There was no snow in Cosmo Canyon. Barely any rain either, in fact, but snow was literally a thing of books and pictures. Nanaki knew of its existence, but he could not quite contain his surprise when he first set a paw in the powdery, cold blanket of the northern continent.

It was cold, as predicted, but his fur was enough to prevent it from being uncomfortably so. Standing in the plain with a whistling wind in his mane and the village at his back, Nanaki studied the large expense of unbroken whiteness. It was not unlike Cosmo Canyon, with it's red and orange lands, but even then there had been subtle differences between a place and another, enough to stop the eye. Here, in the snow, there was nothing. It was dizzying.

The wind was powerful. A brief look behind him proved that his footsteps had already been washed away. There was no trace of his passage, nothing to lead him back. Nonetheless, Nanaki slowly moved forward. The sheer sense of pure and hostile wilderness compelled him. He was no fool; he would not go so far that the wind could no carry the village's smell to him. But he was not scared of seeing even his bright red coat disappear amongst the white.

As he walked, head hunched to protect his eyes and nose against the strong bursts of wind, he realized for the first time that he was alone. Before, there had always been someone close to him, either wanted or unwanted. He'd found moments of loneliness in his younger days in Cosmo Canyon, had felt painfully lonely after the Gi's raid, but this was something else entirely. He'd left the village and the others behind since they had not the sufficient resistance to follow. He was alone, and he appreciated the feeling. He was peaceful.

The plain did not smell of much. Like its uniform color, its odor was even, unchanging save when the wind brought the scent of a human settlement. Somehow, it soothed his mind. It had been far too long since he'd been away from cities, Shinra and mako.

The village was out of view now, and Nanaki hesitated in going farther. He could still catch dredges of the village's smell, but no doubt even that would be beyond his reach if he moved farther away. Also, he would have monsters to reckon with soon, although he was surprised not to have encountered any yet. Northern monsters were bold and could attack even within view of the village.

Just then, as if responding to his thoughts, a sweet, strange smell drifted on the wind and caught his attention. It was a cold smell, beastly yet oddly gentle. Nanaki scanned the horizon, squinting his eyes against the sun's reflection on the snow, until he made out a small, blue figure standing to his left. It came closer, moving in graceful movements until Nanaki could make out its full shape.

It was a woman, though clearly no human. Her skin was a deep blue and her long hair swayed in the wind, leaving her slim body open to the harsh elements. She did not seem the worse for wear, hands limp at her side as she studied him.

Nanaki did not move, studying her in turn. She was quite obviously a monster; her smell made it very clear. Yet she had nothing of the aggressiveness of a would-be attacker. She just smelled…curious. Curious and wary. No matter the wind ruffling his fur, he had spent too long with humans for the scent to wash out so quickly.

The would-be woman finally raised a hand, beckoning him closer. Nanaki complied, feeling, knowing that no harm would come to him from this creature. Somehow, she had accepted him as one of them, as harmless. How long had it been since he had been able to relate to monsters on such a level? How long had it been since he had been able to be amongst them as a neutral agent, meaning no harm as long as none was meant against him or his kin? He'd forgotten. Forgotten that while his intelligence could be said to be human, he was still fundamentally a beast, thus related to monsters in a way.

The she-monster stretched her hand close to his head when he stopped before her. Her face was completely devoid of any emotion. Her smell was just as piercing and gentle, but there was an underlying hint of something he knew could be quite nasty if exploited. Yet the only thing she directed towards him was curiosity and maybe something like friendliness.

Nanaki nodded. The she-monster let her hand hover over his head, never touching. A part of his mind realized just what risk he was taking by allowing a monster within his guard like this, but he could not act upon it. He trusted this monster's, if not good, then neutral intentions.

Thoughts touched his own. Basic thoughts, crude like her limited intelligence, yet he could easily make out the message. What, who? – Smell, human, danger? – Nice.

Her hand radiated cold as much as humans did warmth. Nanaki did not think it a bother. He looked up into her expressionless face, trying to convey his own message as simply as possible. Nice. – Beast, kin. He thought that maybe she understood. He knew that this telepathy was no doubt a weapon for her, that she could turn it against him very easily. He couldn't quite care.

This was not a moment for violence and hatred. Rather, it was a rare moment of understanding, of peace, between races that had nearly lost the ability to communicate.