Chapter Three: Departures
"Going somewhere?"
Cid jumped. He was about halfway to Nibelheim, having taken a rarely used shortcut, his hatred for the murderer growing stronger every step of the way. Yes, he was sure he knew their identity now, and they had just discovered him. He turned to face the opposition.
"Yeah," he retorted boldly. "I'm going to Nibelheim to tell Cloud what you've done, you selfish little fuck." He drew his spear. "But I'll take care of you first, if you prefer."
"Yes, I suppose I'll have to get rid of you now, since you've found me out," the murderer replied. Cid whirled his spear and lunged at his opponent. The battle began.
Cait Sith stood tall on his mog in the middle of Wonder Square, listening intently to the local gossip. One could learn a great deal, listening to the public when they didn't know you were doing it. He focused on a small group of children and their mother.
"Mommy," one of the children pleaded, "can I go play on the snowboarding game? Pleeeeeease!"
"Nuh-uh," another child argued, "I wanna go play in Speed Square!"
Cute, Cait Sith thought to himself, but I was hoping to pick up on some actual news. He turned to listen in on a couple of middle-aged men chatting nearby.
"Did you hear about that girl on the news?" one of the men was saying. "What was her name? Aeris, or something?"
Hey, Aeris! Cait Sith hadn't heard from her in a long time. She was in the news? He listened closely.
"Yeah," the other man confirmed. "Looked like she was a pretty little thing before she died. Can you believe that? Murdered, in her own home..."
Murdered! Cait Sith nearly fell off his mog. Aeris had been murdered! Who would do such a horrible thing? He had to talk to Cloud! Except that he couldn't make long distance phone calls from here. He would have to travel to Nibelheim.
I wonder if Yuffie knows, Cait Sith thought to himself as he headed for the Ghost Hotel. I know she's got a room here... He approached the door to Yuffie's hotel room and knocked politely.
"Who is it?" Yuffie's voice called from somewhere beyond the door. Cait Sith opened the door and invited himself in.
"It's me!" he proclaimed. "Did you hear? Aeris is dead!"
"Yeah," Yuffie answered, her eyes downcast. "I saw it on the news last night. I can't believe someone could be sick enough to do that kind of thing..." she looked away, as though holding back tears. Cait Sith knew that they had been good friends. He didn't want to see Yuffie cry, so he got straight to the point.
"Well, I'm going to Nibelheim right now to see how Cloud's taking it," he told her. "You wanna go?"
Yuffie wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Ok," she said. "I'll catch up with you though, I've got to pack up some things first, and pay my bill."
"Sure thing," Cait Sith agreed. He knew Yuffie could catch up to him readily, as the big ungainly mog did not move very fast. "I'll see ya later then."
With that he left her room, and started off for Nibelheim.
Marlene was awakened bright and early. It had been her first night of peaceful sleep in weeks, and she was not at all pleased, but too late: she was already awake. Now, in fact, she was already on her way to Nibelheim.
For some reason, Daddy and Vincent really thought that they should go pay Cloud and Tifa a visit. Marlene didn't understand why, and neither of the adults seemed willing to tell. She liked Tifa, as she was very nice, but Marlene did not like Cloud. She didn't know him very well, for one thing, and he also seemed pretty stupid. Marlene had thought the Flower Lady lived with them as well, but she must have been mistaken because Daddy hadn't mentioned her. That was a shame, because Marlene really liked her, too.
In the meantime, her little feet were getting sore from all this walking.
"Daddy," she whined, "I'm tired!"
"Sorry Marlene, but we've still got a long way to go," he apologised. "C'mere and I'll carry ya fer a bit."
Marlene scrambled over to her father and he picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. Marlene liked this particular perch; things seemed to look different from this much higher perspective.
They continued along the newly built mountain path silently. Marlene suspected something was wrong, because though Vincent didn't like to talk much, Daddy did, and he wasn't talking either. She hoped that Cloud and Tifa were ok, even if Cloud was an idiot.
