The Floran Hunt was a success. Guess who showed them how you kill Red Ghosts? Well...

The three of us showed up on this jungle planet. It's a little marshy and there's flies buzzing everywhere, especially on me. I think I was the only non-plant critter in the congregation. The Floran absolutely love the Fusion Swords, it was like when I showed Stabs and Azalea all over again. A lot of them were asking how I could carry such a huge thing around, let alone swing it. I twirled it around and put it back into its sheath, and they hooted and cheered. I didn't tell them why i could, but that little move seemed to cut off any more questions.

An elder called a Greenfinger came out a little while later, and it spoke far more eloquently than the other Floran. By that I meant it spoke like a normal sentient being. Anyway, it went off on a little speech and how we would bring honor to our tribe or family in my case. We were told which direction the Red Ghost had been sighted last, and then we were all off. I wished Stabs and Azalea luck and they did the same to me before we all took off into the dark jungle.

I think I still have swamp scum in between my toes from the hunt. Good thing I kept to the trees when I could.

The Floran didn't expect a human to be able to leap onto tree branches without tech. A few times I had to brace for inevitable falls as I jumped onto a rotted branch, or catch a branch where I misjudged the height. A few times I had to trudge through the swampy ground, the water seeping into my boots. I still wonder if they'll smell the same after this. I'll find something to deodorize them properly.

Eventually in the darkness I saw a little wisp pass through the trees. I followed quickly, quietly. My vision couldn't make out what it was exactly, because I can't make out colors in the dark. Just shapes and depth. It's difficult to describe. But, I saw it. It had to be the Red Ghost, because the wisp moved like a ghost through the trees. I continued stalking it, but I couldn't shake the feeling it was observing me, too.

I was surprised when it started to follow and circle me as I went deeper into the jungle. Instead of ahead of me it would be to my side, or even behind me. The Red Ghost did that once, just once. I fell off of my perch and onto the dirt below, Combination Sword in hand. He was circling me. I thought that perhaps it believed I was an easy target when all of the Floran weren't nearly so far in.

I heard rustling to my right, and soon an adult Poptop crashed through the brush, roaring at me. I took my sword apart so I had an extra blade in my free hand and went to work on the giant, all the while watching for the Red Ghost. I wondered if it would strike while I was preoccupied, or flee. I really didn't want either scenario. I'd like to say the poptop wasn't a big deal, and it really wasn't, but it scratched me good on the arm. My attention was split between it and my quarry, but I guess I could have been more cautious...

Then a gunshot rang out, and the adult poptop fell to the ground with a bullet hole in its forehead. I blinked, then turned around. I must have been grinning ear to ear. It was Vincent.

Vincent was the Red Ghost!

We didn't have much time to talk. I told him that I was part of the hunt to find and kill him, and after that I was at a loss for words. What to do? An idea crossed my mind. I asked Vincent for his cloak. After a few moments he reluctantly unclasped it and handed it over. I told him I'd try to keep it if I could, then told my ship's AI to beam him up.

I never knew Vincent could look so shocked. I suppose it was a bit sudden, being teleported for the first time like that. I would have taken a picture for Yuffie if I had had the time to.

A group of Florans that included Azalea and Stabs reached me a few minutes later. They looked between me, the giant poptop corpse, and Vincent's red cloak. "You kill lotsss!" one of them cheered.

"We have feassst at the camp now!"

They led me out of the jungle, struggling to take the poptop with them. I helped drag it back. I killed it, after all. I've never known anyone to be so enthusiastic about hunting until I met the Floran. They lost the Hunt but they're happy about the result. I was, too.

As they prepared and cooked the poptop I took the cloak up to the Greenfinger. It studied the cloak, then looked towards the poptop with those deep green, beady eyes. Then it looked at me, and I swore it was faintly smiling. I think it knew what I did with the so-called 'Red Ghost'. It nodded, then handed the cloak back to me. I said that the cloak was trophy enough for me; and it was. I found another one of my friends. The Greenfinger asked me to at least stay for the celebration, and I did. I ate roasted poptop meat and drank some strange drink that was tangy and sour that went well with the meat.

They gave me a mask made of leather and bones. It's...kinda creepy looking. There's sharp fangs stitched where the mouth should be. It's grinning. There's pointy ears on the sides and little horns jutting out of the forehead, and some red feathers lining the edges of the mask. The eye holes are round but white paint marks the eyes of the black leather mask, and stubby ribs made up the eyebrows. There's a flat nose and two tiny rectangles for nostrils.

When Denzel sees this he's going to be so jealous.

Eventually I left after thanking them all for the hunt and the party, though Azalea and Stabs lingered. That was fine. I beamed back up to the ship and Vincent was there, patiently waiting on me. I handed him his cloak, though I asked him not to wear it for a while. Azalea and Stabs would probably forget about the cloak in a month if we're unlucky. I told him everything that had happened since that day on the Shera.

If anything he seemed relieved. It's sort of difficult to tell with Vincent, at first. But once you get to know him he's not too hard to read. I told him we had been hoping we would find everyone someday, and finding him kept our hopes up that we would find everyone alive. I asked him about himself, and what he had been up to.

Avoiding the plant folk, he responded. He didn't wish to kill them despite their hunting zeal. It wasn't a difficult task for him, but he never thought they would go so far as to set up a big hunt for him. I asked if he had seen any other alien people besides the Floran,and he said no. He had been stuck on that sweltering jungle planet for months. I told him that the ship had a shower in it he could use before we teleport down to our home planet.

"Home planet?" He sounded like he was uncertain he had heard right. Yep, a home planet. He'll even get some time to himself before Yuffie finds out he's back.

He took that shower I offered as I looked through the ship's locker for some clean clothing. I know he loves that black suit of his, but it needs to be washed. I guess I can't talk. I used to get horribly filthy after some of my deliveries and even now after I explore different planets. Actually, I'd say it's worse now. The first time I explored a meat cave Denzel and I both came out covered in a film of...I don't want to think about what that was, but it was hard to clean out.

I came home with Vincent and let him sleep on the sofa. I think I'll set up a guest room tomorrow so he has a more comfortable place to rest. Or maybe I'll let him use one of the vacant tenant houses if he'd like. We'll see tomorrow. Right now I'm in the bedroom on the chair in the corner. Tifa's asleep and after the hunt the bed looks very, very nice.

I forgot to take off the mask. Why didn't Vincent say anything? She woke up to me staring at her with it on! Until next time...