By Moony
Disclaimer: I disclaim!
Chapter VII
Red winced as he came out of the hotel, blinking in the sunlight. His eyes weren't as protected as they had been before, as his brow protruded less and his eyebrows were sleeker. Even his irises were more restricted for how much they could diminish and the light poured over him. He squinted, adjusting the tunic on his shoulders. Yuffie had helped him to put it on, and the cloth was light and soft against his skin. His hair clip held a stray bang back, tucked behind his ear, and it the familiar feeling comforted him when everything else felt strange. He lifted a hand, slipping his thumb beneath the collar of his shirt and shifting its weight on his shoulders.
Looking around the small town, he couldn't help but grin. True, the body was clumsy and awkward, but his new form towered over his former self, giving him a whole new view of the world. He took a step forward, the stone walkway warm against his bare feet. He allowed himself to enjoy the sensation, waiting patiently for his companion to come trotting up beside him.
"Oh, that's' real nice. Real gentlemanly of you! Leaving a lady with the bill … At least pay me half," Yuffie said, irritated. Red didn't turn to look at her.
"Most likely," he responded, "Cloud left you more than enough to pay for the room and any supplies we might pick up."
Yuffie opened her mouth to reply but Red interrupted her, continuing.
"You probably weaseled your way out of a full fee for the room, and if we buy any supplies at all, it'll be discount. You'll pocket the difference, making a profit rather than spending a dime. I don't think you need any money from me." He cast her a sideways glance, smirking at the mock offense appearing on her face. "Besides, Cloud always carried my money for me."
The expression on Yuffie's face melted away into wide-eyed realization as she reached into her bag, pulling out a small, leathery wallet.
"He left it for you." She placed it in his open hands and he stared at it, silent. He'd never been able to really carry things before, and often left it up to any of the others. He felt almost overwhelmed holding the wallet, now, with new responsibilities.
"Unless you want me to hold it for you," Yuffie suggested, grinning. He was about to take her up on her offer until he realized what he was doing. He was surprised that the purse didn't seem considerably lighter already, having been in her possession for a couple of days. He shook his head, pocketing the leather pouch. She made a face, walking ahead of him, and he followed behind. Only later did it occur to him thatCloud had wanted him to hold his own purse. He didn't like the pessimism it implied.
He shook the feeling that he was growing accustomed to being human, insisting, once more, that he would return to his normal form within a week at the most. Yuffie entered one of the shops and he leaned against the wall, waiting for her to come back out. Taking a rest was much more preferable to wandering around, though he did need the practice. He still had to take his steps one at a time, and multitasking was nigh impossible. A tick landed on his neck and began to feast and he slapped it away, scratching furiously. He had the urge to get on his hind legs and scratch, but he fought it, shaking his head. He heard a light giggling and looked up, seeing two young girls nearby. They sat on a stone ledge, their feet dangling over the side and he started when he realized their eyes were on him. He felt like a trapped animal as the girls whispered behind their hands, grinning.
Did they know he wasn't really human? Did he look so out of place that they could see humour in his presence? He felt sweat gathering on the back of his neck, unsure of what they would do. Even in natural shape, he'd been targeted when people noticed he was more than a stray dog – he had the scars to prove it. People reacted even more violently when a doppelganger was in their midst. They took offense to anything that confused them. He was tempted to run into the store to escape their stares, but was worried that when he came out, he'd be greeted by a mad mob. Humans were brutal creatures; he didn't need any more proof of that. The girls laughed again and Red could imagine their thoughts of wanting to try him for every crime imaginable and sentencing him to death. For a horrified moment he pictured Yuffie trying to be his lawyer and the jury automatically labeling him as guilty. His fist clenched at his side and he buried his teeth into his lip, building up his resolve.
He'd show them! He refused to go without a fight! He stood tall and did not crumble as one of the girls leapt up from her seat, running over to him. She was probably a couple years younger than him – by human standards, at least – and her face was split in a wide grin. Red braced himself for the accusation as she smiled, tapping her toe daintily against the ground.
"Hi..." she said, "my friend and I think you're cute."
