All Heaven in the Midnight of the Sun

Chapter Eleven

The voice that spoke:

Earthborn...

Child of the Ancients...

I know your fear and your loneliness. But your task is beyond such remnants of mortality. You are beyond such foolishness. Dry your tears and accept the gift that you have been granted.

You carry the fate of the world. Do not waver, Earthborn, or all shall surely be lost.

Aeris awoke in a cold sweat. She was lying sprawled across the cold cave floor. Beside her slept Garret, his hand on his sword. She got to her feet. She stepped over Garret and walked out of the cave into the chill forest night. The wind blew, making the forest come alive with movement. She watched the swaying of the trees for a long moment, and then, aware of the danger of being outside alone, turned to reenter the cave.

Her first impression was of a sudden darkness, and then she was pulled into the air. She dangled a few feet over the ground, her legs kicking frantically. She tried to scream, but something covered her mouth. Something breathed in her ear, its breath the stench of dead corpses left for too long in the sun.

"Help me…Help me, Aeris…"

He eyes widened in shock. She knew that voice. She could not remember where she had heard it before, but she had heard that voice. And with that shock, something flared up from within her, that feeling of mingled power and loss that had become like second nature to her. Green flame exploded around her, and the black thing was knocked away, hissing in pain. She stood her ground and watched, a smirk on her face, as it scrambled to its feet. The black cloak it wore shimmered and danced in the glow of the green light swirling around her. From within the darkness of the cave behind her came the sound of Garret cursing, and then he ran from the cave, sword drawn. The fire died instantly, and she crumpled to her knees. Garret ran to her, Kurin not far behind. He tried to lift her into his arms but she pushed him away and staggered to her feet. She turned to the dark embrace of the forest.

Nothing was there.

And then the dark became a sudden blinding white, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The city of Parn was a beautiful sight, the setting sun reflecting off the polished white buildings and nearly blinding all who gazed upon it. For nearly three centuries, the city had served as the backbone of human civilization in the south of the world. Recently, with the demon threat growing and the wars between the human and Moogles escalating, Parn had rapidly achieved the highest concentration of soldiers south of the Farina mountains. It was a very dangerous place to be for any enemy of the Emperor. But, unfortunately, it was also connected to the only pass through the mountains not infested with demons.

The party of three, cloaked and hooded, would have gathered far greater attention had the city not been so full of people as to make each individual indistinguishable from the other. Kurin could feel the sweat dampening his fur, making the already blisteringly hot day even hotter. He dared not alert Garret to his predicament, as his Moogle accent would have been instantly recognized, and the authorities alerted. He glanced at Garret, walking with the girl up ahead. He told her something and she laughed, a high, sweet, innocent sound.

When they had found her outside the cave two nights ago, she had been unwilling or unable to speak. When she regained consciousness, she had volunteered nothing as to what had happened, and Garret did not press her. After she had gone to sleep, he and Garret had talked until the morning about the black thing that had been chasing them. Both agreed that it had tried to attack her and she had fought it off, but neither could agree on what it was. Garret claimed it was an agent of the Emperor out to kill them while Kurin maintained it was a demon that had become attracted to Aeris' powers somehow and was pursuing them. In the end, they had given up trying to puzzle it out and gone to bed.

Kurin was still no closer now to understanding what it was than he was then. Still thinking, he never even noticed the little girl until he had bumped into her.

"Sorry," he said quickly, and froze. He looked back at the little girl, praying she hadn't noticed his accent. She held up her teddy bear brightly, as if she hadn't a care in the world.

"Wanna play?" she asked.

Kurin shook his cowled head quickly and ran to catch up to the others, leaving the little girl staring after him. His fur dripped with sweat. Garret, noticing his nervousness, stopped talking with Aeris for a moment.

"C'mon, Kurin. Let's find an inn and get out of the sun."

Kurin nodded desperately.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The innkeeper seemed decidedly unhappy to be presented with customers. When she had started this inn, five years ago, she had expected to cater to a high class of clientele, but as time had passed, her inn had rapidly become a den of theives and those who wanted to stay out of the sight of the Empire. And here, again, was another three scumbags who would probably trash up her room. She looked over the three cloaked figures with something like disgust.

"Walking around like that, it's a wonder you folks don't die of heatstroke. Do you want one room or two?"

"One," Garret said. "And would you be able to direct us to a good place to eat nearby?"

The innkeeper handed them the keys and then shrugged.

"Just walk in any direction and you'll find something. There's restaurants all over this place."

Garret thanked her and the three walked down the hall to their room.

Once they were safely inside with the door locked, they removed the heavy cowls. Kurin collapsed on the bed, the only piece of furniture in the decidedly bare room.

Aeris went to the window and looked out through the tattered curtains. The window looked out upon one of the city's many public squares. Crowd of people stood around, chatting and resting in the afternoon sun. In the center of the square stood a stone statue, the chiseled rock formed in the features of a gallant knight on horseback.

