Chapter 24

Coast of the Sun

"This place is beautiful," Kali gasped as they walked off the ship. She gazed at the town before them, Costa del Sol.

"It really is. When we have some free time, we'll come hang out here, okay?" Kadaj smiled. Kali nodded happily.

"I think we should get going to the Gold Saucer," Rude suggested. The rest of them reluctantly agreed and began walking slowly towards the exit of the city. As they walked, Kali suddenly gave a small yelp of pain and reached behind her back.

"You okay?" Devin asked immediately. Kali nodded slowly, but her face was scrunched up in pain.

"I think the bullet wound is still too fresh for me to move around a lot," she moaned. Cid thought a moment.

"I think they have buggy rentals around here. We can rent one and take it to Gold Saucer. It's the only way to cross the river there, anyway," he added. Rude and Cid walked off to get the buggy while Kadaj, Devin, Kali and Pradipa sat just outside the town.

"You're sure you're okay?" Pradipa asked concernedly. Kali nodded and scratched his chin.

"Of course I am. And you know what? I'll be even better once this whole mess is over," she assured him. She never noticed Devin lowering his eyes, but Kadaj did.

"What the hell's your problem?" he snapped. Devin's head snapped up.

"Huh? Sorry, I've been kind of out of it lately. I can't really explain it," he admitted.

"I know what you mean," Kali smiled softly. She looked up at a noise coming from the town. A moment later, a small buggy was coming towards them. They stood as Rude jumped out.

"We need to get going. Come on," he called. He helped Kali and Pradipa in and when they were ready, Cid began driving to the south.

"How long until we get there?" Devin asked. Rude, sitting in front of him, glanced back.

"About three to four days. Assuming we don't get held up by a breakdown or anything, that is," he added. "If we have to walk, it'll be at least a week and a half."

"Great," Kali rolled her eyes. She glanced out the window. "This planet really is beautiful."

"You only think that cause you've known no other world your entire life," Kadaj muttered. He glanced at Cid next to him. "Right?"

"That's what Vincent and Yuffie always said. They said Jahan was a pretty nice world compared to ours," he said as he stole a glance back at them.

"If you don't mind," Devin yawned, "I'm going to take a nap. Riding in a motor vehicle tends to have that effect on me."

"Sleep tight, Devin," Kali called back to him as he stretched out on his seat. When she was sure he was asleep, Kali turned back to Kadaj. "Why do you hate him so?"

"Huh?" Kadaj muttered. He glanced back at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're sitting up front to be away from him. You avoid him everywhere we go, and you don't want me around him. What the hell is your problem?"

"I told you. He's the guy who's been stalking you," he shrugged. "He cut me open, Kali!" he snapped as she gave him a death glare.

"Maybe if he had known you're my brother, he wouldn't have."

"I didn't even know I had a sister until a month ago!" he retaliated. Kali turned to look out the window angrily. Kadaj stared at her another moment before glaring out the windshield. Cid and Rude sat in a mildly stunned silence.

"Ever fight like this with Bao?" Cid asked quietly. Rude shook his head.

"Never really got the chance."

They rode for an uneventful day and a half before Cid stopped to stretch their legs. Kali walked around quietly. She finally sat on a small boulder and watched the sun begin to set. Devin finally walked up to her.

"How's your back?"

"Better than when we left Costa del Sol," she sighed. Devin sat next to her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about pain much longer," he whispered. Kali glanced at him worriedly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, once we get Reno cured and Sachiko back, we'll all be happy, right?" he smiled. He embraced her. "We can be together and go back home and not worry about this place anymore."

"Devin, I…" she trailed off as he kissed her neck gently. I can never go home again, she thought as his moustache tickled her skin. She finally looked to the sunset.

"What?" Devin asked. She stared at the sky.

"The sun is like our lives," she whispered. "It rises in the morning as we are born. Then, at the end of its cycle, it falls into darkness, like we fall to death."

"What are you talking about?" Devin wondered aloud.

"Then comes the moon," she continued, pointing at the silver orb rising behind them, "with our afterlife. It rises as the sun dies and moves through the sky as our souls travel through death. When the moon sets, the sun rises and we are reborn into another body. It's no wonder so many believe in reincarnation."

