31
Finding the Keystone
Mt. Nibel's grey mountains tried to reach for the Tiny Bronco, but Cid flew just over its vicious peaks. Nothing below but dark cracks in a lumpy land, spikes appearing more like faded dots when I gazed at the mountain range from my window. The land made me think of skin from someone ancient and malnourished; all dry and bumpy, with hundreds of cracks and fine lines, unhealthy and greying. My forehead pressed against the clear plastic, hands gripping my skirt tight when a top of a mountain seemed only a few feet from piercing the belly of the plane. The late noon sun hung high over us, a strange effect to make the mountains almost white like ash. Dead trees and rock appeared as little specks. Walk paths spiraled in so many directions, it was no wonder we got lost in such a place.
The plane's rotors gave a constant hum, blending into background noise as the cabin laid silent. Aerith peered out with me, her seat spun to face mine, and our feet played with each other, lightly kicking and tapping at our boots while just watching the Planet roll beneath us.
Cloud sat just behind Cid, hopeful to discuss a plan together. But instead, he was too busy hanging his head over his lap, a hand secure over his mouth, while he kept dry heaving.
"Aerith, can you cure Cloud's motion sickness?" I whispered, smiling across our little space, to her beautiful eyes.
Aerith shrugged her shoulders and giggled quietly, "I help with poisons, confusion, sleep, petrify, you name it! But I don't think I or anyone can cure Cloud's motion sickness."
"I heard that," Cloud groaned, but he dry heaved again, and rammed his face into a paper bag.
Yuffie wasn't any better. She laid back in her seat, a hand to her stomach, and just stared up at the ceiling, groaning with pain.
Red chuckled from ease dropping, sitting awkwardly like a dog in his seat. Vincent rolled his eyes before closing them, leaning back to relax. Tifa sighed as she sat in her chair, her arms folded under her breasts. Occasionally, her eyes would flick from her window to Cloud, and she would sigh again, sinking farther into the leather.
Barret couldn't take his eyes off his window, eyeballing the mountain peaks and the never ending blue sky.
"I can't believe I'm flying above all of this," he whispered to himself, in awed for over a half hour.
Cait Sith stayed atop of Mog's head, quiet. But the cat doll still had his head turn, watching all of us with his little eyes. His head seemed to turn with mechanical ease, steady like a camera.
Cid cruised the plane steadily, a small window open that let the air ruffle his jean coat and straight blond hair. He lit a cigarette, hence why he had the window open, and also why he flew so low.
"This baby can only go up max, four-thousand feet, but I'm sticking with two just because," he lamely explained to everyone during ascend. The pilot let the cigarette burn slowly in between his lips, humming to himself a slow and calming tune.
Aerith took out her book again, and reread some pages.
"I just don't know where to even start," she was saying, sighing while her eyes poured over that one page of the Keystone, like she might've missed something.
I crossed my arms, and tapped at her boot again.
"Maybe it's someplace only where Ancients dwelled? Like an old habitat? Another temple?" I guessed.
"Or a treasure collector," Cid unexpectedly replied.
All heads turned, and the pilot chuckled to himself.
"Heh, yeah. I got a wielding friend who used to help me with the Rocket project. When it went to scrap, he turned his job into making weapons and armor. But also, he likes to treasure hunt. He lives on some small edge of land now. Now and then, he takes his boat out to far away places around the Planet. I'm one of his big customers, thanks to this plane. He makes good stuff, but I bet he knows something about this Keystone you're speaking of."
I don't think I've ever heard Cid talk so much without a mention of a single curse word. My eyes grew at the back of his head, mind blown.
Aerith whirled her seat to face Cid, and she gasped excitedly, "Really?! And you will take us there?!"
Cid chuckled.
"I'm taking us there now. It will be another two hundred miles South East, or two hours, give or take."
Butterflies collected in my stomach when I began to accept that our chance of finding the Temple of the Ancients was becoming more and more real. A part of me half hoped it would be a wild goose chase, or something that could take months to find. But everything was moving much faster than I'd anticipated, especially Aerith. She seemed to be rushing, like there was only a limited time, though I couldn't figure out why. She could just be eager to understand more about the Ancients, hoping to find scrolls or more books on our mystical race. Perhaps Aerith was picturing a simple tomb raid, hoping to find answers in the temple's possible treasures. I, however, was dreading for a trap or of finding out something too great to grasp.
Tired from little sleep, I watched Aerith jumped from her seat and she took a few steps to give Cid a half hug, her arms around his shoulders.
"Cid, you're the best! I'm so glad you're with us!"
"Hey, hey!" Cid coughed and shook his head, as though trying to get Aerith off him.
"No touching the pilot while he's driving," he grumbled. Aerith peeled back, a small smile left on her delicate face.
"But only while he's driving," he clarified jokingly, tossing her what I could only imagine, a creepy smile. Aerith pressed her lips together and rushed back to her seat, her face white. I bit my lower lip, trying to hide my grin when I found her expression amusing.
"Cid," Cloud began, pulling his head back from his paper bag. It crinkled loudly in his hands when he closed it over his lap. "I don't know how to thank you," he groaned.
Cid tossed the sick ex-SOLDIER the stink eye.
"How about don't get fucking vomit anywhere on my plane. It's the bag, or your ass," he threatened.
Cloud smirked, taking a few deep breaths.
"I can do that," he tried to sound settle, but then turbulence shook the plane a little, and he groaned again, face back in the bag.
A little over an hour later, we flew over nothing but yellow, Gold Saucer's desert below. Long, wavy lines stretched around the sands, a massive golden lake with froze waves.
Cait Sith got a card game going, which Tifa and Barret gladly played. The three were trying to teach Aerith how to gamble, which was amusing to watch. Her big eyes grew, and she squealed with excitement whenever she took the winning pile of Gil across Tifa's little table. Yuffie wanted to play, but she was too busy face planting in her seat, completely miserable. I encouraged her to take sips of water as I handed her a water bottle.
She thanked me, taking only one sip at a time before smashing her face back into her head seat.
Vincent fell into a nap, or maybe he just sat with his eyes close, only opening them to pay close attention to something of interest to him. Cid put on country music through the radio, but he had to turn it down after all of us except Tifa protested.
"No fucking good taste," he grumbled.
I carried a water bottle to Cloud, finding his face trapped between his legs. He was so sick, he didn't even notice my footsteps. I found he already had two rolled up bags under his seat.
I pressed the water bottle's cold plastic skin against the back of his sweaty neck, and he gasped, jolting his head up.
When he saw that it was just me, he relaxed some, dark blue eyes drained. He quickly looked away, rammed a hand over his moist face and sighed, "Aqua, you don't have to be with me when I'm like this. I'm not at my best, and I know how uncomfortable it makes you feel."
There was a twinge of pain, pulling me back to the time I was disappointed in Cloud's sea sickness. It was the first time discovering my hero had weaknesses. With a calm smile, I watched him sink his head back into his lap, his breathing deep and long to help him relax. My hand carefully rubbed at his moistened back, the straps of his sword magnet in place, along with the chest plate leather's belt in the way. Fingers ended up rubbing at Cloud's neck, and his deep breathing stopped.
"It doesn't bother me anymore," I assured him. Cloud raised his head, looking up at me carefully. There was that sparkle in his eye that I've come familiar with. It reminded me of how a small child would react, after realizing the desired parent wasn't upset with them after all. Relief, but also a resurfacing of something tender. I then, slowly, stroked my fingers through his hair, and he took his face into my cloak, resting there below my breasts. He took a deep and relaxing breath, and sighed into my cloak's silk, hands holding on to my hips.
"I have this strange feeling," Cloud worried, pressing his forehead deeper into me.
My fingers played around with his hair, eyes lost at the window next to his seat.
"What is it?" I inquired.
Cloud shook his head, like it was nothing, but then his hands tightened their hold, afraid to let go.
"I don't know. It could just be my insecurities," he answered lamely.
"About?"
"About..." He swallowed, delaying his words, and shook his head again, the spikes of his hair tickling my bosom.
"Just a bad feeling," Cloud ended up saying, gripping me like I was his safe place. My hands smoothed through his hair until my arms cradled around his head like a mother would her child. I sighed along with him, and my gaze passed his hair, out to the sand behind the plastic shield. The sand faded into a scattered field of patchy green and brown.
"Me too," I joined.
