Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Tomorrow…

"Borrow the Highwind?" Cid stared at Cloud. "What for?"

"We need it to get to, um…the place in question." Cloud rubbed the back of his neck, feeling Zeno's piercing eyes fastened there. "You know. North?"

"Any reason why you can't take the Tiny Bronco?" Cid gestured in the direction where the little airplane rested behind his house.

"It can't fly," Cloud replied with perfect logic. "It's still broken, and we sort of need to get North in a one-shot thing without having to go through the…City of the Ancients, Icicle Inn, Gaea's Cliff, and miles of freezing land. We're already definitely going to have to climb a lot as it is." He sent the older man a silently pleading look, one that had started back when he had mentioned the City of the Ancients. I'm…not ready to face Aeris' ghost again…

Cid sighed gustily. "All right. But I'm coming with you, you hear? I'm not so old that you're gonna leave me out of this whole shebang."

"Captain!" Shera appeared in the doorway to the Highwind. "I'm coming too!"

"No, not you, Shera," Cid corrected, more gently than he ever had before. "You're going to have to watch Rocket Town for me. We'll take Dusk with us, though."

Shera paused, thinking. "Yes…that might be the right choice. All right, then!" She ran forward, giving Cid a quick hug which definitely surprised both the man and his companions. "Take care of yourself! I didn't watch you all these years just to let you get killed, okay? At least this hopefully isn't going to be another mission-for-the-Planet's-survival!" She ran out of the door, apparently to clear the Highwind and notify Dusk of her mission.

Yuffie coughed. "Little does she know," she mumbled, keeping her voice low enough so that no one but herself heard her.

* * *

Dusk slid the earphones over her head, adjusting the microphone suspended from a wire attached to one of the earphone's ends so that it hung in front of her mouth. "Testing all communication units," she spoke through it, fiddling with one of the volume control switches. "Testing…"

"Does she know how to pilot the Highwind?" Cloud muttered to Cid as they both watched the girl run a test through each of the facilities of the airship.

"Of course," Cid whispered back. "Would I be trusting her with the welfare of my Highwind otherwise?"

"All personnel secure for liftoff," Dusk continued once she had finished with the tests. "Highwind cleared. All of crew in position?" She paused for a moment, receiving the multi-voiced replies of affirmative. "All of crew cleared. All passengers ready?"

Cloud paused, then started as Cid elbowed him in the ribs. "Uh, yeah. I mean, affirmative," he said through the earphone's microphone similar to the ones Dusk sported. He turned the microphone's face away from his mouth and glanced at Cid. "These things are new."

Cid grinned. "Aren't they? All clear, pilot."

There was a crackling noise in his ears, and then Cloud picked up the sound of Tifa responding in like over the transmission.

"All clear here, too! Hey, Cloud! Can you hear me? Isn't this neat?"

"Cleared."

"Ugh…all…clear…boy, this brings back memories…"

Cloud smiled slightly when he heard the last response. That was Yuffie, no doubt getting herself reacquainted with the Highwind.

"All passengers cleared," Dusk finished. "Prepare for takeoff." She tapped her fingers on a few buttons, pulled a switch up, and carefully grabbed the Highwind's controls.

Cloud's heart felt like it was sinking as the huge airship slowly rose into the air with the sound of engines roaring even through the earphones he wore. Dust could be seen even through the cockpit's front window, rising in a billow of tan clouds and dispersing almost as quickly as they appeared.

"Coordinates set," Dusk announced. "Travelling northward and landing at approximately 1300 hours. Affirmative, Captain?"

"Affirmative, pilot," Cid nodded. "Take her on."

"Received affirmative." Dusk finished her test and typed in another code on a nearby console, shifting the Highwind into a forward propulsion. With a roar of changing engines, the Highwind moved smoothly forward and began heading away from Rocket Town.

Yuffie closed her eyes and groaned as she felt the wind beginning to whip by her face. She was once more on the top deck, lying spread on her back and feeling completely miserable.

And I was hoping that hell wouldn't come back for me again…

* * *

"No. This isn't working." Bahamut rose in frustration, pacing back and forth against the edge of the lake. Aeris and Vincent both looked up at him in silence, watching the man walk around. "I need a place closer to the Lifestream. Even closer than here…and that would be…" He snapped his fingers. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Think of what, Mr. Bahamut?" Aeris asked curiously as she played absently with a tiny flower in her hands.

"The North Crater! It's even closer to the Lifestream…which will make my job easier, if a little risky." Bahamut frowned for a moment. "And how do I get there?"

"The North Crater?" Vincent questioned, breaking the man's reverie. "Isn't that a little dangerous, Bahamut?"

Bahamut shook his head. "Yes, it is. But it also means a higher chance of me getting in contact with the Planet…and finding out what's wrong." He picked up his staff that had been previously lying on the grass, adjusting its grip in his hand. "I'll be going now."

"Wait!" Aeris leapt to her feet, the petals of the flower she had been picking at scattering among the grass. "Mr. Bahamut—"

"I thought I told you to just call me Bahamut," Bahamut frowned at her. "And what is it?"

"Bahamut, let me go, too!" Aeris' request made her father whip his head around and stare at her with sharp red eyes. "I want to know!"

"Aeris," Bahamut began gently. "Child, it's too dangerous for you. Especially when you're the last hope this Planet has."

What did you tell her last night, lizard? Vincent thought hard in Bahamut's direction, getting the feeling that he could pick it up. In response, Bahamut simply turned his head slightly towards Vincent and shrugged.

"And how can I be the last hope if I don't know anything?" Aeris demanded stubbornly. "Bahamut, I don't want to know…I need to know! For the sake of myself and the Planet! There's so much that I don't know yet, and even more that is essential to surviving! How am I supposed to be the last hope if I sit here and wait for disaster to fall on top of me?!"

Bahamut stopped, seeming to be deep in thought. Finally, he sighed.

"Because your words have merit, you may come, Aeris. But I will be responsible for all of your actions, and that means that I'm your guardian from now on. Please…don't do anything that will risk endangering yourself beforehand."

Aeris nodded. "I understand, Bahamut."

"Then I'm coming, too," Vincent spoke abruptly, voice hard with his decision. He glared defiantly at Bahamut as the Summon tried to stall him. "And you know why, Bahamut. It's my duty just as much as it is Aeris'."

Bahamut's shoulder slumped in defeat. "I have no choice. Very well; but if either of you get into trouble, remember—I am responsible for everything. And no matter what I'm doing at the time, I will always be obligated to come and aid you."

"How do we get there?" Aeris asked eagerly, ready to see the world that had been shut off from her for all of her life.

"The same way that I got here." Bahamut put one finger to the side of his head. "I'll think us there."

"What?" Aeris asked intelligently.

"It's…magic of a sort. I'll explain it to you later, perhaps. For now…both of you, grab a hold of my hands." He extended one hand to each person. "And join hands with each other. This might be a little harder on me since there're two more people, but if I can use your energy as well and distribute it…"

Aeris followed his directions, not even flinching when her hand met with Vincent's cold mechanical one. She waited in anticipation, anticipation that her father felt with slight sadness.

She's growing up, Vincent though to himself. And I can't keep her inside of a little bubble anymore…

Bahamut closed his eyes, his head falling to his chest. "Brace yourselves," he murmured, and then their world was surrounded by a flash of light so bright that it was no wonder Bahamut had shut his eyes.

And then everything slowly speckled out into darkness that was so overwhelming it took hold of all of their senses…

* * *

Damn…

Aeris? Vincent?
Where are they…?

There!

…Have to…make it…the link…

…Got it…

Hold on, little ones…

We're almost…there…