Chapter 7
The sunrise cast a thousand shades of red and gold across the walls of the meandering canyons. Tall spires of natural rock stood proudly over deep fissures and gullies which were lost in shadow and seemed nearly bottomless. Pandora held on the edge of the wing of the Tiny Bronco and gaped at the view as the wind whistled through her hair.
"Wow!" she exclaimed, "It's beautiful!" Cid glanced back at her for a moment from the pilot's seat. He couldn't help but grin.
"You sound like some goddamn kid!" he yelled. Cloud sighed and shook his head, but he was more cheerful than exasperated. It felt like the cobwebs that had covered his soul had been lifted. He hadn't been truly happy since Niebelheim. Sephiroth and the fire he brought. Even his triumphs and friendships since then were always marred by tragedy. Perhaps he wasn't that different from Vincent: doomed and haunted.
"Cloud?" asked Tifa looking worried. He looked toward her and smiled ruefully.
"I'm fine," he said.
"There she is!" shouted Cid, "Cosmo Canyon!" They followed his gaze to the village built precariously into the side of a plateau that curved backwards. A long staircase connected a middle tier to a cluster of huts on stilts built around a central campfire. Above that a winding staircase led into caves in the rock. A large observatory crowned the top of the village, with a large telescope protruding out of a circular dome. Cid circled around once and steered toward the middle tier.
"Hold on to your britches!" barked Cid.
The Tiny Bronco skidded to a halt along the rocky soil. As the propellers died down Cid climbed up and untied Pandora's waist cord. She smiled gratefully.
"Thank you Cid," she said bowing, "It was an exciting trip." Cid became uncharacteristically bashful.
"Yeah, anytime," he muttered.
"Hey Jichan, can you untie me too?" called Yuffie with an impish grin.
"My knot's not coming undone either," chimed in Tifa cheerfully. Cid reddened and jumped off the wing and ran up the stairs. Cloud sighed. Tifa and Yuffie laughed as they untied themselves.
"He's such a pushover," said Yuffie.
"I think we should go and apologize," suggested Tifa becoming suddenly serious.
"Give him a minute," said Cloud thoughtfully, "He needs some time alone." They all jumped to the ground.
"I can't wait to see the big furball again," said Yuffie to Tifa as they climbed up the long staircase. Tifa turned and saw Cloud and Pandora still at the bottom.
"We'll be along shortly," said Cloud. Tifa nodded and walked up the stairs somewhat glumly. Yuffie picked up on that.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Tifa glanced at her.
"I want Cloud to be happy," she said with a long sigh, "Even if it's not with me." Yuffie gasped softly.
"You don't mean," she began.
"He never got over Aeris," said Tifa sadly, "Just like Vincent never got over Lucrecia."
"So they're both trapped," mused Yuffie, "I'm such a selfish brat." Tifa blinked in surprise.
"How so?" she asked.
"I thought I knew what pain and suffering were," said Yuffie self-loathingly, "But it's nothing compared to what they went through."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Tifa reassuringly, "We all have pain in our lives."
"And we can't face the future until we let the past go," said Yuffie.
"I'm hoping she can help him," added Tifa. Yuffie looked up at her but her face was unreadable.
At the base of the stairs Pandora watched Yuffie and Tifa climb up and out of sight. She turned to Cloud.
"What is it?" she asked. Cloud looked at her uncomfortably. She looked so much like Aeris it was almost painful to look at her. He decided it was time to add the last nail to the coffin.
"Close your eyes," he said. After she closed her eyes, she heard him walk around and felt her hair being tugged gently. She reached back with her hands and felt a ribbon tied to the back of her head. She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. He was examining it appraisingly.
"Perfect," he said, "It's been a while since I've tied a ribbon though." She smiled slightly.
"When did you ever wear a ribbon?" she asked. He laughed self-consciously and rubbed his head.
"Ancient history," he said hastily, "Let's go Aeris." That single word stopped her dead in her tracks. Cloud obliviously walked up the staircase. She looked after him and wondered if she could ever match the ideal this man had in his heart. After a moment, she ran after him.
