Chocobos Through the Marsh
"Aqua, wake up!"
Soft hands gripped my upper-right arm, rocking me back and forth until my eyelids snapped open. Aerith came into view, her hood already over her head while a worried look fell across her face.
"We need to go," she warned in a hushed tone, and pulled her hands back.
I lifted my arms up to the ceiling and stretched with a loud yawn, high-pitched and cartoon-like. A faint light from the outdoors was barely enough to keep the room lit, leaving the lamps still on. I sat up, and turned my head to find Tifa gone. Only Aerith remained, and she hovered by my bed, dressed in her cloak and personal bag looped across her flat chest.
She was ready to go.
"Aerith, you don't have to wait for me," I groaned, peeling myself off the soft plush pillow when I sat up. It was almost too painful to rub at my eyes, with what little sleep I actually got, leaving behind a thin layer of crust.
"I don't mind," she chirped, her boots tapping playfully on the wood floor.
I didn't like people waiting for me, so I shot out of bed quick, hiding my breasts and rummaged around for my pile of clothes on the floor.
"What about breakfast?" I asked as I slipped on my leather corset top.
Aerith made a face and shook her head to herself.
"We eat as we go," she replied, and rummaged through her bag, eying the contents inside. "I have a few things in here. Biscuits, a block of white cheese, some energy bars, and nuts."
Any of those things sounded delicious as I pulled up my skirt. I wrapped my cloak around my shoulders and tied it. Another yawn escaped as I pulled on my boots, and followed a too energetic Aerith downstairs.
Almost everyone was waiting outside by the water fountain. Red kept himself busy looking into its waters, like he was mesmerized by his reflection. Tifa hid herself under her black hoodie, her hands deep in her denim pockets while she sat along the fountain stone ledge, lost in thought like an emo kid. Cloud sat next to Tifa, trapped in his own silent thoughts, but then when he saw Aerith and I approach, he stood up. "If you need supplies, now is the best time. A few shops just opened. Best to stock up. We're just waiting on Barret," he informed.
Aerith waved a hand at him like it was nothing to worry about.
"I'm all set."
I thought for a moment, gazing down at my outfit, last on Cloud's bracer. I then stared at Aerith's rod, watching her fiddle with it in her hands in its short non-extensive form.
"Do I need a rod or something?" I asked directly to her. Aerith twirled to me, mouth open like it may have been in her thoughts, but let it slip. She extended her rod in her hand, and tapped it along the cobblestone, thinking as it clanked lightly.
"Well, for your magic, you could use something to help channel it, but…" her eyebrows lifted with trouble. "Finding a rod or staff isn't that easy. With Materia, people just use armor or weapons to store them. Staffs and wands aren't exactly in demand, since no one can use magic, except you and me."
I pointed to her rod. "Where did you find your rod?"
Aerith smiled down at it. "I found it in Midgar under a pile of junk, used as a cane or walking stick, probably. It's cheap, but it works," she replied. "Let's keep our eyes open for you. For now, why not use…" I watched her scan me, a finger to her chin. And then she smiled again, eyes dancing on the bracer.
"Use your bracer!"
"Huh?!" Both Cloud and I questioned at once. Apparently he's been ease dropping, and felt just as dumbstruck as I did.
Aerith giggled when she saw the look on both our faces. "It doesn't have to be a special wand or magical staff. You can use almost any item if you practice. And then when you get a feel for it, you may not even have to use anything," she explained.
She lifted her eyes away from my bracer, and looked at me cautiously.
"Aqua, think about the Planet's elements. To name a few, fire, wind, water, electricity, ice, and pick one. When you do, concentrate on that element, and imagine you are pulling in the Planet's energy into that bracer, to store it. With it, you can use your right hand to unleash your magic once you get the hang of it," she lectured.
Already, my eyes dug into the bracer with concentration. I easily thought about lightning, how I enjoyed its heat and instability. I imagined my body heating up just thinking about it, but was cut short when Barret charged into the group, waving something small in both his large hands.
"Hey, guys! Look what I just got us!"
Everyone perked up just as Barret handed Cloud what looked to be a flipped cellphone. He had his own, wiggling it to the sky for everyone to see.
"I got us two PHS devices, just in case we get separated," Barret boasted.
I scooted next to Cloud to peer at the cheap and bulk looking phone in his hand. It looked like an old Razor flip phone, back in the day when it was so very satisfying ending a call with a loud "snap".
My face may have displayed anywhere from awe to disbelief.
"Are you kidding me?!" I began, hands in my hair. Everyone stared at me. Cloud lifted an eyebrow as I continued, "you mean to tell me you have cellphones here?! Do you realize how much could've been avoided if you just had one of these earlier?!" I grit my teeth together and threw out a frustrating growl.
"We just left the most advanced technological city on the Planet, but you found cellphones here in a town with no cars?!" I gasped.
Cloud then smirked at me, like he finally understood my flabbergasted behavior.
"Better late than never," he muttered, almost grinning, and stuffed the phone in one of his belt pouches. Barret did the same, grumbling, "yeah. Having one sooner would've been nice."
Aerith giggled lightly, while Tifa stood up from her seat and groaned, "ready to go?"
"Yes!" Red snapped, his claws tapping the stone with impatience. "Let's get on with it!"
Our whole party walked quietly through the sleepy town towards the gates. The day was cloudy, grey, and grim. It made the morning appear dark, and a cold chill lingered in the air from the night before, creeping into my cloak to make my arms shiver. Everything was still wet from last night's rain, the ground slippery. Feet stepped through puddles, left over rain still dripped along the edges of roofs and gutters.
Early risers tended to their stands, opening up shop for early buyers. Bakeries left doors open, leaking out the fresh smell of buttery baked bread. I inhaled it deeply and let out a relaxing sigh, barely able to taste it as the scent fell on my tongue. I was going to miss the simplicity of Kalm, with its quiet pedestrian streets, tall brick keeps and little shops. My nose sniffed up one last drag of hot buttered bread before we passed the open gates. The same two Shinra boys were there, rather tired appearing with their slouched postures, sitting at their posts with heads bowed like they were fighting sleep.
