Author's Note:
So, I need to profusely apologize for the delay in updating. Long story short, things have been hectic. Thank you again to everyone that reviewed. I truly appreciate your patience and support.
Things will finally be picking up! Also, I've hidden a Star Trek Easter Egg in this chapter. So any and all Star Trek fans out there, be alert! Anyways, I hope all of you enjoy the chapter and I'll update on schedule in two weeks. Promise!
Chapter 5
Up the Long Ladder
I slept in much later than I meant to the next morning, which was a huge mistake – mainly because of the Aven-shaped torpedo that dropped on my chest, knocking the wind right out of me. The small girl's surprise attack left me gasping for air and her giggling like crazy. I rolled over onto my side with a weak groan and nearly coughed up a piece of my lung while I attempted to get my breath back.
"Good morning to you too, Aven," I wheezed, clutching my chest like my heart was about to burst out of my rib cage if I didn't keep it properly contained.
"Sowwy, Auntie Cwaire," she giggled, draping herself over my side. I took notice that she didn't sound sorry at all. "Momma towd me to wake you up."
I coughed once more before turning to look at her with half-lidded eyes. "You've definitely accomplished that." I placed a hand on top of her head and buried my fingers in the soft, pink tinted strands to ruffle her hair, earning a loud squeal that left my ears ringing. "Shh. I'll be out in a minute."
"Otay," she replied, continuing to giggle as she climbed off the bed and skipped out of the room.
Once she was gone, I flipped onto my back and rubbed the spot that Aven had landed on, wincing as a burning sensation crawled through my chest. I wasn't ever going to sleep in with Aven around again. She was definitely her father's daughter. There was no doubt about that.
I trudged out of the guest room five minutes later, running my fingernails across my scalp and grumbling under my breath. A part of me was almost glad that she had woken me up, though. Sleeping in till almost eight was, in my opinion, a waste of daylight. Why my internal clock hadn't woken me up at the normal time was a mystery.
"Good morning, sleepy head," my sister called from her place at the dining room table. She was holding a steaming mug between her hands and a paper was spread out on the table in front of her. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did until your daughter pounced on me," I answered, sitting down beside her and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
"She does that to us too," she said, chuckling as she sipped at the liquid inside her cup. "She's a lot heavier than she looks, huh?"
"That's an understatement," I replied, eyeing the mug Serah was holding. "Is that coffee?"
She nodded and grinned at me. "Yes, it is. Go help yourself. The mugs are in the cupboard above the coffee maker."
I immediately rose from the table and fetched a plain black mug, filling it almost to the brim, then added a hefty helping of sugar. I didn't believe in watering down the caffeine boost with creamer to make the bitterness bearable. All it needed was sugar. The taste I had acquired for coffee came from the many early mornings I had to deal with after enlisting in the GC. Cold showers only sufficed for so long. Even then, if it wasn't for the precious caffeine, I would've stayed far away from the stuff.
I turned and leaned against the counter top, blowing over the surface of the liquid before taking a careful sip. A few moments of comfortable silence passed as Serah read her paper and I slowly drank my coffee. I didn't want to ask her what she had planned for today just yet. In my mind, the longer I stayed oblivious, the better. Maybe then I would be able to avoid whatever she had in mind.
"I think I'm going to take a shower," I said, taking one last gulp from my mug before pouring the rest down the sink. "Is that alright?"
Serah looked up, her thin brows furrowed. "Of course it is. You don't need to ask."
"I just want to make sure so I don't run the risk of walking in on anyone, namely your husband. I'd probably be stricken blind if that happened," I replied while I rinsed the mug out and placed it in the dishwasher.
Serah snorted and had to shield her mouth to prevent from spraying her coffee all over the table. Once she choked the liquid in her mouth down she fell back in her chair, laughing loudly. I certainly hadn't been trying to be funny. I was dead serious.
"Oh, good grief, Claire," she said once she had calmed down enough to speak, dabbing her eyes with a napkin. "You won't have to worry about that. Snow's out on patrol."
"Thank the Maker for that," I responded, walking back to my temporary room to gather some casual clothes. I didn't have to wear a uniform for the rest of the week, and I was going to take advantage of that.
