ATE: I'm glad to announce that Chapter 4 has arrived. At least it didn't take me as long to get this chapter posted when compared to the time between the first three chapters of this story. I'll admit that this chapter is a little shorter compared to the preview ones (it had a word count of 4,668), but at least I finished it and I tried to make it interesting given what is covered in this post. I'd like to thank a reader for their review of the last chapter and anyone else still keeping up with this story. Since the reviewer was a guest, I'll write out a response.

a reader: I'm glad you like the story so far and that you had fun reading it. I hope that you enjoy this new chapter as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Final Fantasy VII. I only own my OC.

~*~Chapter 4~*

After having exited the Inn back in Kalm, she had watched as the others spoke with the locals, trying to find a lead as to where Sephiroth went. During that process, Amalthea could overhear some of the villagers talking amongst themselves, some of them talking about the news of Rufus Shinra becoming the new president (one of them mentioning that he was badly hurt, and another having heard it was AVALANCHE that had attack the previous president and his son). Others mentioned how Mako energy made life easier, but at the cost of natural resources near the reactors being sucked dry (leading to mixed feelings on whether or not people were better off with relying on Make energy).

Eventually, they found of about Sephiroth (or someone fitting his description) having headed east in the direction of a grassy field. Having found their lead, they had left Kalm and started heading east.

Traveling with Cloud's group was interesting, to say the least.

Most of the time they would simply be walking, and on occasion they would encounter monsters. While the others fought, Amalthea would stay back, only distributing items or casting Cure when necessary (rarely did she have to defend herself with offensive magic since Red XIII would protect her from time to time). She was glad she could contribute, even it was by only a little.

She knew that the others were suspicious of her (she didn't blame them for being so), but she had no reason to let it bother her. Red XIII and Aerith trusted her (and she trusted them not to reveal her secret to the others), which she was grateful for. Tifa seemed to warm up to her (if their interaction back at the Inn was any indication), but it was a start. Cloud and Barret...they were another story. Out of everyone they were the two that were the more suspicious of her than everyone in their group, and justifiably so. Again, she didn't blame them, and they had their reasons.

She didn't feel the need to go out of her way to get them to trust her, but if she managed to earn it, that would be that. For now, she'd contribute in her small way. She would tend to the injured in and out of battle when needed, while staying out of everyone's way.

The last thing she wanted was to slow them down.

(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)

Amalthea's eyes shot open before she sat up, eyes wide as her left hand went to clutch her chest.

Right over her heart.

Why?

Why did she have to remember that?

"Nightmare?"

She lifted her head, turning to the spot Cloud sat on the other side of the fire as he kept watch. She noted the clipboard held in his hand, the very one she had given to him back when she had met the others in the Shinra Building. So he had been reading through it.

"You could say that." She replied.

The blonde swordsman seemed to regard her before his eyes fellow to the hand she had clenched over her heart. This didn't escape her notice, and she seemed to know what he was thinking.

"You're curious." She sighed quietly, managing to pull her hand away from her chest. After all, there was no reason for her to keep hold of it. "There are those who wish that certain experiences were nothing more than nightmares. I'm not different."

"What was yours?" Cloud asked, referring to the reason she woke up.

"…The day my condition was diagnosed. All it took was a simple game of tag."

Amalthea remembered how she'd been playing tag with her friends back in the Sector 8 Slums, back when it was easy to be ignorant of life's burden in such a setting; It got to the point that she ended up chasing her friends.

Then, she remembered the pain. It started with her heart beating faster that she had passed off as excitement, then she had trouble breathing, followed by the fear she felt as her body was racked with pain.

She recalled how her friends had gathered around her while they kept their distance, wondering if she was okay, thinking she could be faking her pain (though she started having trouble hearing them). But then she had passed out, not just because of the pain, but because she'd had trouble breathing.

"Stop." Cloud suddenly said, bringing Amalthea back to reality. "That's all I need to know."

She noticed how Cloud shifted slightly in his spot, as if seeming uncomfortable about something (though his face didn't betray that). It was at that point that she realized she was clutching her heart again. She must've done so when she was recounting that moment in her past.

"My apologies." She said, lowering her hand again.

"I can see why you'd wish it to only be a nightmare."

"What followed afterwards didn't help, either, but that's a story for another time. I won't lie; I'm afraid that my condition might show up, despite being told I was cured. Like I told you, all it took was a game of tag for it to show up."

"Then why did you decide to travel with us if you knew it was a possibility?" He asked.