The gates led us to a dirt path, which was aligned with stables filled with Chocobos.
Cloud thought it was a good time to take out his map, and he opened it up in the air for all of us to see. We all scrunched together, peering over his shoulder.
"I bet Sephiroth went to Junon. There's ships there, which will take us across the Sun Sea," Cloud explained. Barret tapped his large finger on the map, denting it loudly as he spat, "but what about the mines, here?!" We got to go through them first. Nothing but mountain between us and Junon."
"Then to the Mythril mines it is," Cloud chimed.
"You guys are heading towards them mines?" someone asked. Cloud dropped the map, and we all turned to a young lad sitting in a folded chair, his face concealed under a straw hat. He was sitting beside a row of stables with three Chocobos, the birds still asleep with their long legs tucked in beds of hay and grass. There were two carriages, a long table with saddles, and a couple of crates filled with greens and dried up herbs.
The young lad tipped his hat up to reveal tanned skin, and he stood up from his seat, stretching his arms out in long sleeve cotton under denim overalls.
"A couple of days ago, that's where I saw a man in black went. He stood out in the tall grass fields like a black stone. Crazy fella. He prolly had to cross the marshes. Wonder if he lived er not."
Everyone shared a look, and then we all stared at Cloud, watching his face darken. The man in black could only be one person.
Cloud eyed the country kid and asked, "what do you know about the marshes?"
The kid rubbed the back of his neck as he explained nervously, "well, the Midgar Zolom lives there. And that thing is fast! I'm talkin," he jabbed his hand through the air as he whistled.
"Midgar what?!" Barret asked.
"Midgar Zolom. A giant monstrous snake!" the kid expanded his hands away from each other to gesture just how possibly big the monster was. "It can swallow ya whole! It did that to one of Billy's Chocobos a couple years back. Never go near that place now."
I grit my teeth, picturing a giant snake hurdling towards us. It was big enough to swallow a Chocobo? I gripped Aerith's arm and we both cringed.
Cloud looked irritated, and he scowled while folding the map up and jamming it into one of his pockets.
"Okay, well, how do we outrun a Midgar Zolom?" he challenged.
The kid smirked. "You ride a Chocobo. They fast enough," he answered easily.
I examined the sleeping giant birds, tempting to pet one of them for how adorable they portrayed, their breathing sounding almost like a gentle whistle as they snored through the tiny holes of their orange beaks.
"So we ride one of your Chocobo's then?" I asked, excited.
The kid put his hands up, backing away.
"Whoa! Not my birds, hells no. These ones here," he pointed his thumb to the lot, "are meant to take people to and from Midgar. They were trained to go a specific route. They won't go near the marshes, plus, I won't let ya. Too risky. I'd hate to lose my birdies."
This seemed to even frustrate Cloud to the point of groaning, and leaned to one side, anticipating time-wasting tasks to just get us to cross wet lands.
"Okay then, where do we get Chocobos?"
The kid grinned from ear to ear.
"They out there in the wild! Especially round here in the tall grass lands. You just need some Chocobo bait, which coincidentally, I have here! For a small fee of course."
This whole time, when I thought the Chocobo handler was being friendly, it may have been a sale's pitch. But I had to hand it to him, making money using his birds for transportation, on top of selling Chocobo food to anyone interesting in catching their own, wasn't a bad idea. He had a system.
Cloud eyed everyone, as though counting heads, and then shoved a cold look at the kid.
"Hell no. We don't have time searching the wilds for five Chocobos using bait. What's an alternative?"
"Cloud, be nice," Tifa advised, reminding him of his manners. Cloud rolled his eyes. I just smiled at him, rather enjoying his honesty.
The kid sighed impatiently and crossed his arms.
"Well then, why not go see my uncle Billy? He's got a Chocobo Farm up the road, just an hour or less that way." He jabbed his thumb behind him, pointing East.
"Maybe you can make a deal with him," he added, and he sounded finished after the way Cloud handled their conversation.
In the same mood as Cloud was, Barret grumbled, "best get on with it."
"And don't count me," Red barged in. "I have four legs and run just as fast."
The kid gawked at Red, eyes huge, and dropped his mouth open. We decided to it was a good time to walk away, taking the dirt path towards the main highway. We left the Chocobo kid to pulling his hat off just to scratch his head and mutter to himself, confused at whatever creature Red was.
I eyed the long expansion of plain road. No railing, no lines, just a long stretch of asphalt heading West towards Midgar.
There were no vehicles nor passers on the road.
I stared at it, my eyes following it towards Midgar. The closer the scenery approached the city, the darker the clouds got. A barren wasteland, with dark grey hills and black green smog littered around Midgar like the twisted industrial world that it was.
Despite there being a breeze, the dark smog seemed glued in place, swirling around the city as a permanent storm.
Footsteps settled next to me, and then I heard Cloud's voice. "Let's go, Aqua."
I turned to him, seeing his face tense when he looked at the dark city as well. But then he quickly relaxed when he looked away, glancing at me for a moment, and then turned his back to Midgar like he was silently saying goodbye.
Barret lingered as he turned his head over his shoulder, eying his far away home. He didn't say anything, for once, he kept his thoughts inside, and looked away too, also saying goodbye.
Aerith walked next to Tifa, the two of them in light conversation about the weather and what to expect from riding Chocobos. There was no asphalt road towards Billy's Chocobo Farm. It was like construction just came to a halt after Kalm, the rest of the road heading East all dirt, muddy and untamed. Red leaped into the tall green grass, muttering, "I'd rather have clean paws, thank you. I'm sticking to the grass."
The tall blades of grass crashed together gently, dancing to a heavy breeze that blew back my loose braid. We were slowly descending from a hill, and I just stopped to awe at the scenery heading East. It was a valley, in all shades of greens. There were some distant hills surrounding us, and beyond that, rocky peaks with white frosted tops. Storm clouds moved quickly across the sky, making the sun play peek-a-boo with us all morning. The flashes of it escaped, and spilled into the land like scattered spotlights, spreading throughout the valley to enhance all of its wondrous colors. Far away, what looked to be a farm, appeared as a small cluster of red buildings into the dip of the valley, a spread of white fence and red walls with tiny yellow dots moving around it. Groups of flowers in white and red petals waved at us, their pollen lifting to the sky like yellow dust.
