All I got to say... Go Barret! –laughs- I don't own him, anyone else or any place or any monster yadda yadda yadda. Square does. All hail Square! Beware the swearing, panicky silliness and bad English, as this's unbetaed for now. Please enjoy!
Chapter fourteen: Catch me if you can!
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The noise of the Turks' plane above them almost deafened him, but Cid ran to the fallen Soldier, ignoring the pain at the back of his knee where Reno's lightning rod had caught him. The Turks were gone and they had at least Barret with them. He didn't know what had happened to Aeris, Cloud or Cait, no idea where the three had disappeared to.
The Turks already had a good head start, and by the time he'd get to the Tiny Bronco there'd be no way to catch them. But first he'd have to check if the idiot Soldier was even alive anymore.
"Zax? Hey wake up you dolt!" he fell to his knees and shook the younger man roughly, hoping that no one was near enough to hear the worry in his voice.
"Cid?"
The pilot instinctively went for his spear even though he recognized the voice. He turned to where the Turks' plane had been to see Cait peek out from behind another plane. The robot jumped out and hopped to them in its usual way.
"Gosh, is he still alive?" the small cat asked, hopping off the mog and next to Zax's face. "He seems to be breathing..."
"Zax?" Cid called again, eyes roaming over the body to spot any injuries. But he couldn't find anything. Not even a drop of blood on the runway. "Zax? What the hell? Did you decide to take a nap or something?" Cid rolled the Soldier to his back and he and Cait leaned closer.
Zax's eyes were closed and the man didn't seem to be in pain. There was no injury that they could see, only where the Soldier's forehead and bare arms had made contact with the runway, and even those were already healing out of sight. Cid felt his left eye start to twitch. With a groan he sat heavily on the ground and pulled out a cigarette and his lighter. As soon as he got the nicotine stick started he took a long breath through it and then pressed the burning end to Zax's shoulder.
"I can't BELIEVE she had tranquilizers in that gun ALL of the time!" Zax growled. He, Cid and Cait were in the tram, waiting for it to reach North Corel and the Tiny Bronco. The pilot was sitting on one of the seats, staring out of the window, rubbing the bruise on his arm he'd gotten while waking the Soldier. Cait was on the floor next to the bench. Zax was walking around like a caged animal, eager to get out. They had filled each other in on what had happened, and now were a bit at a loss on what to do.
Cloud and Aeris were in a stolen plane, going to the Temple of the Ancient. Only they and Ifalna knew its location. The Turks had Barret and they were either chasing the Keystone or heading to Midgar. In either case, both planes would be far from here by the time they'd get the Bronco off the ground. From the plane they could attempt to contact Cosmo Canyon or their friend's plane by radio and try to find out where the temple was.
"If I'd known, we could have gotten rid of her once Cloud left with the Keystone. We could have caught him, dealt with Reno and be on our way, all of us, together. Damn it! You can't shoot tranqs from a normal gun, I should have seen the difference! God I'm so STUPID!"
"Calm down, numbskull..." Cid muttered when the Soldier started to scare the other passengers with his ranting. Zax growled and came to sit on a bench opposite the pilot.
"This is just so frustrating! We have no idea where they're going!"
Cait lifted its paw and opened its mouth but the Soldier just glared at it and the little cat fell silent.
Cid shook his head and sighed. "Look, as soon as we get to the Bronco, I'll pick up the radio. If we can't reach them, we can check with air control and other planes if anyone's seen them. Plus, we can contact Cosmo Canyon and check with the Cetra lady if she'd like to tell us where the hell the Temple is. Okay? Now we'll be there in five minutes, so don't freak out just yet. Enjoy the peace while it lasts, kiddo." He leaned back and closed his eyes, ignoring Zax who was fuming with barely controlled rage, but couldn't find anything to argue about.
With a frustrated groan, the Soldier leaned his forehead against the cool window and prayed they wouldn't be too late.
Aeris finally dared to open her eyes when she felt that the plane was flying straight, not twisting and turning and losing altitude as much as before. The last thing she'd seen was Zax falling to the ground, shot down by that Turk. She was still praying for his safety, and her own as well.
Her fumbling hands found the seatbelt and fastened it around her waist before she dared to reach out and tug at Cloud's hair. The blond didn't react to her touch, so she leaned forward enough that she could see the side of his face over the back of the seat.
"Cloud? Can you hear me?"
There was no reaction to her words that she could see, but the blond seemed to be in control of the plane now. In fact, he appeared to be quite good at flying it, which was a surprise, considering how sick he had been on the trip to the Gold Saucer. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you..."
Aeris leaned back in her seat and looked around for anything that could be of use. She'd lost her staff somewhere in the Gold Saucer while chasing Cloud.