"Don't get me wrong, Cloud, I'm fully aware of the possible risks I'm taking, but the key word is 'possible'. My condition may never even show itself for the rest of my life, but it doesn't mean I'm not afraid of the 'what ifs'. Despite this, I can't let my fear get the best of me, not when I consider what's at stake. Even if Shinra weren't after me, I can't take the risk thinking otherwise."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?"

Amalthea nodded.

"I want to find my parents, and if I can, see the world. It's one thing to read a book and have something described to you, but…it's another to experience it in person. I've been removed from the world for 20 years and it wasn't until I escaped with your group that I got to see what was outside Midgar. I chose to travel, I know the risks, but the last thing I want to do is slow everyone down. I may wish to find my parents, but your objective is still the main focus."

Cloud seemed to consider her words, placing the clipboard he held on the ground before returning his gaze to her.

"I didn't expect you to be so determined. Not many people would be given your circumstances." He commented.

"True, but I'm not like many people."

She didn't expect the small smirk that appeared on the blonde man's face.

"Then it looks like we won't have any problems getting along."

(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)

A few days later, the group arrived at a farm that raised Chocobos. Amalthea had been surprised to see the large yellow birds (not ever having encountered one until now) and had gone over to the fenced off pasture to watch them while the others went inside the house for information.

As she watched the Chocobos graze, she couldn't help but think of how different they looked in comparison to the cartoon one she had colored years ago.

She remembered how she'd been given a coloring book and crayons to use by one of the doctors, having been glad to do something familiar (even if there was an assignment attached to it). She had been using a blue crayon to color the cartoon Chocobo's eyes when her imaginary friend had showed up. She had been startled when he made his presence known, causing her to accidentally color outside the line as blue colored wax invaded the uncolored territory of the Chocobo's feathered body.

She remembered pouting at him, having blamed him for ruining her picture, though he had apologized with a sheepish look on his face before asking how the picture was ruined. She told him that the doctor wanted the picture colored accurately, then told him what she believed: Chocobos aren't blue.

He went on to tell her that Chocobos could be different colors, saying that it depended on certain details for Chocobos to be born that way.

"There you are!"

Amalthea was pulled away from her thoughts and turned to find Aerith and Tifa heading over to where she stood by the fence.

"We were wondering where you went." Tifa told her once the two women joined her. "I see you're enjoying the Chocobos."

"I guess so." Amalthea agreed. "Any news?"

"It looks like Sephiroth is heading towards the nearby Marshes." Aerith started. "Unfortunately, it turns out the only way to get safely across is by Chocobo."

"Why is that?"

"Turns out there's this giant serpent-like creature called the Midgar Zolom that just so happens to live there. Chocobos are the only way to avoid being attack by it."

"I see." Amalthea looked around, unable to find the missing people in their group. "Where is Cloud and the others? Did they go to purchase any Chocobos?"

"That's the thing." Tifa said, leaning against the side of the fence. "They don't have any Chocobos to sell, but they had a Chocobo Lure Materia they sold to us for 2,000 Gil." She made a face at this. "Practically highway robbery… Anyways, Cloud took Barret and Red XIII with him to catch some Chocobos."

"So, it's just a matter of waiting now."

"Wark!"

Amalthea jumped upon hearing the unexpected sound, only to be startled by how close one of the Chocobos had gotten to her as it stretched its head to nudge her. On reflex she backed up a bit, but that didn't seem to bother the large bird in the slightest. She could hear Tifa and Aerith giggling at her reaction.

"Someone seems to like you." Aerith commented through her laughter.

She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, and the Chocobo in front of her seemed to expect something from her, tilting its head to the side in curiosity. Hesitantly, she reached a hand out, and was surprised that the large bird allowed her to pet it.

"Well…aren't you quite the majestic creature." She said, unsure of what to say.

At this the Chocobo pulled its head back, standing up tall and puffing out its chest before strutting off to where the other Chocobos were. The girls let out another laugh after having witnessed the scene.

"You just gave that Chocobo an ego boost!" Tifa laughed.

She did? She glanced over to the Chocobo she had petted, watching as it seemed to communicate something to the other Chocobos in the pasture. They then started gathering close to where she, Tifa, and Aerith were, before something unexpected happened.

The Chocobos started dancing!

Amalthea didn't know what to make of the sight before her, but it seemed to make her feel…light-hearted. The feeling…almost reminded her of her childhood, back when the world wasn't so complicated. Back when…

The Chocobos soon concluded their dance, the one she had petted earlier seeming to push something with its beak as it made its way over to her, and as it got closer she noticed that what the Chocobo was pushing looked to be a red orb. When it made it over to where she was, the Chocobo stood up.

"Wark—" It jumped in the air, stretching its wings out in joy.

