Chapter 12: Truth revealed.
The group was very tired. Tired of being on the road, tired of not having bathrooms, but mainly tired of Yuffie and Barret's constant fighting. They had stopped to camp the first night, but after having several pranks, least of which involved Barret and a bucket of warm water. Yuffie was still laughing about that one. They had decided to simply trade drivers and not stop again, except to kill the occasional monster.
"$& frogs! Ribbet!" Barret, now a foot tall brown frog, cursed.
"But you're soooo cuute!" Yuffie teased and broke down into fits of laughter.
"Hurry up and RIBBIT cure me!" Barret yelled, although it was loud due to his size. Yuffie's laughs grew louder, joined by the others. "NOW, RIBBIT!"
Cloud scratched his head, "Umm, does anyone have any ideas? What about the Heal materia?"
"Sorry Cloud, its still to young. We haven't used it enough for it to grow." Aerith sighed.
"Any items?" Cloud continued.
"No luck. We're out of remedies." Red XII explained, "Although I have heard of one way…."
"What?" Cloud pressed.
Red XIII blushed but it was hid by his fur. "A maiden's kiss." He mumbled.
All three of the girls stopped laughing and stared, "What?"
"I read somewhere that a maiden's kiss will restore humans turned frog to normal." Red XIII admitted.
"I ain't kissin that toad!" Yuffie hollered, "He's got warts! GROSSNESS!" She turned her back.
"I'll do it." Tifa said.
"You sure? I would do it." Aerith questioned.
"Only if mine doesn't work." Tifa leaned down over Barret the frog and gave him a small peck on the head. Barret was about to complain when he was suddenly surrounded by smoke. When the smoke cleared Barret was restored.
"Thanks Tif!" Barret thanked her profusely.
"Nothing to it." Tifa said, "Lets continue. Aerith you get to kiss the next one, they're kinda slimy." They all laughed as the piled back into the buggy.
"What's slimy?" Cait Sith called from the trunk. This just made the group laugh more.
LATER THAT DAY.
"This is really nice scenery," Aerith marveled, "All the reds and oranges."
"Red will you calm down!" Yuffie pushed the beast, "You're scratching me!"
BOOM! CLANG! CLUNK! "What's going on?" Cloud stopped the buggy. After a quick engine inspection with Barret, "A breakdown? Here?"
"Can't you get it going again?" Cait Sith called from the trunk.
"Not me." Cloud shook his head.
"No clue." Barret agreed.
"THEN LET ME OUT!" Cait Sith pounded on the trunk.
They all piled out. "What are we going to do?" Aerith asked.
"Don't know, guess we'll just have to walk." Cloud answered.
Red XIII was oddly excited, "Let's go this way."
"Ok. No reason not to. Let's follow Red." Cloud motioned to follow. After a short walk up a narrow trail they rounded a bend, a magnificent sight awaited them. Civilization.
Red XIII raced up the rock steps, he spoke shortly with an excited villager before running deeper into the town. The rest of the group walked up slightly confused.
"Welcome to Cosmo Canyon, a place to study the Planet Life. I am sorry, but we are currently full, you will need to wait until one group leaves before you may enter." The same villager told them as they approached.
"But you let Red XIII in?" Cloud asked still confused.
"Red XIII?" The guard too was now confused.
"Yeah that big red beast!" Yuffie piped in, "The one that can talk, kinda hard to miss!"
A look of realization shone on the guards face, "That is Nanaki."
"Who's Nanaki?" Cloud scratched his head.
"Nanaki is Nanaki." The guard said, as if explaining everything.
"That helps." Yuffie mumbled, followed by a small elbow by Tifa.
Red XIII suddenly appeared out of a cave and called to the guard, "These are my friends. They helped me out somewhat while I was on the road." Then he turned back into the cave, "Grandpa I'm home!"
The guard turned back to the group, "Friends of Nanaki are always welcome. Please enjoy your stay at Cosmo Canyon."