It was night already, the only light came from the stars and the moon above them, giving everything an eerie glow. The plane's cockpit was small, there was just enough space for the two seats, hers behind the pilot's. The part-glass ceiling which opened to be the only way out of the machine was less than a foot above her head, and the walls were only half a foot from the seat's sides. Aeris shuddered and tried to ignore the smallness of the space which only seemed smaller when the plane shook a little on the air current.
There weren't any weapons in the small space around her, but she did find a parachute underneath the seat. Pulling at the handle on the other chair's back revealed a very small mini-bar, but the bottles were all empty.
If she could just find a way to contact the others...
Aeris opened the seatbelt and stood up, leaning over the seat and Cloud's shoulder. The blond didn't even notice when she squeezed herself between the seat and the wall to reach for the radio close to Cloud's right hand. Holding her breath, she stretched as far as she could, but the device was just out of her reach, no more than two inches from her fingertips.
"...Damn it!" Aeris swore, daring to breathe again. She struggled to get closer to the radio, her eyes fixed on it, when she felt something move against her breasts. She froze instantly for a second before daring to turn to look.
"Um... what are you doing?" Cloud asked, puzzled and blushed, his nose and face still turned towards and against her. Aeris let out a small sound of surprise and struggled back towards her own seat until they were face to face.
"Cloud! Are you all right?"
"...I think so. Where's Zax? Where are we?" He finally tore his eyes away from her and turned just in time to see a mountain peak disappear underneath them. His face went from blushed to white to a shade of green in a matter of heartbeats, and Aeris thought she could hear his stomach lurch.
"Calm down, you've flown it perfectly so far!" She assured him, trying not to let her rising panic reach her voice. Either it wasn't working or then Cloud wasn't listening. He lifted a shaking hand to his mouth and stared ahead, eyes wide.
"Shiva's... oh no... please... stop this... I want out..."
Aeris slapped him on the cheek.
"Stop it Cloud! There's no time to panic now! Once we land, then we can panic, all right? Now, just... go back to flying this thing? Please?" It certainly wasn't her best 'calm down'-speech, but this was the first time she had to give one 20 000 feet in the air.
"How the hell do I fly this thing?!" Cloud screamed at her, not completely assured by her words.
Aeris tried to stay calm, but made a mental note to check again if the mini-bar was completely empty. "You mean... you don't know how? But you flew it this far!"
"I've never flown a plane before! I've only been in one twice, and on the first time it crashed down!" His voice was much higher than usual and they were both starting to panic now.
"But I saw you myself! I followed you, you jumped into this plane and took off!"
"I didn't! I don't remember any of that!" Cloud almost shrieked before closing his eyes tightly. She stared at him for a moment before realizing that he was telling the truth.
She couldn't fly either. They were still far above the ground.
"What do we do, what do we do..." Aeris muttered and started to pull herself back to her seat when she remembered why she was stuck between the seat and the wall in the first place. "The radio!"
Cloud opened one eye and turned to her very carefully, like he was fearing the plane might fall if he made a sudden move. "What?"
"The radio!" She pointed at the device. "Switch it on! We can call for help, or someone can guide us, tell us what to do!"
Cloud reached out slowly and switched the device on. It immediately started to buzz. Aeris reached for it again and motioned for him to pass the mouthpiece to her. She shook it experimentally and pressed the button on the side.
"Hello? Can anyone hear me?"
Reno stopped playing with his lighter when the static of the radio suddenly disappeared and they heard a voice. Their prisoner froze in the backseat and Elena glanced at the radio quickly.
"Wasn't that the pink chick? And on a public channel?" Reno muttered and reached up to the ceiling where their radio was, turning the volume up. Wallace had already answered that question, and if possible, went even stiller when the voice spoke again.
"Please, someone! We need help!"
"Should we answer her?" Elena asked, eyes fixed on the horizon and the twinkling light ahead of them which was the plane they followed. "I mean, they have the Keystone. If they crash, how'll we get it?"
"We wait until the fire dies and dig it out. It's a rock, it won't burn." Reno answered and grinned when their prisoner swore colourfully.
The Turk pulled out his lightning rod and waved it in the backseat's direction. "Watch it, Wallace, you don't want me pokin' you with this!"
"Please! Can anyone hear me?!" She sounded desperate now, and they could hear another voice muttering quietly somewhere near her.
"What the hell are they doing? Their plane seems to be flying well, why are they asking for help?" Elena wondered. Reno chuckled.
"Maybe there's..." he made a scared face, "...something on the wing!"
"Shut up, Reno..." the blonde Turk muttered when the redhead started to laugh.
"Anyone? Please?"
"We could offer them help in exchange for the Keystone..." Elena suggested but fell quiet when a voice answered the plea.
"Aeris? Is that you? Where the fuckin' hell are you?!"
"... Highwind..." Reno muttered dryly and cocked his head, listening. Barret also leaned closer, tugging at the cuffs.
