Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Convergence

Yuffie staggered into the cockpit of the Highwind, looking utterly miserable and ready to throw up any minute. Tifa, Zeno, Cloud, and Cid glanced up from their positions near a window, staring at the literally green-faced ninja as she slumped into a spare chair.

"Well…I took your advice…you pokey headed jerk…and I walked around…even though I felt…lousy…" She opened her eyes weakly and pointed a finger at Cloud. "Don't you ever…ever…ever…give me advice like that…again. 'Cause I'm not…gonna…follow it."

"Oh. Well…what can I say? It works for me…" Cloud shrugged. "Look, we're almost there, Yuffie."

"Don't…even…suggest…looking out of a window…" Yuffie made a strange, strangled noise.

"Oh, my God! If you even think about losing your stomach in my cockpit…" Cid began, recoiling away from the window and wheeling around to face Yuffie with a look of horror on his face.

"Prepare for landing," Dusk interrupted, busily flicking switches and inputting new settings into the Highwind's computer.

Yuffie's eyes rolled to the back of her head. "Oh, gods, if I live through this…I swear that I will never…fly again…"

"Landing coordinates set, Captain," Dusk continued, ignoring the ninja's groans. "Affirmed?"

Cid took a quick check outside of the window. "It's a forest. Are the Highwind's landing gears stable enough for that?"

"Stable enough, Captain. I fixed them the other day."

"Then proceed, pilot."

"All crew prepare for landing," Dusk warned quickly before shifting the Highwind into a downward movement. Cloud peered out of the window and watched leaves get sucked into the updraft of the Highwind, plastering themselves against the window and getting shredded in the engines. There was a slight bump that was accented by a loud complaint from Yuffie, and then the Highwind made the distinct shutting down noise as its engines became quieter.

"Landed," Dusk said. "Orders, Captain?"

Cid took the earphones off of his head as he spoke. "Just tell 'em to stay one board and be ready at all times for taking off, pilot."

While Dusk relayed the message, Cloud idly checked the edge of his sword and watched Tifa unconsciously stretching her legs out while flexing her fingers. Cid opened a side closet installed in the Highwind and pulled out his old spear that he had used years ago.

"Just in case," he explained at Zeno's blank stare.

Dusk turned in her seat and got up, pulling her earphones off and for the first time revealing the outfit she wore. It was not the work clothes she had been wearing yesterday; instead, they were the neatly pressed business suits of the Turks. Its appearance picked at Cloud's memory, reminding him of the three annoying members of the Turks he had fought many times in the past.

I wonder what became of them, anyway?

"Uh, Dusk…the uniform?" Cid asked, staring pointedly at his pilot's choice of clothing.

Dusk shrugged. "This is what I travel in, Captain, as you probably know." She leaned over a console and picked up a loosely wrapped, long, slender object that seemed to be a staff of some sort. At Cid's second questioning look, she added, "Just in case."

"Cid, what's going on?" Yuffie asked tiredly as she got up from her own position. "And why the hell is she dressed like that?"

"Um…" Cid coughed. "Apparently, Dusk is going with us." He then glared at the girl, a look that would have made any lesser person quail in fright. "You stay out of trouble, okay?!"

Dusk nodded. "Affirmative," she replied, sounding very much like a robot.

"Okay, let's unload," Cid announced to the others. Cloud sneaked a quick look at Zeno, slight apprehension in his mind.

As the group stepped out of the confines of the airship, Zeno immediately looked around, examining the forest and then moving his eyes up to the huge crater. At the moment, all he could see was the crater's lip that extended above their heads like a mountain range that circled back onto itself. His eyes narrowed slightly before returning to their normal state of cool indifference.

This is where we have to start being careful, Cloud thought. There's not telling what the kid will do…

"Okay, we're going to have to climb a bit here, folks," Cid announced. "I hope you're all in shape for this."

"Is that a challenge?" Yuffie inquired sneakily. "I accept, you old man!"

