The flight to Cosmo Canyon was, one the whole, uneventful. Marlene flew the ship very fast at a very low altitude, despite Cloud suggesting that perhaps they should slow down a bit and that they should be travelling higher than 1 metre over the tops of the trees.
They set down at Cosmo Canyon early in the evening, landing on slightly uneven terrain, but Cid had obviously counteracted this flaw, and with a flick of a switch, Marlene extended the landing struts with attached themselves to the ground. In effect, the Highwind didn't actually land, instead it hovered about half a metre above the ground.
"So now we just leave it?"
"When it goes into landing mode, a computer takes over, which keeps the airship's altitude constant. It can be activated in flight, but the instant the pilot touches the altitude controls, that command is overridden.
When they approached the village, it was immediately apparent that something was up. "So we came all this way to see a ghost town!" She was right, the whole place seemed to be deserted.
"Let's take a look around," Cloud said, drawing his weapon. Marlene drew her pole, wondering if she would actually need to use it. They decided to try the upper entrance. There, they waited for a second, Marlene's heart beating fast. Cautiously, she reached for the door handle, and pulled.
The second the door opened, there was a blur of red as something leapt at her. She went flying backwards as the thing collided with, sending them both tumbling down the set the stairs. The thing appeared to be trying to maul her, and she was using all her strength just to try and strangle the thing with her bare hands.
They landed at the bottom, the thing on top of Marlene. Slowly, she tightened her grip as she felt the resistance lessen. I'm winning...She looked straight at the creature's face, the face that was also looking straight at her...
"Marlene! Nanaki! Stop!"
Nanaki...Slowly, she lessened her grip, but she kept her hands firmly around his throat. The creature began to breathe again, looking her straight in the eye. "Mar...Mar...Marlene?" it choked out.
Immediately, she released her grip. "Nanaki?" she whispered. Nanaki leapt off her, allowing her to sit up. She looked at him Nanaki looked about the same as always, except that he seemed to be breathing heavily, and was having trouble standing up. "Are...are you alright?"
"It's good to see that you have become so strong Marlene," he said. "But what are you doing here?"
"Haven't you been feeling ill lately?" Cloud asked.
"Well, I have been having some bad headaches and my limbs seem to freeze up now and again. I can only assume that I'm becoming an adult!" He chuckled to himself. "Why do you ask?"
And Cloud and Marlene told him everything they knew. Hojo's experiments, the bodies in the Northern Crater, and Cloud's breakdown of his DNA. Nanaki digested this information quietly. He shook his head. "Hojo..."
"Sorry to butt in," Marlene said. "But why are you still here? This place is a ghost town?"
"Everyone left about a year ago when a small group of Ninja's attacked the town. They had probably thought the town was abandoned, and where probably going the scavenge what they could." He sighed. "However, the attack scared the population into leaving, even though I fought them off no problem."
"You didn't answer my question..."
"I'm getting to that." He wagged his tail in frustration. "I am the guardian of this town. My family has guarded this town for generations, and I will continue to guard it, until the inhabitants return."
"Nanaki," Cloud interrupted. "They may not return, besides, mankind has moved on. Everyone wants something to do with technology these days. The children who grew up here probably saw what technology could do, and they left to join the modern world."
Nanaki tried to speak, but the first word seemed to get stuck in his mouth. "But..."
Marlene interrupted. "Look, we can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of technology later. Right now we need to find a cure for both of you..."
"She's right," Cloud said, wincing suddenly.
"Where did you say where were headed?" Nanaki asked.
"Well, the obvious place to go would be Hojo's laboratory in Midgar. However, I don't know my way around the ruins very well..."
"Well, who does?" Marlene began to get impatient.
"We need someone who had relations with Shinra, and who knew their way around the old Midgar pretty well..." He racked his brain for a minute. "If Reeve was still alive, we could have asked him...but there is a group of people we could ask..."
"Who?"
"The Turks..."
They set down at Cosmo Canyon early in the evening, landing on slightly uneven terrain, but Cid had obviously counteracted this flaw, and with a flick of a switch, Marlene extended the landing struts with attached themselves to the ground. In effect, the Highwind didn't actually land, instead it hovered about half a metre above the ground.
"So now we just leave it?"
"When it goes into landing mode, a computer takes over, which keeps the airship's altitude constant. It can be activated in flight, but the instant the pilot touches the altitude controls, that command is overridden.
When they approached the village, it was immediately apparent that something was up. "So we came all this way to see a ghost town!" She was right, the whole place seemed to be deserted.
"Let's take a look around," Cloud said, drawing his weapon. Marlene drew her pole, wondering if she would actually need to use it. They decided to try the upper entrance. There, they waited for a second, Marlene's heart beating fast. Cautiously, she reached for the door handle, and pulled.
The second the door opened, there was a blur of red as something leapt at her. She went flying backwards as the thing collided with, sending them both tumbling down the set the stairs. The thing appeared to be trying to maul her, and she was using all her strength just to try and strangle the thing with her bare hands.
They landed at the bottom, the thing on top of Marlene. Slowly, she tightened her grip as she felt the resistance lessen. I'm winning...She looked straight at the creature's face, the face that was also looking straight at her...
"Marlene! Nanaki! Stop!"
Nanaki...Slowly, she lessened her grip, but she kept her hands firmly around his throat. The creature began to breathe again, looking her straight in the eye. "Mar...Mar...Marlene?" it choked out.
Immediately, she released her grip. "Nanaki?" she whispered. Nanaki leapt off her, allowing her to sit up. She looked at him Nanaki looked about the same as always, except that he seemed to be breathing heavily, and was having trouble standing up. "Are...are you alright?"
"It's good to see that you have become so strong Marlene," he said. "But what are you doing here?"
"Haven't you been feeling ill lately?" Cloud asked.
"Well, I have been having some bad headaches and my limbs seem to freeze up now and again. I can only assume that I'm becoming an adult!" He chuckled to himself. "Why do you ask?"
And Cloud and Marlene told him everything they knew. Hojo's experiments, the bodies in the Northern Crater, and Cloud's breakdown of his DNA. Nanaki digested this information quietly. He shook his head. "Hojo..."
"Sorry to butt in," Marlene said. "But why are you still here? This place is a ghost town?"
"Everyone left about a year ago when a small group of Ninja's attacked the town. They had probably thought the town was abandoned, and where probably going the scavenge what they could." He sighed. "However, the attack scared the population into leaving, even though I fought them off no problem."
"You didn't answer my question..."
"I'm getting to that." He wagged his tail in frustration. "I am the guardian of this town. My family has guarded this town for generations, and I will continue to guard it, until the inhabitants return."
"Nanaki," Cloud interrupted. "They may not return, besides, mankind has moved on. Everyone wants something to do with technology these days. The children who grew up here probably saw what technology could do, and they left to join the modern world."
Nanaki tried to speak, but the first word seemed to get stuck in his mouth. "But..."
Marlene interrupted. "Look, we can discuss the advantages and disadvantages of technology later. Right now we need to find a cure for both of you..."
"She's right," Cloud said, wincing suddenly.
"Where did you say where were headed?" Nanaki asked.
"Well, the obvious place to go would be Hojo's laboratory in Midgar. However, I don't know my way around the ruins very well..."
"Well, who does?" Marlene began to get impatient.
"We need someone who had relations with Shinra, and who knew their way around the old Midgar pretty well..." He racked his brain for a minute. "If Reeve was still alive, we could have asked him...but there is a group of people we could ask..."
"Who?"
"The Turks..."