"Going somewhere?"
Cid jumped. He was about halfway to Nibelheim, having taken a rarely used shortcut, his hatred for the murderer growing stronger every step of the way. Yes, he was sure he knew their identity now, and they had just discovered him. He turned to face the opposition.
"Yeah," he retorted boldly. "I'm going to Nibelheim to tell Cloud what you've done, you selfish little fuck." He drew his spear. "But I'll take care of you first, if you prefer."
"Yes, I suppose I'll have to get rid of you now, since you've found me out," the murderer replied. Cid whirled his spear and lunged at his opponent. The battle began.
Cait Sith stood tall on his mog in the middle of Wonder Square, listening intently to the local gossip. One could learn a great deal, listening to the public when they didn't know you were doing it. He focused on a small group of children and their mother.
"Mommy," one of the children pleaded, "can I go play on the snowboarding game? Pleeeeeease!"
"Nuh-uh," another child argued, "I wanna go play in Speed Square!"
Cute, Cait Sith thought to himself, but I was hoping to pick up on some actual news. He turned to listen in on a couple of middle-aged men chatting nearby.
"Did you hear about that girl on the news?" one of the men was saying. "What was her name? Aeris, or something?"
Hey, Aeris! Cait Sith hadn't heard from her in a long time. She was in the news? He listened closely.
"Yeah," the other man confirmed. "Looked like she was a pretty little thing before she died. Can you believe that? Murdered, in her own home..."
Murdered! Cait Sith nearly fell off his mog. Aeris had been murdered! Who would do such a horrible thing? He had to talk to Cloud! Except that he couldn't make long distance phone calls from here. He would have to travel to Nibelheim.
I wonder if Yuffie knows, Cait Sith thought to himself as he headed for the Ghost Hotel. I know she's got a room here... He approached the door to Yuffie's hotel room and knocked politely.
"Who is it?" Yuffie's voice called from somewhere beyond the door. Cait Sith opened the door and invited himself in.
"It's me!" he proclaimed. "Did you hear? Aeris is dead!"
"Yeah," Yuffie answered, her eyes downcast. "I saw it on the news last night. I can't believe someone could be sick enough to do that kind of thing..." she looked away, as though holding back tears. Cait Sith knew that they had been good friends. He didn't want to see Yuffie cry, so he got straight to the point.
"Well, I'm going to Nibelheim right now to see how Cloud's taking it," he told her. "You wanna go?"
Yuffie wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Ok," she said. "I'll catch up with you though, I've got to pack up some things first, and pay my bill."
"Sure thing," Cait Sith agreed. He knew Yuffie could catch up to him readily, as the big ungainly mog did not move very fast. "I'll see ya later then."
With that he left her room, and started off for Nibelheim.
Marlene was awakened bright and early. It had been her first night of peaceful sleep in weeks, and she was not at all pleased, but too late: she was already awake. Now, in fact, she was already on her way to Nibelheim.
For some reason, Daddy and Vincent really thought that they should go pay Cloud and Tifa a visit. Marlene didn't understand why, and neither of the adults seemed willing to tell. She liked Tifa, as she was very nice, but Marlene did not like Cloud. She didn't know him very well, for one thing, and he also seemed pretty stupid. Marlene had thought the Flower Lady lived with them as well, but she must have been mistaken because Daddy hadn't mentioned her. That was a shame, because Marlene really liked her, too.
In the meantime, her little feet were getting sore from all this walking.
"Daddy," she whined, "I'm tired!"
"Sorry Marlene, but we've still got a long way to go," he apologised. "C'mere and I'll carry ya fer a bit."
Marlene scrambled over to her father and he picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. Marlene liked this particular perch; things seemed to look different from this much higher perspective.
They continued along the newly built mountain path silently. Marlene suspected something was wrong, because though Vincent didn't like to talk much, Daddy did, and he wasn't talking either. She hoped that Cloud and Tifa were ok, even if Cloud was an idiot.