"Was that Aeris? Is Cloud with her? Where are they?!" Zax shouted and jumped into the small plane. They were just outside North Corel, still on the ground. Cid waved him quiet and listened to the radio transmitter.
"Cid! Thank the summons... we need help!"
The pilot swore and started the Tiny Bronco's engine. "Hang on, girl! Where are you?"
"I don't know! I'm in a plane with Cloud, we're going towards the Temple, but we don't know how to fly this thing!"
Cid stared at the radio's mouthpiece like it had just sprouted wings and given birth to puppies. Zax was almost jumping up and down in the backseat. Cait Sith climbed in, settling down on the seat beside the Soldier.
"Uh, run that by me again, would you? You're up inna plane, flying, and you don't fuckin' know HOW TO FLY IT?! Am I the only one seeing a bit of a conflict here?
There was a moment of silence. When Aeris spoke next, her voice was full of barely controlled anger which, coming from her, was scary.
"Yes, Cid, that's about it. But unless you can give us some advice, the 'up in a plane' -bit may change soon." There was a scared squeak to accompany her words.
"Cloud!" Zax shouted and reached for the mouthpiece, but Cid leaned away from him.
"Ok, I'll tell you what to do! But how did you get to where you're now?"
"Cloud was flying, like in a trance, but then he woke from it! Neither of us can fly this thing now!"
Cid gave the Soldier a look over his shoulder and started to turn the plane for take-off. "Ok, lemme know which direction you're headin', and we'll follow you. You know what a compass is, right? Check it and tell me the direction, and if you can read it, the numbers on it, too. Buckle up, Zax. We're leaving."
Another moment of silence, and Cloud answered them with a shaky voice. "We're heading south-east, towards the big island at the south-west end of the Midgar continent."
"Ok I know where that is. Now tell me what model the plane is, I need to get an idea of what the steering and shit looks like." The Bronco was moving now, faster and faster over the grasslands, towards the sandpit around the Gold Saucer. Zax was forced to sit down and fasten the seatbelt around his waist, although he leaned forward to hear the ongoing conversation.
"... 'what model'?! It has wings and it's very small, and I want out of it!"
"Then jump out why don't you..."
"CID!"
"Ok calm down, kiddo! There's a funky, steering-wheel thing in front of you, right? Grab it and turn it a bit to see how to handle her. Then just make sure you're flyin' straight, and lemme know when you're coming close to the island."
The Tiny Bronco took into the air, and Cid turned it towards south-east.
Reno was gasping for breath, he had laughed out loud at the conversation in the radio. He collapsed into another giggling fit when the lights of the plane they followed lurched towards the ground momentarily, and screaming filled the airwaves.
"...Fucking morons... wonder you guys haven't managed to kill yourselves yet, eh, Wallace?" Barret glared at the redhead, but Reno wasn't really paying any attention to him.
"It shouldn't be long now before they reach the island, that plane's about as fast as ours." Elena mentioned, ignoring her partner. Reno coughed and tried to regain his composure.
"So how long before Highwind gets there?"
"At least a few hours. We should have enough time to get the Keystone and get into the Temple."
"Get rid of those two..." Reno muttered, glancing at their captive from the corner of his eye. Barret glared at him but refused to be angered by the Turk's words.
"Maybe we should capture the girl alive, she's an Ancient, right? The President might find some use to her."
"I like the way you think…" Reno said with a wicked grin and leaned forward, placing his head on the back of Elena's seat, next to hers. "He might even give us a bonus for it. The freak's one of Hojo's pets... we kill it, we might get even a bigger bonus, since no one likes Hojo. And just imagine the look on the madman's face! Ha!" He pulled an innocent expression on his face, as innocent as was possible. "'I'm so sorry, Hojo, sir... the bullet kind of... slipped, and hit your specimen between the eyes. We had to burn it.'"
Elena shook her head, smiling. "He'd never believe that..."
"Yeah, well, too bad! What can he do about it? Nothing!"
"...He can talk the President into giving you for scientific research... to find out how you've survived so far without a spine..."
"Hey! Remember, I'm still your senior!" Reno managed to gather some amount of hurt into his voice, despite grinning like mad. Elena wasn't such a bad Turk... for a chick.
With Cid's help, Cloud and Aeris had become a bit more familiar with the plane's controls. The island was already starting to show on their radar, but it was too dark to see anything yet and they were currently flying inside clouds. The pilot had warned them that the Turks may be following, but their radar or a look out of the window showed nothing out of the ordinary.
Aeris had settled comfortably in her seat, the parachute on her lap making her feel a little safer. Cid had promised them a safe landing, but had advised that they wouldn't count on just that. But the parachutes wouldn't do them much good unless Cloud found whatever it was that would open the ceiling for them. The flower girl sat with her eyes closed, absently listening to Cloud describe the switches and buttons to Cid who explained (or in some cases, guessed) what they did. But right now Aeris concentrated more on what they'd find at the Temple. She had never been there, and neither had her mother, but Ifalna had told her tales of the place, and what was hidden inside it. She knew that the Black Materia was protected with traps and puzzles, and probably a good amount of monsters. Getting in and to the Materia wouldn't be easy. With just the two of them, nearly weaponless, it might be almost impossible.
