stood, rubbing my eyes and sniffling, but laughing a bit when I noticed Cloud's raised brow.
"Pupperrito?"
"It's an inside joke."
"I didn't realize you could have those with dogs."
"Nothing says you can't."
He stared a moment, then let out a breath of laughter. "Only you."
I smiled, then brought him into one last hug, trying my best to commit the feeling of it to memory. I pulled away a minute later, taking a few steps onto the forward path before looking back. Cloud stood there, smiling slightly as he kept a hand on Lilo's collar. Unbidden, I thought back to those same blue eyes, looking up at me from a pudgy baby face eleven years ago and felt the tears well up all over again.
My days in Nibelheim had felt endless, but it was right now, at this moment, that it seemed like they had gone by much too fast.
Suddenly, there were so many things I wanted to say- to do -with the family I'd come to love just as fiercely as my first. That was why I had to go, though. Vincent and I were the only ones who knew what was coming- the only ones who had a chance of doing anything about it -and we couldn't do anything more from here. Starting now, we would be working toward that goal, which meant that I couldn't linger any longer.
Heh. If only my younger self could hear me now...I'm sure I would have thought I'd gone crazy.
I shook my head, pushing those thoughts to the side, and felt my gaze meet Cloud's. "Take care of them."
"I will...See you, Cass."
"Yeah...See you, Cloud."
One step back...
Two...
Three...
Then, I turned and took off running.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Cloud watched Castalia run down the path until she was no longer visible but remained standing at the fork in the road even after she was out of sight. He knew there wasn't much of a chance, but part of him held onto the hope she might change her mind and come back.
Ten minutes later, he sighed and turned toward the path that would lead him back to Nibelheim. "Come on, girl. Let's go home."
Lilo barked as if in agreement and began trailing after him. He was a bit surprised at that, having expected a bit more resistance, but it made sense once he thought about it. While Castalia and Lilo had a close bond, they didn't spend every waking moment together. There had been times when Castalia would be out all day- Lilo probably thought this was one of those times. He...should probably start planning what he was going to do when it finally hit her that Castalia wasn't going to come back any time soon.
Which was probably going to be some time tonight.
"Honestly," he sighed once more, a wry smile tugging the corner of his lips. "You would leave me with the messy part of your goodbye, wouldn't you?"
What an inconsiderate sister he had...
He looked up at the sky, doing his best to rid himself of the worry that had started to build up ever since she'd told him she was leaving.
"You'd better come back so that I can get mad at you for it."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Even after I'd stopped running, my heart continued to pound.
Each step I was taking was something new- something that was taking me further and further from everything I had ever known here on Gaia. What's more, there were no boundaries. It had been easy to forget I had first known this world as a game once I'd settled down- how could I not, when all I had to compare it to were blocky pixels? So, it hadn't really hit me until I was leaving that there were no set paths or game scripts I had to follow. If I wanted to climb that mountain I saw in the distance or explore Banora or Gongaga to my heart's content, I could.
There would be no black screen edges or invisible walls, signaling the end of a map.
No NPCs who would say the same two lines of dialogue.
No random monsters that would pop out of nowhere just because you take a step.
...Actually, I wasn't entirely sure about that last one. I had no idea how monsters came into existence, just that they existed. It wasn't something that was covered in school, which kind of felt like an oversight now that I thought about it. Did they breed or...
Anyway, I was in entirely uncharted territory, and I wasn't sure if what I was feeling was excitement or terror...Probably terror.
Luckily, I wouldn't be going through this alone.
"You're late."
Vincent was reclining against a tree just a bit off the path- waiting just as he'd said he would a few nights back.
I smiled apologetically as he walked over. "Sorry. Saying goodbye was...harder than I thought it'd be."
"It always is."
He didn't sound upset, but there was an odd, somewhat distant tone to his voice that made me frown a bit anyway. "You okay?"
There was no immediate answer, but years knowing each other had accustomed me to such moments. Whatever it was, Vincent would mention it when he was ready. In the meantime, I busied myself by looking around, trying to see if I could spot some of the local wildlife. Due to that, the trek was quiet- the only sounds being the natural ambiance and the occasional muffled thump our packs made when they hit our backs- but it wasn't uncomfortable. If anything, it was easing the anxiousness I was feeling. Periods of silence were pretty normal between us, and it reminded me of the peaceful afternoons at the mansion where we would be reading rather than planning or training.