I inhaled fresh grass, old rain and the distant smell of ice from the far away snow peaks.
It was just all so beautiful!
I spread my arms out, and ran through the grass, feeling like a free child or lost in a scene from "The Sound of Music".
"Doe, a deer, a female deer! Ray, a drop of golden sun" I sang, leaving everyone perplexed, but I didn't care. I ran with Red in the grass, the tall blades tickling my thighs as they snuck up into my skirt.
I never felt so free before in my life as I imagined my arms like wings. Every time I jumped, I thought I would glide down the hill, but I just kept on skipping.
Aqua, wait!" Aerith caught up with me, huffing and puffing through the grass.
I took one of her hands and dragged her along.
"Aerith, we should roll down the hill!" I dared. She made a twisted smile while skipping along with me.
"Okay, but first let me put my stuff down!"
She rushed back to Cloud and shoved her bag into his hands unquestionably.
"Hold this!" she snapped.
I watched his dumbstruck expression until it made me laugh, Aerith joining me.
"Wait, I'm not carrying your stuff," Cloud began, but he was too late. Aerith and I ran through the grass, giggling away while leaving him frustrated.
"Let them have fun," Barret argued.
Tifa was quiet, watching us with a distant look.
I stopped before going any further and eyed the lonesome female fighter still hiding in her hood.
"Tifa, want to join us?" I invited. This caught her by surprised, for she opened her mouth, ready to say something, but then closed it, and just shook her head.
"Tifa, you've been quieter than usual. Everything alright?" Cloud asked.
I hovered, waiting to hear more, but Tifa only bit her lower lip and shook her head.
"I'm fine," she forced, and threw a fake smile at everyone watching her.
She was not fine.
I ran back to the group, changing my mind about rolling through the grass, and walked right next to Tifa.
She eyed me suspiciously, and looked to the path again, her hands behind her back.
"You aren't fine. What's wrong?" I whispered to her. Tifa blew hot air out of her lips and smacked her hands on her thighs.
"Nothing. I'm not…," she sighed, head dropped. "I'm not in the mood. I'm sorry, Aqua. But thank you for trying." She gave me a small smile. It was genuine, but behind it laid depressing thoughts she wasn't ready to reveal yet. I couldn't force her, but I politely jabbed her shoulder and tried one more time.
"You've been like this since yesterday. What is it? Was it Cloud's story? My joke? Come on!" I poked her again and again, feeling her body grow hotter and hotter at each touch.
Aerith joined us to catch her breath, ignoring Cloud when he tried handing over her bag back.
"Yeah, Tifa. You can tell us!" she joined, walking to her other side until she was stuck between us. Tifa let out a noise between a chuckle and a grunt, the heat of her anger dismissed when she eyed the both of us with a bit of alarm.
"Ladies, I'm okay. Really. It's nothing."
Aerith and I exchanged looks behind Tifa's head, the both of us pressing our lips together with frustration.
Tifa was a hard nut to crack.
Remnants of last night still lingered in the group, Cloud's story haunting our minds in ways that was left unsaid. I still had questions of my own, but was too hesitant to ask. I eyed Cloud across Tifa and Barret, his attention ahead, unaware of my eyes stuck on him far longer than I wanted to. Aerith must've noticed because I saw flashes of her hand waving up and down in front of my face, and I snapped back to her, startled at my behavior. When she got my attention, she smiled.
"You going to tell him?" she asked, almost too loudly.
Tifa peeked with interest, and Barret grunted, "tell who what?"
Cloud's eyes wandered to us and my face grew so hot, I began to fan it and snatched Aerith's wrist to pull her with me, running away.
"Nothing! There's nothing to tell!" I screeched, and we ran into the grass again, Aerith giggling over my reaction.
"That just means there is," I caught Cloud muttering, along with a long sigh while he watched the two of us disappear into the field alongside the road.
I stopped when we were out of ears shot from the group, and let go of Aerith. My heart was pounding so hard, I had to pat my chest with my hand to tell it to relax.
"That wasn't funny. Not funny at all," I breathed, grateful for the breeze cooling my face.
Aerith was still giggling, her bangs tossed to one side of her face.
"I'm sorry. I will be more careful next time," she chirped.
I was still trying to calm down when she repeated, "but, are you going tell him?"
I gawked at her. "No way! What? I just got out of one relationship, and on bad terms. No need for another one. Besides, I thought you said I don't have to. I just accept it, and that's it. I like how things are. Let's just leave it at that."
Aerith had a sparkle in her eyes, and she lifted her gaze up into the horizon, watching a herd of black clouds pass us in a hurry.
"I know. You don't have to. But…" she smiled, though something about it was almost heart-breaking when she added, "someday, you should let him know, before it's too late."
There was hidden meaning in her eyes, and a column of sun passed over us, shining us in the spotlight. I almost thought we were about to hover up into the heavens, but the light faded quickly, the hole in the sky dug up with more lumps of clouds.
Before it's too late?
I straightened and became watchful of Aerith, almost afraid.
"Before it's too late? What do you mean?" I trembled.
Aerith kept smiling up to the sky, but her eyes closed, and she laced her fingers behind her back, her chest up as she took in a well savored deep breath.
"It's nothing. Just a figure of speech," she chuckled. Her voice carried a hint of something that suddenly made me apprehensive.
"Aerith, what are you not telling me?" I challenged, my heart pounding again.
She opened her eyes and smiled at me for a long time, silent.
Aerith?
I reached out to her, suddenly wheezing. She took hold of my hand, and my eyes suddenly swelled in tears for unknown reasons. There was this sudden feeling, a horrible feeling, but I couldn't pinpoint what exactly. Green wisps of the Lifestream wrapped around our fingers, warming up my arm. I tried to Search her then, diving deep into her soul in hopes that it was open. Her eyes were there, open for me, but when I dove through them, and swam deep into a green ocean, there was nothing. It was endless, an illusion.
