Heartless Imperfection
Chapter XVIII
"Why doesn't Barret lead for a change?" The blonde walked down the staircase and out of the inn. The group sat in silence, but Zen broke it, "There was something I was supposed to tell you guys… about the dream I just had."
The females smiled, Goofy listened in, and Donald looked out the window. "This old guy, I can't really remember his face, he told me to tell someone that, 'No heart is perfect", or something. And some red-haired girl kept appearing in my dreams, too."
Aerith looked long at Zen, the boy looking for answers, "He must know we have his research papers. Somehow he's contacted you through your slumber. None of it makes sense, either. This whole Perfect Heart thing makes me dizzy."
Donald nodded, "It's all confusing, but if no heart is perfect, why did he call them Perfect in his reports? What is the significance in telling us that?"
Zen shrugged, "Maybe we should just move on. Can someone tell me why those two are here in the first place?"
Donald sighed, "We were ordered to follow our friend, Sora, before our world was… destroyed." The duck managed to wipe away a tear before anyone saw. He turned to them. "Sora had some kind of vision, that Queen Minnie knew about, and it brought him to this place. The vision also, supposedly, told him to visit two other places, one of which he's been to before. He was ordered to purposefully meddle with other worlds' business! By a dream! But, then again, if he didn't, we'd all be Heartless right now." Goofy shuddered. "Anyway. What I gathered from Cloud, when Sora was knocked out after the Pillar collapsed, there is a way to stop the new Heartless from spreading. We failed in doing that when Jenova got away. This is why we're here."
Zen was sitting, in thought. "I wish I knew why I was here." Or, at least, what I'm supposed to do now.
Cloud called the group down just as a faint motorized sound echoed from the air. The party formed outside the inn, amidst the cobble-stone street and citizens of Kalm. The engine sound grew louder until a hulking metallic airship erupted from over the horizon. The group made their way to the outskirts of Kalm at Cloud's suggestion, and watched as the airship landed before them. Cloud had his weapon out, ready for a fight. Aerith giggled and made him put it away. "He's a friend, don't worry. I'll handle it."
The mercenary stared into her eyes, but couldn't hold the stare, and looked up.
A man threw open a door on the deck, and ordered his crew to tie the machine down. He proceeded to toss a ladder down and climbed toward the group.
"I knew this day'd come eventually, I got her ready and flew over as soon as I could," Cid, an older gent with goggles strewn across his forehead and a light, blue jacket on, said, when everyone gathered at the Kalm pub to talk. Zen kept himself busy by ordering non-alcoholic beverages alongside Donald and Goofy while the others talked about current events. "Heartless, everywhere. Cities are being engulfed, it's as bad as the Hollow Bastion."
Cloud nodded, needing not reminisce on the subject. "Do you know where the source is?"
Cid scratched behind his ear and shrugged. "It keeps moving! We've got this detection grid of the entire planet, but we can't pinpoint the source, yet. They must be surveying the destruction, I don't know where they'll end up."
"Maybe if we wait it out-,"
"No! The Planet could be gone by then," Aerith exclaimed, on the brim of tears. One of her delicate hands gripped Cloud's gloved ones. "We can't wait, we need to find them and stop it!"
The man sighed, not making eye contact, and turned to Cid, "Let's go up, then." He turned to Barret, "Get Sora, we're leaving."
Barret nodded, and complied, leaving the pub.
Aerith gripped Cloud's hand, "We're going on the Highwind… It'll be great."
Cloud nodded, but never looked in her direction, and walked out with his big sword.