Chapter Seven.
The Village near the Mountain.
Aireth rode the horse Sleipnir for miles, and miles, riding across the sky to cross the ocean. She rode across plains, forests, mountains and landscapes she'd never seen before. She didn't know were the Cetra had sealed Lucifer, she just followed her instincts.
After six days of riding, she saw a mountain towering in front of her.
Beside the mountain, was a small village. "Didn't expect to find a village here." She rode over to the village. When she reached the gates, she saw that the village looked completely deserted. Strange. It doesn't look like it's been uninhabited for long." She got off Sleipnir, and started exploring the village. "Aeris told me about how she and some other Cetra had restored a village near a mountain. Could this be the place?" She said to herself. "HELLOOOOO!" She called.
A door in one of the houses opened, and a girl came out.
She had long, dark hair, and she was dressed in a white jumper, and a black shorts. They looked at each other for a moment, and then the girl broke the silence stretching between them. "Hi. Who are you?"
Aireth stood there for a moment. She recognized the girl at once.
"You are one of the three people who visited my village three month's ago!" She burst out. "Am I? And what village are you talking about? The Cetra Village of Himitsu Shi? Are you one of them, or something?" "Yeah! And you managed to get Sephiroth to our village, and made a gigantic mess of things, didn't you?" "Me, Cloud and Zack came to your village three months ago, yeah. And we did manage to lure Sephiroth to Himitsu. Is that why you've come here? To punish us, or something?" There was a short pause.
The girl didn't look concerned or anything. She was just waiting for Aireth to speak. "No. I have no interest in you or the Cetra anymore. I've put them behind me. What's your name, anyway? You didn't tell me that last time we met. "Aeris didn't tell you?" The girl asked.
"No." "My name is Tifa Locheart. I'm a village girl of Nibelheim. She waved her hand around at the houses. "So that was it. I was told this village was burnt down, and all the villagers slaughtered."
"It was. I and my friends are the only survivors. Your people helped us rebuild it, but all the other houses are empty, the only house still inhabited is mine." "Where are Cloud and Zack?"
"Why do you ask? And why should I tell you?"
"Why don't you want to tell me?" "That look in your eyes. I don't like it. None of the other Cetra had such eyes. "I told you, Tifa. I've put them behind me. But this conversation is not why I came here. Is there a reactor near here?" "Why don't you proceed up the mountains and see for yourself?" Tifa suggested coldly. Aireth turned, and went back to the gates, were Sleipnir stood waiting. She galloped past Tifa, and went up the mountains. " Tifa went back inside the house, slamming the door behind her.
Aireth rode up the mountain path. The mountain was the less welcome landscape she'd seen so far. There was no vegetation of any kind along the road. No trees, bushes or anything to calm the darkness in her soul. The sun couldn't reach the mountain path due to the thick mist the whole mountain was enshrouded in.
She rode Sleipner for a half an hour, and finally reached a badly built bridge. "I'll have to abandon Sleipnir here, and continue alone." She got off the eight-legged horse. She stepped in front of him, and made the Seal of the Horse, so she could speak to him telepathically, and closed her eyes.
"I have nothing against you, Sleipnir. You're free now. You can either wait for me to return, or choose your own path. It's your choice.
Good-bye." Aireth undid the Seal her hands made, opened her eyes, and kissed the horse on his "nose", and walked across the bridge. She could hear the horse howling behind her.
Even though Aireth had come to hate the Cetra, she still loved animals and the rest of the planet. The light in her eyes hadn't disappeared entirely, after all.