I held Cloud a little tighter.
Cid landed just a few yards away from a tiny looking place. But as we got closer, the tiny place grew, and ended up being a three-story cabin when I gazed at it through Cloud's window. The landing was rough. The plane's tires slipped through moist grass, having difficulty halting the plane even when its wings tilted, and Cid cursed as he jammed the breaks with his boot. Cloud groaned next to me as we squished together in his seat, burying his head into my lap. I patted his back, smiling to myself that the tough man's few weaknesses is motion sickness.
Go figure.
A small figure emerged from the log cabin, followed by a husky or wolf companion. A man, probably older than Cid, walked towards the plane, his wrinkled eyes large while waving his arms up in the air, grass and leaves blowing up around him. His wolf stood obediently next to him and growled.
"Cid! If I knew you would be coming, I would've made more cigars and bought booze! And look, you even brought me a load of customers! Come here," the man cried warmly. Cid walked up to him, and they did a big bro hug, chuckling and patting their backs like old buddies.
"It's been too long, old man!" Cid laughed while petting the wolf, a real smile to his rough face. His friend had a similar disheveled look, and when he smiled brighter, the wrinkles under his eyes and around his mouth creased into many folds across his tanned skin.
The man draped an arm around Cid's broad shoulders.
"Still smoking the cheap shit, I see. It still smells terrible," he joked. Cid chuckled and blew a wad of white puff politely away from his friend's face.
"Yeah. Old habits die hard. You only live once," he grumbled.
His friend eyed over his shoulder at the rest of us.
"Wow, you sure brought a crew this time. Come on in, everyone. Friends of Cid's is friends of mine!"
"A treasure house! This I got to see!" Aerith gushed, taking my hand and pulling me with her, passed a grinning Cloud and chuckling Barret.
The property spread out possibly ten acres. Cid's friend not only held a large three-story log cabin, but also his own garden of crops in the back, along with a half mile path to the sea where he had a small dock with a boat. Fresh grass, wild Chocobos and small herbivore creatures grazed across the green grass lands around the site, no neighbor for many miles.
Aerith and I followed Cid inside, walking through a heavy duty metal door, and paused inches from the doorway. I thought I stepped into someone's home, one that was overly cluttered with junk and interesting finds. A large square counter greeted us, jewelry, gems and Materia on display behind glass. Swords, staves, spears and other weapons, decorated the walls. Shields and pieces of armor held up by mannequins, some as full sets.
"Whao! This place is cool," Yuffie gasped, her eyes large at all the Materia behind the glass. Her hands slapped on the counter, mouth open while stuck eyeballing all the dozens of different colored orbs.
"I've been to places with junk, but not like this. Something about this place feels special," Tifa stated, a finger to her chin while she let her eyes wander the large floor of oddities.
"I don't know. It's just junk to me," Cait Sith muttered, not as impressed, and he stayed by the door with Mog.
Red lifted his head, sniffing the air madly. "So many smells here. I can't decide where to start."
Barret wandered around, pausing sometimes when he found an item of interest. "Maybe I can find something for Marlene," he wondered aloud, and disappeared into the shop, a deep forest of rare finds.
Like tall branchless trees, stacks of books scattered around the place. Chandeliers, made up of translucent stones, feathers, bells and silverware, gently chimed when they brushed against Barret's large shoulders. They crystalized into a soft song, something mystifying that brought little shivers across my skin.
Sunlight spilled into the place through a skyline atop of the high ceiling. Yellow light breams hit the chimes, reflecting off the stones to cast spots of color across the place. There were dolls, chests, scrolls, posters, maps, wardrobes, dressers with opened drawers filled with more knick-knacks, and so much more. It reminded me of a giant antique shop. There was so much care put into what went where, how something stood, and the atmosphere was cozy. If given the chance to step into a place like this in New York, I would've easily believed that, indeed, magic exists. Any item, a necklace, a stone, a book, or even a feather, may be enchanted.
Vincent peered at one tower of books, considering each title.
"Wow. He has first editions of Night Horror Stories," he noted, mildly impressed.
Cloud wandered near the desk, and eyeballed the wall of different swords.
"I like the selection here," he commented.
The owner's eyes lit up. "Yep! You want it, I probably got it!" Cid's friend boasted, walking behind the counter. He noticed me, and his smile grew as he extended his bulging welding arms out, elbow resting over the glass like we were about to arm wrestle.
"And you must be the one girl everyone is talking about. Wow, I never thought I would find the President's future wife in my junk shop!"
Cloud silently crossed his arms and turned his head just to grunt away from the counter, while Kirt grabbed for my hand and shook it hard. I couldn't decide how to answer, and just went with, "I see you watch TV, too," sarcastically.
"My name's Kirt," he greeted, ignoring my sarcasm.
"Aqua," I brightened, trying to push out of my slump after being constantly reminded of my situation with Rufus.
Before taking his hand back, Kirt saw my Mythril bracer glimmer under the fallen sunlight, and he gawked at it.
"Wow, what happened to your bracer? Is that Mythril? How did you get it all bent out of shape like that?! Can I see?"
He seemed eager to analyze the piece of armor, like a new project for him, and I nodded. With struggle, I tried taking it off, but Kirt's large hands did it for me, unbuckling its clips and cradling it gently in his large, bushy hands. He pulled out a pair of googles from a deep pocket in his apron, and flicked them on. Thick lenses covered his eyes, one of them like a tiny telescope, and he scanned the bracer at all its damaged angles.
After a minute, he whistled.
"Amazing. Mythril is incredibly durable. How did a gentle thing like you, get it to look like this?" he asked, one eyebrow up. I could imagine some of his thoughts, like what encounters I could've endured to get a rare metal to almost break.
Oh, you know, a cyborg crushed it with his mighty metal fingers. I pressed my lips shut, stopping myself from using such an answer, and went with sorely, "We've been around the block."
Kirt hissed, and flicked his special glasses over his head, appearing like he had one pointed ear.
"I'll say," he muttered, spinning the bracer in his hand. Cloud leaned in closer, bumping elbows with me when he asked Kirt, "Can you repair it?"
Kirt's eyes widened at Cloud, frozen in disbelief. We were all worried the weapon maker felt offended, unblinking his eyes like he was stunned from such words. And then, just to startle us, Kirt began to howl with laughter. Cid joined him, and they did a loud smack of a high-five.
"This kid has no idea, does he?" Kirt asked Cid though his bouts of laughter. Cid ran a finger under his eye to collect a tear. Coughs mixed in with his laughter when he tried to reply, "He doesn't know you. Give him a break."
Cloud fumed, arms tight across his chest while his fingers tapped over his triceps with agitation.
"What the hell is so funny?" he hissed.
Kirt and Cid relaxed some. Kirt then shook his head and laid the bracer gently down on the counter, calm again.
"Sorry, nothing. Yeah, of course I can fix this. But it will cost ya. Mythril ain't cheap, and this here bracer needs a new plate welded into it before I can repair most of it."
Cloud settled one of his hands under his chin.
"How much?"
I turned my head sharply to him, startled at his involvement.
Kirt tossed his calculating eyes to Cid, then to Cloud, and lastly, back to the bracer. He thought hard, his fingers playing with his dark, fluffy beard.
"Hmmm…. Well, since Cid's been so loyal to me, I can give you a discount. Let's say, five-thousand Gil."
My jaw dropped.
Cloud stuck a hand out, three fingers up.
"Three-Thousand."
Kirt laid a beefy arm over the counter, and leaned closer towards Cloud to give him a hard stare, trying to be intimidating.
"Four-thousand, five-hundred."
"Three-Thousand and seven-hundred."
I looked at Aerith, who has been silently standing to my right, and she gave me her big bug eyes. Cloud and Kirt had been haggling for another long minute, keeping me on my toes.
With frustration, Kirt slammed his fist on the glass, rattling the bracer.
"Four-thousand and three-hundred. No less," he demanded, face red.
Cloud squinted at the difficult man.
"Be aware, Aqua's going to be the President's wife, and she'll wear your work on her arm, advertising for you. I'm sure she will put a good word out of your impressive skills on repairing armor and weapons. Right, Aqua?" Cloud pulled me in with his careful stare, one eyebrow up. My cheeks grew warm, amazed that he was able to swallow his pride and accept for a minute, that I may actually marry Rufus one day, just to haggle for a better price.