Cid had promised that he'd be there in a few hours, with Zax and Cait Sith. She had been relieved to hear that the Soldier was all right. Cloud had been shocked to hear that he had been hurt in the first place, and if he wouldn't have been so afraid of the plane, he would probably have turned it around and flown to them.
She still had no idea how Cloud had been able to fly the plane. From the state he'd been in Aeris had guessed that someone had controlled him. Maybe it had been Sephiroth. But how had the trance ended so suddenly, and while they were still in the air? Maybe there was a limit on how far Sephiroth's control reached. Cloud obviously didn't have the answers, he claimed he couldn't remember flying at all, and she believed him.
It was all confusing, but unless they managed to land in one piece, it wouldn't matter at all.
"... How about a button that says 'Open'?" Cloud was just saying to the radio. Aeris smiled a bit when she could hear Cid swear.
"Damn these new models... there used to be one big red button that said 'EJECT' in big, bloody letters in the middle of the fuckin' board! Would it be too hard... yeah, that sounds like it."
"... Should I push it?"
"Hell NO! Not unless you wanna go flyin' without a plane right now, kiddo!"
Clouds cleared from around them, and the horizon could be seen, even in the dark. Cloud swallowed hard and went paler than ever. Aeris leaned forward on his left side, mesmerized by the beauty of the scenery, even though it was so far below them.
The sky was almost pitch black, dotted by the stars, but in the east the horizon was starting to pale a bit already. The clouds around them were just shapes of darkness which hid the stars. Below them opened the dark sea, ending only where it reached the horizon in utter blackness. Ahead of them was the island, the only stable thing in the moving sea. It was still some miles away, but coming closer and closer.
"That's it..." Aeris muttered and turned to Cloud who had closed his eyes. "Better tell Cid, we need to get ready to land soon."
The blond whimpered quietly but she noticed him breathe deep to get himself under control. Still, his hand shook when he reached for the radio again. Aeris turned back to the scenery, marveling at its beauty, and how deadly the nature she so loved could be if they made even one mistake.
A minute later she realized that the cockpit was still quiet, and turned to Cloud as well as she could, wedged between the wall and the front seat again. "Cloud, what... oh."
Aeris wished she'd know of some strong curse words right now, and had the gall to utter them.
Cloud sat as still as if he was a statue, staring straight ahead, the radio's mouthpiece clutched in his right hand. Fighting down the rising panic, she waved a hand in front of his eyes, getting no reaction.
"Oh. Oh. This is bad. Cloud? Cloud?! Wake up... DAMN it!" But the blond seemed dead to the world again.
"This is really, really bad..." Aeris muttered and mentally swore at the seatbelt which now stopped her from reaching the radio from this side. She struggled back to her seat, opened the seatbelt and reached out on the right side. Luckily the radio was much closer to her now, and Cloud let go of it when she tugged a bit. The movement seemed to wake something in him. The now empty hand rose with the left to clutch at the controls. The plane shook slightly but he had it under control the next second, and tipped it slightly to the left. Aeris thought best to sit down and fasten her seatbelt.
They were almost above the island already, and the plane was making slow circles in the air, descending all the while. There was no sign of civilization on it, only grass, trees and mountains. Finding the Temple started to seem harder than getting to the Materia, until the plane turned again and she spotted it, in the middle of a large forest. It was really hard to miss, actually. A huge building that towered over the treetops, as dark as the forest but distinguishable for its angular shape.
Watching the ground and sea get closer Aeris almost forgot the radio's mouthpiece was still in her hand. She brought it up to her mouth. "Cid?"
"Yeah, Buttercup?"
"Ahh, about the landing... I think we have it under control."
"What?! Whaddya mean?"
"Cloud knows how to fly again. Just hurry here, please? We'll wait for you at the Temple."
"But... hell, girl! Are you sure? Lemme talk to the nutcase!"
"Yes I'm sure. Better let him concentrate. Hurry, please?"
Aeris almost blushed at the words which filled the radiowaves and memorized a few of them for future use.
"Fine. We'll be there in a few hours. How'll we find the place?"
"You can't miss it. Thank you, Cid, we'll see again soon, then."
The ground was coming closer and closer, and Aeris prayed her trust in Cloud wasn't misplaced. But the blond really seemed to know what he was doing again. She made a mental note to talk with him about all this once they had the Black Materia in their hands and they were far from here again.
"... Never again... never again... never again... never again..." Cloud chanted, pale as sheet, and clutched his hands together to stop them from shaking. He was grateful, though, that he didn't actually have any recollection of the landing Aeris had described as 'bumpy, but impressive'.