With how hectic the last couple of years had been, how emotionally taxing saying goodbye had been, and how crazy I knew the future might turn out, this was actually really nice.
"At this pace, we should be pretty close to the base of Mt. Nibel before we need to make camp for the night," I mused aloud sometime later.
Contrary to what I'd known from before, Nibelheim wasn't located at the base of Mt. Nibel. It was further up- enough so that the road leading to it could be made untraversable during the winter if the storms were bad. It wasn't a life-changing or super significant difference or anything, but it did serve to remind me that I couldn't let myself rely on my prior knowledge- at least, not completely. Gaia was so much more rich and vast than the games of those times could depict, so of course there would be things that were left out or maybe a little different.
But...that did present a bit of a conundrum.
I wasn't sure where I wanted to go. Preparing for what was to come was the first and most important priority, but there was still some time before the really severe, if-you-don't-stop-this-then-you've-completely-failed events happened. It wouldn't hurt to spend a little bit of that time seeing some sights, right? Wutai was out because of the war, but that still left many options before traveling to Junon.
Banora was a must, just in case the worst came to pass and we weren't able to prevent its destruction (it wasn't because apple pies had been a favorite of mine in my previous life, nope, not at all). Maybe I could convince some of those orchard owners to part with some dumbapple seeds? I didn't have anything close to a green thumb, so I doubted I could ever grow anything as fickle as a dumbapple tree, but I could always give them to Aerith if I ever met her. Besides that, Cosmo Canyon was definitely going to be a stop, but did I want to visit it before or after Gongaga? I also wanted to revisit Rocket Town since I'd only gotten a brief look when I'd taken my alchemy exam, and there was Costa del Sol too...
"Castalia."
"Hmm?" Looking over, he seemed to be deep in thought. "What's up, Vincent?"
"There's...somewhere I'd like to go..."
"Somewhere-...oh."
Lucrecia's cave.
It had been one of the things I had told him about when going over the games' details, but I hadn't had much to offer other than the fact that it was near Nibelheim and maybe near a waterfall? While I had no doubt he'd gone to look for it on some of his trips out of town, I also knew that Vincent had never wandered too far away- especially after ShinRa's visit. Now that we had more free reign, of course he would want to focus on finding it.
Well, that made things a lot easier now, didn't it?
"You should have spoken up sooner," I told him with a smile. "Here I was stressing out over where to start tomorrow when you already had the answer."
"I knew there were some places you wished to see while we had the time."
I flapped my hand as if to wave away the statement. "All that can wait. You could have gone looking for Lucrecia any time you wanted, but you chose to stick around Nibelheim instead. I know how important this is to you, so helping you is the least I can do...Sorry about that, by the way. I really should have remembered."
"It has been some time since our conversations involved mention of her," he murmured with a slight shake of his head. "It is understandable."
"I guess, but as your self-appointed best friend- don't laugh," I told him with a laugh of my own when I saw his head dip a little lower into his collar. "Anyway, it's completely unacceptable. I'll have to make up for forgetting by giving it two-hundred percent tomorrow. Don't worry, Vin. Between the two of us, I'm sure we'll find it."
It might take us a while because traveling on an overworld map in a game- where only places of note were accessible -was a far cry from reality, but that was fine. Honestly, with how much Vincent had done for me over the years, I'd be okay with searching until our free time ran out. He deserved this.
"I'll be counting on you then, 'self-appointed best friend,'" he chuckled quietly while briefly ruffling my hair.
"See, now you're just mocking me."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
As the evening drew nearer, Vincent noticed a slow shift in Castalia's mood. Before, there had been a smile on her face as they traveled. Now, she looked distracted and even a bit morose. Even when they narrowed down the possible locations for the cave to a few options during a brief rest, her enthusiasm had been notably subdued.
Perhaps some of her earlier sentiment had struck her once more. Nibelheim had been her home for over ten years, after all, and both of them knew that she wouldn't ever truly return the way some of the townspeople probably believed she would. Leaving a loving home, with the knowledge that it was to be your home no longer, was something not so easily done. As it would also be the first night away from her family, it was probably hitting her now more than ever. Whatever it was, however, he was sure she would talk about it when she was ready. She usually did.
That ended up happening once they'd finished setting up camp for the night.
"Did you know I've never been camping?"
He looked up from where he'd been tending the fire, the steady thrum of heat it provided more than welcome as the chill of night began to settle.