On the 65th floor of Shinra building, Reno stood outside Reeve's office tapping his foot impatiently. The elevator chimed behind him and he turned to see Elena and Rude walking towards him.
"About time you guys got here!" he groused, "All hell is breaking loose out there!"
"It's been a long day Reno," grumbled Elena.
"Time to pay the piper," said Rude as the doors opened in front of them. They walked into Reeve's office to find him leaning over his desk intently reading an old dusty parchment.
"Have a seat," said Reeve, too engrossed to look up. The Turks quietly took some seats. Elena cleared her throat.
"Did the girl escape?" asked Reeve eventually.
"Yes," said Elena nervously.
"And how about Vincent?" asked Reeve.
"Yeah," said Reno.
"Excellent," said Reeve as he took a seat behind the desk. The Turks glanced at each other then back to him expectantly. He couldn't help but chuckle at their mystified expressions.
"Only together can they redeem the future of humanity," he elaborated, "With a little help from us."
"How is that possible?" asked Elena. Reeve shoved a stack of books aside and pushed the parchment toward Elena. She stood and put her hands at the desktop as she looked over the delicate black etchings in the long yellowing scroll. It looked centuries old and depicted a castle or tower built on a hill surrounded by clusters of tiny huts clinging precariously to the foundations. Rude and Reno stood up and looked over her shoulder.
"It looks a little like Midgar," said Rude. Reeve smiled benevolently at Rude.
"Very good," said Reeve, "This is the earliest known woodblock printing of Midgar."
"What does this writing mean?" asked Elena, running a gloved finger over the elegant script on the margins.
"It names the eight villages of Midgar," explained Reeve pointing out each cluster of huts in turn, "Hokhmah, Binah, Hesed, Din, Tiferet, Nezah, Hod, and Shekhinah."
"You're talking about the Sectors!" exclaimed Reno, "The eight Sectors!"
"Ten," corrected Reeve with amusement.
"Where's the other two?" asked Elena.
"You're standing in one of them," he replied.
"The Shinra building?" asked Rude.
"This was a castle?" asked Reno still disbelieving.
"A thousand years ago it was," said Reeve, "On the plains of Midgar the Ancients built Keter Elyon, the divine citadel."
"Who built the villages?" asked Elena.
"The humans of this planet," said Reeve, "But with the sealing of Jenova, the age of Ancients passed." They stared mutely at each other.
"Now the age of humans is about to pass," said Reeve, "The fulfillment of the Neo-Midgar project."
"Neo-Midgar?" asked Rude, "Isn't that the plates and the reactors?"
"Follow me," said Reeve leading them out of his office. They followed him down into the elevator. He inserted his key and all the elevator buttons lit up. He punched ten buttons rapidly, seemingly at random. The elevator began to move down. They watched the numbers scroll past until they got to the 1st floor. It then continued to descend further, the floor number going blank.
"What the hell?" said Reno. Reeve gestured for him to be quiet. What felt like a plunge of another thirty stories the elevator came to a rest and the doors opened with a chime. They entered a huge dark cavernous space and felt a cool chilly breeze.
"How far underground are we?" asked Elena straining to see the dark. Small red lights in sconces dimly illuminated a wide circular metal catwalk extending around the girth of the ebon space in either direction.
"About fifty stories," said Reeve putting his hands in his pockets.
"Where are we?" asked Rude.
"The Ancients called this place Yesod, the foundation," he explained, "President Shinra called it Mako Reactor Zero Prime." He flicked a switch and dozens of spotlights illuminated a tall conical structure in the center of the room that spiraled in a corkscrew shape and plunged into the ceiling hundreds of feet above their heads. It was made of rock but it looked strangely organic. The Turks were reminded of the wasted cities in the North Cave and the Temple of the Ancients. Hundreds of small spikes protruded out of its surface.
"That's a Mako Reactor?" breathed Elena.