Twenty minutes later, I was walking back to the front of the house, combing my hands through my damp hair and feeling refreshed. After all the stress that I'd experienced the previous day, I was willing to go as far as admitting that I could use a massage, but mentioning that to Serah would be equivalent to committing ritualistic suicide. She would insist on getting the full spa treatment, cucumbers and all.
Etro forbid, I thought, inwardly shuddering. I loved my sister more than life itself, but we just didn't see eye to eye on a number of things.
I paused in the living room and observed Aven loudly crunching on a bowl of the same fruity cereal she had eaten the other day. Some cheerful cartoon show was playing on the television, completely holding the little girl's attention captive, but that didn't stop her from turning to wave at me. I waved back and returned to the kitchen where Serah was standing in front of the stove cooking.
"You still like your eggs over hard, Sis?" she asked when I stopped beside her.
"Yes, please," I answered.
"So, I know you've been dreading today, which is completely fine, but did you want me to tell you what I have in mind or would you rather it be a surprise?" she asked as I searched the cabinets for some plates.
I froze right in the middle of opening the cabinet door, trying to determine if the truth was the best course of action or not. I abhorred surprises, but, then again, would knowing what I was walking into make me any less enthused than I already was? I wisely kept my inner dialogue to myself.
"I think you should tell me," I finally answered after a long, drawn out silence. "You know how much I love surprises."
"Oh, I know all too well. I remember what happened when I tried to throw you that surprise party," she said, visibly shuddering. "I'm pretty sure our neighbors thought a massacre was taking place with all the terrified teenagers that were running out of our house screaming."
I nearly dropped the plates I was pulling from the cupboard at her recant of the disaster that was my supposed to have been my sixteenth birthday. I hadn't been expecting her to bring that up. I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from grinning with satisfaction. That night might not have started the way I wanted it to, but it had certainly ended on a high note.
"I know you meant well," I replied, setting the plates down on the counter. "I didn't understand at the time, but I do now. I know I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."
"Actually, I really don't blame you. If I had suddenly gotten confetti and silly string thrown in my face when I wasn't expecting it, I'd be pretty angry too," she said, sliding the eggs she had made for me onto my plate. "I should be the one apologizing. I knew better, but I wanted to do something special for you."
A half-grin curled one side of my mouth up as I searched for a fork. "Just spending time with you is special enough," I replied, going to sit down at the table. Serah joined me a moment later and we sat in silence as we ate, listening to Aven sing along to one of the songs on her show.
"Well, I don't have anything too exciting planned for today," she began, knowing I wasn't going to willingly bring the subject up again. "Since Snow is working today, we can have some girly time and get our shopping done."
I nodded. "Alright," I acquiesced. "When do you want to get started?"
"Whenever you're ready," she answered. "I'm not going to rush you."
…
Serah requested that we stop by my house before our shopping trip began so I could see exactly what clothes I needed to buy, much to my distaste. There was nothing wrong with most of the clothes she had salvaged from my old closet; only a few articles were moth eaten, but those certain items were old and I would have ended up throwing them out anyways. All I really needed was a new pair of running shoes, but she insisted that I "upgrade my wardrobe". All of my protests of having no use for new clothes fell on deaf ears. Even Aven took her mother's side. I was outnumbered two to one.
Nothing good would come from this.
By the time we were ready to leave my house, Serah had managed to find six shirts, four pairs of pants and even a few undergarments that needed replacing, viable but infuriating excuses that I did in fact need this shopping trip. Her triumphant expression as she led Aven and I away from my house was enough to make grumble under my breath in discontent. She had won this battle.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening perusing Oerba's shopping district and sampling nearly every corner hot dog vendor that we could find. By the time we were finally done, our arms were weighed down by the dozens of shopping bags we had acquired. Aven was carrying her fair share of the day's spoils. The expression on Snow's face when we walked through the door was pure and unadulterated bewilderment.
"Geez, you two," he said, chuckling as he scooped Aven up into his arms. "What did you do? Buy out all the stores?"
Ignoring Snow, I deposited my clothes in the guest room and collapsed onto the living room couch, even more exhausted than what I thought was possible.