"Well, not that I can remember, anyway," Castalia continued, her arms loosely crossed in her lap and her gaze distant. "My dad- that is, the one I'd had before -was really into this sort of stuff. There were videos and pictures of trips that we'd take into the mountains or out fishing on a lake, but I'd never have known if it weren't for those. Too little to have it stick, I guess. Being out here now...I miss them."
She laughed, though it lacked her usual cheer. Instead, it rang with a sort of wistful melancholy he was all too familiar with- the glow from the fire reflecting on her glassy eyes for a brief moment before it was rubbed away.
"It's silly, isn't it? As much as I don't want to admit it, I haven't really thought about my first family in years. Not like I used to...Then, I spend one night out here, and it hurts like I just lost them yesterday."
"...People often tend to remember those they've lost during periods of great change," he found himself replying after a long moment. "From what I understood, even in your previous life, you had never been separated from your family, correct?"
At her nod, he remembered old thoughts on how...sheltered her lives had been. A loving family and a peaceful home (for the most part) in both cases...He did not begrudge her these things, for many could not count themselves even half as fortunate. In a way, however, one could credit that same fortune for the heartache she was feeling now.
The greatest pains in life were often tied to love, after all.
"Then this will be your first time truly setting off without the kind of support you'd always had. The difference lies in the fact that you can return to see your family in Nibelheim at any time, while you cannot do the same for the family you left behind on Earth...It makes you wonder how things might have been had you been given this same opportunity with them...and at their thoughts of how far you've come."
He thought of training sessions and the tired but excited grin on Castalia's face when she finally managed to shoot a moving target...and remembered accomplishing the same under his father's tutelage.
He thought of quiet days in ShinRa manor, where they would spend the afternoon reading and reciting anything that caught their attention aloud for the other to hear...and remembered a warm living room, his mother's voice echoing gently in the air.
He thought of a sunny, summer afternoon and how Castalia had convinced him to stay out to enjoy the breeze...and remembered a picnic on a flower-covered hill.
Through Castalia, he had experienced a (relatively) more...normal life than the one he'd had before, and though the tendency to do so did not strike him often, he had wondered what it would have been like to experience the same with them. If his father hadn't been killed and his mother gone shortly after. Had Lucrecia not pushed him away...
If he hadn't stood by and let her do so.
"...I think they'd be pretty proud of you, you know."
He startled out of his thoughts and saw Castalia wiping away the last of her tears before she looked at him with a small smile.
"You're right as always, by the way," she added with a wavering laugh. "It hurts, but at least it's been put into perspective for me. Thank you...and sorry- if I brought up any bad memories, I mean."
"No," he denied with a slight shake of his head. "They were...pleasant."
"I'm glad."
Castalia seemed much more at ease after that, and a comfortable silence fell over them until she finally bid him goodnight and went into her tent. He stood shortly after, moments away from extinguishing the fire and settling down for the night when he paused.
Slowly, he sat back down.
As if he changed his mind out of a desire to read, he reached into his pack to pull out a book. Instead, though the pages would turn and his eyes moved back and forth, he was, in fact, staring out into the darkened forest. He doubted there was anything out there that could pose a threat to him, even at this hour...and yet...
The beasts inside were unsettled...and he could not deny a slight feeling of unease...
They were being watched.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
The next morning, I was feeling much better. Talking with Vincent had helped clear my head, and the enthusiasm I'd been feeling before had returned, making me eager to head out and start looking for Lucrecia's cave...
Though he seemed to have something else in mind first.
"I give! I give!" I cried from where Vincent had me pressed on the ground; my arm twisted painfully behind my back. Once he stepped away, I carefully sat up and hissed as I rubbed my now tender shoulder. "Ouch. I know you've been taking it easy on me, but I didn't think it'd be quite this bad when you stopped holding back as much..."
"To be fair, you did dodge the first strike," he offered, checking on the pot of water he'd set to heat up a while ago. "Oftentimes, that makes all the difference."
"Well, that's something, I guess," I sighed. "Still kinda wish we could have started this training sooner, but there's no way I would have been able to hide the massive bruise I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get."
Not without potions at any rate, and it would have looked suspicious if I'd taken to using one pretty much every day. While we were on the road, there was no need for secrecy. However, I still had to be careful with using potions since the materials to make more weren't as readily available...and because Vincent also wanted me to get used to moving around with injuries.
Hey, he may have been my best friend in this life, but that didn't mean he cut me any slack when it came to these lessons.
"Did you do- oh, thanks," I added as he passed me a mug of tea, "-anyway, did you do this kind of training a lot in the Turks?"