"Oh, old man, is it?" Cid returned, keeping in step as he began up the side of the crater. "Let's go, squirt."

" 'Squirt'?" Yuffie muttered as she followed. "That's new…"

* * *

Aeris moaned and turned her head slightly as she curled up on her side. Oh…it's so hot today…did I oversleep again? It's probably noon, judging from the heat…

She moved a hand to reach for the blanket that she had apparently kicked off during the night. When patting her hand around in several placed proved fruitless, she sighed and gave up on it.

Why does my head hurt so much…? Ow…

"Aeris?"

"D-dad?" she responded sleepily in a voice under her breath, refusing to open her eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm so tired…just a few more minutes, okay…?"

"Aeris…wake up."

"Dad…" she groaned. "Come on…just a couple more…minutes…and then I'll be up…"

"Aeris!" Now there was a slightly frantic note in the person's voice.

That urgency was all that made Aeris slowly flutter her eyes open, immediately flinging an arm over her eyes as a ray of sunlight hit her eyes. "Ow…my head…Dad?"

"Aeris?" Her father's face appeared over hers. "Are you all right?"

"Not really…my head hurts a lot," she mumbled. "Dad…I had the weirdest dream. Someone was calling to me…but I didn't know who…"

"Shh. Just sit tight, okay? You can rest for a few more minutes."

Aeris closed her eyes again, fighting against the pounding headache that threatened to engulf her mind back into darkness again. Suddenly, she heard her dad shifting to his feet and the click of his gun being cocked.

"Bahamut," he said in a warning voice, "we've got company."

There was the noise of another body moving forward next to Vincent. "Strange. Who would be trying to hike up the side of the North Crater?"

"Your eyes are sharper than mine. Can you make them out?"

"Hmm…not yet. I can hear them coming up, though, but they're pretty much hidden by all of that foliage right there. I don't think they're expecting anyone to be up here."

"That much is obvious, judging from the amount of noise," Vincent replied dryly. "They're not very discreet. Can your staff do much damage?"

"Enough," Bahamut responded grimly. "Ah, here they come." There was a pause, and then a startled intake of breath. "Oh, goodness. That's a face I certainly didn't expect to see."

"Why? Who is it?"

"None other than one of your past allies…Yuffie Kisaragi."

"What the hell? Why is that kid up here?"

Now Aeris could pick up on a young girl's voice shouting exultantly. "I'm winning, you old man!" the girl was yelling. "Ha-ha! You're out of shape, aren't you?! You'd better fork over some good materia!"

There was a vehement curse that Aeris had no idea what the meaning was. "You little brat! When I get my hands on you…"

"Nyah!" the girl taunted. Her voice got closer, and all of a sudden her footsteps skidded to a halt. "What the…?!"

"Hello, Yuffie," Vincent replied coolly. "It's been a while."

"Oh, my," Bahamut muttered as the next bunch of people emerged from the trees. "Would you look at that. Cid Highwind, Cloud Strife, and Tifa Lockheart, all looking slightly out of breath."

"I told you that they were getting old," the girl identified as Yuffie replied snippily. "Wait a darned minute…who the hell are you?!"

"Hush up for a second, child," Bahamut responded.

"Hey! I'm no 'child'!"

"Yuffie…shut up, please," Vincent requested mildly.

"Hmm…that's strange. Now who are those two others following them? I don't believe I've ever seen them before…" Bahamut made another gasp of surprise. "Oh dear. Perhaps I do know one of them." He made a noise that sounded as if he were turning to Vincent. "Vincent, keep your gun ready. But don't discharge it until I either give you the signal or immediate danger is threatening. And I do mean immediate danger."

"Can I talk now?" Yuffie's voice asked.

"No. Shut up," Vincent told her. There was a slight edge to his voice that Aeris readily identified, but it was not directed to the strange girl. It was more of a tense thing that was radiating out in general at anything it could grab a hold of.

