In the sky, the chopper flies quietly away from the location of the smoke. The sunset highlighted the smoke rising from the forest. The silence inside the chopper was a conversation of mourning. The two Turks knew that even though Kai was a traitor, he was one of them. A reminder that they were human too.
While Rude piloted, Reno stretched his arms and broke the silence, "Well, that was a bust. So anti-climactic. I was kinda hoping for a showdown, ya know."
Rude fixed his sun glasses, "Agreed. Doesn't help that the villagers knew more or less what S2 look like, which means-"
"More work for us. Yay…" Reno pulled out an old file folder and flipped through it. He viewed old doctor notes and past medicine prescriptions, "Well, at least the boss can close out what really killed Kai."
Rude steered the chopper towards the next mission location, "Still doesn't rule out that S2 is a dangerous subject on the loose. Besides, we also have to be on standby for the two fugitives."
"Don't have to tell me twice," He slammed the folder shut and a photo fell out, "Huh?" Reno picked up the photo to examine. The photo showed Kai in his Turk uniform standing next to a scientist woman. They were in a lab of some sorts, not one they recognized from Shinra HQ. He broke into a devious smile, "Hello lead~"
~7~
In the forest, dusk quietly sets in.
"Ow!" Wren landed hard on impact at the bottom of the trench. She blew pieces of her hair out of the way to look up from where she fell. The high slope she previously walked on had an unstable ground she didn't noticed until it gave out.
"Guess I can't go that way," She checked herself. Her jacket and pants were covered in chunks of mud and twigs. Her hair had the same but with some grass stuck between. Her eyebrows scrunched together, "I can't see."
She looks to see the sunset sky transitioning more into night, hmm…no wonder. I can't check the map like this. She heard growls in the distant that scared some defenseless creatures nearby, it's not safe either.
Wren sighed, "What would Kai do?" She remembered his last word, 'Good luck surviving.' Her shoulders dropped even more, "That's not a direction." She felt her eyes becoming watery. She slapped her cheeks a couple times, "I can't be sad, I have to keep moving."
She checked around, then check the sky again, the stars are coming out.
Wren smiled at the sky, but blinked a few times before her eyes widen, "That's it!" She runs down the trench to find a good part to climb, if I can climb out, then I can find a tall tree to give me a good view of the sky.
Eventually, she found a stable side of the trench, "This is good." She grabbed out her pair of kukris out, then plunged one of them into the trench side. Checking the firmness in approval, she puts one foot on the trench side while the other foot was ready to jump from ground level. She prepared the other kukris to stab more above to begin her slow climb up. On the way up, there times the trench sides gave out where she dropped slightly downward. She gritted her teeth and huffed, continuing to push upward.
Finally, Wren focused all her strength to pull herself to the top of the trench. Once she moved away from the edge, she dropped her kukris to the ground and fell over hyperventilating.
"Whew… I did it…"
She took a few moments to collect herself. She returned the pair of kukris on her back and decided to observed her location. From what she made out from the now dark forest, she found herself on the other side of the trench.
"Now the tree," she made her way to find a tall tree nearby.
Unbeknownst to her, something marked her as a prey. It rapidly made its way to her. Closer and closer the predator approaches.
"Let's do this," she checked the tree if it was stable. She nods her head in approval and planted one foot on the tree trunk to boost herself up, "Here I go-"
Suddenly, a lighting sensation surged through her, the foot she had on the tree she used to bounce herself away from it.
In the split moment she bounced away, the same moment something blew off part of the tree trunk.
"What the-" She grabbed her kukris out and tried to make out the thing was attempting to attack her. She can only make out red glowing eyes and a wolf-like body. The beast's growl made her stomach go in twists.
The monster released the trunk and attempted to strike her a second time, but the same sensation helped her evade the attack. She noticed that she can make out the monster even though she can't see it in the dead of night. She can't put her finger on it, but she can sense it.
The monster grew more aggravated and unleashed its tendril tongue. Wren surprised it had a long tongue.
Its tongue latched itself on her ankle and she lost her balance, "Woah!" She was launched to another tree where her back was smacked on the trunk leading her to drop one of her kukris in the process. "Kyak…!" her face taste bit of dirt when she fell to the ground. Then she was launched again to the other side and dropped the other kukris, "Gah…!" The monster howled and charged at her. Wren sensed the beast movement and dodged roll. Luckily, she found she was next to one of her kukris.
Not yet, the sensation returned when she got up. She used both hands to point her kukris at the beast. As it jumped at her, Wren quickly crouch then dived. In a moment, she plunged the blade into the monster's belly. It staggered as it roared in pain. Wren took the opportunity to grabbed the kukris and in a blink of an eye bolted towards the monster. It tried to lock on to her but she was too fast. Her senses peaked as she instantaneously used the other blade to stab the nape of the monster's neck with an overpowering force, "Hyah!"
A painful shrill released from the monster as it spasmed on the ground. With the kukris in her hand, she threw herself on the injured fiend to proceed to stab the head, DIE! It's blood splatter on her face and clothes but she didn't stop until the monster went limp. Wren stood up to retrieve the other blade from the stomach.
