They chased the sun back around to Banora, a quicker path than going back the way they'd come.
It was late by the native hour as they approached, little that it mattered when they were going to be underground. But in the darkened twilight of approaching night, they couldn't help but notice a familiar blue green light twinkling in the distance.
Vincent leaned forward. "…what brought the mako to the surface?"
"A bombing would do it, I think," Zack said flatly. There was no accusing looks, no blame regardless of how he felt. They were well past that at this point.
"Hoo, okay. What are the odds between 'goddess beacon' and 'the area flooded with mako because of the bombing'?" Benji asked.
"Not a clue," Zack said, unbuckling as they landed. "Guess we'll find out."
"If there's mako, there's a good chance the local monsters have gotten more aggressive, so everybody mind your weapons," Drew said.
"You two up in the center," Nikolas said, shooing Cloud and Aerith into the middle of their pack as they all got out. He brought up the back, broadsword in hand as they walked through the untamed field, wild grasses and flowers up to their knees.
At the front were Veld and Vincent, the enhanced Turk's skill and strength such that the minimal time Veld would need to react to a threat was inconsequential. As a team, they were less to worry about than most of the others.
"…I can hear it," Aerith said, after they'd been walking a while. "The Lifestream."
"The southern islands have the Lifestream running closer to the surface," Vincent said. "They nearly put a reactor down in Banora, before simply deciding to put a town in. Easier to pretend it wasn't ShinRa's, without a reactor, after all."
"Man, I really hope they didn't intend to stamp 'property of ShinRa' on Gongaga,'" Zack said, more than a little amusement in his tone. "Because, uh. That… did not work."
"No, it didn't," Veld agreed, equally amused. "But the first reactors were a statement of 'good will' and forming their reputation, not claiming. That came later, with Junon and Midgar."
"And the one they wanted to plant in Wutai," Benji added, never one to shy from hard topics. "That didn't work either."
"No, and with Reeve in charge there never will be one," Veld said.
"Good." Benji wrinkled his nose. "Never did like 'em. They've done a hell of a lot of good, but…"
"Reeve's intending to look into alternative energies," Veld said. "By the time things settle down some, he may even be ready to implement some of his ideas."
"He seems like a good man," Aerith said softly.
"Better than you'd expect on the board," Veld said. "We've all made compromises, even Reeve. But some far fewer and far better than others."
"I think that's ShinRa for you," Zack said after a bit of contemplative silence. "I don't think it set out to be evil. I certainly don't think most, if any, of us did. Just… things happened, along the way. Bad decisions piled up and people with amoral agendas were in the driver's seat."
"Kinder than I think circumstances deserve, but you're not wrong so far as I know," Veld said. No one, not even Rupert and Hojo, had set out with plans to be a villain. In fact, down to their dying moment they probably hadn't even realized that's what they'd become.
Not that any of them were looking to find virtues in the men that had been their personal villains.
Conversation dwindled, replaced by some low, nervous humming from Benji until Drew pinched him. Then there was just silence, nature itself hushed in the presence of so many predators, save for the soft whisper of wild grass on their clothing as they crossed the meadow towards the entry to the caverns.
"…that's a steep drop down, without the old ladders," Veld mused.
"Not too much for the enhanced part of the crew, but…" Drew frowned, casting about. "We should make an easier way in and out, in case we have to beat it out of there to regroup or something."
"Normally a wise decision, but in this case unnecessary," Vincent murmured, eyes ringed in gold. "We won't be backtracking."
"…there's another exit, then?" Veld eyed him a moment, then sighed. "Mystic shit?"
"Mmm." Vincent smiled. "Come on. I'll take you down."
Slowly - carefully - the group made it down and headed for the entry, a set of tunnel carved into the rock with lighting tracks that flickered to life as they entered.
"…motion sensing?"Benji said hopefully.
"Possibly. They didn't have them wide spread, but they did exist," Veld said.