I gasped, back to the field, and the wind picked up, almost shoving me backwards. Aerith let go of my hand and cheered, "hey, let's roll in the grass already!" She started without me, her small figure lying in the grass until it swallowed her up. And then, I watched her roll away, her laughing echoing while tucking the grass and flowers under her.
I could barely swallow, watching Aerith disappear into the fields, unable to match with her energy. My heart ached, and I couldn't shake why as tears wanted to fall. I rubbed my hands across my eyes, shaking my head to myself over how silly my thoughts were. I was overthinking again.
I sniffed. With shaky knees, I finally knelt down and began to roll through the moist grass, letting the momentum of the downward slope take me faster. My head spun, my world spiraling when I looked up, half of it a mix of gray tones, and the other half, greens. I closed my eyes, losing track of where I was going while I snapped my arms inside with my legs together, rolling like a log.
My empty stomach threw acid into my throat by the time I bumped into a large lump, and I heard Aerith laugh up to the sky. I collapsed on top of her back, laughing with her, the both of us catching our breaths.
"I don't feel good," I groaned in between chuckles.
"I'm dizzy," Aerith heaved, and then laughed again. The two of us rolled onto our backs and spread out our arms and legs like starfish. Nothing but dark lumps loomed over us. The sky grumbled, a growl of thunder across the sky, and then a gust of wind knocking grass into my peripheral vision.
"Hey!" we heard Barret yell, sounding far away. Aerith and I sat up, and turned our heads to see the rest of the group at the bottom of the hill, far ahead of us. Barret waved his arm across the sky. "Don't stay behind!" he warned.
I stood up with a wobble, and helped Aerith to her feet. Her head rocked gently back and forth, and took a hold of my arm as we struggled to keep up.
That uneasy feeling was gone.
Grassy fields quickly turned into crops of corn stalks and green beans. And then, we finally reached the white fence of the farm, two red barns in view behind it along with a little one-floor home. There was a man behind the fence, rubbing a wash cloth over a Chocobo to clean its yellow feathers. There were a bunch of them, ten in total when I counted how many of the giant birds loitered inside the large pen. A couple of Chocobos squealed, kicking their legs and flapping their feathers when they sensed us. The fella in there turned his head to watch us approach, and stopped cleaning.
"What a rarity. A couple of adventures all the way out here?" the man began, smiling lovely crooked teeth at us while his dark face hid under a straw hat. He was an older man, with darker skin that wrinkles easily when he smiled, and thick arms with white hairs. His brown eyes were friendly when he looked at us while draping an arm casually over the fence.
"Hi!" I started, waving at him. "Are you Billy?!"
This pleased the man, for he chuckled and looked at all of us like we were eager school children.
"That's right! Well, you must've met my nephew, Dave. Great kid. He takes the easier tamed Chocobos from here and makes a good business taking people in between Kalm and Midgar. So, what brings you all the way out here?"
We all looked at each other, unsure who should begin or what to say. Cloud seemed hesitant, not superb at interacting with strangers, which left me stepping out and blurting, "we were wondering if we could rent five Chocobos from you."
Billy shoved his rag into his pocket halfway, its tail end hanging out, and had his eyebrows raised.
"Is that so? You a bunch of tourists wanting to experience riding a Chocobo or somethin? What's going on?" He looked like someone who could smell bullshit a mile away, so I stuck with the hard truth.
"We need to cross the marsh," and left it at that when I watched Billy's face twisted with displeasure.
He gripped his hands along the fence and really looked at us hard.
"Really? Well…" he turned to look at the ten Chocobos behind him, all appearing comfortable and safe. Some of them dug their beaks into their wings, nipping at bugs or an itch. Others stared at each other and trilled, like they were talking to each other. A few sat comfortably in the grass, their eyes closed, peaceful.
"It's a shame the main way South is through the mines. I sure wish Shinra would build a highway between Midgar and Junon already so I don't have ta send these poor birds out through the marsh. Well, no use wishing that now…" the farmer fell into his thoughts, too kind to directly say no but obviously uncomfortable.
Cloud bounced in, "we just need to cross the marsh, and then we will let the Chocobos go. We'd pay you, of course."
Billy smacked his hand on the fence and twisted his face at Cloud.
"I don't care about the money. Chocobos are wonderful creatures. They don't deserve to be put in danger with giant ass snakes prowling the marsh. No, forget it!" And he turned around, his back to us to walk away.
Troubled looks exchanged in the group, but I quickly rushed to the fence, and swung a leg over it.
"Sir, wait! Please!"
"Aqua!" Aerith and Cloud gasped at once.
I climbed over the fence, running up to Billy.
"Please! If you don't lend us a Chocobo, then we are just going to cross the marsh anyway!" I argued.
Billy turned around enough to peer at me, and then he stopped, just to point back West and mumbled, "if ya'll go back, it would be about a two day trek on foot to head over those mountains by Midgar. There's a rugged path through there. Take that instead!"
Two days was already too much. We were falling behind Sephiroth's trail because of me. It displeased me to hang more guilt over my head. I was running out of ways to pursue Billy, when suddenly my braid got yanked so hard, I yelped. I twirled around, and a Chocobo was chewing the ends of my hair.
"No! My hair is not food!" I yanked my hair out of its beak, only to just feel it snip at my cloak, experiencing its fine silk with its tiny teeth. I grew frustrated, pulling my cloak till the bird let go, only just so it went back to my hair and began yanking it again.
Tears streamed down my cheeks from the painful tugs, when unexpectedly, I heard Billy's old voice rattle with laughter. He smacked his thighs, cackling a few feet away while I struggled to keep my hair away from the hungry Chocobo.
"She likes you! That one does!" he smirked.
I growled while its beak nitpicked my cloak again, and then she head butted me so hard from behind, I stumbled forward with a yelp, hands in the grass.
Billy almost collapsed in the trim grass, laughing to the high heavens.
"Okay, okay!" he calmed down some while wiping tears from his eyes with a flick from his finger.
"Well, geez, a pretty lady like you going through the marsh doesn't sound too safe," he began, eying me with a different look in his eyes. I stiffened, feeling the Chocobo gnawing at the end of my hair like it was hay. Billy looked over me at the group, muttering, "quite a few of you poor ladies. What about that fella with the sword? He can probably fight a Midgar Zolom with that thing, can't he?"
