"During my travels after leaving Scala ad Caelum, I stumbled across a world stuck between the realms of light and darkness. A "world of dusk", I called it. My naming was justified as I stumbled across many towns in that world, one of them being a town in perpetual twilight, another trapped in what seemed to be eternal night, a town filled with mages that kept the balance of that world with a crystalline tower as well as a kingdom risen from the ashes of a fallen empire. The environs varied as well, with mountains, plains and seas where portals to other worlds would appear. After going through one such portal, I arrived at the town of perpetual night that was also plagued by Heartless: Traverse Town."
-writings from "X"
Chapter Six: Tales of Traverse Town
"Maleficent, we got the Heart of Scala ad Caelum. But…"
"But what?"
"There was this guy…kinda powerful…he took out most of the forces we had at the College. And those Keyblade Masters."
"You've slayed them, yes?"
"Yeah, but…one escaped and that guy who nearly destroyed us all helped him."
"…Which master?"
"Uh, that Eraqus guy. Ma'am? Ma'am?"
"Return here immediately. If it's a war they want, they shall have it."
Umbria Region, World of Dusk…
The northern continent of Umbria was an oddity in the world. Cloaked in perpetual night, the snow-covered hilly region seemed to be trapped in a time warp, where morning never comes and skies always being that of a starry night. The inhabitants of the region frequently went to other regions, trying to keep falling ill due to lack of sunlight. Despite that, the Umbria region was their home and there was no place like it.
Traverse Town, one such place, was a walled town with five districts, each with its own theme. Due to what seemed to be a time warp, the town's architecture was of an ancient style, looking more like something out of novels such as Flame Sigil or The Fables of Delta. The walls protected the rather populous town, keeping most Heartless out, but the occasional Shadow would slip through and cause major panic.
The first district was the sole entrance to town and had various shops and restaurants for passing travelers and the occasional pilgrim. It also held stables, providing large yellow birds called "chocobos" for transportation. The district had gates that led to the second, third, and fourth districts, and each gate was protected by the town watch. Aiding them were various sirens, the only thing that seemed to have survived the destruction of the "old world", and they sounded whenever a Heartless had slipped through the town's defenses.
Walking through the snowy area, a young blonde in green, white, and black, carried various bags in his arms and seemed to be struggling. His tattered, but somewhat thick-for-the-weather clothes indicated that he was of the town's "working poor" and was usually looked at with pity and scorn. In his case, it was mostly scorn as he had a falcon for an Animus, the shape being that of one of the nomadic tribes. The boy didn't care as it wasn't as if he had asked for his Animus to be that way. Nor did he ask to be born to two nomads.
Ignoring that, the blonde trudged through the First District, trying to deliver the items to his final stop, the 1st District's Accessory Shop. Reaching out for the door handle, the boy tried not to drop his delivery. On the roof was his falcon Animus, a silver and white falcon. He watched as the boy struggled to get the door open and was relieved when the owner opened the door.
The owner, an older blonde-haired man named Cid Highwind, looked at the boy and said, "Uh, you could've knocked, Vennie."
"It's 'Ventus' or 'Ven'. Not Vennie. I hate that stupid nickname," the boy, Ventus, said.
Cid, dressed in foreign engineering gear, grabbed the bags and allowed the boy entry. His falcon Animus dove through before the door could close and landed on Ventus' shoulder. Feathers ruffled, the Animus asked, "Cid, why were you about to close the door on me?"
"It's not like I knew you were out there, Kaze. Anyway, Tifa got my whole order?" Cid said, placing the bags on the counter.
Ventus nodded and looked around the place. It was one of three places in town that sold jewelry and other items to travelers, but Cid's place was pretty popular with locals. The interior was quite homey, with a fireplace, a sofa, and a coffee table where people would hang out. Locked glass cases held the jewelry made on the second floor of the shop and behind the counter was a staircase that led up there.
Plopping onto the sofa, Ven sighed as he had been doing errands all day. First, he went to Aerith's in the Second District to get some medicinal herbs and deliver them to various elders around the town. Then he went to Tifa's place in the Fourth District to deliver meals to the sick and housebound. Lastly, he made a final delivery to Cid's and was exhausted.