"What brought this about?"

"I don't know," Kali lied. She stood and walked towards the buggy. Devin leapt up and ran after her.

"Kali, is there something you need to tell me?" he asked as he grabbed her shoulders and looked in her eyes. She shook her head.

"No. Not yet," she muttered. She turned and climbed into the buggy while the others settled in as well.

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"How's Kali back there?" Kadaj asked. He struggled to steer and talk to Rude at the same time. Cid and Devin were fast asleep, but he was unsure about Kali. The moon was shining brightly high above them. Rude glanced down. Kali was fast asleep, head in his lap and Pradipa clutched in her arms.

"She's fine. Out like a light," he said quietly. He glanced up and looked at the back of Kadaj's head. "You think Reno and Yuffie are okay with Alim?"

"I'm sure they're fine," Kadaj assured him. "If you're so worried, why don't you call them?"

"I will in the morning. I don't want to wake anyone."

"As deeply as Kali sleeps, I don't think that will be a problem."

"I'll wait," he said finally as Kadaj stopped to avoid hitting some people hiking. He glanced at his sister.

"Where's her coat?"

"She gave it to Devin. He said he was cold," Rude explained.

"She looks cold now," Kadaj pointed out. Indeed, goosebumps covered Kali's arms and stomach. He began moving again slowly as Rude struggled to get his jacket off. The next time Kadaj looked back at them, Rude's jacket was wrapped around Kali's shoulders, Rude's glasses were in his lap, and they were both asleep. Kadaj smiled to himself and muttered, "Too bad she's not closer to your age."

"Rah!"

"What the fuck!" Kadaj yelled. He slammed on the brake as the monster leapt onto the roof of the buggy. He hit the brakes so hard, Cid slammed into the impenetrable windshield, Rude hit the back of Kadaj's seat, Kali fell to the floor with Pradipa, and Devin rolled under Kali and Rude's seat. Kadaj moaned as he rested his forehead against the steering wheel.

"Everyone okay?" Rude called when he shook the shock off. Cid, Kali and Pradipa groaned their replies.

"Kadaj? Oh my god, Kadaj, are you okay?" Kali snapped when she saw him kneeling over the wheel. She placed a hand on his shoulder and his head slowly lifted.

"I'm fine," he muttered. He winced as he rubbed his forehead. When he took his hand away, there was blood on his fingertips, as he had just cracked open his head. "You all stay here."

"Where are you going?" Cid asked as Kadaj picked up his sword and prepared to leave the buggy.

"I saw something. I don't know what, but whatever happens, keep Kali safe and in here," he ordered. They listened to the slam of a door, except it wasn't his door that closed. In fact, he hadn't even touched it.

"Devin?" Kali called. He didn't answer. When she looked back, he was gone. "He left us…"

"Good. Maybe the monster I saw is hungry," Kadaj muttered. Kali didn't hear him. She listened a moment before screaming. The creature was banging on the roof of the vehicle, pounding huge dents into the metal.

"Come on!" Kadaj yelled. He tried to open his door, but couldn't. It was stuck tight. "Shit."

".krow seniruZ sis ihT"

"Who's Zurine?" Kali asked aloud, forgetting that nobody else could hear Nanashi.

"What did you say?" Rude asked, drowning out Nanashi's answer.

"Shut up, I can't hear," Kali muttered. She listened and looked up at Kadaj. "Kadaj, Nanashi says that Zurine is the one who attacked me on the ship the other night. She's the soul Rufus warned us about."

"What?" Kadaj stared at her.

"What are you two talking about?" Cid asked them.

"Nanashi, what are we supposed to do?" Kadaj snapped nervously. Kali closed her eyes and listened. She was shaking slightly when she opened her eyes.

"She wants me to give her control of my body again. Except, she wants more than I've let her have before."

"You take no more control than you have so far. If you take any more, I'll kill you," Kadaj growled threateningly. Kali nodded.

"She accepts. Rude, take Pradipa," she ordered, giving the small Tonberry to him.