They had made it in one piece, even the small plane. Aeris had thought to stay in the open until Cid and the others got there or the sun rose, but they had barely gotten out of the plane when they had noticed that they had been followed. And the plane clearly wasn't the Tiny Bronco. They had taken off towards the forest around the Temple, and had passed the first trees when the plane started to descend.
They ran.
The forest was thick and full of strange noises, the air hot and humid. There was no obvious way for them to determine which way they should go, but somehow Aeris just knew. The Temple sang to her. It reached out and pulled her towards it, tugging desperately. She was fearful of what they might find there, more now when she knew the Turks had followed them, but the call of the Temple raised her spirits and welcomed her. It was like coming home.
They ran through the jungle, stumbling every once in a while in the dark. But when one stumbled the other was there to catch, both determined to reach the Temple and the Black Materia before the Turks caught up with them.
"Damn it..." Reno muttered, glaring at the jungle and threatening Barret with his lightning rod while Elena tied their prisoner's hands behind his back. "Do we have to go through that?! I fuckin' hate jungles! They're too hot, full of bugs and snakes. I really hate bugs and snakes..."
"How did a crybaby like you make it into the Turks? Or d'ya all need to be able to whine like that?" Barret growled from between clenched teeth. Elena tugged the ropes tighter but the man didn't even flinch. Reno just snorted and started towards the forest.
"Are we there yet?" Zax shouted over the wind, staring desperately ahead to see anything through the clouds that surrounded them at the moment. The pilot swore, making Cait cover his ears with his paws.
"I told you five years back not to ask that bloody question ever again! We'll be there in an hour or so! No matter how many times you ask, we ain't gonna get there any faster!" Cid shouted back, even though he was as eager to get to the Temple as the Soldier.
They must have ran for almost an hour, the sun was rising already when the jungle suddenly opened in front of them, revealing the Temple of the Ancients. It stood in the middle of a clearing which reached just around its great outer wall. A trench was dug, and only a narrow bridge joined the Temple to the rest of the world.
Aeris stopped, still holding tight to Cloud's hand from when either of them had last slipped on the muddy ground. The blond, much too tired to be shocked from flying anymore, stopped as well and just stared.
"Oh... it's so... so... so much MORE than I had thought, more than I ever dreamed..." Aeris whispered, a smile flickering on her lips. She let his hand slip from hers and left Cloud behind, walking towards the building with new energy. It was reaching out to her, welcoming her but also telling her to leave.
She stepped on the wooden bridge and sunk to her knees, not caring about the Turks anymore. The spirits here, the knowledge of generations past rose to greet her. It felt so good, so right that she leaned forward and lay down on the bridge.
"... You are all waiting here... staying back... why? For the future? For us?"
Cloud frowned. He knew the girl had spoken the words quietly, whispering them to the spirits that only she could hear. But somehow he had heard her as well. It unnerved him. The clearing was so quiet after the noisy jungle, he felt like he could even hear Aeris breathing. He knew that it was the Mako in his blood which had heightened most of his senses like this. Mako and the cells from Her. He didn't want it, he didn't want anything from her or Hojo, but didn't know how to give the 'presents' back either.
There was some good in having such sharp ears, too. The redheaded Turk liked to swear loudly.
"You are happy that I am here? But uneasy too? But why?" Aeris asked. She had gotten up to her knees, and was watching the Temple. She barely realized that Cloud had caught up with her and was tugging her up.
"We have to go now. They're close." The blond muttered, pushing past her on the narrow bridge, making it swing and creak. He still held her arm and Aeris followed, listening to the spirits.
A long line of stairs lead up to the top of the Temple. It seemed like the only possible direction, but Cloud didn't know if they could get in through there. The Turks were getting closer, he could catch a swearword every now and then.
"Can you feel it, Cloud? The Temple, the spirits who've stayed back... they have so much power it leaks out! It makes me see clearer than before, hear better, and everything feels so... perfect. If there was something to eat I'm sure it would taste heavenly..." Aeris muttered as in a daze. The blond frowned and took a moment to wonder if the sharpness of his own senses was because of the Temple. But there was no time to think on that now, nor to wonder how HE had suddenly become the sane one. Zax would laugh.
"How do we get in there?" He asked, glancing over their shoulders. No one there yet, but the Turks didn't have to make a path through the jungle, all they had to do was follow in their footsteps. His hand went to the handle of his sword. He had been pleasantly surprised at the Battle Arena that he hadn't been as rusty as he had feared, after so many years of not fighting.
Cloud frowned. Had he ever fought with a sword? Not since Hojo had captured him. But he hadn't been captured, he had been born in the laboratory. No, in Gongaga...? No, Nibelheim...