As he tried to get a break, the boy plopped onto the couch and watched as Cid checked the items. The man had ordered some food from Tifa's restaurant and bar, the 7th Heaven. The name was odd as the place was located in the Fourth District and there were only five in town. 7th Heaven would've made more sense if there were two more districts and the bar was located there.
"Welp, here ya go, Vennie," Cid said, tossing Ventus a small bag of coins.
The boy checked it, as customers had a habit of shortchanging him on delivery fees, and found that it was 300 munny. It was a bit more than usual and Cid said, "Tifa told me to give ya a bit more this time around 'cause she wants ya to get more clothes."
"Yeah, but no one wants to sell me anything. Nomad kid, remember?" Ven said, pointing to Kaze.
The falcon Animus scoffed and said, "It's not like I wanted to look like this. And besides, if we were nomads, wouldn't someone have found us by now and taken us back to our family?"
Coming from behind the shop's counter was Cid's Animus, a Retriever named Fergus. The Animus then told them, "We looked but we didn't find any clues to your parents' whereabouts when you first arrived in Traverse Town."
Cid agreed, remembering that Ventus just showed up outside of town one day during Cid's patrols and the man saw the little kid crying. He had a head injury and was inconsolable. When he took the three-year-old back to town for treatment, none of the doctors wanted anything to do with him. None except for a man named Merlin.
The eccentric old hermit and his owl Animus named Archimedes lived in a house east of the 3rd District and was the only one willing to treat Ventus. After patching up the kid with bandages soaked in medicines, the old man promised to help Cid watch over any nomadic children that stumbled into town. Cid remembered when the children first started appearing, with Tifa Lockhart's appearance several years prior. Then it was Zackary Fair. Then Cloud Strife. More and more children started to appear afterward, causing the town concern as the place wasn't used to seeing orphaned nomadic children. And then when Ventus arrived, the townsfolk had quite enough.
"Uh, so are you good?" Ven asked, better after resting himself a bit.
Cid nodded as Tifa had gotten the order right. Ventus knew it as he checked and rechecked before leaving. A habit he got after several people would yell and refuse payment for delivery…until Tifa would show up and "persuade" them to pay with her fists. Then Aerith would have to come to calm everyone down. Eventually, they would pay but the whole hassle of not getting everything a person ordered was too much for Ventus' liking.
Thanking the older man for letting him hang out at the store, Ven left the Accessory Shop and started for the Second District. If he made it in time, he could get to the Darling's home and get some dinner. Kaze dove towards the gate to the 2nd District, yelling, "C'mon, Ven!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Ventus said, following.
"So, what are we to do with all these nomadic kids in town? The Sanctum would…!"
Standing outside of the mayor's home in the Fountain Plaza, the townsfolk of Traverse came to discuss the issue of random children appearing both in and outside of town. Some wanted to keep them in town, to help them until their parents found them. Others wanted to transport them away from there, sending them by Chocobo wagons to places like Mysidia in the east or even the Kingdom of Fynn and St. Milo's Abbey in the South. A small group hadn't a clue what to do, but didn't want to disobey the Sanctum's teachings. The Primarch would teach them not to turn a blind eye to those in need, but at the same time, nomads weren't really seen as "those in need".
Cid was in the group that wanted to help the kids, despite their background. Who cared what the Sanctum said? The Primarch was an old, senile man to Cid. An old man that refused to let progress be a thing.
The mayor, a dark-haired woman named Fiona Gold, looked around and told everyone, "People, calm down! Yes, the nomadic children pose a problem. One that I would hope is solved without wasting our hard-earned munny."
"But they can't be here! They're anathema!" another man yelled, showing religious zeal.
Cid rolled his eyes, seeing the populous and their Animi. None had the "infernal" shapes that Animi could take shape, which included hawks, falcons, wolves, foxes, hyenas, and lynxes. The shapes came from those that were predatory, cunning, and just simply people that were not compatible with the teachings of the Goddess Cosmos…or so the Sanctum said.
