By a Fraction of a Degree

A FFVII Fanfiction work by findthetiger129

Rated T for Violence and Language.

I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or any of the characters, trademarks or likenesses from Final Fantasy VII or its spinoffs. That honor goes to Square-Enix.

Part II: Reunion

Chapter 24, The Candle and the Cave

December 22nd [ ν ] – εуλ 0007

When everyone gathered at the Cosmo Candle, the bonfire that marked the center of the settlement, it seemed as though the majority of the party had a lot on their minds. It wasn't just what Bugenhagen had said, or even the rigors of a long day, but a combination of things, not the least of which was the fact that Nanaki was probably not going to continue with them when they left in the morning, wherever they decided to go. No one had thought this far ahead.

Zack was sitting next to Cloud when Aerith reappeared from one of the houses. It seemed she had been talking with one of the elders after leaving them at Bugenhagen's house. As she reached them, she sat down next Zack, with a troubled expression on her face. "You okay?" he asked.

She watched the fire for a while before answering. "I don't know. I've learned a lot from the elders. About the Cetra, and the Promised Land… But… I guess I'm all alone now…"

Zack put an arm around her. "You've still got us though, right?"

"I know that, but… I'm the only Cetra."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I can't be here, right?"

She didn't answer but allowed herself to nestle deeper into his embrace, drawing comfort from his presence.

Tifa was sitting next to Cloud a short distance away and Zack suddenly heard her speak to him. "Bonfires are funny, aren't they. They make you remember all sorts of things."

"I guess," Cloud answered.

"Do you remember when we sat out at the water tower that night?"

"When I said I was going to join SOLDIER?" He asked.

She nodded. "The stars were really bright that night too."

Cloud looked up at the twinkling lights, reflectively, but didn't say anything. The gentle smile on his friend's face melted into concern. "When we were in Junon…"

Cloud lowered his gaze back down to her. "What?"

"No… it's nothing… Though I guess, when that happened in the mansion… that look in your eyes… it was like you had gone somewhere far away…" She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing…" Zack didn't believe that for a second, and he didn't think Cloud did either, but since she didn't seem to want to elaborate further, Cloud seemed to have decided it was best not to bother her about it.

Across the Candle, Barret was talking to anyone who would listen. "This is where AVALANCHE was born, ya know. I promised my guys someday… after we saved the Planet from Shinra, that we'd all come to Cosmo Canyon to celebrate. Biggs… Wedge… they died trying to save us so we could keep on goin'. So we could keep on trying to save the Planet. Jessie and Tifa're the only ones left now… Save the planet? We all hate Shinra. Do I even gotta go on? I don't know what's left, but I only know one thing. If there's anything I can do to save the Planet… or the people livin' on it… Then I'm gonna do it! I don't care if it's for justice or revenge, or whatever. I don't care… let'em decide for 'emselves."

He stood, raising his gun arm to the heavens. Urrghh! I'm gonna do it! Again… Again… AVALANCHE's born again!"

"Did it ever occur to you that those people you claim you're trying to save might be the ones you're hurting the most?" Freya asked.

Barret shot her an angry look. "What gives you the right to tell me about hurtin' others Turk?"

"Because I've been there," her faintly glowing copper colored eyes seemed brighter in the firelight.

"Really?" Barret demanded. "You, the cold heartless Turk who completes the mission no matter what?" He savored hurling the motto back at her. "The snake who tricked me into…"

"Hey, whoa…" Kunsel interrupted, warningly. "We aren't trying to start a fight here."

Barret shot the brown haired SOLDIER a glare. "I've tolerated havin' her an' the other Turks around because they've been handy, and because she helped save us in Midgar, but if she's gonna start lecturin' me on hurtin' others, she'd better be willin' to take some #$% in return."

"Do you want to know why my eyes glow Barret?" Freya growled, her tone dangerously low. "I can tell you if you'd like, and then maybe I could start telling you about the last true leader of AVALANCHE and how he nearly destroyed the Planet because he didn't care about the people who got in his way. Shinra's done terrible things. I've done terrible things for them, but AVALANCHE is no better. If you intend to keep fighting under that name, you should know what it stands for."