"Ugh…I am getting too old for this," a new voice groaned. It belonged to a man with a voice much older than anyone's Aeris had ever heard before, with the possible exception of Bahamut's. "Oh, hey…what the hell? Vincent?! What're you doing up here?!"

"I could ask the same of you, Cid," Vincent returned evenly.

"And who the hell are you?!" Cid continued, apparently directing the question towards Bahamut.

"No one of much importance to you," Bahamut said. "Now go stand next to your friend there and settle down."

"Fat chance! And the day that little thief is my friend is the day that—"

"Cid. Please. Shut up," Vincent growled.

There was another pause. "Fine, fine," Cid's voice grumbled as it moved to another direction. "Jeez…what got on his case?" he muttered.

"Don't ask me," Yuffie whispered back. "I'm still trying to figure that out."

Now a young, strong voice arrived, heralding the footsteps of another man. "Last time, we had the Highwind get us up here," he was grumbling. "Maybe the new equipment got rid of its hovering ability. Either that, or Cid forgot that it could even hover. Hey, Tifa! It's not too far n—whoa."

"Get over there, Cloud," Vincent said before Cloud could comment further. "And do please keep your mouth shut if you value your life."

Wisely, the Cloud person did not argue as his footsteps moved away from where Vincent was standing.

"Oh, I hope you're right, Cloud," a woman's smooth voice panted. There was a scrambling noise and the sound of dirt being shifted, and then a tiny exclamation of "oh, my. Vincent. What a…surprise."

"Nice to see you too, Tifa. Now move so that those other people can come up."

Tifa's footsteps moved over to where the others were, the woman muttering under her breath. "Well. We don't see him for five years and the first thing he tells me to do is move."

"Yeah, same thing here," Yuffie agreed. "Although what else can you expect from Mr. Vampire himself?"

"Mr. Vampire"? Aeris thought. Just who are these people? They seem to know dad very well…

"Who are these people?" Bahamut murmured under his breath. "That boy…and the girl…"

Vincent let out a strangely muffled choked sound. "What the…" Now it was his turn for his voice to sound completely dumbfounded.

The Yuffie girl snickered under her breath, as if she were barely holding back a comeback. And Aeris had a good idea what that comeback would be, too.

"Vincent! Shut up!"

Oh…that girl better keep her mouth shut…Dad doesn't sound in the best of moods right now…

"Hello. Who are you?" a young man's voice asked.

"I am Bahamut," Bahamut replied guardedly. "And you?"

"I am called Zeno." The voice got softer. "Do you need help, Dusk? Be careful on that area over there. The rock is a little unsteady."

"Thank you, Zeno," another woman's voice replied. Another sliding noise came, and then the sound of someone dusting their hands off on their pants. "Well." Yet another pause came, and then the woman's voice came back in a faltering, disbelieving tone. "…Vincent…?"

"Aya!" Vincent breathed. "Aya, is that you? What are you…? How…?"

"Aya?" Yuffie repeated. "Who's Aya?"

Aeris decided that she had born the suspense long enough. With a suppressed sigh, she hoisted herself to her feet and stood there, blinking owlishly in the sunlight while her eyes adjusted.

Once they did, she found seven pairs of eyes staring at her. Two she knew, but the rest were people she completely didn't know…

…Or did she?

The woman closest to her father had long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, one long bang obscuring one of the crimson eyes that were strangely echoing her father's. Her face and figure were slender and almost morbidly pale, and she wore a business-like suit that seemed a bit out of place on a mountain climbing expedition. The youngest girl was obviously Yuffie, as the girl's face completely matched her tone of voice. She had a saucy, mischievous expression in her slanted brown eyes. Her hair was dark brown and very short, tied back with a headband whose ends fluttered behind her shoulders.

The eldest man of the strangers had light blonde hair and wore a pair of goggles over his forehead. He carried a spear over one shoulder that was at the moment hanging slackly (along with his jaw) as he stared at Aeris. The woman at the end of the line had long, warm brown hair tied loosely in a tail and wide doe-like eyes that were just as surprised as the older man was. The man in the middle of them was the most strikingly familiar, right from his burnished gold, spiky hair to his faintly glowing ocean-deep eyes. He was completely shocked and kept looking Aeris over in amazement and disbelief.