If this is what the next six days are going to be like, I don't think I'm going to survive.
"Wow, Sis, who are you trying to impress?" Snow asked, grinning stupidly as he gestured to the bikini I bought while shopping with Serah two days prior.
I glanced down at the plain white top, arching one eyebrow dangerously at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, slipping a dark blue long sleeved shirt over my head. Serah had told me to dress warmly since the air would be cold inside the caves leading to the hot springs.
"Oh, nothing," he replied, crossing his arms over his broad chest and leaning casually against the door frame. "I just never thought I'd see you wearing a bikini. There's a first time for everything, huh?"
I rolled my eyes as I finished dressing, wishing I had something to throw at him. "Whatever," I huffed.
"Alright, alright," Snow said, throwing his hands into the air defensively. "I can take a hint."
I let out an audible sigh of relief when he disappeared from sight, and was about to go into the bathroom across the hall when Snow's head popped back into my doorway.
"So tell me," he began, that same sly grin crawling back onto his face. "Are you excited that Hope is tagging along?" The way he was suggestively bouncing his eyebrows made one corner of my mouth begin to twitch.
His off the wall question successfully left me feeling a bit flustered. I was glad, yes, because I'd have another opportunity to get to know him better, but letting Snow know that – or anything at all in the way of a true opinion – would definitely not be wise. I quickly regained my composure and pushed past him, trying not to let him get on my nerves.
"Don't you have anything better to do than bother me?" I inquired, staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror so I wouldn't have to look at him.
"You know you love me, Sis," he said, walking away chuckling.
I ground my teeth together and tried not ripping my hair out while I brushed it. My distaste for him hadn't subsided even though I had given him my blessing to marry my sister. He was lucky he made her happy, or else all bets were off.
"Auntie Cwaire!" Aven called as she ran down the hallway. "You weady yet?"
I smiled at her as I swept my hair over my shoulder and left the bathroom. "Yes, I am."
"Woo hoo!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air and sprinting back to the living room. "Otay, Momma, wet's go!"
I smiled involuntarily at how excited she was. Serah laughed as she hefted the small girl into her arms and gave her a quick hug before setting her back down on the ground. "Hold on, I have to make sure we have everything. Where's your backpack?"
"Woom," Aven replied, a cheeky smile spreading across her face as she pointed back the way we had come.
"Well, go get it, silly girl," Serah said, playfully nudging her daughter down the hallway. "And hurry! We have to meet Daddy at the airship dock."
"Otay!" she yelled as she ran back to her room.
"We won't have long until she comes back," she said, handing me a large white tote bag. "I just have to finish checking one more bag and we'll be set."
I nodded, taking a quick peek inside my bag before slinging it over my shoulder. There were towels, extra clothes and a variety of snacks that I assumed were for Aven. The bag Serah was going through looked just as full as the one I had, which made me wonder how much stuff we needed to bring for one simple tour.
"Besides walking through an underwater cave and swimming in a hot spring, what else is there to do on this tour?" I asked, folding my arms loosely over my stomach.
"There's a souvenir shop we can explore and a café we can eat at before the tour starts," she answered, sliding her bag onto her shoulder.
"Oh, goodie."
My sister rolled her eyes and grinned at my sarcastic remark. "Don't sound so enthusiastic, Claire," she shot back, playfully slapping my upper arm.
"Believe me, I'm trying."
Aven ran back in then, her backpack stuffed so full that it looked like it might come apart at the seams, and we left. It was half past nine in the morning, but I could already feel the stifling humidity in the air, making me wish I hadn't decided to wear a long sleeved shirt and pants. After living in Bodhum all my life, one would think I'd be used to it, but Pulse's weather wasn't controlled by a fal'Cie. I had received that reality check during my first visit as a l'Cie all those years ago.
It only took us about ten minutes to reach the airship dock because we had allowed Aven to set the pace. The little girl was so excited that she could have run the entire way. I breathed a sigh of relief when we entered the air conditioned terminal, slowly combing my fingers through my sweat-dampened hair and let Serah led the way since I had no idea where Snow was waiting for us. I hadn't exactly been paying attention to the layout a few days ago, thanks to the crowd of people staring at me. Such wasn't the case today. I was becoming old news just like my sister had predicted, and I was completely fine with that.