"What are you doing?" Pradipa inquired. Kali only closed her eyes gently.

"All of you get as low to the floor as you can. This is going to be powerful. I can feel it."

The next moment, the creature on the roof was thrown aside as Nanashi sent a ball of energy through the roof. Nanashi leapt out of the hole and knelt on her haunches, staring at the winged beast with silver eyes.

".tu ot eG" Nanashi snarled, Masamune clutched in her hand. Zurine smiled.

"Do you honestly think I'll listen?"

".lort noce vahIn ehwr eh hcu otto nera duoY .em fodi arf aera uoyw onkh to beW"

"You can't win. You and I both know it. You and the girl will die before this is over. I guarantee it," Zurine hissed. She flew off into the night. As she did, Devin crawled out from under the buggy. Kadaj wasted no time in grabbing him by the collar.

"Where the fuck were you? You chickened out on us! We could have died! You're lucky Kali let Nanashi out!" Kadaj screamed. Devin threw his hands off and turned to Kali as Nanashi gave her back control. Kali stared at him.

"You were afraid. We all were. There's no shame," Kali whispered gently. He hugged her while the others checked how much damage was done. Only Kadaj saw when Devin smiled menacingly over Kali's shoulder.

"Bad news," Cid sighed. "The buggy's shot. We have to walk."

"Damn it," Rude muttered. "I guess we should start now, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess," Kadaj agreed reluctantly. As he walked towards the path into the mountains, his legs gave out. Kali ran to him promptly.

"Are you okay?"

"I think I lost too much blood. I'm a little out of it," he admitted. Indeed, the gash on his head wasn't terribly deep, but it was wide and long, thus allowing a large amount of blood to flow. Kali walked Kadaj back to their friends so they could bandage his wound.

"Maybe we should go ahead and make camp for the night," Kali suggested. Cid nodded.

"But one of us might want to keep watch. In case that monster comes back, you know?" he shrugged.

"I'll stay up," Devin offered. Kadaj shook his head.

"You chickened out earlier. You're not exactly my first choice, you know?"

"Then I'll stay up first," Rude said in a final tone. He turned to Kali. "Now who's this Nanashi person?"

"I don't really know. It's beyond my explanation," she whispered. Rude stared at her over the rim of his glasses.

"We both know that's not true," he pointed out. Kali closed her eyes.

"I honestly don't know exactly who she is, but I know she and that Zurine woman have met before. I share my soul with Nanashi, and she speaks backwards. She keeps asking me to give up control of my body to her, but I can't let her take her true form. Not yet," she muttered. Pradipa gave her a sideways look.

"You're not going to change, are you, Kali?"

"Someday, yes."

"What does her true form look like? Do you know?" Cid asked. Kali looked away from the group.

"You of all people should know. She looks exactly like daddy, except female, black, and with two extra wings," she said softly, her hand reaching up to stroke those painted on her back. "She looks almost just like Safer Sephiroth."

"Kali," Cid said gently, "don't let her take that form. If anyone sees you like that, you're good as dead."

"Nobody will. I was told that I'll take that shape when Kadaj and I go to-"

"Kali, stop!" Kadaj snapped. "Now is not the time to tell them!"

"Tell us what?" Devin inquired. Kadaj glared.

"Nothing. We'll tell you when the time comes."

"Kadaj, if there's a problem, you have a job to tell us what it is, okay?" Rude ordered. "Vincent made us promise we'd look after you two. We can't do that unless we know what the hell is going on, got it?"

"Fine then," Kadaj said quietly. "When we return to Junon, we'll tell you everything."

He stood and walked towards the buggy. A moment later, Kadaj was laying out blankets and sleeping bags for them all. They had all begun settling in when a ringing noise made them all alert.

Beep beep-beep. Beep, beep. Beep-beep. Beep beep-beep.

"Sorry, my cell," Rude said. He pulled the phone from his pocket and walked away from the camp to talk. As he spoke quietly, the others wrapped up and waited for news of Reno.

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"Yuffie? How is he?" Rude asked. Yuffie sighed.

"No real change. He's started talking about you, though," she told him. "At least we know his memory is decent. We asked him what the Rude he mentioned looked like and it fit your description perfectly."