I blinked a few too many times.
"Um, yes. Of course, I'll wear it. All the time. And I'll tell them Kirt fixed it," I clarified, playing along.
Kirt thought about this, dropping his beard into his hand, like holding a bird's nest, and his eyebrows squished together. He looked at me, scanning my uneasy smile, and then he tapped his fingers across the bracer's delicate plate.
"Fine. Three-thousand and five hundred. And that's my final offer," he finished.
That was still more than I had, or at least I thought.
I opened my small leather pouch along my belt, and flipped it open. The five fat coins of five-hundred Gil, along with my small amount of change I expected to find, had disappeared. All that was left inside was my GP card as Gold Saucer's currency, and fake ID from Midgar.
I lifted my eyes to the ceiling, and sighed angrily.
Yuffie…
I whirled my head to where I thought she would be, ready to blow up in her face, but she disappeared, as though she was aware of my discovery. My hands clenched, and I boiled under my cloak.
Not waiting for me, Cloud was busy taking coins and a few bills out of his wallet, when I gripped his arm to halt him.
"Cloud, you don't have to do this. That's your money," I encouraged.
Cloud didn't even blink as he counted the bills in his hand, his smirk relaxed. Not even his eyes glowed.
"Aqua, it's okay. This is technically from all of our money we've earned. It goes towards sleeping at inns, camp gear, potions and weapons, including repairing anything of ours that's needed to fight. I'm going to buy a new sword anyway. So, It doesn't bother me," he calmly put it, and his dark blue eyes drifted to mine from his Gil.
I couldn't move, our eyes frozen in a gazing contest while we were both trying to figure out what the other was thinking. It took me effort to search for any hint of obligation or resentment on Cloud's face, but he revealed none.
And then, someone behind us, cleared their throat to wake us up, and our gazing stopped.
Cloud and I turned, and there, hovering by him, was Yuffie's hand. And in her floating hand, held five fat coins. She had her face away, hiding her pout while offering up what she probably stole from me.
"Here," she grumbled.
"Yuffie," I gasped, astonished at her change of heart.
Yuffie slammed her eyes shut, not looking at either of us.
"Yeah, yeah. Just take it already, will ya?" she snapped.
Cloud smirked, and took the coins.
"Stealing from Aqua, I see," he mused, not at all hesitant at taking the money, and mixing it into three paper bills. He handed it to Kirt, and the grumbling man took it.
"It should take me till tomorrow if I work on it right away," he guessed, stuffing the money into his apron.
My fingers fiddled together nervously.
"I suppose I won't be able to channel magic until then," I muttered, not liking the idea of being passive in battle again.
Cloud rested a warm hand on my shoulder.
"Don't worry. You have me-I mean, us! You have us!"
His face immediately turned bright red, pulling his hand back and spinning around to hide his embarrassment. Cait Sith threw up a storm, shouting at Cloud, and the two began to argue.
"I meant us, you dumb cat. Are you deaf?" Cloud spat. But Cait growled sarcastically, "Oh sure! Like I'm supposed to believe that!"
Aerith giggled behind me, while Kirt scratched the back of his head and Cid rolled his eyes. It suddenly felt too warm standing in my cloak, and I touched my hot cheeks with my cold hands. I wasn't used to Cloud trying to be more outspoken, even if he tried to hide it with panic.
Kirt sighed, calming the air down. He settled the damaged bracer into a cloth and folded it like a fragile gift, when Cid cleared his throat.
"Ah wait, before you go do that, I really brought these kids out here because they're lookin for something," he barged in. "Can you help them out?"
Kirt eyed Aerith with her book snuggled in her arms. He then smacked his hands on his meaty hips, and smirked a fine, rough smile. His beard trembled when he chuckled, "I'll never say 'no' to more money making opportunity. Tell me what you're looking for, and I may have it."
Aerith opened her book and flipped to the page she wanted. She held it up and turned the book over to show the page to Kirt.
"This here, the Keystone. It's a big round piece of Materia," she explained, her voice a bit shaken, nervous. What if he's never seen it? What if this was a dead end? I could see those questions running fear in her large eyes. Cloud cooled, joining in by resting his elbows over the counter and peering over my shoulder at the page. Cait Sith stayed back, but listened carefully, one of his ears perked.
Kirt carefully read the words as he curled a thick hand under his chin. He made a face, his lips wedged to one side, eyebrows tight together from deep thought. His brown eyes then twinkled, and he stood back after kneeling so close to the book.
He laid a relaxed hand over the counter.
"Wow, I didn't think there was anything to that. I thought it was a worthless Materia. For the life of me, I couldn't make it work, but it sure was pretty," he hinted. My eyes grew, while Aerith's shimmered. She planted the book down and clasped her hands in a prayer when she squealed, "Really?! You've seen it?"
Kirt smiled warmly at her reaction, and nodded.
"Yep. It's actually beautiful, with the color of Mideel's coastal waters, like aqua. But I sold it," he revealed, dark eyebrows up in an apologetic expression.
Aerith and I exchanged looks before looking back to Kirt.
"Who bought the Keystone?" I asked before anyone else did.
Kirt grinned.
"Only to my best customer!"
—
"Noooooo!" I groaned. Now it was my turn to flop my face in between my legs, already sick of our next plan. Cid chuckled, "Hey, I know Dio is a bit of a hot head, but he funds numerous handy projects. Did you know he helped fund for the dirigible project my dad invented a long time ago?"
I lifted my head only a little, finding Cid trying to look across the aisle at me from over his shoulder. A puff of smoke hissed through his lips, and littered the aisle with its cheap cigarette stench when it failed to seep out the window. I coughed into a fist while my eyes watered. Aerith waved her hands to get the smoke from meeting with her face, her lips shut tight.
"I didn't know your dad invented the dirigible. How come I don't see any of those around?" I asked.
Cid was quiet for a minute as he steered the plane over the desert once more. The hot and dry heat easily began to slip into the cabin, making us feel a trace of what the desert felt like. If other conversations were happening in the plane, everyone quickly hushed to listen, all wanting to hear more. But Cid scoffed, blowing more smoke like it was coming out of his ears.
"Because they're fucking dangerous. That's why," he growled, and that's all he revealed.
No one else asked for clarity, sensing Cid as hard as stone. I plopped my head back into my lap and cringed at the thought of meeting Dio, quite possibly exposing myself, the fear of drawing Rufus and Shinra into us like a trap. Aerith kicked my foot to wake me from my depressing mood and chirped, "Aqua, why so glum? We get to go back to Gold Saucer! We can play some games while we're there, go out to eat, shop, maybe go dancing. I've never been dancing before. And I never got that picnic I wanted. This trip will make up for it."
I lifted my head out of its misery and sat back in my seat, considering Aerith's optimism over my pessimism.
"Yeah, you're right. I could use a bit of fun after a rough few days," I thought aloud, but my feelings didn't exactly reach my words. I looked around the plane at the others.
"How does everyone else feel about that?"
Yeah!" Tifa and Barret cheered.
"I want to party!" Yuffie shouted, her hands up in the air before they smacked over her mouth, smile gone, and she slumped in her seat, feeling sick again.
"Just please don't drag me into any more clothing stores," Red grumbled, and Tifa smiled down at him.
Cloud said nothing, his thoughts elsewhere while he looked out the window. He didn't appear as sick as before, his deep thoughts too distracting to remind him that he was even on a plane. I watched him for a few seconds, wondering how he felt about going back to Gold Saucer, but decided to leave him be. Instead, I eyed Cait Sith over my shoulder, and found him sitting in the very back. He had been quiet since we left Kirt's shop. Just mostly watching us, maybe even withdrawn.
"What about you, Cait? Ready to go back to your old workplace you hate so much?" I asked, trying to involve him. The question seemed to have almost missed him, for he was quiet, unmoved. But after an extensive pause, he gasped, and his paws lifted high in the air like he had missed his script.
"Oh yeah, Gold Saucer! I can't stand it. No one knows what it's like to actually work there. I'm not looking forward to returning," he fretted, while a small nervous laugh escaped from between his little cat fangs.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Is that why you're nervous?"
This made him gasped, mouth open, and he threw his head back so abruptly, his crown fell.
"Nervous? Oh yeah, of course. That's why I'm nervous," he agreed, the unsettled chuckle still there.