The group offered their thanks and entered the canyon. "Looks like we'll be staying here tonight, so stay out of trouble." Cloud eyed Yuffie.
"WHAT!" Yuffie pouted, returning Cloud's look. Cloud just shook his head and went in the direction Red XIII disappeared in. The group followed his example and dispersed. "This is going to be fun." Yuffie sighed sarcastically.
Yuffie started exploring the canyon. First she went to the pub, she laughed when she found a Turtle's Paradise flyer. Then to the materia shop, where Tifa walked in. "Hey boobs!" She called.
Tifa rolled her eyes, "Yuf, I wish you wouldn't call me that." Yuffie just giggled. "So what are you doing up here?"
"Being bored mainly" Yuffie shrugged, "This place is so quiet, and they don't have any cool materia."
"I like it." Tifa disagreed, "Midgar was always noisy, you never got a moments peace." Tifa looked around the room, "Here everything seems to be centered around peace. No noise, no commotion, and no one trying to step on you to raise themselves higher."
"Like I said, BORING." Yuffie reiterated.
Tifa shrugged, "Come on, everyone is gathered by the bonfire." The two girls descended by to the lower level and join their companions by the Cosmo candle.
"Where's Cloud?" Tifa asked, noticing he was absent.
"Grandpa is showing him, Aerith, and Barret his machine." Nanaki explained. "They should be back soon." He returned his gaze into the fire.
"Ah man, more boredom." Yuffie plopped down next to the fire. "Anyone got any marshmallows?" They all stared at her. "WHAT?"
TIME PASSES.
"We're back." Aerith said as she sat down next to the fire. Barret had a stunned expression on his face. Cloud simply stared into the fire for a while.
"So what did you guys see?" Tifa asked.
Barret spoke excitedly about Bugenhagen's machine, the way the planet was crying, and how the lifestream was being sucked out of the planet. "This is the place I promised the guys we'd come to when AVALANCHE defeated Shinra." Tears formed in his eyes. "Biggs..Wedge..Jessie.. They'll never get ta come 'ere." Barret's eyes suddenly glowed with new ferver, "AVALANCHE was started 'ere. Now its reborn 'ere. I'm startin a new AVALANCHE, with all you as members!" Barret sat back down and stared into the fire again, "we'll get that #$# Shinra yet!" Silence followed his speech.
"Can we leave?" Yuffie broke the silence, "It's really boring here."
Cloud chuckled, "In the morning."
"Fine." Yuffie pouted and crossed her arms, 'Man, I'm tired.'
A small sob escaped from Aerith. "What's wrong?" Cloud asked.
Aerith looked up, tears forming in her eyes, "I was talking with the elders, about the Cetra. I'm the last one. I'm all alone." Small tears fell down her cheeks. "…all alone."
"But we're all here with you." Cloud said, trying to comfort her.
"I know." Aerith wiped away her tears, "But I'm the only Cetra left." Cloud wasn't able to say anything to that.
"I can sympathize." Nanaki spoke up. Everyone turned to him. "I am the only one left of my kind."
"Why didn't you tell us your real name?" Cloud asked.
"Because my father gave me that name." Nanaki's golden eye lit up with an inner rage. "He abandoned my mother and shamed that name."
"Do you really still think of your father that way?" A voice came.
"Of course I do Grandpa." Nanaki replied, "He failed this canyon."
"Ho, ho, ho," Bugenhagen laughed, "I think its time I showed you something. Pick a few of your friends to come with us. You might need their help."
"Well Yuffie's out." Cait Sith laughed, "Literally out." He pointed to Yuffie's curled up form, sound asleep.
"Barret, Cait Sith would you two stay with her?" Cloud pointed to Yuffie. "Aerith, Tifa, and I will go with Nanaki." Cloud put his hand up to quell Barret's protest. "We'll fill you in later." With that the group split up.
"Reduced to a #$ babysitter!" Barret griped. "Spike better appreciate this.."