"Ssssss not now... don't break... I am me..." he hissed, closed his eyes tight and slammed his fist to the side of his head. It made him see stars, but the rising panic and confusion in his head settled, just in time before the Turks stepped out to the clearing with Barret in tow. Cloud swore quietly, grabbed Aeris' hand tighter and started to run up the stairs. She followed eagerly, blind and deaf to the world.
Zax jumped out of the Tiny Bronco before it had stopped completely, and took off towards the forest and the temple that loomed over it. Cid had landed the plane closer to the jungle than the other planes, so they didn't have to cross the grasslands first, but the others were still about an hour ahead of them.
"Wait two seconds you moron!" The blond called after the Soldier. Cait Sith also jumped out, bouncing towards the jungle.
"... Screw you guys..." Cid muttered and grabbed the radio. Twenty seconds later he jumped out and started to run after them.
"Stop!" Reno shouted when they reached the clearing and saw the two running up the stairs to the top of the Temple of the Ancients. He had hoped for a chance to catch his breath but their prey seemed unwilling to give him that.
"Fuck. Well what are we waiting for, after them!"
He shouldn't have forgotten that he and Elena had tied around their waists the ends of the rope which bound Barret's hands together, to make sure he wouldn't try to escape. The two Turks took off running, but the large man didn't budge. And he had far more mass than the two of them together. And the rope was strong.
Cloud dared a look back when he heard a scream and a howl of pain. Frowning, he stopped when he saw the Turks, flat on the ground, moaning and complaining loudly. Behind them stood Barret, smirking. The gun-armed man met his eyes and nodded. The blond blinked and shook his head, turning back to see Aeris still running up the stairs. They were almost to the top.
This time Elena held her gun to Barret's neck.
Cloud glanced over his shoulder when he finally reached the top, almost bumping to Aeris who was standing and, apparently, conversing with the spirits again. The Turks had reached their side of the bridge already, although Barret was doing his best to slow them with a gun pointed at his head.
The blond turned back quickly and took in their surroundings. They were in a small room, pillars on both sides and a plateau with an altar upon it in the middle. Aeris was walking slowly towards the altar. Cloud hurried to her side and grabbed her arm.
"Aeris! Come on! How do we get in? Where's the door?"
Aeris blinked her green eyes a few times. In this place they seemed to glow like his mako-eyes. He took a step back, for there was something in the glow that frightened him, made him feel tainted and uncomfortable.
"The Keystone. Give it to me." Aeris said and held out her hand. Cloud hesitated for a moment but pulled the stone out of his pocket and dropped it in her palm. She nodded and walked to the altar, placing the white stone on it. Cloud watched curiously as a blue glow spread like water over the markings on the stone. The room around them began to fade in and out of sight, and he took her arm, feeling dread.
"Fuck! STOP!"
He didn't want to move, but turned anyway to see the Turks and Barret reach the top and rush towards them. But they were flickering as well, even as they got closer and closer. Then the floor disappeared from underneath them.
Tifa climbed the ladders and the stairs up to the observatory, silently praying to any deity willing to listen that Yuffie would find something else to do except follow her around and whine about how bored she was. She hadn't minded before that the young ninja had tagged along, she had been helpful from time to time, but right now the fighter wished she was evil enough to toss Yuffie down the main stairs to the town, or at least tell her to go away.
The observatory was some sort of a haven, though. The atmosphere there was peaceful and welcoming, but something in the place killed the urge to whine and complain about boredom from most people. Thankfully even from Yuffie. The ninja followed her in, but in stead of staying with her and Nanaki on the lowest floor, she climbed up the stairs to the higher floors. Tifa sighed with relief and sat down on a chair, smiling at the large, red beast.
"Morning, Nanaki. Any word from them?"
The last protector of the Canyon shifted his gaze and made a coughing sound. "Umm, yes..."
"... Something bad?" Tifa asked, leaning forward. Nanaki got up from his place next to the radio and shook his head, starting to walk around a bit. He had spent the night by the radio.
"No, not exactly... bad. Cid contacted us during the night and told me what happened so far." The beast stopped in the middle of the floor, the fiery tip of his tail moving nervously. "Apparently there was some trouble."
"What trouble?" Tifa asked. She had to force herself to stay in the chair and not jump up and run off to find a way to get to her friends. "Are they all right?"
"Yes, don't worry. The Turks appeared and demanded for the Keystone."
"What? how did they know about it? And how did they know to go to the Gold Saucer? Are they spying on us?!"
Nanaki started walking around again. He trusted Cait Sith and the man behind the robot. Not much, but the man seemed honest. But still, he worked for Shin-Ra, even though lately he had started to tell them of things that happened in Midgar.
Tifa's red eyes went large when she came to the same conclusion. "Cait?" At his nod, she slammed her fist to the chair's armrest, making the wood complain. "We should have known he couldn't be trusted! Why did we ever believe him..."