"Not exactly," stated Reeve, "But what the excavators learned from it allowed Shinra to build its first Mako Reactor." Elena looked and saw there were elaborate patterns carved into the cylindrical walls of the chambers. The only modern things were the catwalk and the eight pipes connected to the top of the spire. Each pipe looked wide enough to drive a locomotive through.
"This is connected to the Mako Reactors on the surface!" she said.
"President Shinra hoped the power from the eight Reactors would be enough to reignite Zero Prime," said Reeve wistfully, "But he didn't live to see his dream."
"Neither did any of the other executives," pointed out Reno.
"Except for you," added Rude.
"I have inherited their legacy," admitted Reeve grimly, "And I intend to see it through."
In Cosmo Canyon, Pandora didn't even make it to the top of the stairs before she saw a small girl running towards her. She had chestnut hair cut short and was wearing a light blue dress.
"Yay, yay!" she yelled, "It's the flower lady!" Pandora blinked in surprise as the girl leapt into her arms.
"Now be a good girl Marlene," chided Cloud gently.
"I will big brother," she said nodding eagerly.
"It's alright," said Pandora hastily, "You've grown up so much I didn't recognize you." Marlene smiled and hugged her.
"I cried so much when you went away," she said earnestly, "I thought you didn't like me anymore."
"Oh sweetie, I could never hate you," said Pandora exchanging a painful glance with Cloud, "I came back as soon as I could."
"Promise never to go away again?" asked Marlene hopefully. Pandora set her on the ground and held out her pinkie and Marlene interlaced it with her own.
"I promise," said Pandora. They all turned to see a large flame colored cat walking towards them. He had a scar over one eye and wore an elaborate headdress made of feathers and had extensive tattooing on his flanks including the number 'XIII'. He regarded Pandora with an expression of intense curiosity.
"Welcome to Cosmo Canyon," he said inclining his head slightly, "I am the chieftain, Nanaki, son of Seto." Pandora looked at Cloud and Marlene and returned the bow.
"Thank you for your kindness," she said, "My name is Aeris Gainsborough." Marlene giggled.
"You silly guys, she said, "You already know each other!"
"A mere formality my dear," said Nanaki brightly, "Come join us by the campfire." They walked together to a large campfire. Tifa, Yuffie, and Cid were already waiting, along with a massively muscled dark skinned man with a right hand made of steel. He had black hair and rust eyes and wore a black vest over olive green pants. Marlene ran over to him.
"Daddy, look!" she exclaimed, "See the flower lady?"
"Yeah I see her," he rumbled in a bass voice, "I'll be damned!"
"Watch your goddamned mouth Barrett," snapped Cid archly, "Show some class for once."
"Why don't you make me you old coot!" he retorted. Nanaki politely cleared his throat.
"If we could begin," he said calmly, "Perhaps I can help you to understand this new threat to the planet."
"Where should we begin?" inquired Cloud. Marlene sat on Pandora's lap and began pulling materia out of the handle of the Angel Guard.
"Perhaps I should tell you that the President of Shinra visited me a year ago," replied Nanaki. He measured their surprise carefully.
"He was here?" asked Tifa as she folded her arms across her chest.
"He wanted to learn the eventual fate of the planet," said Nanaki evenly, "I confirmed his suspicions."
"What were they?" asked Cloud.
"The Lifestream is receding," explained Nanaki, "It is gathering toward the planet's core."
"Why?" asked Yuffie.
"How?" demanded Barrett. Nanaki looked at each of them in turn before continuing.
"The Lifestream has been severely weakened by absorbing the impact of the meteor," he stated, "It needs time to recover from its injuries."
"Aw shit!" muttered Barrett with a deep sigh.
"What about the surface?" asked a worried Pandora.
"The further it retreats from the surface, the less life can live here," replied Nanaki sadly.
"Reeve said that he's trying to save humanity," said Tifa thoughtfully, "How can he do that?"
"I suspect he hopes he can use your friend here to change the course of the Lifestream," said Nanaki.
"Me?" said Pandora, "I don't even know how."