"Hmph," Vincent leaked, sitting in his chair with his arms crossed.
"What's that supposed to mean, Vincent?" Cait Sith challenged.
Vincent didn't even open his eyes, sitting two seats away from the cat when he replied, "Nothing," in a beastly tone.
"North Corel, eleven o'clock," Cid informed all of us. I could feel the plane slowly descend as I whipped my head to watch across the aisle from Yuffie's window, at the view of Gold Saucer's mighty tree shape. A sun began to set, its reddish rays glowing through the windows and making the inside air cabin almost red. Before the mountains, Gold Saucer's golden plate shimmered in a bright orange glow, reflecting the sunset. Like a second sun bleeding into the desert, Gold Saucer's branches and trunk bled the sunset colors over the faded blue sky and into the darkening yellow sea. I thought about fat and sparkling red rivers of lava pooling together into a waterfall, crashing down towards the hot sand.
—
The late afternoon packed densely with a crowd. Like Las Vegas, Gold Saucer was best taken at night. When the air has cooled and the dark gave the theme park a chance to light up its spectacular display of lights, digital screens, and the advertised "Midnight Fireworks" that flashed upon the big screen.
I stared up at that screen, afraid to find a giant of Rufus towering over me once more, but it showed only advertisements for shows and dance clubs happening later in the evening.
Bright colors and lovely women in tight dresses pixelated largely, their long arms dancing over large words that displayed, "Happy Endings", apparently a dance club where your wildest dreams can come true. I lifted my eyebrows, wondering what that truly meant.
Many people conversed all at once, blending into that annoying festival music. Mascots of fat Chocobos, chubby Mogs and cacti, danced around the square, children stalking them under string lights. Fried food bubbled in oil or sizzled on grills from the food carts, many visitors having dinner in the square.
Vincent seemed scared stiff at all the surrounding chaos, not used to all the stimulation after lying in a quiet coffin for over thirty years. His eyes jerked one way to another, unsure where to land them as he spun, his red cape following him until it whipped around his hips.
"What is this terrible place?" he wailed, hands covering his ears to stop the music.
Yuffie chuckled next to him and elbowed his rib.
"Too much fun for you?" she teased.
He growled and ignored her by giving the cold shoulder.
Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him.
I walked over to Vincent, and let my fingers land on his arm, queuing him to free his ears, his hands up.
"You don't have to be here. You can go back to the plane or do anything you want, really," I suggested. Vincent met my gaze and thought quietly, his arms back across his chest.
"It's overwhelming," he admitted, looking away to hide his vulnerability.
Cloud approached, and barged in cooly, "Why not come with me? I need to find this Dio guy while everyone else runs off."
It was true. Like a pack of kids released into a toy store, everyone bolted off to do their thing.
"We're going shopping!" Aerith shared, Yuffie squealing with delight next to her. I guess she was leaving the Keystone hunting to me, though we didn't even communicate about it.
"Good luck finding the Keystone with Cloud, Aqua!" Aerith sang over her shoulder at me.
Okay, now it was communicated.
I sizzled lightly while watching the two dance off to go and have a good time while I'm stuck finding Mr. Muscles.
"I'm heading to the Casino. I'll look for ya'll in a bit," Cid expressed with a big mouth-open smile, and he wandered off, whistling.
"I'm going to ride me some roller coasters," Barret cheered, pushing his only fist up into the air, and he marched off towards Speed Square.
"People watching," Red stated quietly, slinking off into a tunnel.
"Shopping too, I guess. I want an outfit to go dancing," Tifa planned out loud to herself, her eyes wandering to the Wonder Square terminal.
Vincent seemed at a loss, sticking out of the crowd along Station Square like a vampire prop for the Haunted House exhibit. He turned his red eyes back to Cloud and muttered, "I guess I'm with you."
Cloud seemed offended, like he was some last resort or a displeasing trip.
"Gee, you sound excited" the blond warrior muttered sarcastically.
He turned his dark blue eyes to me, and he softened.
"What about you, Aqua? Want do you want to do?"
I watched Aerith leave with Yuffie, the two, hand-holding and skipping towards the tunnel to Wonder Square. One glance down at my blue and white skirt, my dry mud boots and worn cloak, and I sighed sadly.
"Shopping. But first, I need to see if the Keystone is here. Aerith has left it to me," I decided.
Cloud nodded, taking my words in while he bit his lower lip, eyebrows up.
"Okay, sounds good…" he sounded like he had more to say, suppressing irritation.
I blinked up at him.
"What?" I detected something unsettling, and waited. Cloud pressed his thumb and finger onto his nose bridge, pinching a migraine there with his eyes closed, and he scoffed.
"But does Cait Sith have to come with us?"
"Oh yeah…" I dragged, slumped.
"That's right! From now on, wherever Aqua goes, I go," the cat exclaimed, paws on his furry hips, and he laughed evilly. Mog joined in, his low and slow, monotone laugh almost sounding ironic. I couldn't help but smile at his unique voice.
"Let's go find Dio!" Cait cheered, his paws up in the air. Mog replicated his furry friend, large snowball fists up.
Cloud and Vincent shrugged, while I made sure my hood was hiding my face well enough. A few eyes lingered, trying to find my face behind the shadow when they suspected that I looked like someone they've seen, but I would turn my head, or they would give up, shaking heads or minding their own business.
But Cloud had some stares. People recognized him as my SOLDIER guard, and he narrowed his eyebrows at a few loiterers.
"This sucks," he grumbled, crossing his arms and turning his back to a few onlookers.
"Dio may find us sooner if he knows we've returned," I speculated.
"Well, where does the guy showcase all of his crap?" Cloud asked.
Cait Sith lifted a paw up, like we were in a classroom discussion.
"I think I may know," he tried. Cloud and I considered him, waiting.
"Dio has a museum in Battle Square. It holds all of his achievements, treasures, inventions he's funded, trophies, yada yada. Let's go there first? What da ya say?"
Cloud and I studied each other, and then we both just shrugged.
"It's the best lead we've got," I admitted.
Cloud closed his eyes again and lifted his chin towards the sky of lights and golden platforms.
"Then let's go there," he confirmed.
"Last one to the tunnel is a rotten egg!" Cait chirped, already making Mog scurry ahead.
Cloud rolled his eyes. "I don't care."
I grinned and ran after Cait Sith.
"Then you're going to be the rotten egg!" I sang over my shoulder, leaving Cloud and Vincent behind.
But right away, Vincent followed suit as he mumbled, "I don't want to be compared to a dead egg."
Cloud set a hand on his hip, and gave himself a moment to sigh out his irritation. After collecting himself, he walked a little faster, and demanded out loud, "Hey, don't go too far! Hold up!"
Eventually, he ran.
—
The tunnel brought us to a slide, and I was getting de ja vu, the colorful slide slipping me back into memories of our first visit to Gold Saucer, searching for an upset Barret. The foam ball pit of skulls made me groan as I sank into a pond of them. How deep did the pit go? I plowed away in time to avoid Mog's large cannon ball. Foam skulls exploded in all directions while children playing in the pit, screamed.
"Wow, last time we were here, we went to prison," Cait Sith chatted lightly, Mog swimming them out of the pit with half the skulls spilling across the floor. Vincent jumped out of the pit and floated down, his tattered cape flapping above his head while children and adults, alike, awed over his movements.
"Is that the only way to travel around here?" he asked, his black boots landing softly.
People took pictures of him, and he hissed to the bright flashes, hiding behind a hand.
"Unfortunately, yes," Cloud replied, slithering through a pit of little skulls up to his thighs.
I scanned the area, the entrance into the arena a different place when there's a ton of people compared to the last time I visited. No dead soldiers. No gun shot holes. Whatever happened that day of Dyne's killing spree, the scene had been wiped clean like it never even happened. Crowds walked around the red rope to get inside the castle, the four of us following.
"It's this way," Cait Sith announced. He struggled to steer Mog to follow along to the red velvet rope instead of just walking over it all, but the giant mascot knocked most of them down anyway. I grit my teeth as I watched, people gawking and complaining. Up the steps and through the double doors, we reached the castle's court yard. It was busy with long lines of people getting tickets at the booths, while others loitered around, chatting.
Cait Sith scanned the area, and pointed a paw to a pair of opened steel doors at the far side of the castle beside a water fountain and benches.
"There!"