Yuffie vaguely heard what was said, something was pulling her to sleep. In her dream she was alone, in some strange house. "This is creepy." She wondered around the house, noticing the damaged piano, dark beds, and creepy stairs. Then she felt something, something pulling her. Yuffie decided to follow it. She walked carefully up the stairs and into a back room, where she noticed a safe.
"Alright!" Yuffie exclaimed, "Maybe there is materia in there!" As she reached for the safe, she felt an evil presence emanating from it. She paused, momentarily wondering if it was worth the risk. Then she felt it, a call, a plea, as if someone desperately needed her help. "What should I do?" She bit her lip, "I'm the great ninja Yuffie, I shouldn't be afraid, but.." A hand clasped her shoulder, Yuffie jumped and spun to face her attacker.
"What's wrong?" Aerith asked.
"N-n-nothing." Yuffie stammered.
"Don't fear it will be okay." Aerith gave her a smile, "Besides you still need to open the lock."
"Wha-" Yuffie began.
"Time ta go!" Barret shook her from her dream. "Get yo lazy a$$es up ladies!"
Yuffie squinted as the morning light hurt her eyes. "Stupid Barret." She mumbled before pulling the covers over her head, her body ached from once again sleeping in her armor.
"I get the shower first!" Tifa laughed as she ran into the bathroom.
Aerith laughed a little from her bed. "She's well rested. How about you, Yuffie?"
Yuffie sat up, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "Okay I guess. Hey Aerith?" Aerith looked to Yuffie waiting for the question. "How do I open the lock?"
Aerith looked confused, "What lock?"
Yuffie shook her head, "Never mind, just a dream." Aerith gave her a confused looked before shrugging. 'Guess it was only just a dream. All that emotion over a dream, a simple dream.' They waited for Tifa to emerge from the shower. "Mine next!" Yuffie sped past Aerith and locked the door.
Yuffie looked into the mirror and laughed. Her hair looked like Cloud's, spiked in this direction and that with one side plastered to her head. She removed her armor and looked again in the mirror. 'Nothing compared to Aerith or Tifa. Oh well.' She though glumly as she removed her clothes and entered the bliss of the shower.
Later the group assembled in the pub below the inn. "Why we still here?" Yuffie asked, "It still as boring as yesterday."
"The buggy isn't fixed yet." Cloud said simply.
"What did Bugenhagen show Nanaki?" Barret asked.
"My father." Nanaki answered with pride, "He showed me what really happened to him and how even now he's protecting the canyon." Cloud elaborated on the story of how Seto had given his life to protect the canyon, eventually being turned to stone.
Yuffie sobbed a little, "At least your proud of him now."
"Yes." Nanaki replied, "I now say with pride that I am the son of Seto, protector of Cosmo Canyon."
"So will you stay or continue with us?" Cloud asked.
"Grandfather asked me to go with you, so I shall." Nanaki replied. A round of cheers went up from the group.
"Glad yer stayin'" Barret grinned. Just then, a man in a construction hat walked in.
"Your buggy is fixed." He said.
"Good." Cloud looked up, "What do we owe you?"
"Nothing," the man answered, "You would do the same for me."
"We would," Cloud agreed, "But here take this so you can get home easier." He tossed the man a 1,000 gil coin. The man nodded his head and left.
"Well lets go!" Cloud said enthusiastically. Everyone was happy that Nanaki had found his true past. They all piled back into the buggy and headed north. Yuffie was abnormally quiet, she felt as if something was waiting for them, wherever they were headed.
'I hope it's just that dream.' Yuffie thought.
After a day of travel, they saw mountains rising in the distance.
"Hey Cloud?" Tifa spoke up. "Don't those mountains look familiar?"
"Yes they do." Cloud was grim, "They are the Nibel mountains."
"So we are almost.." Tifa stuttered.
"We're headed for Nibelhelm." Cloud finished.