Zack stood up at that moment. "What's with you guys? Come on, let's calm down, take a deep breath and chill out. Okay? It's been a long day, and we're probably all tired, right?"

Barret gave the Turk one last glare and then he stalked off towards the inn.

Kunsel let out a breath of relief. "I was worried for a second there." He gave the lady Turk a serious look. "Still, that's not like you Freya. You sure it was a good idea, trying to bring up Fuhito to him?" Zack privately agreed. Barret was touchy at the best of times. Everyone resumed their seats now that the current leader of AVALANCHE had left.

"If not now, when?" Freya said sadly. "What he says about Shinra may as well be true, but AVALANCHE is no more innocent. SOLDIER. The Ravens. Mako. Zirconiaide. Fuhito. Hojo. AVALANCHE. Shinra. What is it all? What difference does it make?"

"I don't know," Kunsel said. "But right now, that's neither here nor there. We're not blowing up any reactors, and we're not fighting any wars. We're just trying to stop one man before he does any more damage, right?"

The Turk thought about his words for a minute and let out a dejected sigh. "You're right. I'm sorry. I guess Bugenhagen was right too, looking at the big picture too much can make you lose perspective a little."

"Maybe." Kunsel offered her a comforting smile.

Yuffie yawned and stretched dramatically. "This place is boring, just like I thought. I wanna go somewhere and find some materia!"

"I'm actually fine with it being a little boring right now." Zack said.

"Party pooper," Yuffie grumbled.

Nanaki flicked his tail, sending off a small cloud of sparks. "…Long ago… When I was still very small. We were all around this flame…" He shook his head. "No, never mind…"

"What happened?" Cloud asked.

The red lion chuffed his species' version of a sigh. "It's about my parents. When I talk about my mother, I am full of pride and joy… And that's fine… …But when I remember my father, my heart is full of anger…"

The voice of an older man carried over the sound of the crackling bonfire. "…You really can't forgive your father…?"

Everyone looked up to see Bugenhagen floating over towards the flame, stopping just outside the brightest circle of light. Nanaki's eyes narrowed at the thought. "Of course not. He…left mother for dead. When the Gi tribe attacked, he ran off by himself, leaving mother and the people of the Canyon!"

Bugenhagen remained calm as he regarded his adopted grandson, until the red lion finished, and then spoke, his voice grave and solemn. "…Come, Nanaki. There's something you should see."

Nanaki looked back at his grandfather in surprise as the old man continued. "The place may be dangerous." He turned to Zack. "Would you and one other person come with us?"

Zack stood. This seemed like it was important. "All right. Cloud, you wanna come?"

"Okay. Where are we going?" Obviously glad for an excuse to get away from the tense mood that had developed around the Candle, Cloud followed him and Nanaki as they stepped off the small platform around the fire and after the departing old man.

The two of them followed Nanaki and Bugenhagen up the stairs and into the entrance of one of the upper caves. Blinking to allow their eyes to adjust in the different light, they saw the old man standing by a sealed blast door, constructed of steel plates. He spoke again as they approached. "Ho ho hoo. Shall we go?"

He reached behind him, opening a panel that contained a switch. Upon hitting it, the steel plates slid open, revealing a tunnel descending deeper into the cave. The older man gestured that they walk ahead of him. "All right. Come in, come in!"

Nanaki gave his adopted grandfather a curious look. "Hey, aren't you going with us, Grandpa?"

Bugenhagen shook his head. "What are you crazy? It's dangerous in there, I told you that! You want an old man like me to go first? I'll be right behind you."

Nanaki sniffed at the entrance and Zack and Cloud exchanged looks before they carefully followed the red lion down the tunnel. They soon came to a pit that seemed to drop through a series of platforms. Nanaki, or a SOLDIER wouldn't have any trouble negotiating them, though a normal person would have had to make do with the series of ropes and ladders that connected them. It still took the three of them some time to work their way down to the bottom, while Bugenhagen floated after them, but eventually, they found themselves on the floor of the pit surrounded by walls that had become strangely luminescent, rendering lanterns and flashlights unnecessary.

As they walked deeper into the cave, Zack listened intently for any sounds of movement before asking "What's so special about this place?"