Cid had met those from those nations, many of them being hospitable to the engineer. They had technology that amazed the blonde, and some were rumored to be able to "cross into other worlds". Due to the ban on various tech, Cid could only research and help those that had said things in secret.
"If they are here, then that means a reckoning is coming! A terrible reckoning, I say!" another man shouted, sounding quite ludicrous.
"Seriously, Giovanni, calm down. I doubt a terrible reckoning will visit this town," Fiona told him.
Cid scoffed, not getting why everyone was in such a huff. If simply existing was a crime, then…
"People, please! Let's not be too hasty in our decisions."
Everyone gasped, seeing the old hermit in blue, Merlin Rædsnotor, or simply Merlin the Sage. The wizened old man dressed in hermit's robes and a hat walked towards Fiona and said, "Seriously, all this zeal and not a single educated opinion."
"Uh, what are you doing here, sir? I thought you'd be above all this…" Mayor Gold asked.
He gave her a stern look and the silver owl Animus on his shoulder, Archimedes, shook his head and said, "All the superstition nonsense whipped up by supposed followers of the Sanctum."
That garnered a few gasps from the crowd. Merlin didn't bother to rebuke his Animus and told everyone, "The nomadic children aren't anything to fear. If anything, they can be a boon to this town. Like anyone emigrating to different locales, they can greatly help those in their new home."
"By what? Having us drift from the Holy Mother's teachings?" a woman asked.
"Or by breaking into our homes and robbing us of our valuables?" another said.
"Or even committing unspeakable crimes?" a third man shouted.
Merlin shook his head and said, "All superstitions and myths are not perpetuated by Sanctum's original teachings. Perhaps by allowing them to live here, you can help them convert to your…the religion. Anyway, they're only children. Why should they be subjected to centuries-old prejudices?"
No one answered until a rotund man shouted, "They're simply anathema! Their very nature is a sin!"
Everyone, save for Cid and Mayor Gold, agreed and shouted various obscenities about the nomads.
"How is simply existing a sin? The nomads just don't believe what others do about Mother Cosmos. Wouldn't it be better to teach them your ways instead of shipping them off to who-knows-where?" Merlin asked.
The crowd went silent again and one asked, "Then, where would they live? We barely have any room as it is?"
"The 4th District's filled with homes," Archimedes chimed in.
"Those are our homes! No way! I'm not letting heretics near my children!" the crowd retorted.
The owl Animus shook his head, thinking the crowd was terrible. Cid piped up, asking, "What 'bout the 2nd District? Or the 3rd? Hardly anyone uses it since y'all so scared of Heartless."
Fiona nodded, thinking the idea was good. Most of the townsfolk, however, were in great disagreement. They thought that the children being visible would send the wrong message. Others who agreed with Cid asked about the children's education as there weren't any schools in the area, most being in the 4th district. Then the subject went to safety, where most didn't care if they had gotten caught by Heartless or any other emergencies. To which Merlin said, "Then what would you do if any turned and thought to attack you all in revenge?"
"Ah…Well, then we would need guards then…" Mayor Fiona said.
"Yo!"
The brunette in a white sweater and black long skirt looked up from behind her restaurant's bar counter and saw a familiar face. The dark-haired man was dressed in a black SOLDIER's uniform of black hakama pants, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a blue scapular that covered much of the shirt and pants. Next to him was his wolf-dog Animus and the woman said, "Hi Zack. Hi Mauricio."
"Hey Tifa," the dark-haired, blue-eyed Zackary Fair said, grinning.
The SOLDIER 2nd Class sat at the bar and looked around. The 7th Heaven was looking worse for the wear as he spotted chipped paint in places, dirt in the corners, plates, and mugs of half-finished drinks, and even garbage on the floor. The only thing the young man could think of was that he had just come end at the end of the dinner rush. Tifa needed help, but who would help someone that was a "half-breed" like him?
Looking exhausted, Tifa said to him, "Yeah, sorry about the mess. Ventus should've been here by now."
"Well, you're gonna need more help than just little ol' him," Zack said.
"You know you can always help."