I pointed my thumb at Cloud carelessly. "Oh him? Nah, he just carries that thing around." I lowered my voice when I added, "doing it for the ladies, ya know? He thinks it makes him look cool."
"You don't say?" Billy gasped, like he actually found that intriguing.
I looked over my shoulder, and like he heard me, Cloud crossed his arms and simmered. Red stayed partially hidden in the tall grass, but I could see his shoulders shaking as he laughed silently to himself.
Billy smiled up at the Chocobo next to me, and put his hands on his hips.
"Well, okay. Fine then. If you gets you ladies safe and sound, I will lend you five Chocobos…" he glanced down at his fingers and began counting silently. "For a thousand gill each." He stuck his hand out in the air towards me, hanging there.
Without thought, I sang, "deal!" And I shook his hand.
My ears picked up Cloud groaning loudly behind me. I turned around to face him as I pulled my hair free from the Chocobo.
"Cloud, could you pay Billy Five thousand gil, please?" I couldn't look at him straight in the eyes, and gladly dodged his glare while he smashed his teeth together.
"Fine," Cloud growled, his shoulders up with balled fist at his sides.
Billy chuckled to himself as he walked to the end of the fence, hand out while Cloud dug into his money pouch rather roughly.
"But it ain't my problem if none of them Chocobos don't like you. I just herded them up this morning, so they still wild," he explained. Cloud put a generous pile of coin in the man's dark hand.
Billy grinned widely and gestured everyone into the pen.
"Hop over if you want to. Find yourself a Chocobo while I go fetch some herbs. Oh, and no saddles! Just reins!" The farmer whistled to himself, counting the Gil in his hand while his eyes danced, and then he skipped away into the barn.
I flashed a too big of smile at Cloud when he tried to burn my face with his intense stare.
"Persuasive, but your haggling needs work," he grumbled.
Tifa jumped over the fence with ease, a real smile on her face for the first time today. "We got Chocobos didn't we? Let's find one!" she said.
Aerith took the gate route and pushed it open for her and Barret to enter, while Cloud looped a leg over.
"You've ever ridden a Chocobo before?" I asked him after he jumped down next to me.
"No. This will be the first time," he replied, and then he was watching something above my head. Before I could ask or turn around, my hair was pulled back yet again, and I cried.
Farmer Billy handed me my own leather rein, and some herbs to help that one Chocobo stop eating my hair. The giant bird gladly ate out of my palm, munching away the leaves until my hand was soaked from its saliva. I made a face at my hand and kept my whining to myself, instead, shifting my focus on how the others were getting along with their own Chocobos. Red waited patiently outside the fence, probably asleep in the grass, hiding in its height. Every Chocobo that Barret neared, fluttered away, intimidated by not only his gun arm appearance, but also his nervous energy.
"Come on, birdies! Just eat some damn herbs!" he cursed.
Cloud watched with amusement, his own Chocobo relaxed as he rubbed under the belly of its neck to soothe it.
Tifa was already sitting atop of hers, getting the hang of where her legs should go and wrapped a leather reign around its neck. She tried to steer it in a direction, but it fought her, squawking.
Aerith was busy letting her Chocobo munch on herbs she laid in the grass, rubbing her fingers down its neck and mashing her face into its feathers with a large smile.
When I sensed Cloud close by, I squinted at him and then turned back to smile at the others.
"They all look to be enjoying themselves," I began.
Cloud guided his Chocobo up close to mine by gently tugging on its rein, and released it. He regarded the group, and smirked.
"Yeah. This is entertaining. Especially Barret!" We chuckled together while watching Barret slow his footwork, taking a calmer approach to the Chocobos while a hefty pile of herbs laid in both his hands.
I turned to Cloud. "Did you name your Chocobo?" I asked.
He lifted an eyebrow and scoffed. "What? No! Did you?"
I blushed, and yanked my cloak out of my Chocobo's mouth again. She must've finished her herbs.
"Butters!" I rang, pleased with the name. Right on cue, Butters jabbed me between my shoulders with her head, like before, and I wobbled forward, right into Cloud.
"You okay?" He asked as he caught me falling into his chest, and I quickly pushed away, growing hot again.
"Yes! I'm fine," I said a little too loudly, straightening as tight as a pole.
Cloud smirked. "You're a goof."
I glared at him, disliking this nickname he's given me. I then wondered if this was a good time as any to ask him what's been troubling me.
"Cloud…" I began. He sensed the seriousness in my voice, his smirk gone, and waited. I hid myself deeper into my cloak, and took a deep breath while Butters brushed her feathers against my shoulder.
"Your story about your past. It's got me thinking…."
I sucked in a quick breath, and then my eyes began to burn up. I blinked, trying to calm myself, so I decided to watch my fingers dig into Butters's soft feathers. They were yellow and fluffy, tickling the tips of my fingers till I could feel the tiny spines of each feather right atop soft skin. I could feel the Chocobo inhale, expanding her ribs with her lungs beneath my hands.
"You must've wanted to be a hero so badly…" I paused, indecisive to turn around or not. I decided not to, and kept just using the feathers as a distraction.
"That you were even willing to leave your Mom, your only family, your home, even the girl you loved, all of that behind."
I wanted to bury my face into the feathers, disappear into them.
Instead, I took another deep breath, and gathered enough courage to turn around and politely smile over my shoulder at Cloud. I left one hand still in the feathers, therapeutic for my fingers as I asked him, "well, was it worth it?"
A thunderous storm was making its way to us, a beautiful background of black and grey behind Cloud when he blinked to my question. He seemed stunned, a hand on his hip with a grunt. He looked away, to let himself also get distracted by the growing storm.
"No…" A sad truth fell from his lips, and my eyes grew. I've seen leaks of it here and there, the real Cloud almost appearing like a mirage, you almost questioned yourself if you saw it. But there he was, finally being truthful.
I was speechless.
A far away boom of thunder gave warning. Butters squealed in fear and became restless, her wings fluttering my hand off. This pulled Cloud away from conversation, what with the storm demanding our attention.
