Chapter 92: Lost in the Fog
They moved further up the shore and it was only a few steps before they lost sight of the water's edge. Tifa pulled to a stop and the others did as well. Cloud let go of Aerith but she stayed close to his side all the same.
"I'm surprised you could find us," she told him softly. "Everything's so foggy with lost memories here."
Tifa looked at her friend, worried about the word choice but Cloud just made a soft sound in his throat.
"Tifa called." He said it as if it were answer enough and maybe it was. Tifa stayed tucked in against his side, even though it was making her clothing damp, and didn't miss the way he didn't try to stop her. He must need her touch as much as she needed his, if he wasn't telling her not to let herself get wet because she might get cold. He was acting more like himself too and that made her heart loosen, a little bit, inside her chest. His hand rubbed absently over her hip and he looked down at her.
"Do you still have the PHS?"
It was her turn to make a wry sound and she shook her head as she dug it out of her pocket.
"I lost my connection just before I hit the gray stones on the way over," she told him as she handed it to him anyway and he nodded, brows low over his eyes as he flipped it open and lifted it to his ear. The pale brows dipped lower and Tifa had the ridiculous urge to smirk. Sometimes you just had to try things for yourself anyway, she knew. Aerith was looking around.
"It's not supposed to be like this," her voice was soft and a little dreamy now that she was 'safe' enough again to let herself drift. "But the island has been forgetting itself for so many centuries now. It's forgetting what it's supposed to be."
"It's not going to 'forget' itself while we're here, is it?" Tifa asked carefully as Cloud took out and checked the battery on the phone before putting it back in. Aerith smiled a little and shook her head.
"No. I'm here. I can hear it trying to remember itself."
Tifa wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that or not. She didn't do well with ethereal situations. So she concentrated on the practical.
"Can you… ask the stones to stay so Zack can come over too?"
Aerith shook her head.
"It's… too old. I can feel it trying to read my thoughts, trying to change itself to fit what it finds there, what I think it should be but I don't… I'm not Cetra the way it's used to a Cetra feeling. And it's too old to adjust to me now."
Tifa wasn't sure the explanation helped her feel better at all but she nodded. What else were they going to do?
"Is it going to be helpful or hurtful?" Cloud asked, simply, calmly accepting the idea of the island being sentient as he handed the PHS back to Tifa.
"Helpful," Aerith answered. And then paused too long. "I think…"
Cloud gave a low grunt. His arm gave Tifa's waist one last squeeze and then he let go and turned to face away from the water. His eyes focused on the slowly shifting mist in front of them and he reached back to unsling the sword across his back.
"Hang on," Tifa darted back toward the water as far as she dared while still being able to keep an eye on the others and then she drew a huge arrow in the sand, pointing the direction they'd gone.
Just in case…
Aerith was cupping the floating key in her palms again where it turned slowly and pointlessly and Cloud was still focused on the fog in front of them, even if he did turn his head just enough that Tifa caught a glint of blue. Still keeping a protective eye on her.
She wondered how Aerith hadn't heard the noise it must have created when the creature from the water tried to drag Cloud off. She wondered why neither of them had heard the sounds of fighting. She didn't know what the answer was but she was pretty sure, even if she had, she wouldn't have liked it. Brushing off her hands, she hurried back to join her companions.
"Let's find whatever we need to find and go home," she suggested as she caught up to them. "I'd really do just about anything right now to feel sunshine on my skin."
Cloud gave a grunt of acknowledgement and started forward and Aerith came at his shoulder. Tifa followed right behind her. Aerith had to lead the way but there was no way Tifa was letting her get far enough before or behind that the fog could reach out and eat her too. Cloud had apparently decided to play meat-shield and go first.
They stayed close together as the mists swallowed them and the sand under Tifa's feet didn't change. She took to dragging her heel through it every third step. Partially in case Zack found his way across but mostly because she thought they just might be going in circles and never even know it.
Though she did have a sneaking suspicion that, if they were going in circles, the sand was just erasing her marks behind her…
When the fog parted just enough to let them see the wide gray stone entrance to what was either a carved mountain or a building in front of them, Tifa couldn't help but feel that the entrance hadn't been there just moments before. It reminded her of one of those dreams you had where you kind of knew you were dreaming and so you got to change what was going on. As if they'd needed a door and so a door had appeared. Except she wasn't sure if it was Aerith or the island that was dreaming and so she wasn't sure she liked the idea of walking through the door. Even Aerith paused in front of the wide stone entrance, green eyes huge and her hand fumbled backward to find Tifa's. Her voice sounded strained as she murmured:
"Oh…"
Tifa looked over at her friend and stepped forward to stand next to her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Cloud stood on the other side of the Cetra and was giving the entrance a careful scrutiny.