"Good. How much longer does he have until…?"

"We can't really tell. God, this is scary," Yuffie shuddered.

"It's okay. Reno's a fighter. He'll pull through somehow."

"What about you guys? Everything going alright?"

"Sort of. Kali fell off the ship the night we left. Some demon pulled her off the ship and threw her in the water. I tried to shoot her, but she got Kali in the way and I hit her instead."

"Oh, is she okay?" Yuffie gasped.

"She's fine. Then a few minutes ago, the demon came back and tried to kill us. Nanashi sent her away. Kadaj got hurt, too. We had a buggy and when she jumped in front of us, Kadaj hit the brake so hard he hit his head on the wheel and cracked it open."

"I hope everything goes well," Yuffie began. She turned at a yell from Reno. "Ugh, he's having another hallucination. I need to keep him in bed. Talk to you soon."

"Bye," Rude replied. He hung up and walked slowly back to camp. As he walked, he glanced at the stars. "Damn you, Sephiroth. You took away Rufus, Tseng, Elena, and Hojo. You'd better hope Reno gets through this and Kali doesn't turn out like you. I'd hate to have to kill her."

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"Sephiroth," the woman in pink whispered. She laid a hand on his shoulder and knelt next to him. He was sitting on a cliff, his coat and armor lying by his side.

"Do you really think they can do it?" he muttered. The woman looked to the ground.

"I don't really know what to think. I believe they will, and I pray each day, but in my heart, I'm really not sure," she admitted. She smiled slightly. "You've been rather quiet lately."

"I just… I can't bear to think of spending eternity here without her. If I had known then what I do now, I would have brought Michiko with me through the portal."

"But that was not the first time you've died. You should have known the rules by that time," she reminded him. Sephiroth closed his eyes.

"I only hope that our daughter can make it through this. I've never really been able to hold my little girl, but I can't imagine her dying. That's the only way I can hold her now," he muttered, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Perhaps not. After all, do you remember her ability that she will gain when she wins?"

"I doubt I'll be sent home."

"Why?" the pink woman asked in surprise.

"Have you listened to her? Have you been watching her dreams?" Sephiroth asked her. "She loved Vincent. She loves Devin. If she's as unselfish as she seems to be, she could always send you back. Hell, she might even send Cloud. There are enough people to choose from that she doesn't have to send me."

"Sephiroth, don't speak like that. I have listened, and I hear love in her voice when she speaks of you. She's proud to be your child, and so is Kadaj. I'm sure they'll be fine. They have your blood running through their veins, after all."

"But will they be too late? They were in the past, remember?"

"They were, but they have Nanashi now. Nanashi killed her centuries ago."

"Have you been feeling odd lately?" Sephiroth asked. She thought a moment.

"A little bit, yes. Why?"

"I sense that the Lifestream is beginning to resurface, even though she still doesn't have the replicas. If it does, the world is doomed."

"Since when do you care whether the world is destroyed or not?" came a male voice behind them. Sephiroth closed his eyes and spoke over his shoulder.

"What do you want, Cloud?"

"Reno's shadow is getting restless. He doesn't have much longer. When are your oh-so-perfect children going to help him?"

"Soon. Very soon," Sephiroth muttered. He stood and pulled his armor back on.

"What of the soul that escaped? He'll die again soon, won't he?" Cloud asked nervously. "If he doesn't, what then? You know very well that he wants to kill Kali."

"Calm down. He doesn't want to kill her, but he knows that he'll die if he doesn't. His fear of death is greater than his love. That's the weakness of the human race."

"But if he doesn't die?" Cloud moaned again.

"We'll just pray that he does," the woman in pink whispered.

"And in the event that my children do fail," Sephiroth began, turning to the woman, "I want to apologize again, Aeris."

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"Get up, everyone! Come on!" Cid yelled. They all sat up groggily in the bleak light of the cloudy dawn. Kali opened her eyes and saw a buggy sitting nearby. This one was slightly larger than theirs.

"What's that?" she asked as they began packing their small camp.