"Serah! Over here!" Snow yelled, sounding like he was using a bull horn to amplify his voice.
Of course he isn't,I thought. He's that loud all by himself.
His shouting succeeded in making nearly everyone in the terminal stop and look directly at us. I groaned, covering one half of my face with my hand. The big oaf had no filters at all. Sometimes I seriously questioned Serah's judgment, and this was one of those times. If everyone's eyes weren't on us I might have clocked him.
"Where's Hope?" my sister asked, glancing around the crowded terminal, her brow furrowed.
"He should be here any minute. He just called me," Snow answered, smiling at Serah and giving her a kiss on the top of her head as he pulled her close to his side.
Aven tugged on her father's pant leg when he didn't notice her right away. "Daddy, what 'bout me?" she asked, giggling as she spoke.
"Oh, sorry, squirt! I didn't see you down there," he said, promptly scooping her into his arms and hoisting her onto his shoulders. Aven squealed in delight and hugged Snow's head tightly.
During their exchange, I found myself scanning the crowd for Hope's silver hair and was stunned by the sudden sensation of anxiety that began crawling through my chest. I was looking forward to seeing him again, but a small part of me was dreading it, and the fact that I couldn't even explain to myself why I was feeling that way bothered me. I knew that until my life regained some kind of normalcy, running from the fear of the unknown would be a daily struggle, and that was the last thing I wanted. I was almost wishing everything could go back to the way it used to be, but I knew in the back of my mind that I didn't mean really want that at all.
When I turned to look in the opposite direction, I finally spotted him walking toward us, and my mind instantly went blank. I was relieved that I had become an expert at keeping my outward reactions to a minimum, because on the inside I felt like a chocobo in the headlights. Before I could manage to rip my eyes off of him before he – or Snow for that matter – realized I was staring, Hope's gaze met mine and he waved, smiling charmingly at me. At a loss for what to do, I sent him a half-hearted smile and waved back. Seconds later, Snow finally noticed Hope approaching and made just as much of a spectacle shouting at him as he had for Serah and me earlier. I ground my teeth together and shot a glare at the back of his head, hoping the rest of the day wouldn't be exactly like this.
"Geez, Hope, taking your time?" Snow asked, looking down at his wrist like he was wearing a watch and tapping the nonexistent face.
Hope grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, the airship in Paddra was delayed. One of the flight attendants was late."
"We can talk more once we're in the air," my sister said, grabbing her husband's arm and pulling him along with her. "We only have ten minutes to reach our gate."
"Yes, Ma'am," Snow replied, smiling down at her.
I fought the temptation to roll my eyes as Hope fell in step beside me. "You sure you want to tag along? Snow is in one of his rare moods," I said, needing to remind myself once again that I had to look up at him and not down.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I've gotten pretty good at dealing with Snow. Not on par with your sister, of course, but good enough to be able to dish it back to him," he replied, adjusting the strap of the backpack he was carrying over his right shoulder.
I couldn't help grinning at that mental image. "I'd love to see that."
"So, Serah told me you went shopping the other day. How did that go?" he asked, stuffing his free hand in his pocket.
I closed my eyes and rolled them beneath their lids. "Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. There were a few things I needed anyway." I paused and cleared my throat, fighting off the feeling of awkwardness that suddenly fell over me. Small talk wasn't my strong suit. "After seven years, a few of the items in my closet were beyond saving."
Hope looked away from me then and became oddly quiet as we wove through the crowded terminal behind my sister, Snow and Aven. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, guessing that the very mention of the amount of time I spent in crystal stasis was the reason behind his silence.
"What did it feel like to wake up and see how everything had changed? How long did you think you'd slept?" he asked suddenly, keeping his eyes straight forward.
I frowned as I turned my head toward him, a little perplexed by his questions. I remembered that we had vaguely touched on the subject while we were sitting at his father's dinner table, so I couldn't figure out why he felt like he needed to ask again. I decided to humor him, though. Talking with him was a much better alternative than talking to Snow.