He looks like he's seen a ghost, Aeris thought amusedly.

The last man was almost the same age as the sapphire-eyed man. He was strange and eerily familiar as well. His hair was long and dark black, tied back into a ponytail while two bangs hung in eyes that swallowed everything, including light, into their depths. He was very tall, almost reaching the same height as Bahamut, and had the slender muscles of a fighter even though he bore no weapons visible.

…Who is he? Aeris wondered. And all of these people…do I know most of them, too?

* * *

If seeing Vincent standing at the top of the crater was surprising enough, Cloud almost fell back down the crater's side in shock when the next surprise rose from the ground.

Aeris?!

The girl was a mirror image of the old Aeris that Cloud knew. Her hair was bound back into a braid and was a wavy chestnut brown, two bangs rebelliously hanging from her head. Her sweet, angelic face was the same, too, and the girl's posture, although tired, looked the same as Aeris'.

And the eyes…

Oh, God…her eyes…

They were the same eyes he had fallen in love with years ago. Guileless, completely innocent, and wide as if she were permanently startled. And green, the color of the Lifestream, large and so deep that he could fall into them all over again. Eyes that told him that this was Aeris, that it could be no other girl, and that, somehow, she was standing in front of him once more.

As if sensing his shock, Vincent turned to him. "Is there something wrong with my daughter?" he asked with the defensive pride any parent with a grown child exhibited.

What the… "daughter"? Her? But she's…she's… Cloud's mind ran in circles like a trapped butterfly.

"Aeris," Vincent continued. "Allow me to introduce these people. This is Cloud Strife" Cloud nodded stiffly in response, "Tifa Lockheart, Cid Highwind, Yuffie Kisaragi, and…" He indicated Dusk, who stood beside him. "This is—"

"Dusk," the girl interrupted. She looked up at Vincent sadly when he glanced down at her in surprise. "Dusk Hart."

Wait a second…didn't Vincent call her by a different name earlier?

"This is Dusk," Vincent finished as if he had not just been interrupted. He glanced over at Zeno. Cloud barely knew Vincent well enough to know when he was becoming tense. "I do not know him, however."

"This is Zeno," Cloud introduced. He shrugged. "Something of my nephew."

Zeno nodded politely in Aeris' direction, eyes avoiding hers. There was a slightly troubled look in Aeris' eyes.

"And who's this?" Cloud asked, pointing towards the stranger. He was almost completely swathed and hidden beneath the folds of a dark cape and hood.

"I am called Bahamut," the man replied carefully.

"Bahamut"? Cloud frowned. Isn't that—?

"And what are you doing up here?" Bahamut continued, disengaging Cloud from his thoughts.

"I suppose you could say that we're doing a little research," Cloud replied evasively. "And what are you three doing up here?"

Bahamut smiled, revealing slightly pointed teeth. "You could say that we're doing a little research as well," he returned. His smile disappeared as he leaned closer to Cloud, indicating Zeno with a quick jerk of his head. "Cloud, why are you travelling with…him?"

"Because it's his right to be here," Cloud countered the probing question with. "And because…he's why we're here." He nodded in Aeris' direction, ignoring the curious look the girl was sending him with her wide green eyes. "And what's she doing here…Bahamut?"

"It's her right as well," Bahamut responded softly. He backed away from Cloud and turned to the two groups, regarding them as one unit. "From here on, we will be travelling together," he announced. He turned to Zeno, then to Aeris, Dusk, and Vincent. "And I suggest that you get over your differences while we head into the Crater."

"Hold it! Who died and made you the boss, anyway?" Yuffie asked, being as irritating as she was normally.

Bahamut turned and stared at her, showing her his steely crimson eyes.

"I did."