A swinging sign displayed, "Museum of the Great Dio", above the doors.
We stepped inside, and found the small gallery, surprisingly, deserted.
Cloud glared at a whole glass showcase of golden trophies, probably a dozen or more standing under bright ceiling lamps.
"There's no one here. Probably because no one cares," he mentioned, and turned his head away from all of that gold sparkle, too bright for his eyes.
The polished marble floor reflected the lamps, making the room even brighter as we stepped deeper into the one-room museum. I could easily see my reflection in the floor when I looked down at my face in between my feet. Photos, newspaper clippings and paintings of Dio hung up on all four walls. There were models of dirigibles and rough ideas of Gold Saucer's infrastructure, head sculptures and even a full-size statue of Dio himself with angel wings.
I blinked up at the statue, and wondered aloud, "Do you think it's odd to have a museum of yourself?"
"Not unless you're an egotistic, maniac," Cloud answered coldly.
"Or a brilliant businesses man," Cait Sith pondered, eying a photograph of Dio shaking hands with the old Shinra President. Vincent eyed the photograph as well, and muttered, "Well, the President didn't age well."
Vincent then blinked to a glass case next to the photo, and suddenly asked, "Is this it?"
We all gathered behind him, peeking over his red shoulders.
I focused on what stood behind the glass, and immediately heard whispering. The earth seemed to rumble, and I got spooked, turning my head to the others to see if they took notice, but they were too entranced with what they saw. The whispering enhanced, and I thought I was at the center of a crowd filled with hushed arguments and echoes of thunder. Again, I whirled around, but deep down, I knew it was the Planet. In an attempt to ignore all of its voices, I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. After five breaths, I turned my eyes to the relic inside the case, and opened them.
Like a fallen fragment from the heavens, the perfect sphere spun along a tall spinning pedestal of gold. It was as big as a crystal ball, but aqua blue. As Kirt mentioned similarly, like a large drop of water taken from a tropical sea. Whispers blurred together and became an uncomfortable, sharp noise, blending with my heart thumping inside my ears. I winced to it, trying to put up a front that everything was fine. But then the stone lightly pulsed. With each wave of weak light, I could've sworn I could feel it vibrate through the Planet, and then in my blood, like a deep tremor in my blood vessels.
Wind began to lift my hair, pulling me to the beautiful stone, the sharp whispers becoming a garbled mess of unforgiving creatures. The closer I stepped towards the stone, the faster its light was beating. Like a heart.
"It's a heart," I breathed, my eyes reflecting the glow of the stone. I thought I could hear it beat with each pulse.
"The heart of the temple," I whispered after the upset whispers told me.
My hand reached for it, not seeing the glass anymore, not even seeing the room. It was only me and the stone.
I then discovered, the whispers weren't coming from the Planet.
Another footstep, and they ram right into my ears with immense noise, too many to make out clearly what all of it meant. My hand came closer, until my fingers pressed against the glass. The stone brightened, welcoming my closeness.
Leave it
Many of the whispers finally cleared, as though pushed away. A single one was left, and with warning.
Leave it be
And yet, I wanted to touch it so terribly. My skin perspired, and my fingers smeared sweat across the glass.
Cloud's hand reached, when his fingers curled mine into his palm, and he called to me quietly, like he was worried.
"Aqua."
The hunger lingered, encouraging me to break through the glass. I was possessed, pressing my fingers harder, hoping to shatter through the protective case.
"It's a part of something so powerful," I whispered, seeing movie images in my head, old memories that weren't mine. Many hands, white and dark, joined. Many lips chanted in an old language, droning a song together. Owners to those lips had their eyes closed, and their heads bowed to a dark temple of black stone. It was a ghostly place, an Aztec style temple buried in the jungle. Slowly, its doors sealed shut forever, and a stone spilled out in between them, falling onto a small pedestal.
The Keystone.
Cloud squeezed my hand tighter.
"Aqua!"
The whispers stopped, and I was zoomed back to the exhibit. I straightened with a gasp, my jaw trembling when I turned to give Cloud a worried look. He studied me deeply, his eyebrows up.
I had to look away, eyes refusing to fall back to the stone when I whispered, "This is it. This is the Keystone."
Vincent narrowed his eyes at it. "It feels strangely like old magic," he warned.
Cait Sith clapped his paws, oblivious to the Keystone's dark secrets, when he cheered, "Yay! We found it!"
I shook my head, and stepped back, taking Cloud's hand with me until he was dragged along, puzzled over my behavior.
Cait Sith began to panic.
"Wait! Where are you going?!"
"No," I trembled, shaking my head again and again, keeping my eyes away from the stone intently in case it were to try, and lure me to it once more. It would make me take it where it wanted to go, back to the temple where it originated.
"I'm not so sure about this," I warned, taking the solo whisper's hint to heart. My voice grew when I added, "I refuse to touch it!"
I spun around, ready to leave with Cloud, when I almost crashed into a muscular chest of none other than Dio. We both stopped before I bumped into Dio's thin shirt, his giant arms folded across his chest. His eyes lit up when he saw the two of us, and he threw his arms out.
"My boy, Cloud, and Aqua, in my museum!"
He was capable of hugging both Cloud and I at once, his arms squeezing our shoulders while I thought my scapulas cracked.
"I said don't call me 'boy'," Cloud squeezed out bitterly, losing his air.
To our relief, Dio released, and he laughed. His big, mighty, obnoxious laugh. I wish I could cover my ears without openly insulting him.
Vincent closed his eyes, like the sight of Dio was just too offensive to look at, and Cait Sith waved, while he squeaked, "Hi."
Dio didn't even consider him, and opened his arms out once more. He asked all of us, "What brings you all to my treasure palace?"
I squeezed Cloud's hand, giving him a silent look, and he took it seriously, squeezing back before we let go. We stayed quiet. Vincent tapped his claw over his arm, like tap water in a sink.
"This stone is beautiful! We wondered if we could borrow it?" Cait Sith jumped in, Mog bouncing them both up and down excitedly. I tried not to stare, and watched Don furrow his brows together.
"What? Borrow a stone? For what?"
"For a magic show," Cait Sith lied. By that point, I whirled around and threw a ghastly face at him, but he disregarded my grave expression.
Like an old school villain, Dio's fingers played with his curly mustache.
"Well…" he looked to the rest of us after eying Cait Sith, last with a warm gaze to Cloud.
"Well, ever since you took care of that Dyne guy, it has been remarkably quiet around here. To give my thanks, I could just give it to you," he thought aloud.
He lifted a tanned finger up, "But!" And slowly pointed it to Cloud.
"You'll have to entertain me for it."
Cloud drew back in horror, mouth open with disgust. I laughed at his loathsome look, wondering where his head was going.
Dio raised his chin to the sky and laughed, showing us the bright red roof of his mouth and great white teeth.
"Hahahaha! Not like THAT! Hahaha, what an imagination you have, boy."
Cloud clenched his teeth, waiting impatiently for the laughing to stop, and I relaxed along with Dio. He grinned at Cloud.
"Fight in my Battle Arena! There's already a few contestants signed up. Go sign up, show me what you got, and if you impress me, I'll give you the shiny rock," the buffed man explained.
Cloud crossed his arms and considered the idea, but then he tossed his worried eyes to me, wondering how I felt about the whole thing. Mistakenly, I glanced back at the stone, and the whispers returned, leering me back to its beauty. The hunger took over, and automatically, I said flatly, "We need that Keystone."
I couldn't believe I said that, letting the temptation sink in deeper while my eyes glued to the stone like a beacon in the dark.
"But Aqua, before, it sounded like it was a bad idea. Are you sure we should possess the stone?" Cloud verified, reading me carefully.
I nodded before I could protest, barely hearing him through the whispers. Vincent watched, keeping quiet, but he gave me a hard look, hiding his distaste behind his firm lips, and dark hair concealing most of his burning red eyes.
Dio slammed his God-like hands on my shoulders, shaking my world as I stumbled back into conversation, and suddenly, I felt like I wanted to lie down. I didn't know what to think anymore, unsure what thoughts were mine or the stone's. Dio's hefty hands weighed heavily, almost pushing me down to the floor when my legs grew weak.
"Of course you all want that pretty stone. It's just beautiful to look at. Why, Sometimes, I can't even take my eyes away from it for hours. Ha!" I felt so much lighter when those hands peeled back, and one of them reached for Cloud to shake.