"It was more common right after being accepted into the program, before being given a designation and assigned a partner," he replied. "Once someone became a Turk, it was considered a risk as there was always work to be done, and going into a job while injured tended to be...detrimental."
"Makes sense," I hummed in agreement, then smiled as a random thought occurred to me. "I guess, in a way, that makes me a Turk-in-training, huh?"
Vincent snorted softly and raised his own mug to his lips. "By the standards I recall, with what I've taught you and what you've experienced, you would have been a Turk by the time you were fourteen."
"Wait, seriously? Isn't that kinda...young for the sort of work the Turks do?"
"It is how old I was," he revealed, amusement flickering in his eyes when my own widened in disbelief.
"...You know, it's things like this that remind me of just how insane ShinRa is," I finally breathed out, shaking my head.
"Indeed."
"That won't stop you from using some of their training methods, will it?"
"No."
Sure enough, as we traveled southeast towards what looked like a lake nestled between some mountains on the map (crossing off the other locations we'd marked as we explored each one), Vincent would have me spar with him in the morning and evening. Of the two, I wasn't sure which I preferred. In the morning I had more energy, so I tended to fair a little better, I had the chance to rest afterward in the evening.
Although it was more like passing out the moment I was in my sleeping bag, but rest was rest in the end.
I did feel bad for always leaving Vincent with the night watch, but he brushed aside my apology and told me to simply focus on improving. I wasn't the happiest to hear that, but I could understand why he'd said it. Of the two of us, I was definitely the weaker one, and the monsters out here were a lot tougher than the ones back home, even if some of them were technically the same kind. For the time being, it was better to let him be the lookout- at least until I was good enough to fight them off myself.
I hoped I would reach that point sooner rather than later. Vincent didn't need to sleep the way a normal person did, but doing so did help him recharge, in a way. I didn't think he was feeling it too much right now, but sometimes at night, I'd caught a slight tenseness to his shoulders.
At least we'd finally reached the small town where we'd be renting some chocobos for the trek up the mountain. Maybe he'd be able to get some rest at the inn tonight.
"I hope they have a phone I can use. Ma and Da are probably wearing a hole in the floor waiting to hear from me- and I missed Cloud's birthday," I added with a wince as I dug around the hammerspace bag for my money pouch. "I don't think a letter will cut it anymore...Being able to shower will be nice too. Camping out's fun and all, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't missed that."
It was the peak of summer, but the rivers near and around Nibelheim ran cold, dang it. Sure, they were nice for cooling off when taking a break because all I had to do was splash some water on my face or dip my legs in for a bit, but when it came to freshening up? They were the absolute worst. To be fair, it might have also been because I always did said freshening up in the early morning or evening, but the point was I was always freezing by the end of it. Still...ice-cold baths were marginally better than when there wasn't a source of water nearby when we made camp, and I had to use a damp cloth to clean myself up after training.
Marginally.
"Oh, that reminds me, I should probably ask if they have a washer and dryer for guests..." I muttered absently. "And it wouldn't be a bad idea to give our dishes a good scrub."
All aspects of long-term camping that I had never even thought about until I was doing it. I mean, I'd known that I'd need a few pairs of clothes and the like because this was real life and not a game where you could travel around in the same outfit indefinitely without food or sleep, but it was the little things. How to stay (relatively) clean, how to minimize the chance of random animals (and the occasional monster) from wandering too close to the campsite, keeping our camping gear organized, going to the bathroom (and hadn't that been...interesting)...
You know, all that good stuff.
"Ugh, too much to think about...but least I can say I've had the complete camping experience now," I finished with a grin. "Right, Vincent?"
He offered an amused smile in response.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Vincent had admittedly been a bit wary while walking into town. As soon as they'd set foot within the its borders, the feeling of being watched faded into almost nonexistence. Besides that, surely the sight of a young girl (in body, even if not in mind) traveling with a notably older man would draw some attention. Even if Castalia was at an age a small town considered reasonable for marriage, there had to be a line drawn somewhere. Any negative suspicions towards the exact nature of their relationship could make it harder to do business. However, the town must have played host to quite an eclectic range of people as they were hardly given a second glance.
For the most part.
"Are you sure you just want one room, kid?" the innkeeper asked once more, giving him a not at all discreetly suspicious glance before looking back at Castalia, brows furrowed just the slightest bit in concern.