"We better hurry. I don't think the Chocobos want to be caught in that storm," he warned.
I rubbed my hands through Butters's feathers to calm her till her wings relaxed.
Cloud was ready to leave, but I had to ask him one last question.
"What happened after that?" I threw over my shoulder. I tried to make it all sound casual, but that question had been burning in my thoughts.
One step away and then he stopped.
"After what?" he asked.
"That Nibelheim incident? What did you do for the next five years after that? It sounds like you only just got to Midgar recently, having your reunion with Tifa. So what did you do before that?"
Cloud collected the reins of his Chocobo in his hands, his back turned to me.
A flash of lightning lit up the whole field, and then a cackling roar erupted across the sky.
"Nothing," Cloud's voice fell when he said it. It seemed the real Cloud disappeared in that flash of lightning.
I watched him, hoping there was more, but instead, he walked away, his Chcocobo walking along beside him with its head bowed slightly, like it didn't like what it saw.
With his free hand, Cloud rubbed at his temple, and I feared he was about to tumble into another attack. But he didn't. Instead, he shook his head to himself, mingling in his thoughts, and dropped his hand. Collected again.
Five years of nothing, huh?
I sucked in a shaky breath, and looked up to the sky like something or someone was watching me, but found nothing but a storm.
Aerith and I waved good bye to Farmer Billy. The first few rain drops began to speckle over us, hurrying our pace when we left the Chocobo farm.
"Be careful!" the farmer shouted, his raspy voice echoed across the grass and through a few apple trees.
I shifted a little uncomfortably atop of Butters, her feathers rammed up into my skirt like I was sitting over a pillow, and wished for a saddle. Barret finally found a Chocobo feisty enough to put up with him, and I watched the big man struggle to take in control, pulling on his reins with effort as his Chocobo tried to run the opposite direction.
"Okay, let's get this part over with before I lose my Chocobo!" Barret rattled.
Cloud's Chocobo moved with ease, its long legs taking in wide strides with nimble effort, its step light. Aerith steered her Chocobo next to mine, and it trilled with Butters till they butted heads.
Aerith giggled at the site. "I think they like each other."
I forced a smile, and watched Tifa move hers up close, using her legs to steer rather than the reins.
"Are we all here?" she asked.
Red rushed in, his paws sticking into the wet grass.
"I'm ready. Let's go," he demanded.
Cloud kicked his Chocobo on its sides, and he began to take it South. We all followed, our Chocobos all huddled together closely as a group, the roaring of their feet slamming into the wet grass with a sloppy sound. Rain grew heavier.
I slipped my hood over my head, holding tight to my reins while following Cloud. The Chocobos were quick, running like they were leaping, legs long as an ostrich's. Soon, the grassy fields began to liquify, or better yet, sink, more water showing up until it splashed up my legs. Fog began to collect, growing thicker and white until the valley disappeared behind us.
"We're here in the marsh!" Cloud was saying. "Stay close!"
I took in too many deep breaths, trying to stay calm as Cloud's Chocobo was barely visible. I looked to my right, Aerith close to me. She glanced my way, and I could see the fear in her eyes, even through the fog.
Rain grew, until it came in sheets. The Chocobos all squawked together, suddenly restless. Wings flapped, steps quickened. Butters flapped her wings, trying to push her way through the white fog faster than her legs could carry, her little beady eyes glancing behind her shoulder often.
I grew pale.
"Butters, what's the matter?" I tried to calm her down, rubbing her feathers, but she flapped her wings, twisting her head back and forth, and went even faster.
I squinted from the rain plowing into my eyes, and glanced to my right for Aerith before gawking. She was gone.
"Aerith?!" I screeched.
I pulled on Butter's reins, to stop her, but she refused, shaking her head again as though trying to shake the leather straps off her neck.
"Butters, stop! We need to make sure everyone is with us!" I screeched. But my Chocobo wouldn't listen. She just kept running for her life.
"Aerith!" I screamed. I looked over both my shoulders, and then behind me. Nothing but more white fog. I hated this place.
Only Butter's wet steps could be heard as her feet fell in deeper into the swampy land, and I feared we would fall into a deep pool or worst. Just keep going in one direction, and maybe all of us will meet in the end. I had hoped this as I closed my eyes, letting Butters be my guide.
"Aqua!" It was Aerith. I snapped my eyes open, and turned to her voice, seeing her appear from the fog, a huge relief on her face. She reached out, and our hands touched, both our Chocobos ruffling their feathers as they ran together.
"Oh, thank goodness. I was so scared! I thought I was alone," she gasped.
Our hands tightened together. I could breathe just a little easier.
"I'm so happy your-!"
Something huge stretched across the fog. I thought it was a dark ship, flashing pass me, until Aerith's Chocobo cried out in a high pitch wail. Aerith screamed.
"Aerith!" I cried. I steered Butters right towards the scream, as much as she didn't want to, wailing the whole time until I finally got her to a halt. Yellow feathers began to fall, mixed in the rain like a snow rain mix. My eyes followed the feathers, slowly looking up.
Through the fog, a Chocobo was strangely held in midair, its wings struggling while its legs kicked. I sucked in a breath so quick, I choked. Out of nowhere, a massive mouth opened, revealing two huge front fangs, and then the Chocobo vanished, its cries diminished.
I was so stunned, Butters rushed again, and I fell off, not realizing I wasn't holding on. The monstrous mass smoothed pass me so quick to chase after Butters, it made waves, muddy water pushing me away from a screaming Aerith until I fell hands and knees into the swamp. Water went up to my knees when I struggled to stand, breathing very hard. My eyes darted widely around the fog, hearing Butters cry from far away.
What the fuck was that thing?
"Aqua! Cloud! Tifa?! Anybody!" I followed Aerith's voice, trekking through high water.
"Aerith, I'm right here!" I yelled. I could hear her movement through the moss and reeds. I felt her hands before I could see her, and they wrapped around my neck, her face buried in my shoulder.
"I'm so scared! I want Cloud!" Aerith wept. I couldn't agree more.
I held her, and all was quiet except for rain. Too quiet.
