(Author's Note: Hello! Here's chapter 11! I hope you enjoy it!)
Disclaimer: FF7 and Squaresoft are not mine. Rueh belongs to Rueh. Dete belongs to me.
Chapter 11
"Hey look! It's a chocobo!" Rueh exclaimed.
Dete sighed and shook her head. "Yes Rueh it is but that is also a town and I believe that that chocobo belongs to someone who lives there."
"So?"
"So we'll have to ask to borrow it or find wild ones which if I may remind you, you haven't caught a single one yet," Dete said.
"Yet is the key word there," Rueh stated matter of factly.
"Whatever. Come on. I'm cold. Let's go to the inn and figure out what to do from there," Dete said dully. They went to the inn.
Once there they were able to get something to eat and to rest from their long walk. They got a room with 2 beds and took a short nap. When they woke up they started thinking about what to do next.
"Well we have to find mom and dad. They could still be in Nibelheim or they could be anywhere else," Dete said.
"We know that already. But where do we go from here?" Rueh asked with a little bit of annoyance.
"I'm trying to figure that out and you're not helping!" Dete snapped.
"Because you're not letting me!" Rueh retorted.
"How am I not letting you? I'm asking what you think we should do next?!"
"We should get a chocobo!"
"Then what about after that?"
"…I don't know!"
"Okay. That's what we need to figure out. Where do we go after we get a chocobo or 2," Dete took a deep breath to calm down.
"Well start thinking," Rueh said.
"I am! See? You're not helping now!"
"Who said I wanna help after we get the chocobos?"
"Oh! So you want to catch the chocobos then let me do the rest?"
"Why not? You seem to like thinking!"
"Not really but in this situation it seems as though I'll have to do all of it!"
"Fine with me!"
Dete took a deep breath. "Listen Rueh…this fighting isn't getting us anywhere. We need to work together to find mom and dad and get back to Nibelheim. So let's stop fighting and work together. All right?"
Rueh looked at her with a wary look. "Fine…for now," she said.
"All right…now. We're in Icicle Village. Where do you think mom and dad are?" Dete asked.
****
"What do we do now Sephiroth?" Aeris asked as he pulled her to her feet.
"Well. I think we should go back to Nibelheim first. If Rueh and Dete aren't there we'll have to call your friends and ask them to help us search for them. We're close to the chocobo farm so let's go there and get a chocobo," he said.
"Okay. I just hope that they're still in Nibelheim," she sighed.
"Don't worry. They'll be all right," he smiled to re-assure her. He took her hand and led her from the caves.
They left the caves and entered the swamp. Aeris stayed a step behind Sephiroth the entire time so as to not get separated from him and for protection. They walked most all day with out any problems until they came to the worst part of the swamp.
"The Midgar Zolom lives around this place. Stay close to me Aeris," Sephiroth said looking around to see if the snake like creature could be seen. It wasn't.
Aeris nodded wordlessly and followed closer to him than she had been. They were halfway through this part of the swamp when something caught her eye. "Wha…what's that?" she asked.
Sephiroth turned to look at what she was talking about then turning to face her. "I don't see anything…maybe you're just a little paranoid right now…just calm down okay? Everything's going to be fine," he soothed as he brushed her bangs away from her face.
"Maybe you're right…I'm just up tight…a lot of things have happened these past 2 days that I wasn't expecting," she said shaking her head. "But I thought I saw something."
"If you see it again tell me," he turned and she followed him again as they continued on their way.
After a minute she saw the same movement again. "There it was!"
"Where?" he asked.
"Over there. By those trees," she said pointing.
They didn't move for a minute. Sephiroth watched the place she pointed at intently. He shook his head and looked around. "I still don't see it. Maybe the light is playing tricks on you…but then again maybe not!" he saw movement this time too. Aeris squealed and moved closer to him. The movement was gone as soon as he saw it though. "I think we should keep going," he said softly. Aeris nodded and they set off again at a faster pace.
They could see the edge of the swamp after awhile. But then they both saw the movement again.
"Aeris…go! Head for the edge of the swamp!" Sephiroth shouted as the Zolom rose out of the water and lunged at them.
Aeris took off running. She jumped over fallen trees and roots as she went. She was almost there but skidded to a stop and let out a scream as she fell backwards and another Zolom rose out of the water above her.
Sephiroth glanced at her then jumped into the air and slashed the first Zolom with masamune. It fell to the ground. He freed his sword and ran towards Aeris.
The Zolom screeched and lunged at her as she scrambled to her feet. She screamed.
While still running Sephiroth switched his grip on masamune. He drew his arm back and threw his sword like a spear at the monster. His sword found it's mark and the monster reeled back screaming in pain.
Aeris looked up to see it thrashing about wildly trying to free the sword that was embedded in its skin.
"Aeris! Give me your staff!" Sephiroth shouted at her as he got closer. She nodded and got her staff ready for him to use. He grabbed it from her as he ran past and jumped into the air.
He held the staff above his head when he was higher than the creature's head. He slammed the staff down on its head as hard as he could as he started to fall back to the ground.
The stunned creature swayed then started to fall over. It crashed to the ground and was still.
Sephiroth landed in a crouch. He slowly straightened and walked towards the creature. He freed the masamune and backed away from the monster. He backed up till he was beside Aeris. He handed her back her staff.
He turned when she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against him. "Hey it's all right now," he soothed.
"Are you sure?" she asked looking at the monster.
"Yeah. Let's get out of here before more come," he said and led her to the edge of the swamp. When they were out of the swamp they turned in the direction of the chocobo farm.
****
"See! I told you I could catch a wild chocobo!" Rueh stuck her tongue out.
"Whatever. Now we need to go to Nibelheim," Dete sighed.
****