"So, what do you say, boy? Fight in my arena?"
Cloud looked to Vincent, but got nothing. Cait Sith nodded uncontrollably, eager to get it. Why was he so interested? I scrutinized over his enthusiasm as Cloud said glumly, "Well, okay then. Sure, I'll fight."
Dio clapped his hands.
"Oh, excellent! I'll gladly watch you in my private seat! The battles start in about twenty minutes." His hand then returned to my shoulder, and asked me sweetly, "Shall you accompany me?"
I cringed inside while a flimsy smile curved lightly across my face.
"S-sure."
—
"Go, Boy! Beat them to a pulp! Slice them up into bits and pieces!" Dio roared from his throne chair. Purposely, I hid under my hood, but for Dio's request, wore a fake gold crown over it. He disliked the idea of my face hidden, but didn't protest when the battle started. Of course, he flaunted his golden king crown, glimmering under the spotlights. Each chair unfolded and filled, the dungeon-like-stadium full. One show a night, and this was it.
A rowdy crowd of blood-thirsty, violent lovers shook their fists up and cried out suggested moves or cursed. Monster after monster, was released into the pit, slithering or crawling its way through a portcullis gate.
Cloud held out his new sword, the Hardedge. He bought it from Kirt's weapon shop, a great sword as massive as his old Buster sword, but its tip flared out wider than it started. Smacked flatly across the blade, laid a series of Chinese like symbols that Cloud interpret for me earlier, "to cut in two". He grinned at the translation when he held it up for me to drool along with him. In reply, I rolled my eyes, and sank his ego ship.
And boy, did Cloud easily cut each monster in two, just as the sword meant. But as each battle ended, the next one got a little harder. The monsters got tougher, smarter, and there were challenges. No magic. No potions. Even poisoned. It was brutal to watch.
Standing tall after others laid wounded across the cold grey stone, Cloud covered himself in cuts and bruises, holding his sword to his side. He took the short break to take a few collecting breaths, and like he knew exactly where I was, gazed up at me. Across a sea of heads and hands, I held his look, absorbed in his Mako eyes, and noticed the hunger glazing thickly over them. Their intensity, something more than battle and blood could manifest, brought a hand to my chest. I looked away, breaking our connection, and collected my breath while a wave of heat channeled up my neck and into my cheeks.
"Was this a good idea?" Vincent's grunting interrupted. I dropped my hand and looked over to him, sitting in an unfolded chair beside my little throne. His eyes opened, and they settled out at Cloud, watching the next battle unfold while heavy metal music placed. Despite all the stimulation, he remained unfazed by it, the flashing lights changing his white face from red, green, and yellow. But then I observed it, how his golden claws dug deeply into his leather bracer around his other arm, fingers curled so tight while his jaw muscles tightened. When more blood spilled across the arena, I heard him suck in a breath and hold it.
I leaned my head closer to Vincent, just so it was easier to hear his quiet voice in case he were to speak more.
"What? Do you mean Cloud fighting? He's doing a good job, to me. I mean, I feel bad for the other contestants. They got hurt pretty badly," I reported.
Vincent closed his eyes, and his head shook softly, his hair sweeping across his back and chest.
"No, I mean, having this Keystone," he clarified.
I sat deep in my seat, already feeling defeated. My eyes fell into my lap.
"Of course it's not a good idea," I spat, and my hands gripped the throne's fake gold handles, bracing for lift off.
"But Aerith wants it, and who knows, we might learn something crucial about the Ancients. I know I panicked back there, but…" I thought for a minute, recalling the pull to the stone. And then Aerith's pure smile unfolded, more alluring than any stone on the Planet.
"I'll do it for Aerith," I concluded, feeling like a fool.
Vincent finally looked at me, and I found his red eyes glowing. I blinked once at him before asking, "Vincent, are you all right? Why are your eyes glowing?"
He gasped just as he closed them, and then he jolted on his feet.
"I must leave," he announced, turning his back to me. I was left jolted, staring at the contrast mix of his long, dark hair and red cape.
"Vincent, what's the matter?"
I worried him and the night didn't do well together, but he concealed it well, the others easily not detecting it. He twirled around, his haunted lantern red eyes barely exposed through their lids.
Like he had planned for it to happen at this moment when everyone stood up to conceal us, densely, he reeled towards me, an ice gold claw around my hand, and leaned in. I had no idea what Vincent was about to do, half worried he was going to kiss me, but then his lips passed mine, and he closed his eyes, his hair tickling my cheek and neck. His rumble of cautious words tickled my ear as victory music played, his presence brought a chill to my skin. My eyes widened at his words, and then, like a ghost, he withdrew soundlessly, claw slipping away until it dropped my hand. Vincent disappeared through the wild crowd, hiding intently behind his cape and taking the cold air with him.
I sat there, frozen with eyes still stuck to the exit where Vincent disappeared, while everyone else cheered, clapping and whistling. My mouth finally closed, and I swallowed before tossing a careful eye across Dio, to Cait Sith sitting to the other side of the throne. He and Mog were jumping up and down, oblivious to my spying, when they shouted Cloud's name.
My head whipped back, blinking eyes down at my bent knees while hands busied their fingers.
Everyone but me was standing from their seats, the battles over, and Cloud's name chanted across the stadium while confetti rained heavily. Colorful bits of it fell on my busy hands as I sat there, worried over Vincent's words.
I don't trust Cait Sith. Keep a close eye on him.
—
A little after eight o clock, Cloud held the Keystone in a goofy plastic bag with a cartoon Mog on it, not at all looking like we possessed some ancient relic.
"Where did Vincent go?" He asked me as the three of us walked back towards Station Square from the terminal.
My eyes darted back and forth uneasily, still wearing the crown like some souvenir.
"He said something about finding his dinner," I replied as smoothly as I could. Cloud tried to decipher my truth through my eyes, but the great number of people was too distracting, pushing and shoving us. We had to squeeze through, easily losing each other. I tried to get a hold of Cloud's hand, but Mog's came in, and sucked mine in.
"Don't worry! You won't lose us," Cait Sith chimed, smiling his cat smile at me, like the Cheshire Cat. In return, I lifted a small smile, but it dropped as soon as he looked away, pulling me towards the Tram Station.
"It's so crowded. Why so many people?" Cloud groaned, a hand on my shoulder to keep us together. He then added, "Aqua, I…" It was like he was randomly about to expose something, words trying to come out before he could decide. He almost stopped there, but after narrowing his eyes, fighting with himself, he sighed and tried again.
"I didn't see you in the crowd at the end of the tournament. What happened? Does it have to do with Vincent?"
Sometimes, I thought Cloud could be a little too attentive, but I didn't think in the heat of his victory, he would notice. Surprised, I looked over at him as loose hair brushed over my cheek. Even among the hundreds of people, cheering and chanting your name like a hero, you were still looking for me, Cloud? I couldn't say it, stuck to those eyes as words stayed behind my lips.
Cloud waited, his eyes telling me there was more to share, and they tenderized the longer they held mine. But then Aerith's voice belled in, interrupting our silent exchange.
"Aqua! Hey!"
"Uh oh," Cait Sith grunted, and we all found Aerith and Yuffie skipping towards us.
They appeared happy. Too happy.
"Hey, guess what?" Aerith dared, smiling as evil as she could, as vicious as a kitten stalking a ball of yawn.
"What?" I asked, noticing a crowded line complaining near the Tram Station. Many snapped at how it was all a "money making scheme", like "forcing them to stay in hotels".
Yuffie jumped as she chirped, "The Tram is broken!"
"We get to stay here in Gold Saucer," Aerith added.
Cloud's shoulders sank.
"What?"
He marched ahead, bumping into Barret and Tifa in the crowd.
"Yeah, they said we can't leave. It's broken in Corel's Station. So, we stuck here," Barret grumbled when he came and joined us.
Red snuck in between my legs, his fur tickling my thighs.
"I don't want to stay here in this mess," he protested, ears low when the shouts of displeased customers only intensified.
"At least it won't get MORE crowded. No one can get in now," Tifa added.
The one in charge, Cloud rubbed a hand across his head, unsure what to decide for all of us, when Cait Sith jumped in.
"Hey, I got it. I know the owner of one of the hotels here. Let me talk to him and see about getting us a couple of rooms for the night?"