"We need to keep going," I told her, my feet searching for higher ground. There had to be raised beds somewhere. We weren't safe in the water. Our movement made ripples, hinting our location to whatever that gigantic thing was.
The air was stuffy, and the heavy rain made everything seemed sluggish as Aerith and I quickly ran across the water, arms linked. Rain drops came crashing into the swamp, the shattering noise too much for my ears to pick up any potential threat, anxiety almost halting my breathing. My exhaling wheezed, like a kid with asthma.
And then there was a sound.
"Wait," I whispered. Aerith froze with me, her arm tight around mine as I felt her quiver. Something was moving, I could feel it, like long waves of vibrations in the earth traveling up to my feet with a warning.
We were so still, I thought we both held our breaths.
I had this horrible feeling, whatever it was we were hiding from, it could see us before we could see it. Tiny waves, barely noticeable, bounced against my legs from straight ahead. I scanned, trying to get a sense of direction in the white thickness. My eyes squinted, and in the fog, something dark began to appear, and it was as tall as a tower, a shadow coming towards us deliberately.
And then it launched towards us so fast, I screamed and pushed Aerith away mightily as I shouted, "run!"
The mass slithered in between us, its massive mouth open to take in only water when it missed potential prey. I fell back, falling to the water as slippery wet skin grazed pass my arm and leg.
Something small and slimy slapped hard across my back like I could only imagine a twin whip would feel like. I howled in pain, my back burning like someone drew a hot blade down my back twice. I struggled to get up, the heat making my body grow cold like a fever was quickly taking course. I didn't feel well all of a sudden. Nausea kicked in, and I stopped to duck my head, panting until bile traveled up my esophagus.
A flash of lightning crashed through the air. For a second, I could see through the fog, noting the tall blades of grass, sunken trees and scattered moss beds. The mountains to the mines were close, like a dark high wall within sight.
The light faded, followed by thunder bellowing over the marsh. It was so loud, I thought the earth tremble.
I had to find Aerith first. I couldn't lose her. My vision was either going blurry, or the fog was thickening. My legs wobbled, difficult to stand as I struggled to run in a straight line, like I was drunk.
"Aerith!" I tried, but my voice squeaked instead of scream. More bile collected up my throat, until I fell on my hands and knees to spill stomach acid into the water, my throat on fire.
I thought I heard other voices. Cloud's maybe? He sounded so muffled, his voice repeated in stretched waves across the fog, and the chucking finally stopped, to get a better listen.
Something hissed.
I snapped my lips shut. Nothing moved except for my head, making sure I wasn't making ripples as I looked up. A shadow towered just a few yards from me, its mass so big I thought it was at least three stories high. Its tower of a head was wide, frozen in the fog with its eyes hidden, but I had a sinking feeling it was looking right at me.
Lightning flashed.
The gigantic shadow shifted, its dark skin slippery looking as it reflected the lightning. Bright yellow eyes appeared, and a large snake mouth was open, two long fangs growing larger with quick precision. Thunder slammed into the sky violently, like a mighty God smashed through a sheet of glass above as the monster grew closer.
I gasped.
A Chocobo clawed its way in, and I saw that it was Butters, squawking madly as she kicked her legs up in the air to scratch at the giant snake in its eyes. The snake hissed, a loud bellowing roar, and rammed its head into the water to rummage pass me.
"Aqua!" It was Aerith sitting atop of Butter's back, and she gave me her hand. I struggled to stand as I reached, and we grabbed at each other's forearms.
I was pulled up in time, barely strong enough as my muscles shook with each effort. My legs draped over Butters and I spun my arms around her neck, leaning into it while groaning.
"Aerith. Butters. You guys saved me," I mumbled, unable to keep my eyes open.
"Aqua, oh no!" I didn't know what Aerith was fretting over as Butters sprinted. Something huge was following us very closely, casting aside violent waves behind us.
"Your back looks terrible!" Aerith was saying. I groaned, freezing in my cloak. I wished for a fur blanket or a hot fire.
Butters suddenly yanked us to one side, and a giant head snapped to our right, its wet skin grazing my leg. We barely dodged it.
"Are we almost there?!" I cracked, still wheezing.
"Yes! Almost!" Aerith wailed.
Another snap, and the Midgar Zolom's head hovered above us. Butters kicked into high gear to gain a few more feet away from the monstrous fangs, her legs sprinting across the water as her heart quickened like a hummingbird.
I looked over my shoulder, and watched the giant snake right on our tail, its large form slithering behind us. It raised its head, ready to strike again. My eyes grew, anticipating another considerable bite.
Through the fog, something shot in the air, whizzing pass my head. I blinked, and then saw Cloud's Buster sword strike into the high neck of the Midgar Zolom. The monstrous snake hissed, raising its fangs up to the sky while it shook its head to wiggle the blade out.
"Go!" I heard Cloud shout, running pass us to fetch his sword.
I watched him disappear into the fog, afraid not to see him again, but then Butters stopped abruptly, and Aerith crashed into me. We both fell and landed in wet grass.
The white fog was thinner, and I saw Tifa, Barret and Red appear.
"Aqua, Aerith! There you two are!" Tifa gasped. She gave each of us a hand and pulled us up. I wobbled and fell into Tifa's chest, like soft pillows, and I thought I was going to pass out on top of them.
"What happened?!" Tifa gasped, holding on to me.
Aerith looped an arm under mine, and together, they hoisted me up.
"The Zolom. Its tail must've struck her with venom. Come on, out of the rain, quick!" Barret, Red, and Butters followed. The rain finally stopped abruptly, and all was dark until I realized we went into a mouth of a cave.
"Put her down, and I will cast Esuna," Aerith ordered. I happily laid on my belly, groaning as I shivered violently while many hands peeled away.
"That was a nightmare. I never want to go through that place again," Barret was saying, having a conversation with Red. I was ease dropping, hearing their voices echo easily through the cave, until Aerith's cold hands made me gasp. She was tugging away my cloak and unstrapped my leather top.
"Oh no. Your clothes," Aerith whined. Her hands touched my bare back, ice-cold.