"You'll see when we get there." The old man's voice echoed off the cave walls. They proceeded further past the veins of glowing silt and their boots crunched along the floor of the tunnel, competing with the sound of dripping water some distance away. He looked over at Cloud when he heard something creaking near where he stood and saw his blonde-haired friend looking down at what appeared to be a skeleton at his feet. Cloud edged around the thing, just as alert, before going for his regular sword. Zack decided he had the same opinion and unhitched the Buster from his harness. He'd done enough spelunking as a SOLDIER to be able to tell there was a reason this place had been sealed with steel plates. There was something hostile in this cave. Neither of them were about to be taken unawares.

Up ahead, Nanaki dodged to the side when something lunged from the shadows and Cloud leapt into action, quickly impaling it before it could strike again. As it fell to the ground, the blonde swordsman drew a breath and forced himself to relax before the three in the front got closer to the animal to take a good look. Like Nanaki it appeared to walk on four legs, but seemed to be covered in bony spikes. "Whoa, what is this thing?" Zack asked.

Bugenhagen approached it to take a look. "Ho ho hooo, everyone here's a ghost of the Gi Tribe, killed in a certain battle."

"A certain battle…?" Nanaki asked.

Bugenhagen nodded in confirmation, floating over to what looked like a small rock and pressing on it. They heard a click and another tunnel opened before them which Bugenhagen floated towards. "The vengeful spirits of the Gi didn't disappear, and couldn't return to the Lifestream…" He paused, trying to decide whether to explain further, but decided against it. "We still have far to go. Ho ho hooo." He ushered them down the tunnel in which he was standing.

As they walked further into the cave, Zack found that the glowing lines of silt in the walls were becoming less, and they were walking over deep pools of water. Steam wafted over them as they crossed over a series of natural bridges, eroded into their current shape by the ebb and flow of the heated waters below. Now he understood why he'd heard the sound of water dripping. Though he couldn't imagine it would be a good idea to fall into one.

When they neared the threshold of a new room near the back of the chamber with the pools, Bugenhagen spoke again. "As you can see, this cave leads to the back of Cosmo Canyon. It was unfortunate that the Gi were larger than us. If they attacked through here, we wouldn't have stood a chance."

Nanaki listened with curiosity but said nothing as the old man gestured that they continue into the next room. "Let's move on."

It was when they passed into the next room that Zack decided to ask a question. "Are you sure that thing back there was a ghost? When Cloud skewered it, it looked pretty solid to me."

"Not all ghosts are harmless," Bugenhagen said patiently. "Some can take control of inanimate objects. Possess them. Cause things to move when they otherwise wouldn't."

"Huh… I guess that explains it…" Zack looked ahead on the path. "But I'm pretty sure that's no ghost."

When they looked up to see where he was pointing, the party stopped. Their path was blocked by what appeared to be a giant web. Perched upon it was a huge green spider-like creature with long spindly legs, looking like it had been waiting for something to stumble into its trap.

"I'm afraid we'll need to get past it in order to proceed," Bugenhagen said. "You think you boys'll be up to the challenge?"

Zack calmly brought the Buster Sword up into a ready position as Cloud did the same with his broadsword. "We should be able to handle a couple of Stingers, right Cloud?"

His friend nodded going for his Fire materia. Nanaki prepared to pounce as Cloud cast the spell on the giant creature's web, setting it alight in a fiery conflagration and its occupant fell to the ground. The cave darkened when the flames were extinguished almost as quickly as they'd been lit, but Nanaki had already dived in, biting hard into one of the monster's legs as Zack and Cloud raced in, swords at the ready. The Stinger clattered its jaws painfully; the two swords slicing it to ribbons. It collapsed to the ground and didn't move again.

Almost as soon as they finished with the first creature, they caught sight of another web glistening in the dim light. On reflex, Zack cast Thundara right before Nanaki raced forward, diving into the fray when the Stinger fell from its web. Cloud raced after him, hacking at one of the monster's legs before Zack too dived in. Dodging to avoid the spider's sharp forelimbs, he thrust the Buster sword down the center of the Stinger's thorax, killing it before it had the chance to strike again.