He couldn't bring himself to be annoyed for the holdup since an innkeeper who genuinely looked out for the well-being of their patrons was something to be commended.
"I'm sure," Castalia reassured the man, no doubt thinking along the same lines as her smile was soft with understanding. "I'm actually a licensed alchemist," she began, pulling out a duplicate of her certificate, the original of which remained in Nibelheim. "Vin here is my bodyguard as I travel around. I've trusted him with my life on more than one occasion."
Her statement was a cover-story they had agreed upon shortly after setting out and one they planned on using for the foreseeable future. As they were of no interest to ShinRa at the moment, there had been no need to alter much. The best covers were always those with elements of truth, after all. They were much easier to keep track of and allowed one to be much more natural in their responses.
Sure enough, the innkeeper's doubts seemed to finally settle, and his expression relaxed in favor of a hopeful look.
"An alchemist, you say?" he took another look at the certificate, his eyes widening in surprise. "And a Master Alchemist at that! Can't say we get too many of those 'round these parts anymore, especially now that ShinRa's gotten into the synthesizing business. Most of the ones who're left all set up shop in the bigger cities. What sorts of wares do you have?"
"A bit of everything. Are you looking for something in particular?"
"Well, not me specifically, but if you got anything that works on livestock, then my friend Marielle will be mighty interested. See, she runs the chocobo ranch down the road, and her whole flock has come down with something."
"The whole flock?!"
The innkeeper nodded solemnly. "Green ones seem to be having the worst time of it, but even the yellows can barely muster up the strength to stand. It's the strangest thing- never seen anything like it before."
Castalia had come a long way in keeping herself from broadcasting her emotions, but he could still see the worry in her eyes. Given the circumstances, he couldn't blame her. Rarely was there ever more than one chocobo ranch in a town, which meant that the owner of this one was more than likely the owner of the very rental service they'd planned on utilizing. If all the chocobos had fallen ill, then there would be no chocobos to borrow, and without a chocobo...
They probably could still make it up the mountain, but it would not be a quick or easy climb for Castalia.
"Think you can help her out?" the man asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. "We sure would appreciate it."
"I'll give it my best shot," she replied. "To be honest, the whole reason we came here in the first place was to rent a chocobo. It would kinda suck if we couldn't do that."
"That's great to hear!" Indeed, he seemed to slump over in relief for a moment before straightening with a wide grin. "As thanks, consider your stay on the house!"
"What?! No, no, there's no need for that-!"
"Course there is! Those birds play a part in keeping our town afloat, so if you help her, you're helping all of us! This is the least I can do, and I'm sure Mari would agree. Hell, she'd probably pay for your rooms anyway, just for trying."
"Well...if you're sure..."
He laughed. "Sure I'm sure."
"Then I guess we should head over there to check things out while there's still daylight."
"Feel free to drop off your things before you go, and if you have anything that needs washin', leave it out, and we'll take care of it for you."
Castalia brightened, which made him hide a smile. She hadn't complained about it during their travels, but he could tell that the slowly deteriorating cleanliness of her clothes had been one of her least favorite aspects of the past few weeks- falling right after bathing in any form.
"Thanks!" she smiled, though it quickly dropped as she blinked in confusion. "Wait, we?"
"Whoops! In all this talk I almost forgot to introduce myself! The name's Maurice, and I run this inn with the help of my daughter, Lillie. Got another little one named Melanie, but she's still a bit too young to lend a hand. Anyway, pleased to meet ya!"
"Ah, I guess I already introduced Vin, but I'm Cass. Nice to meet you too."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
After choosing a room and taking out all of our used dishes and dirty laundry (more mine than Vincent's because that man's body refused to sweat or stink no matter what we did), the two of us left the inn. We made our way to the ranch, arriving just as two women were coming out of the farmhouse's front door.
"-couldn't be of much help, Mari," one was saying with a shake of their head.
"It's fine, Annie. I know chocobo aren't your specialty," the other- Marielle -sighed. "Thanks for coming over anyway." She finally turned enough to notice us standing there, froze for a second, then forced a smile onto her face. "Hello. Are you looking to rent a chocobo? I'm afraid my stock is feeling a bit under the weather at the moment. But I'm sure they'll be fit for riding in a day or two if you don't mind waiting."
"We are looking to rent a couple, but that's not why we're here at the moment. We were actually checking into the inn when we heard about the trouble you're having-"
"Maurice," the rancher groaned, a hand coming up to cover her eyes. "That man should know better than to go talking about private matters with every traveler who comes into town."