"I immediately thought that all of you were dead, and I would have to adjust to being alone," I answered, the corners of my mouth turning down slightly when I remembered how I had felt in that gut-sinking moment. It certainly hadn't been pleasant. "I didn't even want to guess how many years had gone by, to be honest. Ignorance is bliss, after all."
I paused and shot him an inquisitive glance. "Actually, I have a question for you."
Hope's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Yeah, sure. What is it?"
I swallowed the lump that had settled in my throat and breathed in deeply through my nose. "The last thing I remember before the dreams began is floating through the air with everyone and seeing Fang and Vanille transform into Ragnarok. What happened after that? Besides Cocoon turning to crystal, I mean."
I noticed the muscles in Hope's jaw tighten and I knew, even after all this time, that it was still a tender subject for him, as well as everyone else. "We all appeared in a field not far from Cocoon. We were in crystal stasis, but only for a few minutes. I know I had some dreams during that time, but I can't remember what they were." He paused and met my eyes. "No one was more shocked than your sister to see you still a crystal. None of us could guess what it meant."
I nodded. I didn't know what it meant, either, and I was doubtful I would ever find the answer to that riddle. Our conversation died as we approached our gate, joining the large group of people already waiting to board. Serah handed Hope and me our boarding passes, then turned to her daughter.
"Need to go to the bathroom before we leave, sweetie?" she asked, checking the time on her phone.
"Nope," the little girl answered, shaking her head.
A few minutes later, a flight attendant opened the door leading to the airship and instructed us on the proper boarding procedures. I stuck close to my sister so I wouldn't lose her in the huge crowd that suddenly gathered around the flight attendant. Once we were aboard the airship, we went into our private cabin and settled in for the three hour flight to Sulyya Springs.
I couldn't have been happier when we finally reached our destination, and I was tempted to kiss the ground if it wouldn't have made me look extremely moronic. Snow had been quiet for about forty-five minutes total, but even then he had been snoring, so, in retrospect, he hadn't shut up once the entire flight. I almost regretted not bringing my gunblade. It would have come in handy. Talking to Serah and Hope had been the only thing to prevent me from throttling him.
"Geez, and I thought you hated him while we were l'Cie," Hope muttered, chuckling under his breath.
I fought the impulse to roll my eyes. "It's not that I hate him," I replied as I looked around the spacious cavern, noticing how much it had changed. "He just has a gift for pushing my buttons, even when he doesn't mean to."
"Yeah, I can relate with that." Hope paused and looked like he wanted to say something else, but our conversation came to an abrupt halt when my sister appeared at my side.
"So, what do we want to do first?" she asked us, grinning from ear to ear.
Since we arrived a full two hours before the tour was scheduled to begin, we were able to take our time in the restaurant as well as the gift shop. I didn't feel the urge to buy any of the souvenirs on display, though. I didn't have any use for knick knacks that were only good for collecting dust. Just looking was more than enough for me.
Serah, on the other hand, walked out with an extra tote bag when it was finally time for the tour to start.
In order to get to the cave system, we had to take an elevator nearly a mile and a half underwater. The walls of the elevator were made of what the tour guide called transparent aluminum, a fiberglass alternative. A barrier only half an inch thick was stronger than six inches of fiberglass, and I was actually quite impressed by that. The inhabitants of Cocoon had not only managed to rebuild two of Pulse's cities, but made huge technological advancements as well. Some good had apparently come from the catastrophe of the Fall, in the end.
"We believe this cave system was home to an ancient Pulsian civilization that preferred living underground as opposed to living on the surface. Scientists are still unable to determine the exact reason, but we believe they retreated here shortly after the War of Transgression in fear of a counter attack from Cocoon. So, you see, Pulse inhabitants were just as frightened of an invasion as we were," the guide explained, pausing briefly. "Alright, if everyone is ready we can begin our descent. It's going to take about two hours to reach the hot springs."
I quirked an eyebrow as the group began to shuffle forward. A little on the long side, isn't it? I thought, folding my arms loosely over my stomach and feeling grateful I wore a pair of comfortable shoes.