Pulling out his sword he checked the area for other enemies, but the cave had gone still, and the path they were following lay ahead. The two swordsmen and the red lion walked in front of the old man, eyes alert for more attackers, until they reached the entrance to the next cave.

At that point, Bugenhagen cleared his throat to speak again. "A warrior came through this cave all alone. Fighting attackers one after another…"

Nanaki seemed to be having trouble with his words. "Grandpa… That warrior…"

Bugenhagen shook his head, conveying that talk would resume later. "Ho ho hooo… We're almost there." They entered a large cavern. The path crossed the largest natural bridge Zack had seen so far in this cave. It spanned across a large pool of water, ripples flowing across its surface as droplets fell from the sea of stalactites that carpeted the vaulted ceiling. However, the thing that drew Zack's attention the most was a large pillar that stood at the opposite side of the bridge. As though it had been carved there by some malevolent artist, a face leered out at them, and if he looked at the eyes out of the corners of his own, he could almost swear they were… glowing.

"That has got to be the ugliest carving I've ever seen," he said.

Cloud nodded in agreement.

Bugenhagen looked over his shoulder at the pillar, and he seemed to be in shock. "What is this…?"

Nanaki flicked his tail nervously. "Grandpa, is he…!?"

Bugenhagen was looking equally concerned. "After death… The ghosts of the Gi… Like stagnant air… This… can't be!" Zack could barely believe his own eyes when the face moved into a slasher smile and the eyes lit up like those of a hungry animal before it disappeared, melding and shaping itself into the skeletal body of a floating warrior adorned with feathers, wielding a long spear and flanked by a pair of glowing lights.

As one, Zack and Cloud brought up their swords while Bugenhagen floated back away a little to get out of the combat zone. Nanaki crouched low with a deep growl before racing between the glowing flames, and under the hulking body to leap off the rear wall and take a deep bite into its shoulder.

The floating attacker let out a hacking screech and thrust his shoulders wildly until he managed to throw the red lion off of him, but by then, the two swordsmen were readying their attacks. Zack cast Firaga and their opponent screeched as flames licked its feathers. Once they died, Cloud raced forward, and plunged his sword into the ghost's chest, only just pulling it out in time to avoid being knocked around by the hand not holding the spear. He retreated when the floating corpse attempted to stab him with its weapon, only getting out of reach just in time. Nanaki had recovered by this point and howled angrily. Zack felt a limit break channel behind him before the red lion rushed at the monster again, slamming into him like a red comet.

Just as he'd gotten clear again, Zack noticed that the ghost started casting something and he raced forward, forcing it to instead parry with the spear. He felt a wave of heat behind him before he saw Cloud rolling across the ground, his clothes smoldering a little before he pulled himself up and leapt at the skeletal monstrosity slicing at its arm with his sword. Zack dislodged the Buster Sword from the spear and brought it around from the left once Cloud got out of the way. The Buster cleaved through bone and rotted flesh and Nanaki leapt from the back wall again, this time sinking his jaws into the skeletal figure's neck.

Cloud jumped back in, hacking at the ghost's shoulder and Zack was about to try and assist when the spear clipped him, catching him unawares. He didn't realize he was so close to the edge of the bridge and he felt his boots slip underneath him. Nanaki yelped in the distance when the ghostly warrior knocked him against the far wall just as Zack caught himself on the edge of the bridge with a free hand. He hung there for a moment before swinging his arm up to rest the Buster Sword on the ground and looking down at the water below. The steam rose up from the underground lake, moistening his skin and heating it to a very uncomfortable temperature and he found himself thinking again that it would be best not to fall down there.

His attention was drawn back to the fight just when the warrior brought his spear out in a stabbing motion at Cloud, but the lighter swordsman hopped up at the last second, landing on top of the shaft before leaping at the ghoul's head, attempting to decapitate the thing. Zack's breath caught in his throat when the warrior deflected his friend's attack right before it connected, sending him flying towards the wall.

Cloud managed to catch himself on one of the stalactites with one hand, repositioning himself to push off for another charge, while Zack pulled himself up the rest of the way.

Once he was securely back on the bridge, Zack decided he'd had enough of this ghost and began to channel a limit break. Thoughts of Cloud racing through his mind, he leaped into the air, energy forming around him. Meteors fell from a sky that didn't exist, pummeling their opponent into the ground until it gave a final shudder and lay still.