Her breath was staggered and took a moment to inhale a deep breath, "It's dead." Then she wiped off the pair of blades before quietly searching for another tree. She found another one a few minutes later to climb.
When Wren made it to the top of the tree, she was greeted with the expansive night sky. Wow. Then she spotted a particular star in the sky, I can't help it can I… the more she pushes these memories of her former guardian away, the more emerging they become, "Follow the North Star, right Kai?"
The passing year, he noticed more of the time he had left. The fresh weather and the opened window invited the cool winds. In the room, Wren was sitting on the floor reading a book while Kai was sitting at the desk working on some documents before marking a map.
He sighed and massaged his temples, "Close the window."
Her eyes glittered at him, "Okay."
She closed the window and peeked if he was looking. Her face fell when he instead got up to put on his hunting jacket.
"Don't leave the cabin," Kai turned to her with a stern expression.
Wren bounced in front of him with a smile. She can tell his real intentions.
'I have to teach you something important tonight,' he silently observed her eyes anticipating his next phrase, "Don't be asleep when I get back," 'I will throw water on you.'
"Right," She saluted him and he left the cabin. Then she tapped her finger on her forehead, "Wait…what did he mean he will throw water on me?"
She later found out in the night when she fell asleep. When Kai returned to see her asleep, he filled a pot with water and poured it on her.
Instantly, Wren awaken to be greeted and also mortified to a glaring Kai, 'She doesn't listen.' She looks down in shame.
Kai threw the pot off to the side, "Don't be a nuisance. Hurry up and meet me on the roof." He walks out the room.
She heard his footsteps walking outside, "Umm… right…" She quickly got up to follow him outside, only to see him having a coughing fit.
Though, Wren really like that night. Kai was discreetly showing her what stars to look for and the directions each represents.
Kai was bending at her level and guiding her arms to point to the right stars, "Here. Follow the North Star. It's the direction that is most clear, many major cities and well-known areas can be found through it. Got it?"
She didn't hear, Wren's heart beat fast in happiness, Kai is so warm. Her cheeks were pinched, "Ow!" Her eyes peeked at him.
"Pay attention," Kai gritted his teeth, 'nuisance.' He released and explained it one more time to her, "Got it?"
Wren shifted a bit, "Um… What are the major cities and area?"
He released her and massaged his temple, "Read a book."
Her expression deflated and she viewed her boots more interesting, "Oh."
Kai sighed, "Midgar."
She looks back up to him. Her jaw dropped when she saw his solemn expression giving the deeper answer, 'never go there.'
"Wren."
Her breath hitched, "Yeah?"
He broke eye contact and turned away, "We're done for the night," and he makes his way down from the roof.
'Never go there.' His words etched themselves into her mind. Her eyebrows scrunched together and tilted her head in confusion, "Um…Okay."
A rising dawn peeked over the mountains nearby, Wren managed to find a main road. She used her jacket sleeve to wipe the sweat and monster blood off her forehead, I want a bath. Her muscles screamed to stop moving with every step, but she had to keep moving. She must keep moving. This whole night, or rather the past 24 hours, was an experience. At least, she found a path.
"Where to?" She asked herself, she pulled out a now tattered map. She checked the locations to see a couple of them that were mark, until her eyes fell to one specific one, "Midgar."
'Never go there,' Kai said to her.
But why? She wanted to know. She observed her free hand, they were red and shaking from all the fighting. Her abilities during the fight were beyond human, have I always been able to do this? Did Kai know? She paused, "Is it because I am S2?" Her thoughts were cut off when she heard a truck driving in the distance. She took a moment to listen which direction the vehicle is coming from. She stopped and signal the truck passing.
Luckily, the truck stopped and the driver rushed out, "Holy Minerva, what happen to you?!" When Wren made eye contact with the driver, she heard his deeper thoughts, 'What is a child doing here?! Is that blood?!'
Crap, I need a story, so she played dumb, "Well… Um… my grandpa needed medicine… so I went to get it around here. And I… um… lost my way back to where I was staying at."
'Such a sweet girl, she just wanted to help her grandpa,' The driver eyes twinkled in sympathy, "Oh, you poor thing. You look like you were scared." His inner thoughts run wilder, 'I heard nasty rumors that monsters lived here, the poor thing must of fought tooth and nail.'
Roll with it, she shook her head, "It's okay. Just a bit shaken… I'm fine. Really… I just need a ride back to the next town. If it's not too much of a problem…" She played with her fingers.
'So innocent,' The driver nodded in compliance, "Oh, sure! I was just on my way there. If you don't mind me asking, where are ya coming all the way from just to get Medicine?"
No turning back, Wren smiled, "Midgar."
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I was planning to write Midgar into this chapter, but I wanted to expand more on Wren's character and hint more to her background. I am trying to show not tell. Also, one other thing, the story takes place is based off the original FFVII. Until next time ~ (^.^)y