"It's – talking to me – " Aerith's statement had Tifa's head whipping around to look at her friend and Aerith tugged forward slightly. Tifa didn't let go of her hand and so she went with her to stand on the threshold of the towering stone doorway.
"The building – it's talking. But… I can't understand it. Wait! I can't understand!"
Aerith reached out and laid her hand against the stone and Tifa jerked back with a noise. Her hand slipped out of Aerith's and the dreadful, overwhelming jumble of voices and sounds and inhuman noises broke as well. She still twitched. For just a second, a split second, her mind had felt too small and tight and bursting with things that shouldn't be inside it. Cloud's arm was around her waist and her back was against his chest. His warmth was real and solid and comforting and she struggled to concentrate on that. In front of her, hand still on the stone, Aerith was murmuring 'yes, yes. I see. Yes…'
Tifa had to resist the urge to reach out and wrench her friend away. For that moment, she'd felt as if what was in her head was hungry and wanted to stay. Was it because she wasn't Cetra? Or was it inside Aerith's head as well wanting the same?
"Aerith?" she called her friend's name softly and when that didn't work, she took a step forward, Cloud moving with her because he hadn't let go, and said her friend's name again, sharper this time. "Aerith!"
Her friend made a noise and jerked around. The movement was disjointed and uncoordinated and Cloud let go of Tifa to reach out and steady her. His other hand was still holding his sword and he didn't seem inclined to let go. Aerith blinked hazy eyes at him and reached out. Her fingers found his covered arm.
"It's inside you," her voice was a whisper. "They're all inside you now…"
"Aeris," Tifa spoke the name softly, the old, teasing nickname and she reached out and wrapped her fingers around her friend's arm. Aerith turned to look at her and blinked, eyes clearing, though there was still a haze around their edges. For a moment, Aerith looked as if she was going to cry and she moved over to burrow into Tifa's arms. Cloud's face was expressionless and his eyes were reflective glass as he let go of her. At Tifa's glance, he simply, barely, shook his head. Tifa held Aerith close against her and stroked her hair.
"Why don't we go back?" she asked, completely serious. "We don't have to be here. We'll go back across and get the others and then we'll decide if we want to come back here or not."
She meant it but before she was even finished Aerith was shaking her head against her. Cloud took several steps into the hallway beyond the entrance. Tifa had to resist the urge to reach out and shake them both and, deep inside her, she started to feel the slowly twist of fear. Something wasn't right here and it was affecting both of the people she was with.
But she wasn't strong enough to knock them both out and drag them back – if there was anywhere to drag them to. And she couldn't leave them.
"Cloud…"
He turned his head at her question and jade flickered over his eyes, splintering into impossible blue as he looked at her.
"Stay here," he told her gently. In her arms, Aerith straightened and she turned to look at him, shaking her head even before Tifa could start to.
"We need her," Aerith's statement surprised Tifa and her friend looked over at her. "We do. Both of us. Because you're all that reminds us of who we are. I get it. I finally do."
"Okay," Tifa held up her hand. "I don't. And I'm getting really creeped out with all the weird stuff. What's going on?"
Aerith shook her head and her eyes were so, so sad.
"I'm sorry, Teef. It's just – everything's so loud here. It's all in my head and in my ears and in my heart. I keep forgetting who I am for seconds at a time and it scares me. You remind me of who I am though. I'm sorry but… I need you. I'm not strong enough to do this on my own."
Tifa almost laughed and she wrapped both arms around her friend.
"Silly Aeris," she teased. "Of course I'm here for you. Don't be sorry. You're my friend."
Aerith hugged her back, just a little too hard, but Tifa didn't make any noise in protest.
"I know I'm supposed to be brave enough to do this on my own," her friend confessed into her shoulder.
"No, you're not," Tifa assured her. "None of us are. That's why we're together."
"You're brave enough," Aerith whispered and Tifa choked another laugh and shook her head.
"No. I'm not. Not at all. But I've got you and – " she lifted her head and her heart suddenly froze in her chest. Against her, Aerith didn't move. Beyond them, the hallway was completely, echoingly empty.
"You've got me," Aerith whispered sadly.