Bugenhagen approached the corpse cautiously before speaking. "…Thank you, both of you. Because of you, we survived." He looked down at his adopted grandson as he padded over to rejoin them. "Nanaki, you have grown strong too."

"…Oh yeah?" Zack tried to conceal a grin. It was the first time he'd heard the red lion/wolf actually speak like a teenager.

Bugenhagen nodded. "Now I know that it wasn't a mistake bringing you here…" He floated to where the pillar with the face had been, and now, Zack could see it had hidden a tunnel leading to a place that was lit up by moonlight. "Come, I have something I want to show you. Right over here." When they walked to the exit of the cave, Zack saw a couple of glinting objects reflected in the moonlight, one was a staff and the other appeared to be a green materia. He picked it up, rolling it around in his palm.

"Hey Nanaki, do you want this?"

The red lion approached him, observing the green orb with curiosity. "What is it?"

"I think it's a Gravity."

"All right." He took the crystal in his mouth before easing it into a slot on the bangle that fit snugly on his right foreleg, before leaving the cave. He saw that Cloud was looking over the other object and the two of them seemed to have the same idea. It was a staff with an ornament at the top composed of a gold ring encircling a clear blue jewel.

Cloud spoke before Zack could even make the suggestion. "Do you think Aerith would like this?"

"Yeah, it seems like something she would." Zack agreed.

"Take it with you then," Bugenhagen said. "It certainly isn't very useful gathering dust down here."

Cloud passed Zack the staff and he secured it under his sword harness before the two of them followed Bugenhagen and Nanaki out into a small gully that stood in front of a pair of rising cliffs. That was when they saw the huge shape that marked the highest rise, clearly visible in the moonlight.

Nanaki seemed to be in a state of shock. "This is…"

Bugenhagen had paused at the exit from the cave, but now he floated up to pull level with Zack and Cloud as he spoke, his voice filled with the sadness of one who has lost a good friend. "…The warrior who fought against the Gi. He kept them from taking even one step into Cosmo Canyon. But he was never able to return to town…" He pointed to the giant stone figure. "Look, Nanaki, Look at your father, at the warrior, Seto." That was when Zack realized what it was. Crouched, ready for another attack even as his body was pierced multiple times with spears, was the body of another of Nanaki's kind, hardened to stone, literally frozen as a statue in the midst of battle. If there was ever a time when he knew it would be best to emulate Cloud and be quiet, this was it, so that was what he did.

"…That… That's …Seto…" Nanaki's tone was one of awe and amazement.

The old man nodded. "Seto continued to fight the Gi tribe here...To protect this Canyon. Even after the Gi's poisonous arrows turned his body to stone… Even after they all ran away… Seto continued to protect us, and he continues to protect us even now."

"Even now…" Nanaki echoed, still in a state of shock.

"You thought that he was a coward and ran away. But he alone, risked his life to protect Cosmo Canyon. That is your father, Seto," Bugenhagen said.

Nanaki finally turned to look at his adopted grandfather from the rock on which he stood. "That…that is Seto?...!? Did mother know?"

"Ho ho hoooo… She knew. The two of them made me promise to keep this cave shut. They asked me to seal it myself and not tell a soul. They said we should forget about this cave."

Nanaki sat in thought for a moment and as he did so, Bugenhagen turned to Zack and Cloud. "Zack… would the two of you mind leaving us alone for a moment."

The dark-haired SOLDIER shook his head. "No, its fine, we'll be waiting inside." With that, he and Cloud turned around and went back in. As their eyes once again adjusted to the inside of the cave, Zack heaved a sigh and leaned against the wall. Cloud didn't seem to have anything to add, so they waited in the calm quiet of the empty cave, now devoid of creepy spirits. "Hey, nice job back there," Zack said at last.

"With the ghost?" Cloud asked.

Zack nodded. "Next time we spar, I'd like to see how you managed to control your fall when he knocked you back, that was really great."

"I didn't hurt him that much," Cloud said. "If I'd been quicker to draw that attack, you wouldn't have been knocked off…"

"Hey, don't sweat it. You're gonna have unexpected things happen all the time in a fight. If combat were always predictable what we do would be a lot less dangerous."