"He did it with the best intentions," I was quick to tell her, not wanting him to get in trouble. "You see, I'm an alchemist, so-"
The next thing I knew, she'd grasped my hands tightly in her own, and she was looking down at me with tears in her eyes.
"An alchemist?! Thank the Goddess! Maybe you'll be able to help- goodness knows I've tried just about everything else!"
"I-I'll certainly do my best, Ma'am."
'Way to up the pressure, though,' I sighed inwardly.
"I'll be taking my leave then," Annie told her with a nod. "Give me a holler if you need me, okay? I'll call up a few of my farming contacts in the meantime, see if they know anything that could cause this."
"I'll do that. Thanks again, Annie."
"Don't mention it. Good luck, kid," she finished with a smile in my direction.
"Thanks..."
Annie took off further down the road, and I did my best to hold in my laughter as Marielle stepped back, cast a glance at Vincent, then did a double-take, her cheeks turning pink as she did so.
I almost lost it when I felt a sharp poke to my back.
To her credit, she did seem to notice she was starting to stare and quickly averted her gaze back to me. "Your, uh...companion doesn't speak much, does he? He's been quiet this whole time."
"Vin's my bodyguard," I clarified with a grin that miiight have been a bit too wide. "But no, he's not really one for conversation."
At least, not with people he didn't know, much less a woman who was clearly interested in his looks. Poor, poor, Vincent. It was quite the tragedy to be cursed with such a handsome face while being such a socially awkward dork.
I felt another poke at my back, much sharper than the first.
I cleared my throat and did my best to put on my serious expression (which I'd probably failed at, given how I kept feeling the corners of my lips twitching upward). "So, about those chocobos..."
"Oh! Yes, of course! Please, follow me."
She quickly led us around the farmhouse and through a fence in order to reach a large barn settled in a wide field.
"I haven't the slightest idea what could have happened," she sighed while unlocking a large bolt on the door. "They're up to date on all of their vaccinations and were perfectly healthy. Then Spearmint, one of my heartiest green chocobos, suddenly keeled over three days ago and hasn't gotten up since. Now, all of them are sick! I've never heard of anything that could spread so quickly!" She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes, turning to us with a distraught expression. "To make matters even worse, something broke through the fence last night and made off with one of the chicks. It's about all I can do just to keep them alive- now I've got to worry about whatever it is that's looking for an easy meal!"
Any mirth I'd still been feeling faded, and I exchanged a troubled look with Vincent when Marielle turned back around.
The more I heard about what was going on, the less likely it was that this was just a matter of bad luck. It actually sounded like whatever had taken the chocobo chick had intentionally caused the flock to get sick in the first place, especially for how quickly it had happened. I didn't know of a monster in the area that could cause illness, though. The closest would probably be a zuu, but you could only find those in the upper parts of Mt. Nibel or up north near Bone Village- and they hunted in packs. Well, there was that story of a lone zuu that had grown so big a group of SOLDIERs had to be sent to take it out, but I think the townspeople would have noticed something like that in the past few days.
Marielle pushed the door open, and it was like someone had knocked the breath out of me.
I had never played a final fantasy game to its completion in my last life, but I had done enough, and seen enough, to know that I absolutely loved chocobos. Once I began my life here, that love had only grown as I saw what they truly looked like. Then, there was no turning back once I experienced the joy of petting soft feathers and the feeling of a smooth beak pressing against my cheek with a cheerful 'wark!' while at Granma and Granda's farm. Granted, Rusty was...a bit of an exception- not for lack of trying -but the point was that chocobos were precious, precious beings that should be loved and protected by all.
Which meant I was definitely not okay with seeing about two dozen of them lying listlessly on the floor, eyes clouded with pain and taking stuttering breaths.
I felt my heart twist as I walked further into the barn, especially when I noticed one of the remaining chicks leaning against its mother- limp as a ragdoll and just as silent. Admittedly a bit panicked by the sight, I kneeled down and looked the chick over carefully, letting out a trembling sigh of relief as I finally saw it take a breath. I gave it a gentle pat before turning to the mama chocobo and doing the same.
"I bet you're fretting about your little one despite not feeling so good yourself, huh?"
A weak nudge at my hand- more a twitch than anything -and an even weaker 'kweh' was her only response.
"So, can you help them?"
Marielle's question brought my attention back to the matter at hand. I ran my hand over Mama Chocobo's head one last time and stood, absently crossing my arms as I thought about what I could do.