"Who is the statue of?" she asked.

Garret walked forward to look, but before he could speak, Kurin laughed.

"I bet I can guess without looking. It's that bastard murdering Emperor you humans adore so much."

Aeris turned around, shocked at his anger.

"Kurin, I…"

"I know, I know, but, dammit, that monster pisses me off."

Aeris started to speak again, but Garret but his hand gently on her shoulder.

"We should get something to eat, Aeris. Kurin, we'll bring something back for you."

Kurin mumbled something from his prone position, and raised a hand to wave them off.

After they had left, he got up and went to the window. Through the curtain he could see the statue, a soldier holding aloft the sword of justice. His hand clenched in fury.

A moment later, blood trickled down through his fingers and began to drip on the floor. He never even noticed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The restaurant bustled with people, and not wanting to attract attention, the two got a booth in the back. The ordered, and as they waited for their food, Garret noticed that Aeris was looking apprehensive. She looked at him, opened her mouth, and then closed it again and turned her head away.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

"It's just that…there's so much about your world I don't understand. Kurin was so angry…I just feel lost here."

Garret took her hand in his and held it. A blush spread across her face.

"There no reason to be afraid. We'll be here for you…to help you out."

"Thank you."

"And about Kurin-don't worry. His problems are…complicated."

She paused for a moment.

"Could you tell me about the Emperor? I don't understand how he can rule if so many people hate him."

"Because they don't. The Emperor is a hero to the people. Twenty years ago, we were ruled by a man named Ganuji. He was…a real son of a bitch. He imprisoned anyone who he thought was a threat, he murdered anybody who got in his way. The people hated him, but even more than that, they feared him. There was a boy who was a member of the Royal Guard who protected Ganuji. When he visited his home village, Ganuji decided that the boy had too many ties to home to be an effective soldier, so he…he burned down the entire village and killed everyone in it. He told the boy that it had been demons, but he had underestimated him. The boy found out, and while he was on guard duty, he took his sword and stabbed Ganuji through the heart. He became a hero overnight, and the people elected him instantly to be the new Emperor. Since then, he has done great things for the people. Not only has his army protected us from the demons, but he has brought a new golden age for us. He has brought the people true peace and happiness."

"But the Moogles…"

"About ten years ago, when I was just a recruit, he decide to take the war to the demons. Before that, he had been spending his time only fighting to protect the different towns from them, but it had been years and their numbers never diminished. He spent a year researching the nature of the demonic infestation, and he came to believe that the demons were Moogles that had become changed by black magic. Thus his holy war began. To protect the people, he began a campaign of extermination against the Moogle race. They went from a population rivaling our own to mere hundreds."

Aeris began to say something, but Garret signaled her to be quiet. Their food had arrived.

She found that she had lost her appetite.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They walked back through the darkened streets, feeling the chill bite of the wind even through their heavy cloaks. Parn, it seemed, was a city of extremes.

Aeris had never felt so lost. This world, this place, was so different from the one she had left behind. It seemed consumed by bitterness and loss. She felt herself yearning for the all-encompassing bliss of the Lifestream, that warm cocoon where all troubles were swept away.

Her thoughts ceased abruptly as she ran into Garret. She bounced off, hand clutched to her head in pain. Garret hardly seemed to notice. His gaze was focused ahead, into the darkness. Slowly, she followed the direction of his eyes, and she gasped.

The street was crowded by figures in full armor. In the center stood Kurin, his wrists tied and a sword held to his back by a cloaked figure behind him. Beside him lay their packs.

"I'm sorry, Garret!" Kurin yelled, his voice a knife that cut across the chill of the night.

Garret drew his sword from within his cloak.

"I don't think you people know who I am." In his voice was an unmistakable tone of command, a bitter coldness that chilled Aeris. For a moment she was terrified to be near him.

The cloaked figure stepped forward, and with a sudden motion, the cloak was at her feet. Garret's eyes widened in shock. The girl in front of them was beautiful. Long red hair flowed down her back, and her blue eyes were open and kind. Her figure was that of a goddess. She could not have been more than eighteen.

"I know exactly who I'm dealing with," she said softly, a innocent smile playing across her face. "Garret Audias, former member of the Tachikaze. A low-ranking member, but reputed to be quite skillful with a blade."

Garret brought his sword out in front of him.

"How about we find out just how skillful," he said, his face deadly serious.

The soldiers behind them all raised their weapons, but the girl stopped them with a wave of her hand.

"Try me," she said. She was still smiling.

Garret lunged forward, his sword arcing for her throat. With a clang of metal, his blade ricocheted. In her hand, the girl held a short sword. She shoved him back with one hand, and then brought her fist up in a crushing uppercut, snapping his head back. In the same motion, she brought her leg around in a smashing kick, knocking him skidding into a brick wall. Garret coughed violently, and blood trickled from his mouth onto the cold stone street.