His brow was still furrowed, his body still tense when she ran away, giggling. It wasn't until after she'd grabbed her friend's hand and left that he finally processed what she'd said. His face relaxed and he felt the odd, tingling warmth in his cheeks again.
"Hot day, ain't it? You wanna go inside?"
He jumped, turning to see Yuffie had come out of the store. Her bag was full and she was folding a few notes, putting them into her pocket. She reached up and put a hand to his forehead and he pulled back, his face on fire.
"No, I'm fine!" He insisted, "let's go!"
Her eyes followed him as he left, her brow arched in suspicion. Red stopped, the situation suddenly hitting him. He turned to her once more, catching her look as a wide grin spread across his face. He laughed, then, starting quietly, but throwing his head back in delight.
"These girls … I thought they could tell I wasn't human and they might get angry. Really, they thought I was cute!"
Yuffie cocked an eyebrow, studying him, as he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.
"Ready to be on our way?" He asked. Yuffie nodded, saying nothing.
Red XIII followed Yuffie closely as they exited the quaint, touristy town. She'd handed him a couple of daggers that she'd purchased, saying that his human body would need a better way of defending itself than a hairpin. A calm breeze teased at his unprotected flesh and he tugged his tunic tightly around him, glaring at the horizon that refused to make itself clear to his blurred vision. His hands found the daggers at his sides and he stared hopelessly at their forms resting in their hilts.
"Yuffie, what am I supposed to do if we do get in a fight? I can hardly even walk," he told her, nearly stumbling as he hurried to keep up with her. The terrain was bumpy and jagged, and he was starting to regret refusing the boots she'd offered to buy him. Yuffie shrugged.
"Just do your best, I s'ppose." Her voice was carefree and Red bit back a sense of irritation.
"If you screw up, I can handle it. Plus, I got plenty of materia. We should be okay. Midgar's not that far anyway."
Red nodded, seeing the logic behind her words.
"Still," she grumbled, "Tifa and Reeve could of at least sent us a limo or something. I mean, Reeve is practically the head of the world."
Red rolled his eyes but suppressed a small smirk. He should've expected as much from Yuffie.
"All their funds and resources are going towards their campaign and charities. We can make our own way there." He gave her a soft push on her shoulder as she'd stopped to ponder her last statement. She continued forward and Red moved with her, his struggling to keep up continuing. It wasn't long before sweat had built up on his brow and Yuffie studied him in interest.
"We've only been at it for an hour and we've still got an hour left," she told him, watching his expression. Inside he wanted to collapse from irritation, but he kept his face cool and indifferent.
"It's just hot today," he said. As he spoke, a cool breeze blew by and Yuffie arched an eyebrow, goose bumps appearing on her skin. Red looked away, his face growing even warmer. He desperately sought a distraction and his eyes found one. He furrowed his brow, his muscles tensing.
"Trouble's coming," he said, his eyes narrowing. Yuffie shot her head in the direction he was looking, her expression alert.
"What? What is it? I can't see anything," she said, standing on a large rock to get a better view. Red's fist tightened and he felt his body tense up to the extreme, ready for combat.
"Looks like some sort of undead monster," he sniffed the air, wincing. "Yeah, have some Cure on you?"
"Max level! I equipped your daggers with some good elements, too." Yuffie's voice had an edgy giddiness in it, and she gripped her shuriken in anticipation. "Oh, I see it, now! Man, you've got skills. Your eyes are still great!"
Red took it as a small comfort and he shifted uncomfortably. Something wasn't right. Kalm had never been plagued by war or hunger or disease. No angry spirits flooded the lifestream here to cause undead monsters. Besides, with its size, he dreaded the idea that it might be too much for them to handle, but he accepted it as a possibility.
"Hu-woow! It's huge!" Yuffie said, her voice faltering as the creature drew closer. "Well..." Her face set itself in a determined wince and she held her weapon before her. "Too late to run away now. Even if you can't fight, use your materia. I'm sure it works the same way no matter what you look like. Ready?"