"I still trust him, to some extent." Nanaki said, coming to sit on the floor next to her chair. "I get a sense of him, even through the robot. He does work for Shin-Ra, but he is questioning where his loyalties should lie. He has told us what's been going on in Midgar."
Tifa looked at the red beast whom Bugenhagen had called a child but who was wiser in many ways than most of the other members of Avalanche. A smile found its way on her lips and she ruffled his dark mane playfully.
"You actually trust him? Guess he can't be all that bad, then. Reeve... well, he did promise to take good care of Marlene and Shera." With a sigh she leaned back in the chair, lifting a gloved hand to her eyes for a moment.
"This is so frustrating... I wish I could be there with them, not here, sitting around, doing nothing but babysitting Yuffie and..." she looked over her shoulder to the door which lead to the small room their 'guest' was currently occupying. She leaned closer to him, frowning. "You know, he really gives me the creeps. I really hope those demons of his stay hidden."
Nanaki smiled and winked. Having just one eye it looked a lot like a blink, but his expression assured that it was a wink. "Don't mind it, he creeps me out too. But in this case we have to trust Grandfather and Professor Gast, and I know for sure that Grandfather can be trusted."
Tifa smiled and nodded. "That's good. But tell me... what do your instincts say about Zax and Cloud?"
He thought about it for a while, his tail swinging in a slow, horizontal eight. "The Soldier is a good man, but his mind is dark. You must have noticed it when he told us of his past in Hojo's care. He's terribly afraid of something, but I don't know what."
"How can you tell?"
"I can smell it. I do trust him to do the right thing, though. But Cloud, he's harder to figure out. When I first saw him, there were so many smells around him, Mako one of the strongest. But now, just before they left, he was different. I don't know what to make of him. Valentine's the same." He settled down on the floor, resting his jaw on his huge front paws. "I guess it's that Jenova-creature I can smell on them. Hostile and alien. Hojo, too. I know the scent of his handiwork all too well."
"Did he... if you don't mind me asking, did he do something to you?"
"Experiments. I don't care to talk of it much. But mostly he was trying to figure out what I was, and what he could do with me." Nanaki closed his eye and sighed. "The memories are not nice ones. That man has brought so much pain and suffering on so many people... maybe he'll feel the repercussions of it some day."
"Yeah, and maybe it'll be us who make him feel them." Tifa tried to cheer him up, and he chuckled.
"Oh yes. Few things would please me more."
They sat in comfortable silence for some minutes, thinking about their friends and the future of the world. The peace was broken when the radio started to swear.
"-cking bloody morons... hey I hope someone hear this! We're headin' to the Temple now, no time to chat, catch you guys later!"
Both Tifa and Nanaki had gotten up and rushed to the radio, but Cid was already gone.
"Damn. I hope they're all right. Why was he in such a hurry?" Tifa muttered and returned to her seat, chewing at the tip of one of the glove's fingers thoughtfully.
"Perhaps the Turks are giving them trouble..." Nanaki muttered and was glad no one else had heard Cid's earlier recounting of the events. No need to make anyone worry more than they already did.
"Speaking of trouble, who's watching Valentine?" Tifa glanced at the closed door again.
"I am. He's sleeping most of the time."
"Do you think he can hear us talking?"
"I don't know. I could hear it if he'd walk around the room, but so far he's been quiet. The walls are thick, unless he's got a very good hearing I doubt he can hear us."
Vincent felt a little smug, listening in on the conversation. He was sitting on the floor, next to the door, where he could hear them almost perfectly. So the beast hadn't heard him walk here, even though it claimed it wouldn't have missed it. But he had to admit that he had started eavesdropping when he'd heard Highwind talking on the radio. He'd heard the whole explanation of the Turks appearing and the group getting separated, but heading to the temple anyway. It was also interesting to notice that the beast didn't tell everything to the girl, but he could follow its logic of not worrying its friends over something that they couldn't help with. It made him envious, how these people and creatures cared for each other. He envied their mutual trust even more.
He was feeling much better after sleeping most of the day. He was also starting to get used to using his left arm and hand again. His nature wouldn't let him believe that he'd been given it back because he deserved it, or that it couldn't somehow be used against him. He had no idea where the arm had come from; had Chaos grown it, or stolen it? But he still couldn't help feeling happy that he was whole again, at least in body. His mind was torn, destroyed and conquered, but he could touch his face with both hands again, reach up and tie his hair back, and move without constant pain. He couldn't possibly deserve it, and it would be taken from him, without a doubt, but for now he was whole.
His musings were interrupted when a third voice suddenly joined the conversation in the other room. Leaning closer to the door he heard the voice more clearly, but didn't recognize it. The girl, Tifa, soon identified the voice as Yuffie, though. Vincent shifted until he was comfortable and concentrated on the conversation.