Halfway through the underground maze, we reached a small cavern that had been made to look like it was still inhabited. I rubbed my upper arms to help dispel the chill that was rapidly seeping into me as I glanced around. Dwellings made from animal skins were scattered about and ancient pieces of pottery were displayed on the ground in the middle of the tiny 'community'. The tour guide announced that we could explore at our leisure for a few minutes before moving on.
Aven wasted no time in quickly pulling her parents away. Hope and I followed them, slowly meandering through the dwellings and making a few false starts at small talk. I stopped and crouched down in front of a makeshift house, curiously examining all the utensils lying on a thick pelt in the entrance. There was a spoon, fork and knife carved out of wood, large clam shells that I assumed were used for plates and bowls, and even primitive weapons.
"It's amazing how simply people used to live, huh?" Hope said, kneeling beside me.
I nodded and met his eyes, breathing in sharply when I realized how close he was. I suddenly felt myself being held fast by his gaze alone, and it only took me a few seconds to recognize that he was wearing the same indecipherable expression from three days ago. I frowned as I backed away and stood, my curiosity over the meaning behind that stare starting to irk me. Part of me still wanted to stay oblivious, but I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself from asking questions the next time I saw it.
"I guess it is," I replied at length, rubbing my hands over my pant legs.
As my eyes skimmed across the cavern wall, something caught my attention, making me do a double take and immediately wander closer to investigate. The strange markings I saw made my eyes widen in fascination as I realized that they ancient cave drawings. I stuck a hand behind me, frantically shaking it to signal Hope that he needed to see this. He was at my side almost instantaneously and his eyes widened to match mine when he saw what I had discovered.
"What on Pulse is all this?" he asked, his brows furrowed as he swept his fingertips across the coarse stone.
I shook my head, completely baffled. "I have no idea."
I took a few steps back and scanned the wall, my eyes widening even further when I saw that nearly the entire space was covered in the strange drawings. Everything from crude animal doodles, to strange symbols that I guessed were some kind of written language, to descriptive hunting or daily life scenes were scrawled across the surface. I was truly in a state of awe. Seeing something like this in person was a privilege.
"Wow," Hope breathed, slack-jawed.
I stepped away from him and slowly walked along the wall, gazing at all the different drawings and wondering how I hadn't noticed them when we first came in or, more importantly, why we were the only ones that had taken interest in the drawings. Glancing briefly over my shoulder I noticed that the rest of the group was dispersed throughout the cavern and I snorted before turning back to continue examining the wall. In my opinion, these cave drawings were the most interesting part of the tour thus far.
I was getting a closer look at an exceptionally intricate drawing of Bismarck, figuring that was the fal'Cie this certain tribe worshipped, when I heard Hope's voice calling me, a hint of recognizable urgency in his tone. I looked over my shoulder and saw him waving at me a short distance away.
"What is it?" I asked as I approached him.
"Take a look at this. It's different from all the others," he said, pointing to a cluster of doodles isolated from the rest of the drawings. He took a couple steps back so I could get a closer look, and I recognized a few of the scribbles immediately.
They were Cie'th stones.
The memory of the flight to Paddra and Snow telling me about the sudden disappearance of all the Cie'th stones flashed through my mind and I frowned at the oddly coincidental timing. I pushed those thoughts away and moved closer to the wall, attempting to make sense of the faded drawings.
About a dozen stones were gathered in a circle with what looked like the figure of a woman standing in the center. Her right arm was hanging by her side and the left was pointing at one of the stones. When I examined it further, it almost seemed like it had partially transformed back into a human, but still resembled a Cie'th. It was absolutely grotesque, and an involuntary shudder flew down my spine at the sight of it. A block of ancient text that I couldn't read was below the picture, and I wondered if it would explain the meaning behind the strange drawing when translated.
Hope, who had remained silent while I studied the scribbles on the wall, chose that moment to speak. "Pretty strange, huh? So far, this is the only painting I've seen with Cie'th stones. Think it means anything?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," I answered, looking back at him and shrugging.
The tour guide's voice suddenly echoed through the cavern, signaling that it was time to move on, and we set off to find the rest of our party. I spotted them on the other side of the makeshift village with the rest of the group and we quickened our pace so we wouldn't get left behind. Serah saw us approaching and waved us over.