Tifa's Anima, a red wolf named Liliana came from behind the bar counter. She looked at Mauricio and asked, "What are you two doing back here? Being SOLDIER isn't that gratifying or something?"
That again. Zack sighed and said, "It's not like any of us asked to join SOLDIER. We just make the best of it."
Tifa rolled her eyes and said, "Just excuse her. I know why you, Cloud, and Terra had to go. Thinking about that, how's Cloud and Terra?"
Zack smiled, telling Tifa of the trio's adventures. They helped locals, defended them from Heartless, and even explored some regions in the Kingdom of Fynn. Every now and then, they would run into nomads and would have to explain the situation as most were terrified of them. To which Liliana snarled and said, "What do you expect? SOLDIER always round up people like us and take them to those 'rehabilitation camps'."
"Well, at St. Milo's, Auron doesn't let that happen. I've never arrested anyone nor has Cloud or Terra. The most we do is give 'em munny or food or both. Seriously, they've been having a time over there in the south," Zack explained.
"Then why do they still hate us?" Liliana asked as Tifa continued cleaning the area.
"I don't know, but what we're doing is the first step into getting some kind of understanding," Mauricio said for Zack.
"I don't know…" Tifa said, very doubtful.
Seeing that she was taking a while cleaning up, Zack joined in. As he did, Tifa muttered, "Finally. Wonder what took you so long."
"Oh, quiet you," Zack said, grinning.
Traverse Town, 5th District…
Leaving the town's massive greenhouse with a basket filled with yellow flowers and herbs, a pink-dress-and-blue coat-wearing-brunette smiled to herself as she managed to get enough ingredients for Merlin. The old hermit had warned her that another pandemic was coming and making as many potions as she could. If it was anything like that influenza epidemic and how the townsfolk despair attracted many Heartless, then she would have to hurry.
Following her was a small cardinal, her Anima Avelaine. The little red bird flew around, elated that the one holding the basket of flowers, a young woman named Aerith Gainsborough, found all the ingredients Merlin asked for. If they could get it to him with no trouble, then more people would be safe from illness that year.
"So? So?" Avelaine asked, flying in front of Aerith's face.
"So what?" Aerith asked, heading for the gate leading to the 4th District.
"I heard Zack and Mauricio's in town. We're gonna see them?" Avelaine asked.
Aerith wasn't too sure. She had to deliver the ingredients to Merlin and if she went to Tifa's place to see him, then she wouldn't leave for hours as he would talk and talk and talk. Mostly about his adventures with SOLDIER. And then there was the fact that he joined, along with Cloud and another friend named Terra.
The trio had joined SOLDIER, as the group had come to town from St. Milo's Abbey in Fynn to "recruit" people. They mostly targeted the nomadic orphans and promised them that they would get food, a home, and good pay. The only thing they would have to do is face Heartless and patrol the Kingdom of Fynn and the continent of Umbria. It was very dangerous work and many SOLDIERs were killed on a yearly basis.
And then there was the fact that people like Tifa thought that were betraying nomadic beliefs…despite most of those that were left behind in Traverse Town didn't know much as they were young when they were abandoned. Aerith remembered her adopted mother, Elmyra, had taken in several, which included Tifa, Zack, Cloud, and Terra. When asked why, the woman told her that despite differences, people should come to help others…a Sanctum teaching.
"Yeah, she said she did the same when we arrived," Avelaine said, flying around in circles above Aerith's head.
Elmyra told Aerith that she knew the young woman's parents, but the two died from injuries upon arriving at Traverse Town. Promising them that she would take care of Aerith, Elmyra took the girl in, even letting her have the family name of Gainsborough. Aerith was grateful for her but her kindness started to wane when the guys joined SOLDIER. She had her reasons, but…
"If Zack's here, then maybe the others are too," Avelaine said, perching on Aerith's left shoulder.
The young woman arrived at the gate to the 4th District and saw the young guards with their Germanic Shepard dog Animi on patrol. Before she could ask them to open the gate, a terrible feeling struck her heart. Suddenly, a cacophony of screams and cries filled her mind and she dropped the basket of plants she was carrying. A vision of Demon Tides and Shadow Heartless surrounding her paralyzed her and she saw the town change from its usual umbral self to a castle town with its citizens running from the darkness.