"They're taking supplies to the Gold Saucer. They said they'll give us a ride," cid explained. With hope renewed in their chests, the small group packed their things even quicker and were in the buggy within ten minutes. As they rode across the river a day later, Kali glanced out the window and gasped.

"What's that tower over there?" she asked, pointing out the window. In the middle of a patch of desert was a tall tower with a track reaching from the middle to the mountains a few miles away.

"That's the Gold Saucer," Rude explained. Kali smiled as they rode past the desert towards the start of the cable. As they got out of the buggy around dusk, they watched as a small lift moved down towards the broken town before them.

"Thanks for the lift," Cid called to the driver. He walked slowly into Corel, resulting in a massive cheer.

"It's Cid!"

"He's back!"

"Yea!"

"What's all this for?" Devin asked as they walked through the dirty streets.

"Back during the Meteor Crises, Rufus wanted to collect Huge Materia to fight against Meteor and the four Weapons that came out of the Northern Crater. The train carrying the Blue Materia was going to hit this town, so I of course had to stop it. I haven't been able to go through this place since without getting a hero's welcome," Cid explained.

"Wow," Kali smiled. "That's great. But why didn't Cloud save the town?"
"Cause that's when he had the Mako poisoning," Cid said solemnly. As he spoke, they approached and boarded the lift. Kali started to look out the window, but quickly covered her mouth and buried her face in Kadaj's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm scared of heights. First I get really dizzy, then I get sick," she moaned. "Just don't let me look out the window, okay?"

"You got it, kid," Kadaj smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. After a few minutes, he noticed that she was oddly quiet. When he shook her, she didn't stir.

"She's asleep?" Pradipa asked. Kadaj nodded.

"I think so."

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"Young Kali… such a pretty girl. It will please me to kill you…"

"Who are you?"

"Nanashi told you who I am. You know you cannot win."

"You're lying. It can't be that hard to win."

"You know nothing of power and strength. You are a weakling."

"Where's Nanashi? If she was here, you wouldn't be here taunting me."

"She went out to lunch, so to speak. There were some things they needed to tell her in the Lifestream. In the meantime, I can take over your body instead."

"No. I won't let you."

"Succumb to me, young child."

Kali winced as the soul pushed through. She started screaming at the searing pain in her head. As she woke, she saw a white demon flying straight towards her.

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"Ah!" Kali screamed. She stood quickly and grabbed her head. The yell woke the others just in time. As she stumbled back, the door flung open and she fell out. Kali managed to grab the edge, but the lift shook violently. As Devin looked up through the window, he saw the woman on the roof trying to topple them. He glared as the others reached for Kali.

"Hold on!" Kadaj yelled. "Cid, get ready to shut the door. Rude, get ready to grab her. Devin, you and I will get that demon."

As he spoke, Devin quickly climbed out the window. Kadaj started to follow, but Devin locked the window as he leapt out. By the time Kadaj managed to get it open, Devin was climbing back in and the demon was flying away. Kali still dangled on the edge and the wagon rocked from side to side. Rude sat on the floor and pushed his feet against the doorframe.

"Cid, when the lift slides to the left, I'll grab her. When it slides back to the right, I'll slip backwards with Kali and grab a seat. When we slide to the left again, you close the door," he ordered. It rocked a few times while he sat there, his eyes focused on Kali.

"What are you waiting for?" Kadaj snapped. The lift slid to the left, then the right again. "She's going to fall!"

"I have to time this right," Rude muttered. He stiffened when he noticed that Kali's fingers were sliding.

In a swift movement, Rude let himself slide as far as he could to the edge while his feet were planted against the wall and reached for Kali. As they swung to the right, he pulled her and they slid to the other side of the lift together. Cid closed the door as the two of them started sliding towards the door again. He held her close and tightly, even when the door was shut. Nobody dared to move until the lift settled. When they finally started going back to their seats, Rude slowly let go of Kali. She sat up and trembled out of fear. They sat on the bench seats and Rude noticed that Kali's eyes were red and watery. Looking down at his jacket, there was a large wet spot right where her face had been. Pradipa nudged his hand.

"Thanks, Rude," he muttered. Pradipa jumped down, ran across the floor, leapt onto the seat, and curled up in Kali's lap happily.