Cloud considered for a moment and then offered a soft grin. "Still, that was some limit break."

"Thanks. I learned it around the time I met you, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The first time I used it was at Modeoheim. Not quite sure why I got the inspiration for it then, but it was pretty impressive, right?" Their conversation was broken by the sound of someone howling outside the cave. Nanaki was mourning the father whom he had denied for so long.

Back at the Cosmo Candle, most of the party was still awake. Aerith, Kunsel, and Tifa were still waiting up for Zack and Cloud, but Yuffie had called it a night, and Barret had not reappeared. Freya sat quietly a little away from the others, poking the flames with a stick when Vincent appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Where did you get off to?" she asked curiously.

"I was familiarizing myself with the area."

"Oh…" Freya looked up at the stars, a wry smile on her face. "Is it true you were Veld's partner?" she asked after a moment.

Vincent's brows furrowed and he looked away. She almost thought he wasn't going to answer her when he finally spoke. "You probably weren't even born yet." His tone was clipped as though he didn't want to discuss the matter further.

Freya tried to give an understanding smile. "Ifrit. You could give Cloud a run for his money with pauses like that. But I get it. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it." Her smile faded as she looked away from the older Turk… the former Turk? He'd referred to himself as such, but was there such a thing?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the familiar sound of two sets of combat boots and Zack and Cloud appeared out of the dark. Nanaki had not returned with them. Aerith stood when her boyfriend walked up behind her. "How was it?" she asked.

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Zack offered her his usual grin. "You should have seen us though…" He reached behind him and everyone was surprised to see him lift out a staff. "We found something in there we thought you might like." He held the staff in front of her so she could look it over.

"Oh, I do!" Aerith took it in her hands, giving it an experimental swish. "It's really nice! Thank you!"

The two swordsmen retook their seats between Aerith and Tifa and Zack leaned back to lie on the ground, resting his head on his arms and looking up at the starlit sky. "What a day, huh?" he said at last.

"Yeah," Cloud agreed watching the flames.

"What Bugenhagen told us up in his planetarium was definitely interesting," Aerith said. "But I guess that leaves us to figure out what's going to happen after we're done with Sephiroth, doesn't it."

"I don't know what you guys are going to do, but I think I'd like to find out more about this slowing of Spirit Energy he was talking about. He could have been talking from bias, but I'm sure with a little research we could get a more complete idea of what's going on," Kunsel suggested.

"If it's all right," Freya said, "I'd like to help with that. I want to know for sure if he's right."

"That's fine," Kunsel agreed. "It's probably going to be some pretty hefty reading. If Rayleigh's not too busy I might see if she's interested too."

"Still, if what he says is true, it kind of explains a few things about Mako and materia in general, doesn't it?" Zack said. "If Mako is processed spirit energy, then it definitely explains the whispers and some of the weirder effects from being exposed to it."

Freya thought about his words for a moment. "It also kind of explains what happened to Elfe, doesn't it?"

"You mean with that materia Hojo put in her arm?" Zack asked.

Freya nodded. "After it broke, it was tapping into her life force and so it started draining her dry."

"What are you talking about?" Tifa asked.

"It had to do with what happened after the Turks caught us," Cloud explained.

"Oh." Tifa looked around at the others. "Was that… what you meant when you were talking about that Fuhito person?"

The lady Turk wrapped her arms around her knees, in an uncharacteristically defensive position. "Fuhito was the last real leader of the original AVALANCHE. He used Elfe and the summon materia Hojo implanted into her to try and destroy everything. We defeated it before we fled Midgar… Fuhito didn't care who it hurt. He was a fanatic, mindlessly bent on killing all of humanity for what? Restoring the Planet? Don't make me laugh. In many ways, he was just as bad as Sephiroth." Her expression was hardened in anger as she spoke. "I never want anyone else to become like him…" Her voice trailed off as everyone considered her words.

For a while, the only sound remaining was the whisper of the wind and the crackling of the bonfire. At last, Vincent broke the silence. "Sephiroth said he was headed east."

"Yeah. We're leaving first thing tomorrow. Gongaga is southeast of here, and while he did sort of fly more due east when he left us, I'd feel a lot better if we stopped there to check."