"You have instincts," explained the cat fixing its golden eye at her, "You will sense what to do when the time is right."
"What about Vincent?" asked Cloud as he interlaced his fingers.
"He wants to free Lucrecia," said Cid, "You think he can do that using the Lifestream?"
"If he can bring the Lifestream to her, maybe she can become part of it," suggested Tifa.
"That makes sense," said Cloud, "And I don't blame him for that."
"If that's all he plans to do," added Nanaki. They looked at Pandora expectantly.
"He hasn't told me of his plans," she said quickly, "But I'm worried about him."
"We worry about him as well," stated Nanaki, "He helped us to save the planet."
"As did you," added Cloud quickly, "You sacrificed more…." His voice trailed off suddenly. Pandora stared at him until he dropped his gaze.
"Please go on," she said. He shook his head. She sighed quietly to herself.
"Let us rest my friends," suggested Nanaki, "Your need to regain your strength." Barrett stretched and walked over to Pandora and scooped up Marlene is his massive arms.
"Say goodnight to the flower lady," he said regarding Pandora with a level gaze.
"Night!" said Marlene cheerfully. Pandora smiled. Barrett pulled the green materia out of his daughters grip with his steel hand. Pandora held out her hand and he dropped it into her palm.
"Goodnight Barrett," she said hopefully.
"Night," he murmured. Pandora popped the materia back into its proper slot as he walked off into the darkness. Tifa glanced at her as she followed Yuffie to one of the huts.
"Nice ribbon," she said. Automatically her hand went up to the ribbon in her hair.
Later that night Pandora opened her eyes. She was in a dark room in a wooden hut perched high above the ground. Firelight flickered through the slats in the walls. She turned to her left and saw Yuffie and Tifa asleep in bunks next to her. She sat up and quietly dressed in the dark and then stepped out onto a balcony overlooking the campfire. She leaned her elbows on the railings and stared down into the flickering flames.
"Fire is an agent of change," whispered a voice in the dark. Pandora gasped and whirled to see Vincent emerge from the nearby shadows into the firelight. Her fear melted away as she felt the warmth of his love in his eyes.
"You've grown child," he said quietly, "Do you remember me?" Pandora searched his gaze and knew the answer.
"Master," she said kneeling before him. He frowned and pulled her gently back to her feet.
"I will be your guardian," he corrected, "You are no longer an orphan of the planet." She nodded eagerly. He hesitantly reached out to her with his claws. She pulled them to her face and felt the cool sharpness of the claws on her cheek as she closed her eyes.
"What must I do?" she asked.
"What do you wish for more than anything else?" he asked. She opened her eyes and stared at him imploringly.
"I want to know the truth about Aeris," she said.
"No matter what the cost?" he asked looking saddened. She nodded firmly. He dropped his arms to his sides and walked around the corner. She followed him and saw a jet black chocobo perched on the railing. She smiled as she ran her hands over the dark plumage. The giant bird nuzzled her with its beak.
"She's beautiful," she said, "What's her name?"
"Penumbra," he replied, "It means 'edge of the shadow'." He climbed onto its back and held out his hand. She took it and he pulled her onto the saddle behind him.
"Hold on tight," he said. She gripped his cape tightly as he snapped the reigns softly and Penumbra ran down one of the support beams of the hut. She ran across the courtyard and then down the vertical canyon wall. Penumbra ran up the opposite side as if it were a small ditch. Pandora began to feel dizzy.
"How is she doing that?" she asked as they plunged down another gully. Vincent glanced at her and steered the chocobo to the top of the canyon.
"She's the offspring of mountain and river chocobos," he explained, "Although she can't cross oceans like Midas can."
"Midas?" inquired Pandora.
"Cloud's golden chocobo," he elaborated, "Penumbra is his mother." They rode on in silence for a while.
"Where are we going?" she asked eventually. He looked back at her.
"We're going to meet Aeris," he replied. She clutched his cape more tightly. They continued on into the night, both of them full of hope and fear.