"Did you spy on them?!" The girl, Tifa, sounded almost angry now. Yuffie was instantly defensive.
"NO! And keep it down, will ya? I just happened to hear them talking... I heard the name Sephiroth and figured it wouldn't hurt to listen in."
"It wasn't right to listen, but... what did they say?" Nanaki's low voice was slightly harder to hear than the high, clear voices of the females, but the ex-Turk could still make out the amusement and worry in the voice.
"Well, they were saying that even tho we'd get the Black Materia, Sephiroth will come after it, if he really wants it. An' they suspect he really wants it. So they were thinkin' how to keep it away from him. If they should destroy it or take it somewhere safe. But Aeris' mom said they couldn't just destroy it, not with any weapons we have. That only the Planet which made it could take care of it, and with the Planet pur... per... pre... busy with Jenova and Sephiroth and the mako reactors, it would take too long to destroy it and Sephiroth could steal it when it was still usable."
Vincent frowned when the girl stopped to catch her breath. He could feel his heart sinking in his chest. Because he hadn't been able to save his own son, the whole world would suffer...
"So then she started talkin' about countering the Black Materia, but Gast got pretty pissy and started telling that they shouldn't even consider that, but then she said something really quiet to him and he went quiet and Bugen went humm humm humm and said that they should still think of other options that it would be only used if there was simply no other way..."
"Breathe, Yuffie..." Tifa advised. Her voice sounded too calm.
"But they didn't say what it was anymore what she had suggested, but sounds like it's really bad. They just figured we have to take care of Sephiroth and Jenova quick and keep the Black Materia from him. I figured then I better come down and fill you guys in on this."
All three fell silent. Vincent barely dared to breathe, and was sure his heart could be heard around the observatory. He wanted to step through the door, ask them questions, find out if there was anything he could do, find some way to help them!
'... I'm not entitled to help anyone. I only bring sorrow and pain.'
"How could we counter the Black Materia?" Tifa asked just the question he had wondered. He suspected that they didn't know either what exactly this special materia did, but it must be some spell or another.
"... With another materia, I suppose." Nanaki said. It was so simple. Another materia, a countering one. Fire, ice. Earth, wind. Poison, heal. Every materia had a countering one. Even the summons had their counterparts. If there was a Black Materia, there must be a White Materia.
"Where could we find it, then? They must know, if Ifalna is going to use it." Tifa asked his question again.
"Well, I don't have it." Yuffie said, making Vincent blink with confusion. Why would the girl say such a thing?
"Are you sure? It seems to me a lot of materias just happen to fall into your pockets." Tifa's voice was teasing now, and the other girl must have done something that made her laugh.
"Well, let's hope for the best, then. I'm sure that if it comes to that, Grandfather and the others will let us know what we must do."
Vincent could hear them start moving around in the room, and got up quietly himself, sneaking to the bed and back underneath the blankets. If one of them decided to check on him, they'd find him sleeping peacefully.
But even though he pretended sleep, Vincent's mind was in an uproar. Because he hadn't been able to protect his own child, the world was suffering. He needed to make amends. He WANTED to make amends. He doubted that he'd be made a member of the Avalanche anytime soon, but the Cetra woman's words still rang in his mind, her request for him to look after Aeris. She seemed wise, and for what he knew and guessed, the Cetras knew many things that were hidden from humans.
Maybe his part in this play wasn't over yet after all...
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A.N: Maybe it's because I was really tired when writing it, but Barret's little trick is my friggin' favourite bit! XD
Ah, sorry jpopslov for misspelling your name last time... :p Well, everyone, I'm off to a holiday! The next chapter will come out sometime mid-July, have fun everyone! And thank you for reading! :) Please review!!
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EXTRA:
Cid stared at the radio's mouthpiece like it had just sprouted wings and given birth to puppies. Zax was almost jumping up and down in the backseat. Cait Sith climbed in, settling down on the seat beside the Soldier.
"Uh, run that by me again, would you? You're up inna plane, flying, and you don't fuckin' know HOW TO FLY IT?! Am I the only one seeing a bit of a conflict here?
There was a moment of silence, only static coming across the radio. Then
"DON'T YOU MESS WITH ME, MISTER! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU AND YOUR SMART-ASSY-NESS! NOW YOU EITHER HELP US LAND THIS METAL PIECE OF JUNK OR I SWEAR I'LL SO RIP OFF ANYTHING DANGLY FROM YOUR PRESENCE AND FEED IT TO YOU THROUGH YOUR NOSTRILS!"
Cid, Cait and Zax could FEEL the rage of the words; it was if a red-hot wind of justified anger hath washed over them, singing their hairs and burning Cid's cig down to the filter. They stood in horrified silence for a moment, even the birds and monsters in the area cowering in their nests.
"...eep..." Zax managed to squeak just before the static was interrupted again, and the same, feminine voice spake unto them again.
"If you'd be so kind."