Amalthea knelt down to pick up the red orb, soon realizing it was a red Materia. As she held it in her hand, the image of a Chocobo and a Moogle appeared in her head, and she could sense…excitement…joy…eagerness. But unlike other Materia she had held, she didn't learn its ability.

"That's a Summon Materia!" Tifa exclaimed.

"What does it summon?" Aerith asked.

"It seems to be a Chocobo and a Moogle." She told them.

"Well, I'll be!"

Amalthea, Aerith, and Tifa turned towards the voice, only to find a little red haired girl wearing red, her blue eyes wide in excitement as she rushed over to them.

"The Chocobos must be in a good mood if they decided to dance." The little girl said. "I'm Chole, by the way. I help my brother and Grandpa with the Chocobos."

"Is it true?" Amalthea asked. "That Chocobos can be different colors?"

"Of course! Depending on the quality of the Chocobos used in breeding, along with which Greens and Nuts you feed it, you can get all sorts of colors."

"I see. Thank you."

"Not a problem, ma'am." Chole then turned to the Chocobo waiting at the fence. "I see Sunny here has taken a liking to you. Normally he's picky as far as strangers go, but he seems fine with you. Grandpa always says Chocobos are good judges of character."

"Well, if that's the case, then it seems you're not so bad, after all." Tifa commented, giving Amalthea a warm smile.

"She wouldn't be the only one." Aerith giggled, pointing in the direction away from the pasture. "From the looks of it, Cloud seems to fall under that category as well."

Both Amalthea and Tifa turned around, the latter letting out a laugh upon seeing the sight of one of the three Chocobos (which were being led by both humans in the group) seeming to be preening the hair of a chagrined Cloud, as if the large bird had mistaken his hair for the feathers of its species. It was a wonder that Barret and Red XIII were capable of keeping straight faces, but Amalthea had a feeling that it was a difficult task.

(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)

Since Cloud, Barret, and Red XIII had managed to capture three Chocobos (that was all they were able to obtain due to the difficulty of the task), it was decided that everyone was to pair up with each other in order to make the most out of their new mounts. Tifa and Aerith had decided to ride together, while Barret had offered to take Red XIII with him (given his size, he made up for the weight of two people when coupled with the red creature), leaving Amalthea to be paired with Cloud. She had no qualms with this arrangement, and she had no reason not to trust Cloud with her life by this point in time.

In addition to that, she had no knowledge as to how to ride a Chocobo.

So here she was, sitting behind Cloud on their shared Chocobo (Tifa and Barret commandeered the Chocobos in their respective group) and feeling unsure of what to do as they all lingered at the edge of the Marsh, aware of the danger that lurked within.

"We all know the plan. Once your group steps foot in the Marsh, you're on your own. It'll stay that way until you reach the other side, where the Mythril Mine is located." Cloud explained to everyone. "The Midgar Zolom will be after us as soon as we enter. No matter what, stay on your Chocobo and don't slow down or stop for anything."

Amalthea felt a sense of dread at the thought of the Midgar Zolom. She recalled having once read about the serpentine creature (it's binomial name being Midgardsormr) being over 30 feet tall, and being capable of sensing the footsteps of those that entered its territory. Not only was it swift, but it was just as deadly.

And yet, the Chocobos were the only chance they had to evade the Midgar Zolom.

"Amalthea." Cloud suddenly said, breaking her away from her thoughts. "You might want to hold on tight. Something tells me this'll be a bumpy ride."

Upon hearing this, Amalthea hesitantly wrapped her arms around Cloud's waist. She couldn't help but be reminded of as to why she was so hesitant.

She remembered how she had been upset one time and her imaginary friend had managed to cheer her up. She had been so grateful that she responded by giving him a hug. What she hadn't expected was his reaction, which had him going tense. At first, she thought he didn't like being touched (and had quickly pulled away in response), but then it turned out that wasn't the case.

It was at that time they both discovered they could make physical contact with each other, much to their surprise. Neither Amalthea or her friend knew how or why they could do so (he had mentioned that it felt strange when she did), but she had made the decision to keep physical contact between them to a minimum if it could be helped.

Amalthea was pulled out of her thoughts when the Chocobo suddenly jerked to the right in order to make a sharp turn, and it was then she noticed that the large bird seemed frantic. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed the water of the marshland rapidly shifting as something large moved beneath its surface. Her gray eyes widened as she realized the cause.

The Midgar Zolom!

Cloud seemed more than aware of the situation and was doing his best to keep the bird cooperative despite the danger they were both in. She forced herself to look away from the shifting water to look at the horizon in order the gauge how much further they had to go, but soon realized that it was pointless as she had no way to determine the distance.