"I'll be honest. I've never seen anything like this either, and I can't make a treatment if I don't know what's wrong. But-!" I continued when I saw her expression fall, "I can make them some Remedies to combat any poisons they might have in their systems, but I'll have to head back to the inn. While I'm there, I'll have to make a call. I think I might know someone who can help."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Monday, August 16th, [ μ ] - εуλ 1999
When the first ring filled the living room, everyone froze.
By the second, Da had somehow tripped over the couch in a mad scramble toward the phone.
It was halfway through the third when he finally managed to pick it up.
"Hello?...Cassie! Did you really have to wait this long to call? You just set out, so you should have known we'd be worried!...What?" The grin that had spread onto his face faded in favor of a more confused expression. "Yeah, I have her number. Mind telling me why you need it so urgently?...Oh...That does sound pretty bad..."
Cloud could feel how the air seemed to still- no doubt due to his Ma if the way she was eyeing the phone was any indication.
"Well, if you want, I can give her a call for you. I take it you're gonna be hanging around at that inn for a while?...Uh huh...No, it's fine, I'll let them know. You just focus on what you need to do. We can talk more once it's out of the way...Hang on, lemme get something to write with-...Okay, go ahead...Uh-huh...nine...two...six...got it. I'll call you tomorrow since it's starting to get late, alright?... Love you too, Sweetpea...Bye."
The moment he hung up, Ma was on him.
"What's going on? How is she doing? Whose number did she want? What trouble did she get into that kept her call so short?"
Da chuckled and grabbed her hands. "Relax, Skye, Cassie's fine. She just reached a small town that seems to be having some trouble with their chocobos. From the sounds of it, they've caught something nasty, but no one there seems to be able to tell what it is. So she wanted to call my sister to see if she could tell what was wrong."
"Oh, is that all?" Ma sighed, relaxing a bit. "You had me worried with your responses."
"Ah, I guess it would sound a bit concerning just hearing my end of it," he admitted sheepishly. "But no, she's fine. She said she'll be hanging around at the local inn for a few days while she tries to help them out, so we'll be able to have a few chats with her before she eventually takes off again."
"Well, that's something at least. We should probably tell Tifa so that she has a chance to talk to her too."
"Sounds like a plan. For now, though, I should give Rio a call."
As his Da busied himself with just that and his Ma went off to check on the twins before, no doubt, heading to Tifa's house, he remained on the couch, both relieved and a bit put out.
He was relieved because they'd gotten confirmation that Castalia was doing well and seemed to be in no danger. That meant she hadn't stumbled into any of the people, groups, or situations that sometimes had him pacing the floor of his room in the middle of the night in worry. He probably had Vincent to at least partly thank for her continued well-being, which, while something he was grateful for, did frustrate him a bit. He'd changed enough for Cloud to somewhat expect him to go with her, but he couldn't deny that another part of him had thought Vincent would still be just reclusive enough to choose to stay- therefore finally giving him the chance to talk to the gunman alone.
As for the reason why he was put out? Well, that one was a bit more selfish.
"She didn't say happy birthday," he muttered.
He knew it was childish, especially at his mental age, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. After living together with her for years, it just felt weird for her not to be nearby anymore. Some days, he still expected to walk into the kitchen and see her there talking with Ma or Da before she inevitably saw him and cheerfully pulled him into the conversation as well.
Noticing where his thoughts were going, he shook his head to clear it.
"She spoiled me," he sighed under his breath. "Figures that this is when I finally realize it."
Still, if there was any sign of how much his life had improved since coming back, feeling miffed over his sister-figure not wishing him a happy birthday was probably it. It was a far cry from the grievances and hardships of the past. Hell, he'd outright hated his birthday in his other life because it only served to remind him of what he'd lost. Tifa had felt much the same, so the two of them had only put up an effort to look happy when the others came around. Now, however? He...actually did sort of look forward to it because it cemented the fact that he'd gotten all of the people he loved back and gained a few more in the process.
The thought of his family served to bring his mind back on track. With a slight smile of amusement at how easily he got lost in thought when it concerned them, he stood and made his way upstairs.
Since Vincent could no longer be a factor in his immediate plans, he'd have to come up with something else.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Castalia hung up the phone with a sigh and a slight smile on her face. "Well, that actually went a bit better than I thought it would. I thought for sure Ma was going to grab the phone from him and demand a full, detailed account of everything so far."