"You're...not human." He gasped weakly as he crumpled to his knees.

She nodded, smiling, and then turned back to the soldiers, who stood with eyes wide. "Tie them up. The district commander has requested them to be brought to him."

The men nodded, and two rushed forward towards Aeris, their swords drawn. She stumbled backwards, into the shadows. She turned to run, and as she did, something spoke from the shadows around her.

"Don't bother."

Her eyes widened in shock. That voice, that voice that she had heard once before in the darkness. The name that belonged to that voice danced at the edge of her memory, still eluding her. But then she heard the sound of men behind her, and something sharp poked into her back. A trickle of blood ran from the point of the sword and down her back.

"Don't move, or we'll be forced to hurt you."

She started to raise her hands and then something warm and wet splattered across her back and hands. She held her stained hand up to her eyes, and the blood glowed silver in the moonlight. She turned around, entire body trembling.

The blood was everywhere. The two soldiers were broken dolls, their limbs strewn across the cobbles. Beyond them, something black and flowing moved in the night, leaping from soldier to soldier and spraying the night with crimson. None of them had any time to scream. At last the red-haired girl stood alone in a sea of red. The black-cloaked figure faced her, a dark chuckle escaping his lips.

Something grabbed Aeris' arm, and she nearly screamed. Garret whispered urgently in her ear.

"Move quickly, and move quietly, while she's distracted."

She turned to face him, and saw that he was holding a still-bound Kurin under one arm, and their packs in the other. She nodded, and they ran into the night.

The girl never noticed. Her gaze was locked on the black figure in front of her. A small smile crossed her lips.

"You are going to die here," she said, her voice firm and deadly.

The black thing laughed, his arms clutched to his sides in dark mirth.

"I would love to feast upon your heart, girl, but my goal is accomplished, and I have a party to catch. Goodbye."

And with that he was gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The party of three ran through the night, their footsteps echoing dimly off the stone.

"Where are we going?" Kurin asked, his voice harsh from exertion.

"The only place we can go. Through the cave to the other side."

"But, there will be a watch on the cave entrance, even at this hour. And they'll probably have been told to stop anybody who wants to get through."

"I said we go through the cave. The main tunnel is not the only way through."

Kurin's eyes widened.

"It's the only sane way! We could never make it through one of the side caves! We wouldn't last five minutes!"

Garret smiled cynically.

"I would think you'd be used to the idea of dying by now."

Kurin grimaced, and kept running. But after a moment, he spoke again.

"What was that, back there?"

"I have no idea, and frankly, I'm glad. Maybe the freak and that crazy bitch killed each other off."

"But that black thing didn't attack us at all."

Garret shook his head. "Maybe it was too busy fighting the soldiers."

Behind the two, Aeris ran silently.

That voice.

She knew that voice.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The red-haired girl sat silently in the chair. The moonlight spilled through the window onto the wooden desk in front of her, and the man who sat behind it. The man was pasty and balding, and since he fighting days had passed, he had formed somewhat of a gut. He leaned over the table, his hands clasped together.

"You seem to have lost me a squadron of troops, Commander."

The smile was no longer on the girl's face. Instead, there was an emotion rarely seen upon her features: fear. She began to tremble slightly in the chair as the man behind the desk stood up.

"I am disappointed in you."

She nodded quickly, and then tried to stand up. A heavy hand fell on her shoulder and pushed her back down.

"But I can deal with disappointment, Commander. As long as I am adequately...reimbursed."

His hand moved from her shoulder to caress her face gently. She flinched at the touch, but did not move.

"Do you want to strike me? That would be...unwise. You are, after all, here for any purpose we deem you fit. You are ours. Our puppet, if you will."

His hand tightened suddenly on her face, and he pulled it forward, meeting her lips with his. Her eyes widened. Her fist clenched for a moment, but then relaxed. A tear ran down her cheek. He broke the kiss.

"I think...that I can find a purpose for you."

In the hall outside, a soldier passed. He paused for a moment, hearing the muffled screams and sobs, and then moved on quickly.

It was probably none of his business.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The cave mouth stood before them, almost invisible in the darkness of the night. Kurin turned to Garret.

"Are you sure this is the one?"

Garret nodded. "Positive. When I was a soldier, we had to find a group of rebels hiding out in these caves."

Garret stooped down and searched through his pack. A moment later he stood up, holding a torch. He lit it, and without a glance backward stepped into the cave. Kurin and Garret shouldered their own packs and followed.

As they walked, Garret debated with himself over whether or not to tell the others about what he had found in the cave all those years ago. As it ended up, they hadn't killed a single rebel.

They had already been dead. All of them.

The party passed deeper into the cave. Behind them, in the darkness, something moved. With a rustling sound, it followed the three deeper into the cave.

It had been a long time since anybody had ventured into the cave, and it was very hungry.