"How much farther?" She asked, her voice composed in comparison to how she currently felt.

"Not that much. We're almost to the end!" He told her. "Think you can do something to slow it down?"

She glanced back over her shoulder, noting the water.

"Freezing specific spots of the water has a high probability of slowing the Midgar Zolom. I will commence an effort." She answered.

"Do that!"

Amalthea took a deep breath to calm her nerves before pulling her left arm away from where she had it wrapped around Cloud's waist. She did her best to keep her balance—she commended the blonde swordsman for doing his best to keep the Chocobo steady—as she waved her hand towards the direction of the Midgar Zolom, casting Blizzard at the water itself. Just as she had hoped, the spell managed to freeze a portion of the water enough to provide a temporary barricade that delayed the giant serpent by a few seconds before it was forced to go around.

She kept this up, making sure to create more ice barricades for every one that was either destroyed or bypassed by the Midgar Zolom. As the chase continued, she couldn't help but feel a sense of elation, not only knowing that she was contributing, but because at that moment she had a purpose: to make sure that they got out of the Marsh in one piece.

She now knew what it meant to have a purpose.

Even if it was just for that one moment in time.

Amalthea lost track of time due to how focused she was on her task, and it wasn't until the Chocobo had come to an abrupt halt that she realized they had made it to the other side of the Marsh (also seeing Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red XIII helped too). As everyone was dismounting their Chocobos, Cloud got down from their shared Chocobo before turning around and assisting her in getting off as well, to which she gave a brief nod in thanks. Amalthea turned back to the large bird before reaching a hand to caress the side of its head.

"Thank you for getting us this far. You were a very brave Chocobo and I applaud your courage." She told the large bird.

In response, the Chocobo leaned its head down, nuzzling her a bit before pulling back. It seemed to communicate with the other Chocobos before they went off on their own, leaving the group behind to watch their departure.

"C'mon." Cloud suddenly said, catching everyone's attention. "We gotta keep moving. The Mythril Mine should be up ahead."

Amalthea followed the others down the path, and she couldn't help but notice something in the distance. A strange shape stretching towards the sky. As the group got closer, the shape gained more features. Her stomach seemed to drop when they all realized what it was too late.

A Midgar Zolom brutally impaled on what was left of a tree, blood still oozing out and staining the bark and the body of the serpent.

Shocked upon seeing the sight everyone ran forward to get a better look, unease setting in the longer they looked at the dead corpse of the giant serpent.

"Did Sephiroth...do this?" Cloud ask, being the first to speak.

Sephiroth was responsible for this?

"This Sephiroth guy's pretty strong, I'd say." Barret commented, crossing his arms.

Was he that strong?

"Amazing..." Tifa said quietly.

"Our enemy is someone that could do this?" Aerith asked.

"It's a power that we should respect…" Red XIII mused.

Amalthea had trouble comprehending the sight before her. The Midgar Zolom was one of the most dangerous creatures on the Planet, and yet this Sephiroth had managed to render such a creature in its current state with some degree of ease.

This Sephiroth…

He…

There was no way…

…he could be human.

But he was experimented on.

But so was she.

She was capable of learning and using magic without the aid of Materia.

Did that mean that she was…?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Preposterous.

"The blood is still fresh." She noted. "This was recent."

"Then we're on the right track." Cloud commented.

They continued up ahead and found the entrance to the Mythril Mine not that far from the impaled Midgar Zolom.

(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)

Amalthea found that the Mythril Mine lived up to its name.

Despite its location, the mine wasn't dark inside due to the occasional fissures that allowed natural light to leak through; where the sunlight failed to illuminate, the Mythril imbedded along the rock wall served as a perfect alternative with the soft silvery glow it radiated (she remembered having once read of Mythril being laced with strong magic, which would explain the glowing). She found herself mesmerized by the mine's namesake, having never seen anything like it; no images in any book could do the ore justice.

Other than that, the journey through the Mythril Mine was uneventful, with only a few encounters with some monsters that lurked within to break up the monotony.

As Amalthea followed the others, she couldn't help but think back to her imaginary friend. What would he think of the glowing Mythril, or how the lighting made the inside of the mine look as if sunlight and moonlight co-existed in perfect harmony despite being opposites?

Would he have marveled at the sight?

Would he have smiled?

She knew it was foolish to contemplate such thoughts, and yet they helped to give her a sense of security now that she was seeing the world with her own eyes.

'Yes.' She answered, coming to a realization. 'He would have smiled. He would have continued to encourage me.'

"Just a second!"

Upon hearing the deep voice Amalthea looked up, the others having stopped upon seeing the man that stood in their way.