Red quickly drew out his daggers, his pulse racing as the monster approached with an amazing speed. Its torso was ribbed, its bones a rotten, sickly yellow. The skull of its head was shaped oddly, with large tusks coming down from its mouth. Red's stomach turned as the skeleton drew closer, and he could see the source of its alarming speed. Below its torso, dozens of legs of all shapes and sizes hit the ground at a furious rate, kicking up dust as it crawled towards them. He watched in disgust as a few of the legs were sucked back into the body to sprout as odd-angled arms, then retreat yet again to return as twisted horns atop the creature's head.
"What in Odin's name …?" Yuffie whispered, stepping back. Red gulped. He'd never seen anything like it before. His memory took him back to the battle he'd had in the cave at Cosmo Canyon, where he'd fought the dead tribesmen of his enemies. Yuffie had been with him then, too, and Cloud's elixir had won the battle easily enough, but even that horrific enemy paled before the intensity of the skeletal beast that now loomed above him.
Yuffie wasted no time. She leapt forward, slicing her way through one of the many legs. It fell to the ground, flapping madly and making a slapping noise against the rocky ground. A sick, black liquid seeped from its open wound and the two youths watched in horror as the liquid stretched out and rejoined the mass of limbs, the leg reattaching itself.
"Ew! Ew! Ew!" Yuffie shuddered and tried again with several more legs at once, all having the same effect. A mass of black ooze dripped from the body as the legs drew themselves upwards, and it crept towards Yuffie, slapping onto her leg and creeping upwards. She let out a loud moan in disgust as she shook her leg, trying to free herself from the liquid's sickly hold, and Red rushed to her side, prying at it with his nails.
"Your daggers!" She gasped, her breath quick as she tried to pull the rest of her body away from the ooze. Red hastily cut away at the substance, and he noticed as he backed away that he'd left a deep cut on her leg.
"Later!" She shouted when she caught his apologetic gaze. He nodded, turning to the beast and holding his daggers before him. He concentrated and the familiar green glow surrounded his weapons. A burst of flame ignited around the monster and it roared in pain, but seemed to take no visible damage. Yuffie cursed in a way that would've made even Cid grimace.
"What does it want with us anyway?" She whined. Red was breathless as a cluster of arms descended upon him. He tried to dodge but stumbled backwards, a greasy, pale hand grasping his ankle. Yuffie quickly cut the arm but the black liquid shot back to its socket on the torso, snapping the limb back into place and bringing Red along with it. He cried out, his head spinning as the arm held him a dozen feet above the ground. Yuffie called out to him and searched around for any form of help. Red kicked frantically, but the grip tightened, digging into his flesh. He winced as the rest of its hands began to crawl over his body, some of the nails cutting his skin. The arms brought him up higher and he found himself staring into the empty sockets of the monster's eyes. He could smell the rot and desperately fought back the urge to throw-up.
"P-pinion!" It spoke, suddenly, and Red gasped. Its voice was that of many speaking together.
"What did it say?" Yuffie demanded. Red simply stared.
"Give it to me!" Its deep, throaty voice gargled, sounding like a pot of boiling liquid. Yuffie stepped back, her shuriken glowing green as she cast a spell, which he guessed was Cure. A few seconds later the creature roared in pain and its limbs quickly retreated into its body, leaving it as just a torso and a head that thumped to the ground. Red's body was released as the final hand retracted, and he thumped against its ribs before falling to the ground. He twisted his back around and landed on his feet, daintily. Yuffie nodded.
"Still a … whatever you were."
Red grinned at the comment, knowing she was referring to how he landed. He was called back to attention as a massive, molded arm shot out of the undead monster's side, smashing down in Red's direction. He clumsily dodged, sprawling backwards. Yuffie leaned forward and the creature reared back again as her second Cure spell attacked it relentlessly.
"What is it talking about?" He shouted towards her.
"No idea!" She panted, casting cure a third time.
"No!" The creature roared. "You have it!" Its voice was a determined, tortured moan, and Red found himself feeling sorry for it before it came down on him again in a flurry of flailing limbs.
"Red!" He heard Yuffie cry, her tone a mixture of concern and irritation. "Get your act together!"