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"Well, this is it," Cid grinned as they stepped out of the lift an hour later. Kali smiled as she gazed at the lights. The entire building was glowing brightly, and on the other side of the ride, fireworks were shooting into the air.

"First of all, let's go get our rooms," Kadaj ordered. "Then after a good night's sleep, we can go look for Reeve. You look like you need it," he added, glancing at his sister. She nodded and they walked through the mouth of what appeared to be a large snail. At the entrance was a fat, stuffed bird statue. Kali and Devin stared as Cid showed the ticket-taker a gold-colored ticket. She nodded as they passed.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer. Enjoy your stay, and don't be afraid to spend your money."

"What did she mean?" Kali inquired. "Spending our money, I mean."

"This place is a huge casino and theme park," Rude explained. "This way to the hotel."

They had just entered a round, bright yellow room with seven portals leading off. They noticed the pictures stuck on the floor. Rude led them to one that said 'Ghost Hotel.' He sat in the tunnel and let himself slide down. The others followed one by one. Kali giggled as she slid through the dark tube after her friends. By the time she was thrown out a few moments later, she was crying from the laughter. The joy soon died as she looked up at the house before them. It was a life-size model of a haunted house. Kali held Kadaj's hand as they walked up the path.

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NM: Wow. Nobody correctly caught that clue in the last chapter (Mediciner was sorta close, though)… Ah, well. There was only one five-letter word beginning with 'a' and ending in 'gain' so I'm really not too surprised. The Lifestream clip should give it away. Or you can reread the conversation between Devin and Zurine. I don't really care. But if you don't catch it after reading this chapter, I'll send The Lord and Master Foamy to stick you in the eye with a really hot French fry! Not really… oh, and the Lifestream was just a random event I threw in to help with the hint I gave last chapter, and to show a glimpse of a soul's perspective of these events. Reviews:

Sayahiei: I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I hope the trip wasn't too bad. And Nanashi is back in this chapter, too. Happy day!

Ryu the Youkai: ((gasp)) Reading fanfics during class instead of doing work! Shame shame! Just joking. I just know that at my school, they monitor what sites we go to on the comps, and if we check email or IM or go to 'inappropriate' sites or 'non-educational' (this site might be under there, I dunno), they find out and we can get detention for it. And obviously, I must agree. Tonberrys are so adorable, and I'd love to have one myself, except without the knife or lamp. In other words… I WISH PRADIPA WAS REAL!

Kizna1200: Yeah, they are pretty weird. Devin… well… let's put it this way: he and Riku have lots in common. And yes, Pradipa is so funny, and Tonberrys are usually evil. I've only been lucky enough to beat 1 or 2 on FFX2. Keeps kickin Clouds ass in FF7... Funny as hell, but I still wanna beat one…

Mediciner: Wow, you came up with a lot. Okay, one by one…

1) Yes, it does mean 'white,' but I'm not sure exactly what you meant by 'major clue.' Just so you (and anyone else curious) know, she was designed to look like Sephy's opposite: Female, dark hair, dark skin, white clothes, reddish eyes, etc. So if you could help with 'major clue,' I honestly have no clue what you meant; no clues were meant by the name.

2) I'm really not sure if Aeris wanted world purification. I know she wanted to stop Sephy, so does that count? What I think is this: Sephy wanted to purge the world of the Shinra Company by summoning Meteor and taking over the planet. That's his way of 'purifying' the world (or so I see it). The way she wants to purify the world will come out within the next 5 chapters I hope.

3) Yes, he did, and if anyone missed that, see above for your punishment. The two last person-plus-person-plus-bed scenes have to do with that, so it'll be the next two chapters. And I hope the last two chapters had a bit more action for you.

4) As for Pradipa, they spent a few days on the train from the Ath Midgar region to Junon, during which Kali passed the time teaching Pradipa to talk. He's also a special Tonberry called the Zeki. They're basically geniuses, but I can't tell you more than that cause I'm still developing the point of him being one, besides providing Kali with a cuddly traveling companion.

REVIEW!

NINJA MAGE