"I don't think it's Gongaga that he's after," Freya said again. "What's there that he could possibly want?"

Zack gave her a reproachful look. "I don't know. Just for peace of mind, okay? We'll have to go that way anyhow, since the supply truck for the canyon doesn't get here 'till tomorrow, and we'll have to hitch a ride to cross the river at the ford. Come to think of it, what is due east of where we found him?"

Kunsel pulled out the map, spreading it over his lap again. "Well, there's a ridge on this side of the mountains, and then a river and some more mountains… and then there's the Corel desert."

"The desert?" Zack ran a hand through his hair, thinking. "What could he possibly want there? Is there anything there?"

"There's the Gold Saucer," Kunsel suggested, "But I don't know how he'd find the Promised Land in that place."

Unbidden, the mental image of Sephiroth searching for the land of supreme happiness in an arcade flitted across Freya's thoughts and she tried to suppress a derisive chuckle. "Sounds ridiculous."

"Still, we don't know unless we go, right?" Cloud said.

Zack nodded decisively. "Right. That's what we have to go on, so that's where we'll look. We can have Cissnei meet us at Gongaga, that ought to help us get there quicker."

"Okay." Freya reached for her PHS. "I'll let her know and then…" She put a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn. "…I think I'll call it a night after that." She stood and stretched before leaving the Candle with a short wave. "I'll see all of you in the morning."

It was later that night in Nibelheim and Mao was observing from the rise overlooking the town, when something got his attention. The cloaked figures who had up until this point been shuffling around aimlessly without any indication of purpose were suddenly moving towards the roads leading out of the village. Several of them stumbled as they walked, making noises and while none of the actors in the place seemed to be reacting, he saw a light come on at the inn and a window opening, revealing a silhouette that indicated Rufus had definitely heard them.

In barely less than ten minutes, both men watched the departing figures disappear, leaving Nibelheim almost completely a ghost town, and as soon as they were gone, Mao put in two calls, first to Veld, and then to Freya before returning to watch the village. Someone needed to be aware of Rufus's movements as well, and he was confident that before the night was over, each and every renegade Turk in Veld's network would know to keep an eye out for those strange people in cloaks, whatever they were.

December 23rd [ ν ] – εуλ 0007

The next morning found Zack and the others at the shop, gathering supplies for the next leg of the journey. They were about finished with this, when Cloud's eye caught on a smaller blade sitting out on display. It was a butterfly edge, and while it lacked the reach of the Yoshiyuki or even his own broadsword, something about the lighter blade attracted his attention. He lingered as the others departed, examining the blade with interest, and after some slight hesitation, he reached into his wallet and handed the shopkeeper the requested amount of gil before sliding the new weapon into his sword harness along with his other swords and followed the others down the steps to the main exit. Everyone was gathered near the Candle when he arrived with the exception of Nanaki. When Zack saw that everyone was there, he raised his voice. "All right, the truck should be down at the foot of the stairs any minute now. Are we ready to head down there?"

Aerith looked up to the path leading towards Bugenhagen's house. "I suppose this is it, Nanaki."

Barret shrugged. "That's how it goes. He came in handy at times…" With that, everyone left the area around the candle and started towards the gate leading out of town.

They were almost there when Cloud heard a familiar voice. "Wait for me! I'm coming too!"

Everyone paused as the red lion rushed to join the group and Cloud saw Bugenhagen floating up behind him. Zack turned around to meet them as they approached and Bugenhagen addressed him. "Zack, please look after Nanaki."

"What happened?" Zack asked.

"I think I grew up a little. That's what happened! I don't know if coming with you will save the planet or not, but I have to try!"

Zack knelt down so he was face to face with the red lion. "I guess that's all you can do. Welcome back."

"Thank you." Nanaki walked past him as he stood to join the rest of the group.

At that moment, Yuffie groaned impatiently. "Hurry up you guys! I wanna get out of here and find some materia!"

And now we're leaving the canyons. Not that Bugenhagen isn't awesome in his own way. It's just due to where I am right now in the drafting stages, it's safe to say I'm really excited about what's to come. Not gonna say why just yet... ^^