Red nodded, but swallowed uncertainly. How? He couldn't even manage a flight of stairs, let along a towering mass of angry cadavers. He cast another Fire spell – his best element – but it barely seemed to affect the monster at all. Yuffie cast another Cure spell and the creature belched out a long groan. It shuddered, a wall of arms appearing at its side, and swung them in her direction, smacking her to the ground. She hit the rocks, her back arched across a sharp boulder.
"Yuffie!" He cried out, and she lifted her head, her gaze clouded. A thin, tentacle-like arm flew out and hit her again, her head slapping against the rock. She didn't move again. Red's eyes narrowed and he quickly got up, bearing his daggers before him. He took a deep breath, growling slowly.
'I can do this, it's not impossible,'he thought, angrily, wondering if his rage would be enough to kill the creature on its own. Its booming voice made another demand for a pinion, but he barely heard it. His eyes snapped back and forth, following the movements of his opponent closely. Just like always, he could gauge the speed of the enemy and when there was an opening … He leapt to the side, shakily landing on his feet as the beast thrust a fist in his direction.
There.
He ran in, grabbing onto the bottom of one of its legs. The creature tried to shake him loose but he gripped it tightly, his eyes clenched shut. It started to pull its leg back into its body and Red went with it, thrusting one of his daggers into its underside. It roared in pain and he forced the cut upwards towards its belly. He reached up with his other hand and slammed the second dagger into its flesh. He repeated the process, slowly making his way up the monster's front, ascending in a gruesome display, spilling a river of black blood onto the rocks below. He'd use the holes he left as footholds, and quickly fought back any arms that came his way. One came from directly beneath him and he picked up, stepping on the growing stub and lunging for the creature's head. Latching onto the neck as tightly as he could, he swiped at its head repeatedly before it snapped off from his weight. Black blood poured over him and he fell back, clutching the monstrous skull before him. A moment of fear took control before he whipped his spine around, tossing the head away as he came to a shattering halt on his hands and knees. A sharp, stinging pain shot through him and he heard a sickening slapping sound as the body of the monster fell to the ground behind him, its many pieces coming apart and returning to the earth. Black blood and sweat dripped from his forehead, and when he lifted himself from his knees, red dripped down to mix with it. He moved to lick his wound but stopped at the smell of death, shuddering. It wasn't a taste he wanted to have in his mouth.
He turned, quickly, remembering Yuffie's motionless form, and he found her lying on the ground where she'd fallen. He raced towards her, stumbling and ignoring the pain in his legs. He knelt beside her and cupped her face in his hands. She was still warm. He placed his cheek up against her lips and felt breath. His sigh was heaving and dry, but relieved. He lifted her shoulders awkwardly, taking her pack out from under her and opening it up, sifting through its contents. He found a couple of potions and swallowed for good measure, opening Yuffie's mouth and feeding her some, as well. He rested for a moment, watching her face, then reached into her pack again, clumsily. His hand found the familiar teardrop-shaped bottle and he plucked it out, examining it closely. It was her last bottle of Maiden's Kiss, but there was nothing around here that could transform them, anyway.
'Other than a piece of odd materia in an old Mako reactor,' he thought, bitterly. He set his face in a stony expression and popped the cork, placing his lips to the vial and throwing his head back. A smooth, tingling sensation inched down his throat and he closed his eyes, relishing the soothing feeling. He opened them again, looking down.
He cursed, slamming his face into his palms and growling loudly. Yuffie moaned and he looked down to see her shift slightly, but no more. Sighing, he got to his feet and pulled her to hers, as well. He awkwardly tried to manage a hold on her before propping her against a boulder and grabbing her legs around his waist, her head rested against the back of his and her arms dropped across his front. He rose to his feet, willing himself not to loose balance and drop her, and began to move. He'd placed the pack around her shoulders, which made it easier to carry but more difficult for him to stay steady, but he could think of no way to carry her shuriken and left it. He prayed, silently, that they encounter no more troubles and promised that he would buy her a new one with the money in the leather pouch that hung at his side.
He really hated carrying his own money.