I closed my eyes, feeling her work her magic. Green slithers of the Planet seeped from the dark earth and channeled into Aerith's body until it released from her hands. Soon, the cold feeling withered away. I no longer shivered, and Aeith's hands felt warm and comfortable. The nausea vanished, and I blinked, feeling less achy, but suddenly tired. I struggled to sit up, and wished to see what my back looked like.
"Thank you, Aerith," I began, sitting up with struggle. She handed me my cloak to keep my chest concealed.
"Now we just need to fix your clothes," she put lightly, smiling. Her arms wrapped around me and I felt her relaxed into me, her wet hair tickling my cheek.
No words were said. What was there to say? We were just glad to be okay. Over Aerith's shoulder, I watched Tifa scurry back and forth across the cave's entrance, white light and rain behind her as she pumped her fists in the air with impatience.
"I'm worried about Cloud. We should go back for him," she suggested.
"No way I'm going back out there!" Barret grumbled.
Red glared up at the man. "He would if you were out there."
Barret was at a loss for words, until he finally rubbed the back of his head and muttered, "yeah, you're right."
"Nice to know you actually care about me," we all heard. Soaking wet, Cloud stumbled into the cave, dragging his sword behind him with a bit of struggle.
He limped.
"Cloud!" Tifa gasped. She rushed up to him, and fought the urge to hug him. Instead, she hugged herself and shook her head.
"Sometimes I wish you would stop being the hero," she lectured.
Cloud shook his head and waved it off, breathing heavily.
"Nah, I'm fine."
But then, head first, he suddenly collapsed, his sword down with him with a loud bang.
"Cloud!" Aerith rushed to his side while Tifa hoisted him to sit up. A huge gushing wound appeared on his ankle, and he was shivering uncontrollably.
"It looks like it bit him," Aerith muttered.
"Here, let me take him," Barret barged in, and took Cloud's smaller body up into his big arms.
"Next to Aqua. You two can be sick together," Barret teased, and laid Cloud's trembling body next to mine. I watched Aerith perform the same magic, casting it into Cloud's leg while he squinted painfully up to the high cave ceiling.
"I'm so sorry," Aerith whispered, seeping green magic into the wound until I watched it closed up before my eyes. Cloud's body soon relaxed, and then he sighed, like he fell into a calm sleep.
All was quiet after that, and then Tifa slung her backpack off her shoulders with a bit of irritation. "Lets rest for a while," she suggested, and slipped out two thin blankets.
I took one of the blankets and wrapped it around myself, leaning back against a large shiny rock. The other blanket laid over Cloud, keeping him covered as he slept. I laid a watchful eye over him while I got busy sewing up the two large holes in my wet cloak.
Tifa was busy building a fire with Red's help, his flaming tail a perfect starter to just about anything dry enough to burn. There was already an old campfire, with two neglected logs in a pile of ash and black wood. The fire grew, casting an orange light into the cave until everything around it glowed a bright orange. Heat quickly traveled into the cave, warming us. I smiled at it while Barret took out a canvas bag from his large pack.
"Here's the food bag, if anyone wants to eat," he announced. Butters, still hanging around with us, chirped and snatched the bag with her large beak. Barret gasped and chased the Chocobo around the cave while cursing.
"God damn fuckin bird! Stop! Hey!"
We all laughed, watching Barret trying to snatch the bag while he grumbled, "you guys suck."
"What do we do with the Chocobo?" Tifa asked, crouching by the fire. Aerith sat next to me, working her sewing skills on my leather corset, and said, "maybe it can come with us. It seems to like our company."
Red scratched at his neck with his back foot. "I don't mind being the more domestic creature in the party," he chuckled.
Butters finally let go of the bag, but when Barret grabbed it, he did so from the wrong end, and the contents spilled into the dark rocky floor. Bread, apples, cheese, and other goodies spread out.
"Great," Barret muttered sarcastically.
Butters snatched an apple and gulped it down in one bite. Barret dove his body over the piles of food and glared at the Chocobo.
"No! None for you! I want you out. Go!" He pointed to the cave's mouth, a world of sheet rain outside. Instead of following Barret's command, Butters dragged her large tongue over his hand instead, and he scowled, flicking this wet fingers in the air.
"I hate Chocobos," he grumbled.
Butters took a block of cheese into her beak and skittered over to me, dropping it by my feet carelessly.
I stopped sewing and took the wedge in my hands, smiling up at the Chocobo for its offering and heroic efforts.
"Thank you, Butters. You really saved us today. You and Cloud did," I told her. I wasn't certain if she understood me, but she closed her eyes and flapped her wings, her beak curved into a smile.
"Let's keep her, please?!" Aerith begged, clasping her hands together.
"NO!" Barret roared, busy collecting edible contents back into his bag.
Tifa disregarded him with an eye roll. She smiled nervously before she glanced at a sleeping Cloud.
"Why not wait and ask Cloud when he wakes up. He's got the final say after all," she advised. She focused back to the fire, Red nested near her to get close to its flames.
"He'll say yes, if you ask," Aerith whispered to me, and then she gave me a wink.
I dropped the wedge of cheese.
Aerith went back to sewing, smiling to herself while I quickly recollected the cheese, and just stared at it, wondering if I should eat it or not after it has been on the ground, and in a Chocobo's mouth.
Butters gladly rested her legs, sitting by the fire near Red, opening up her wings to dry. I smiled at the site, happy to have everyone here. We were starting to turn into a little family.
I turned over and watched Cloud, his head to one side, facing me with his eyes peacefully closed. I haven't seen him asleep like this since we both fell into the church. His chest moved with each slow inhalation. Every exhale, his lips would part just a little. Water dripped from his hair, unknowingly forming a tiny puddle under his cheek.
I took in a deep breath, and thought about what Tifa said a few minutes ago.
Sometimes I wish you would stop being the hero…
Yes, Cloud. Why do you always have to play as the hero? It's going to kill you someday...
What if he had died then?
Unconsciously, I laid a hand over my eyes, and shut them tight behind the shadow. I sucked in an unsettling breath, and released it as slow as I could, to relax while my horrifying thoughts brewed.
Before it's too late.
I think I was starting to understand what Aerith meant.
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