Mog's furry hand squeezed mine as I gave Cait Sith an uneasy stare, Vincent's words stuck in my head, echoing over and over again. Was the brooding man just paranoid? Trying to make drama of having us go against each other? Should I trust his judgment?
Vincent used to be a Turk, one of those men in suits, doing the jobs in Shinra that left one's hands dirty. If he was good at suspecting someone, it may be him.
"Are you okay with that?" Cloud asked me, taking me back to the chaos of the crowd.
I blinked up at him, unsure as to why he was asking me how I felt about all of this. It was up to him, wasn't it?
"Of course. I think everyone could use the luxury, especially if it's covered or discounted," I chirped.
A rosy tint suddenly appeared on Cloud's cheeks, his thoughts wandering until he decided to look away and clear his throat.
"Okay, Cait Sith. We'll follow you. Take us to this hotel," he demanded, the plastic bag crinkling beside him and shaped like he was carrying a bowling ball.
Aerith gripped my hands excitedly and gushed, "A hotel in Gold Saucer!"
Yuffie grinned, eyes up at the rainbow lights above us.
"Oh man, fancy beds, silk blankets, big bath tubs and massage parlors!"
Cait Sith held an uneasy smile.
—
"What the fuck is this?" Cid grumbled, standing in a graveyard. A glowing plastic ghost jumped out behind a plastic tombstone, groaning sadly like a lost soul at Cid. The unhappy pilot punched the prop, and left a cracked dent across its goofy grin face. The ghost sank back down into black, plastic grass.
Cait Sith spread his paws out in the air conditioned air.
"The Haunted Mansion at Hotel Square! This place is never full like the other hotels," he cheered, smiling over the large graveyard.
Cloud hid his disappointment behind his hands.
"I wonder why," he groaned.
Aerith hugged my arm too tightly when fake lightning flashed across a spooky purple sky, followed by thunder bellowing from hidden speakers. Toy bats hung from a large, dead tree with many claw like branches. I wasn't afraid, just more intrigued at all the effects, my head turning one way to the other to get a glimpse of everything.
"Vincent may like it," Yuffie joked, and she laughed, Barret and Red joining her.
Speaking of Vincent, I haven't seen him since the Battle Arena. I kept searching for him, but he vanished. I worried he would lose track of us.
Across the graveyard, we followed a path that curved through it, leading us up to tall cast iron gates protecting a four-story haunted house. It was impressive, the wear and tear of an old mansion towering over us, similar to the Addams Family Mansion. A couple, stormed out of sturdy double doors, holding wailing children in their arms, and passed us as they hid their eyes.
"Let's try another place," one of them whispered.
Aerith squeaked in my arm, dreading to go inside.
"Wow," I gasped, awed over the lobby as soon as we entered. "This is pretty cool."
The whole floor was lushed red carpet, the walls outlined with dark, polished wood and painted red. High white ceilings held a glowing chandelier with cobwebs and flickering candles. A large red carpet staircase ascended to the other floors and balconies. Black curtains hid the windows, where lighting crashed through occasionally. Dark wood tables laid scattered, some chairs filled with coming and fading ghosts.
"Aerith, this place is spectacular," I assured her. "It's all just special effects."
Aerith's hold loosened, but she sighed and leaned into my shoulder.
"I see you got the Keystone," she mentioned, eying the bag in Cloud's hand.
Mog bounced Cait Sith up to the counter to speak to the ghoul behind it, and had a discussion, while I continued with Aerith.
"Yeah, we got it," I mentioned dryly.
Aerith studied me. "What is it?"
I wanted to tell her what I heard, what I saw, what I felt, all of it when I laid eyes on the Keystone the first time. It was soul-saving to have it concealed in a bag. It was only a distant whisper away, but as long as I didn't see it, I didn't feel any temptation to take hold and run it with me like it was my master.
I gave her a thoughtful gaze when I whispered, "I lost myself when I looked at the stone, like it was begging to be brought to the temple."
Aerith considered this, her eyes expanding.
"It wants to go back from where it came from," she quietly guessed.
"Aerith, I saw it. The Ancients pulling it out of a dark temple, giving warning of not bringing it back. They sealed that temple for a reason," I warned, hoping that, maybe, I could change her mind about our expedition.
But Aerith gave me an assertive smile, and took my hands into hers. Her eyes stuck with mine, sparkling with promise.
"We'll be fine. And we have Cloud. He'll protect us," she assured. I sucked in a deep breath though my nostrils, my chest rising slowly, and then fell just as slow, taking in Aerith's confidence. There was more to share with her, like what Vincent said, but it would have to be saved for later.
Cait Sith held up old fashion rusty keys with numbed tags key ringed to them.
"Okay guys, we got rooms," he announced out loud. Aerith rushed up to grab our key, giving me a moment to myself. As keys passed out, I noticed Cloud studying his inside his hand, searching for something in its brown metal skin, or just lost in thought. He frowned, like what he found, greatly disappointed him. I chuckled lightly at that look, and neared him to ask, "What's that face for?"
Cloud seemed distracted, dropping his key in his pocket before meeting my eyes with his, and then he looked away quickly, eyes darting down to the grand front desk. Lightning flashed lightly into the lobby, half his face white.
"Well, since we're stuck here, we may as well make the best of it, right?" he questioned, eyes shyly back to me.
I smiled a little more. "That's more like it. Maybe you will do something more fun that borrowing laundry soap to wash your clothes," I joked.
Cloud grunted like I hurt him somewhere, and he hid half his burning red face with a hand
"I want to-!"
"Cloud, since we're all here, why don't you tell us what's going on?" Cait Sith broke through. The rest of Cloud's words became lost, his attention pulled, disgruntled. He stared at the others, eyebrows up.
Cid took out a cigarette and rammed it through his lips.
"Yeah, I need to be filled in. I'm still not sure what the fucking stone is for. Is there treasure to this shit?" He asked in between flicking his metal lighter unit he got a flame. He puffed as he lit, and gladly snapped his lighter shut when he glared at Cloud with curiosity.
"Dude, I've been here since the beginning, and I still don't understand this shit," Barret chimed to Cid.
"Yes, I agree. I've only been here recently, so a debriefing would do well for me as I tag along to encounter Hojo," Vincent's quiet voice dropped in. My head whipped to it, and I found him blending in easily in the shadows, sitting there at one of the tables in the dining area and sharing a table with two ghosts.
"Vincent, you're here!" I exclaimed, wondering how long he's been with us.
He opened his eyes, and the glowing red that I saw last, was gone.
"I didn't wander too far," he shared, keenly eying me. I swallowed, Vincent's stares something to still get used to.
"Come on, Cloud. Why don't we do a debriefing?" Red asked, walking across the dining area to sit by a large white stone fireplace. There was a real fire going, and he curled next to it, back to one of his favorite places.
Cloud ran his hands up through his hair as he sighed, "I'm tired."
"Oh, hell no!" Cid began, and he hissed out a cloud of smoke out. "We got nothing left to do tonight but fucking sleep. Tell us what the hell is going on, and then you can drag your ass to bed, you young ass punk."
Cloud hardened his eyes at the pilot.
"Fine."
We all took a seat at the tables. There were a few visitors, but they ate quietly, keeping to themselves. Cloud tapped his fingers across the wooden table, trying, with difficulty, to ignore the ghost props sitting at some empty chairs. I sat next to him, easily feeling how tense he was. He swallowed, looking down at his fingers, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.
When he looked up at all of us, he was ready.
"We're searching for Sephiroth," he began.
Cid asked who this "Sephiroth" was, and Cloud explained it as briefly as he could.
"He's after the Promise Land. But all we know so far is that he's going to be at the 'Reunion' where it all began."
"What's the Reunion?" Yuffie asked.
Cloud hesitated. He looked at me, silently asking for help. I rose from my seat, just because it seemed right to stand when speaking.
"Reunion has to do about Jenova, and where those black cloaked men are going. Have any of you seen these odd, sickly men in black cloaks with tattoos?"
Tifa raised a hand.
"We found one in Mt. Nibel. He was set on going to this Reunion and his hand had a tattoo, a number twelve," she shared.
"I don't understand," Cloud mentioned, elbow propped on the table and a hand under his chin. "I wonder if those cloaked men have to do with Hojo. All they seem to do is die or wander aimlessly, searching for some Black Materia or Reunion."