"Aerith! Aerith!"
She could see a figure that looked like a terrifying Heartless and began swinging to get it away. The dark figure called out her name and she continued swinging, ready to summon her staff to fight back. The darkness swirled around her and it was horrifying.
"Aerith! Aerith stop!"
A brunet dressed in the blue uniform of a SOLDIER 3rd Class stared at the sight of Aerith swinging a staff and attempting to attack the gate guards. The two were trying to get her to calm down, but the young woman wasn't having it. Her Anima seemed confused and tried to get her to snap out of it.
The young man had a mind to find Zack and get him to calm her down, but if Aerith was pushed by whatever it was that she saw, she could do damage to the district. On his left side was his wolf Animus, Gaius, and the black and brown wolf tilted his head, confused. Looking up at the SOLDIER, he asked, "Uh, so you're not gonna do anything, Terra?"
Terra wasn't too sure if he should. If she attacked, especially with Light artes, it would hurt badly. And Aerith was very, very powerful. She just didn't realize it. But he couldn't let those guards get injured. So, he approached, calling her name several times.
She looked around with terror in her green eyes and they locked onto Terra's blue ones. Running towards him, she grabbed his shirt and yelled, "Terra! The town, it's…it's…!"
Seconds later, she fainted and Terra held her in his arms. Looking around the district, Terra saw the greenhouse, the bridge that connected the main street to the greenhouse, the waterways underneath, and the nearby storage facilities. He couldn't sense any Heartless in the area, but something was very wrong. Aerith only acted out like that if great darkness was in the area…or if she had a vision of a great darkness.
"Hey! Find Merlin and get some help!" Terra shouted.
"You can't tell us what to do, nom…!" the first guard said.
The second shook his head and said, "He's SOLDIER now. Let's just find Merlin before the man finds us himself."
"Okay, okay. Still doesn't change the fact that he's a filthy nomad…" the guard muttered.
The two went to find the sage and Terra tried to wake Aerith. Flying around them was Avelaine and she said, "I don't know what happened. We…We were just trying to get to Merlin and then Aerith had a vision of darkness destroying a castle town and…"
"Wait, wait, wait! What? A castle town? The only castles are Fynn Castle and Castle Cornelia out west. They're in danger?" Terra asked.
"I don't know, but…Please, can you wake her? Like do you have a potion or anything?" Avelaine asked, worried.
If anything happened to the human "host", Animi could disappear in a shower of light and the person would cease living. Terra understood as well as the alternative, if something should happen to Animi, the human would be greatly affected by such attacks. He gently shook her, saying, "Aerith, c'mon. Avelaine here's worried. C'mon, snap out of it…"
"What happened here?"
That was Merlin's voice. The old man in blue robes and a walking stick found them and his owl Animus, Archimedes, circled the area. Terra figured that it was to find the source of darkness…if there was any Heartless nearby. Terra mentally called for Gaius to do the same and the wolf Animus went away and sniffed the area trying to catch a whiff of the darkness. Terra himself couldn't smell anything, but Gaius could probably find it.
Avelaine explained and the old man looked at the unconscious Aerith. He placed a hand on her head and found that she was feverish. He muttered something under his breath and said, "We need to get her to Elmyra immediately. I'm afraid that her condition's quite serious."
"Uh, not another plague or anything, right?" Terra asked.
Gaius and Archimedes returned and neither could find a source of Heartless. The guards also returned, not surprised that Merlin got there first. That made Terra wonder if they even tried to find the old sage. Merlin explained the situation and ordered the two to find Mayor Fiona Gold.
When asked why, Merlin said, "We've something terribly important to discuss."
And here's chapter six. Several more characters have been introduced and we'll see how they'll connect with Sora, Riku, and Kairi very soon.
Also, this Aerith is based on the Aerith from FFVII: Remake, where in it you can see that she has visions of ghost-like enemies called "Visions" and is the only one that can see them…at first. So, that's the only spoilers of the changes made to the game that I'll give.
Anywho, review?
-miano53