"That, or we're going to get a special welcome," Zack said. His smile was tight, and falsely cheerful. "Soooo, which way, Chaos?"
Vincent glanced at him, but sure enough, his eyes flickered. With a quiet huff and no further comment, he led the way into the tunnels.
Carved steps and smoothed natural platforms said that this place had seen use, though it was hard to be sure where the lighting was coming from as they entered the first natural cavern - aside, of course, from clusters of crystalline stalagmites that must have been formed from mako given the glow they were giving off. There was something against the far wall, the view distorted by the largest set of crystals yet and hard if not impossible to reach without climbing.
Several of them were especially good climbers, but none of them wanted to. When Aerith took a step in that direction, Vincent held out a hand. "Let it be."
The voice was not Vincent's. Circumstances as they were, no one questioned it.
They continued to weave through the caverns, only to stop when they reached a place with a concrete floor and attempt made at stone brick against the walls. What for, it was impossible to guess. Any aesthetic was overridden by the reality of what was built into it.
"…are those prison cells?" Benji, true to self, went marching right over to inspect the rusty bars of one, staring in at what was indeed the remains of a prison cell. "What the fuck, man? Subterranean prison cells in backwoods nowhere Banora?"
"He did say ShinRa built the town," Drew said quietly, eyes tracking him over to it and looking in as well.
"Before my time, Richards," Veld admitted. "I have no idea."
"Not what we're here for, guys," Zack said. "There's got to be more to this place. Chaos?"
"I have not been here before," Chaos admitted. "But back, I believe there was another way to go."
They made their way back and around, through more caves and tunnels and enough winding twists and turns that it was impossible to even guess if they were making progress, until they made it to a… unique dead end. There was a locked gate, and a podium with an engraving depicting a woman and seven materia-sized indentations.
Benji took in a deep breath. "…if we have to go on a goddamn scavenger hunt -"
"Benji," Drew hissed.
"Yeah, no, I'm not a fan," Zack said, coming to get a better look at it. "Chaos? Aerith?"
Vincent's eyes flicked gold and he walked up to the gate, examining it with a scrutinizing gaze before he raised a hand to touch gently. "We don't need a key… we're expected… are we not?"
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then the gate slowly slid away and revealed a tunnel with a blinding light at the end.
"Okay, so this time we walk into the light," Zack said. "Great."
"I will be bliiind," Benji complained.
Kunsel snorted and snapped his faceplate down, taking Zack's hand. "Come on."
"Can you see?" Zack asked.
"Sorta. Well enough," he said.
They walked through the brilliant light, a distinct feeling of pressure threatening to make their ears pop as they walked forward. It was like trying to walk through a barrier spell, that jelly-like feeling of thick air resisting movement for a small eternity before suddenly they were through… whatever that was. There was a collective sound of relief even as it took a moment for their vision to clear.
Then it was hard to know what to look at. The giant marble statue? The even bigger tree behind it? How about the absolutely enormous, illuminated red orb cradled at the top of the tree by spindly branches and vines?
"Is that a materia?" Zack managed. "Wait, Leviathan has a summon materia. So does Odin. And Shiva. And Titan. Do all the uh, worshipped Powers have summons?"
Vincent's eyes flicked gold, a small smile that wasn't his on his lips. "Summons are mere… remembrance pieces, of notable individuals of time gone by. Some of them are now worshipped as gods. But there are no shortcuts to summoning the First Goddess of the Planet."
"We're not really equipped for a summoning ritual, Chaos," Zack said.
"Nor is it needed. Leviathan opened the way. We are expected," Chaos said. "Count yourselves blessed. Mere mortals seldom see the spirit realm while they still live."
Understanding dawned, and Zack made a choked sound as Chaos gestured sharply to the orb overhead. "Chaos, wait -"
Yet again, the world went white.
A/N: So, that's the end of my buffer... I've got most of the next chapter written but there's a ton of not-great IRL stuff stressing me out so we'll see. I'm going to try and kick it in gear, but updates may be sporadic.