No one knew what to add to that, the air silent.
"Then why are we going to this temple place?" Yuffie asked. Aerith and I shared a look, her presence close to me.
I looked at the others and replied uneasily, "We think if we know more about the Ancients, we can possibly know how to stop Sephiroth or find the location to the Promise Land. But, I'll be honest, it's more for me and Aerith's benefit. The rest of you really don't have to go if you don't want to. You can stay here at Gold Saucer or wait in the plane."
Eyes wandered around the room, thoughts wondering what other thoughts held.
"I'll fly you there, but that's it," Cid volunteered.
"I'll think about it," Yuffie muttered.
"Yeah, too soon for me to tell. I may stay on the plane. Who knows. We may as well all fly there tomorrow, now that we got the stone, right?" Barret asked.
Cloud lifted the plastic bag up for all to see, the stone well inside it by its obvious shape.
"Great way to carry it," Yuffie put it sarcastically.
Cait Sith eyed it and asked, "I would gladly hold on to it for you guys. Mog's big body is like a walking trunk. There's so much room."
Cloud handed the bag to me, and I was stunned at how heavy it was, almost dropping the stone over my foot.
"Aqua and Aerith will keep hold of it," he muttered. Cait Sith dropped his ears.
I sat back down and settled the stone in my lap, my hands protecting it from Cait Sith's wandering eyes like it was my baby.
"Also, there is this idea of Black Materia," I brought up. Fear flashed across Aerith's eyes, but she said nothing. Cloud crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
"Yeah, the clones were looking for it. I don't even know what it is or what it has to do with Sephiroth. Does anyone have any thoughts?"
After a few seconds of silence, Barret shook his head and grumbled, "Whatever it is, it sounds bad."
"So, wait, I still don't get it. We're going after Sephiroth, but we don't even know where he is anymore," Tifa fussed, her hands playing with her hair.
With dismay, Cloud dropped his eyes to his lap. "I know…"
"And the cloaked men," Red brought back, peeling away from his spot to wander up to Cloud with his troubled yellow eyes drooping.
"Like them, I have a tattoo, but mine is from Hojo. He may have made those men if they all look the same. Could they just be failed experiments, like clones?" The creature asked nervously. A few whispers from the group traveled around.
Red dropped his head.
"According to Hojo, I'm number thirteen. Does that mean I carry something like those men?" His yellow eyes darted left to right, his thoughts running wild.
Red's breathing quickened, his chest puffing up and down while his short red fur shook.
"Red," Cloud called, and the creature awoke, looking up again, but eyes distant this time.
"I'm sorry. It's just, I'm afraid to be like those cloaked men. The one we found had no scent at all. Like it wasn't real," Red fretted.
"I thin Red is right," Aerith joined, her usual frail voice, booming with certainty.
She rose, hands on the table.
"Hojo did something awful to those men in black cloaks. They mention Reunion, which is what Sephiroth also hinted. Whatever this Reunion is, he must be stopped before it happens," she declared, eyes hard on all of us. I think we were all stunned at her sudden involvement, how the flower girl seemed to have held a hidden, solid voice. I wasn't surprised. I knew Aerith put up a wall, one dotted with roses, vines and lovey things. But she had to break that wall down at some point.
"So we're going to the Temple of the Ancients tomorrow. We hope to find more clues of The Promise Land, of Reunion, and this Black Materia. After that-"
She suddenly stiffened, and her eyes fell to her hands. For a second, they flashed painfully, but then she blinked, and the pain dissolved. She swallowed, her long bangs tickling the back of her hands as she shook her head, and straightened up again. She smiled.
"Never mind. It's nothing."
Without looking at anyone, Aerith abruptly left the table, and ran up the stairs with her bag. Everyone was quiet, watching her disappear inside a hallway.
"What the hell was that about?" Barret snapped, breaking the silence. After a half minute of wandering looks and whispers, I stood up.
"I'll go talk to her. Good night, everyone, or if you plan to go out, have fun," I declared, leaving the table.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and carried the Keystone, leaving whispers of the group behind me. With one last look at Cloud, I muttered, "Night," not glad to end it there. But what could I do? There could've been so much more to this night, an opportunity to go out, or to talk, but instead, Cloud and I were left grunting to each other "Night" while suppressing selfish motives. I knew he was just as discouraged as I was, even if we hadn't spoken of plans yet, it felt we both had hoped of something to this evening. Or at least, I did.
I tried not to sigh as I ascended the stairs.
The hallway floors creaked. One door carried the sound of long nails scratching behind it when I passed. Small chandeliers and lamps, flickered weakly, holding webs and fake spiders. Thunder roared like a distant reminder that there was a fake storm outside. There was that far away screech again, a woman's scream. I couldn't tell if it was part of the hotel or a real woman, screaming for her life. I hugged myself tight, and hastened my footsteps until I found the door to the hotel room I was to share with Aerith.
The door was unlocked, and it creaked loudly when I pushed it open.
"Aerith?"
I tiptoed inside, expecting a monster to pop out. Lightning flashed, and I closed the door behind me. I walked pass a small bathroom, and entered a large square of a room, a king-sized bed in red wine silk blanket and pillow cases, almost too tempting. But I found Aerith's back to me, her hands behind her while she looked out at the graveyard behind the tall glass window. Black curtains were pulled apart, revealing the purple sky and field of tombstones. A herd of bats flew across the sky, like little black zigzags. A small nightstand, with a lamp, stood between the bed and a fireplace. Powered by Mako pipes, the fireplace fumed gently with soft orange flames over fake wood.
Painted portraits of pale people with fangs, hung around the room. I instantly thought of Vincent when I caught sight of a painting, a handsome white skinned man grinning at me, his fangs bloody and black hair tied back loosely.
I swallowed before slumping the bags down on the bed.
"Aerith, are you okay?"
I stepped closer to her, wondering what she was so fixated on, as I was only given her long braid. Did her shoulders tremble? Did she stifle a gasp? One of her hands went to her face, possibly to wipe a tear, and she ducked her head for a second.
I was ready to settle a hand on her shoulder and make her turn around.
"Aerith."
But inches from touching her, she slowly turned around for me. Being in a haunted hotel, I almost expected to see a stranger, with a fake smile and evil eyes. My imagination wasn't entirely off, seeing Aerith's fake smile.
"What are you doing here? This is your chance to go on a date with Cloud," she mentioned, and rubbed her eye with the back of her hand.
It broke my heart to hear her say that. Yes, that would've been ideal, if Cloud was open to the idea, but just hearing Aerith mentioning it, suddenly made me feel selfish. She had a way of doing that, easily reaching inside my soul and ripping out my desires to showcase to me that she already knew. And then I remembered, she has Searched me. She knows everything there is to know about me, including trails of my instinctive force.
I settled my hands on her small shoulders while swallowing down all that she was correct about.
"Yes, that was something of an idea brewing in me," I confessed quietly, searching her eyes. She looked back at me with a child's curiosity.
"But," I swallowed again, and my fingers tightened a little. I tried not to drift too far, not to Cloud's warmth, his arms holding me powerfully, or his inviting lips. I pushed all of that aside, reminding myself that those were things that had to wait. There will be more opportunities to be with him when the time comes.
But for now, I felt it would be better not to leave Aerith.
"It's like you're going far away," I whispered to her, and my voice suddenly cracked, like I hit a fragile spot of glass. My eyes burned, the reminder of that feeling coming back to me, afraid. How could she be here with me, and yet, I felt her so far away? I missed her and yet, she was right here, standing in front of me.
I leaned my face closer to hers, blinking a thin line of tears across my eyes to lubricate them.
"I want to spend time with you," I claimed, smiling a little.
When was the last time we connected spiritually? When did our magic colloid, like two lost souls finding each other, bridging us together? Was it on the ship?
"I miss you," I ended, and wrapped my arms around her. Aerith's eyes grew, startled as her hands traveled up my back and got mixed into my hood and crown.
We held each other like that for a long time, until thunder and lightning cycled through six times, the same sound effects repeated in a loop.
Aerith's hold tightened, and she sank into my arms, her face smudged over my collarbones.
"Let's go out, then. I want to have the best night of our lives," she demanded gently.
I smiled into her hair.
"Whatever you want," I encouraged. Anything to make her happy.
When Aerith was happy, I was happy.
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