"She still might."
She blinked, then laughed. "That's true. That means I should probably start now before all my free time's taken up."
Castalia began setting up various materials and equipment, humming all the while. While she did that, he turned to look out the window and to the field beyond, where a lone sheep was lazily walking around- perhaps it had escaped from the local farm?
"Hey...Vincent."
The tone in her voice drew his attention. Turning, he saw her looking down at the mortar in her hand before she looked up at him.
"You should go- to the cave, I mean."
He stilled, then felt himself frown. "Castalia-"
"Just hear me out," she said, shaking her head. "We both know the only reason we came to this town is because of me. You could easily make it up that mountain and back in, what, a day? Day and a half? So, you can go check out this cave while I work. And if it does turn out to be where Lucrecia is, then staying up there a few days more won't be a problem. I'll just hang out here until you're ready to go."
It was a sound plan- one which, at any other time, he would have accepted...but...
He thought of long nights- of the feeling of something brushing up against the very edge of his senses that left him feeling disconcerted. At times, he thought he might have even caught a glimpse of whatever seemed to be trailing their footsteps, but it was always gone too quick to be sure.
All of which seemed to be conspicuously absent in this little town.
He would be a fool to think that such an occurrance was mere coincidence, but whether it was a change for good or ill remained to be seen. The point was, leaving Castalia alone in such an environment was a risk.
"You don't have to worry about me," she continued, almost as if responding to his thoughts. "I'll either be here at the inn or Marielle's, depending on what Da says tomorrow. I'll be fine, Vin. I got a good feeling about this cave, so you shouldn't hold yourself back because of me."
Castalia had that stubbornly earnest expression on her face again (or was it earnestly stubborn?), so he knew there would be little reasoning with her. This was especially since her argument was a reasonable one without their mysterious pursuers being factored in.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Fine," he relented. "Tomorrow."
He would tell her everything she needed to be aware of before he left. Hopefully, that would keep her guard up enough to keep her safe while he was gone. If not...
Well, it would probably take him much less than a day to get back.
"For now, it is time to sleep."
If the strange presence chose to make itself less noticeable while they were in this town, then he would take advantage of that while he could and use the time to recover.
He had the feeling he was going to need it.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~ Chapter End
And so ends the first chapter of the next arc.
To be honest, I intended for the segment with Lucrecia's cave to all be one chapter. However, it just seemed to get longer and longer as the days passed until I finally decided it might be for the best to separate it. We should see its conclusion by the next one, though, and then we'll be moving on.
Let's see...things about this chapter...
Ah, let's start with the Bag of Holding.
A bit of game mechanics have come into play here, but I did try to fit it into a more realistic setting. Not too realistic, because this is a world of magic marbles and sentient planets, but, you know, more realistic than "press start to access your [ridiculous amount of] items." A hammerspace bag was one of the best ways I could think of that would allow Castalia to keep up her alchemy work while on the road.
Lilo getting worked up at Castalia's absence? No joke, the few times I've been away from home for more than a day, she's gotten super upset. It makes me feel like the scum of the Earth, but at the same time, it kind of makes me happy to know she misses me that much. Having such a loyal, loving pet is the best.
Vincent was taking it easy on Castalia while they were in Nibelheim so that people wouldn't get suspicious. The gloves are off now.
As Cloud pointed out, he is also more social than his canon self, but only with Castalia. By this point in time, they've known each other for six years, and Vincent's a pretty good guy at heart. I'd say that it's not too outside the realm of reason to have him be friendlier towards her after that long.
He's still pretty much the same towards everyone else, though. That's why he didn't really say anything when they were around other people.
Sick and/or hurt chocobos are no fun to think about. I am a member of the Chocobo Protection Squad (which might also include a particular Chocobo head). Zack will either become a member or become one of the protectees at some point, depending on how crazy his hair gets.
Castalia actually does have some experience in synthesizing potions for livestock. This is mostly due to having grandparents and an aunt and uncle who regularly deal with them. She learned so that she could help them out if they ever needed it.
Uh...I think that's it? Sorry, it's about three in the morning where I'm at, I have to be at work in five hours, and I've been working a lot of overtime lately.
A lot.
My brain's pretty much fried, so I apologize if I sound different or a bit out of it...
Anyway, let me know what you thought. If you've got questions, feel free to send a PM or an ask through Tumblr. I also do my best to reply to the signed reviews. For now, I bid you all a good night (or morning). Take care, and until next time.