He was a tall man with tanned skin and a shaved head, the only hair he had seeming to be his eyebrows and the small black goatee that graced his stern face (she noted the multiple ear piercings he had). She had no way of telling what eye color he had due to the sunglasses he wore. The outfit he wore consisted of a black suit and tie, making the man look professional.

From beside her, Red XIII stepped forward, and to her surprised he started growling.

"…I hoped I'd never see you again…" Red XIII growled.

So Red XIII knew who this person was?

"Do you know who I am?" The man asked.

"The Turks, right?" Cloud answered.

The Turks?

Now that it was mentioned, Amalthea had once heard that word before, along with recognizing the outfit this man wore.

The last time she had seen it…

"Well if you know, then this won't take long. It's difficult to explain what the Turks do..."

"Kidnapping, right?" The ex-SOLDIER shrugged.

At this the man crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the ground.

"To put it negatively...you could say that. ...But, that's not all there is to it anymore."

At this the stern man's gaze fell to the ground, and she noted how uncomfortable he looked as he shifted in place. It was clear that this was a man who wasn't used to talking so much.

"Sir!"

Looking in the direction of the feminine voice, the group spotted a young woman standing on a stone outcropping high up, having short blonde hair and brown eyes. She wore a female version of the black suit and tie that the stern man wore, and Amalthea presumed that the attire was a uniform.

"It's all right, Rude!" The woman said. "I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it!"

"Then explain, Elena." The man (Rude), offered.

Despite her composure, the woman, Elena, seemed eager as she turned her attention to their group.

"I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena. Thanks to what you did to Reno, we're short-handed. ...But, because of that, I got promoted to the Turks... Anyhow, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed. And to try and stop you every step of the way." Elena expression crumbled, becoming somewhat flustered and turning away as she realized something. "Wait a minute, it's the other way around… You're the ones that are getting in our way."

"...Elena. You talk too much."

Another one?

Sure enough, another man wearing the same outfit approached, standing on the ledge behind Rude. This one had dark brown eyes and black hair that went a little past shoulder length. What she found interesting was the dot in the middle of his forehead.

"Mr. Tseng!?" Elena exclaimed.

"No need to tell them about our orders." The man, Tseng, told her.

"Sorry...Tseng." She looked sheepish at this.

"I thought I gave your orders. Now go. Don't forget to file your report."

"Oh! Right!" Elena clicked her heels together. "Very well, Rude and I will go after Sephiroth, who's heading for Junon Harbor!"

So Sephiroth was heading to Junon Harbor.

Interesting…

Tseng let out a sigh at this, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"...Elena. You don't seem to understand."

Elena's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

"Oh! I'm, I'm sorry..." Elena apologized.

He shook his head at this.

"...Go. Don't let Sephiroth get away."

"Yes sir!" Both Rude and Elena said.

While Elena started climbing down from the outcropped she had been on, Rude used the tree roots growing nearby to climb up to the ledge where Tseng was, but stopped to turn back to their group.

"...Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him healed." Rude told them. "He wants to show his affection for you all...with a new weapon."

With that Rude left, likely heading towards the nearby exit. As soon as his co-workers were gone Tseng approached them, though he remained on the ledge.

"Well, then..." Tseng trailed off before turning to face Aerith, the woman coming forward as she met his gaze. "Aerith… Long time no see. Looks like you're safe from Shinra for a while, now that Sephiroth reappeared."

"What are you saying? That I should be grateful to Sephiroth?" Aerith asked skeptically.

"No... I won't be seeing much of you, so take care."

Aerith frowned at this.

"...Strange, hearing that from you."

"Well then, stay out of Shinra's way."

Having nothing more to say, Tseng left. Amalthea followed Cloud and the others as they used the tree roots to climb up to the ledge (she was thankful when Tifa helped to pull her up), and seeing the light that pooling in from the exit, they went through.

They had made it through the Mythril Mine.

ATE: That's it for Chapter 4.

Now, I bet you noticed all the flashbacks Amalthea had in this chapter, and I will admit that I wrote the flashbacks out in full (the ones you read in this chapter, and the one from the last chapter, are summarized). I plan on make a side story where I'll post the the flashbacks (Amalthea's memories) in chronological order. Expect to see it in the very near future.

Also, for those that has issues concerning the whole Midgar Zolom vs. Midgardsormr, I found a way to satisfy both parties! You're welcome!

Next chapter, not only will we see out heroes reach Junon, but a certain ninja will be making a appearance as well.

Please remember to review and let me know what you think of the story! ;D

PS: Sometimes there are typos that I tend to miss when reading over these chapters. It'd really help me out if anyone could point them out in a review. Thanks!