"Where have you two been?" Snow asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
I rolled my eyes and punched him in the arm. "None of your business."
I heard Hope chuckle behind me as we followed the high-spirited tour guide out of the cavern and back into the cave system. I tried listening to what the guide was saying, but my thoughts kept returning to the peculiar cave drawing of the Cie'th stones and what it could possibly mean. I couldn't help but feel like it might have some connection or relevance to the stones' disappearances, but without anything else to go on I tucked that information into the back of my mind for later.
After another hour of meandering through the maze of underground tunnels, looking at centuries-old rock formations, and listening to the tour guide prattle on, we finally reached the hot spring. Before I could even see the water, I could feel the heat in the air and the moisture on my skin. I smiled to myself, looking forward to warming up. Serah hadn't been kidding when she said the caves were going to be cold. It made me wonder exactly how the people that used to live down here survived.
"This is going to feel spectacular!" Snow exclaimed when we entered the warm cavern, hefting his small daughter onto his shoulders.
My jaw slackened when I finally saw how beautiful the spring was. Instead of the huge pool that I had envisioned in my mind, there were about a dozen separate pools that were divided by board walkways. All the pools against the wall – the deeper ones, I was assuming – had large slides that looked like they had been carved right out of the rock. Right as everyone started to disband, the guide told us we had two hours before the next group arrived, which was when we would need to leave.
"That's plenty of time," Serah remarked, blowing up a set of arm floaties for Aven.
Snow chose one of the pools with a slide for us and was the first one to test it out, creating a splash that sloshed out far enough to get our feet wet. I shot him a glare as I lifted my shirt over my head and removed my pants. We would be lucky to leave with dry clothes if he kept up those antics.
I happened to glance over just then, and caught Hope staring at me. As soon as our eyes met, he quickly looked away and knelt down to fumble with his backpack. My eyebrow twitched as I stared at the back of his head, my gaze drifting down to his bare back and getting stuck there. My eyes slowly scanned over the planes of his back, genuinely surprised by the musculature that was normally hidden beneath his shirt. I didn't realize that I had been staring until Aven's voice snapped me to attention.
"Come on, Auntie Cwaire!" the little girl exclaimed, grabbing my hand and beginning to pull me toward the water. I shot one last glance over my shoulder at Hope, a strange feeling that I couldn't put a name to churning in my stomach.
I heard Serah chuckling behind me as I stumbled along behind Aven half bent over, trying not to slip on the water that was already gathered on the stone. When we reached the edge of the pool, the five-year-old promptly jumped in, showing no fear whatsoever. She was laughing when her head popped back to the surface, flailing her floatie-clad arms with glee, and I was suddenly concerned for my sister's mental health as Aven got older. If she turned out too similar to her father, the chances of Serah having a heart attack by the time she turned thirty was highly probable.
Instead of jumping in like Aven had, I sat down on the edge and put my feet in, marveling at how warm the water was. It was the perfect temperature, reminding me strongly of a hot tub. The steam that was rolling off the surface in graceful coils gave the impression that the water was much hotter than it actually was. I took a deep, contented breath and was just about to slide the rest of the way in when a pair of strong arms suddenly lifted me from behind and tossed me into the pool. It happened so quickly I didn't even get the chance to cry out and nearly succeeded in sucking a large mouthful of water into my lungs. I came back to the surface, choking and sputtering, and saw the culprit doubled over with laughter on dry land above me.
Hope had thrown me in.
Oh, it's on now, I thought, quickly devising a plan in my head as I paddled to the edge.
"Yeah, very hilarious," I said, pushing my soaked bangs out of my eyes and extending my hand toward him. "Now help me out." I braced my feet against the wall in preparation, my eyes locked on his face, and smiled inwardly.
"Alright, alright," Hope replied, still chuckling as he reached down to grab my hand.
As soon as his fingers wrapped around mine, I forcefully yanked his arm and pushed off the wall, catapulting him over my head. He yelped in surprise as he sailed toward the water, wildly flailing his limbs in vain. He crashed into the water, disappearing beneath the surface, and from across the pool I noticed the thunderstruck expression on Snow's face quickly dissolve as he began loudly guffawing at my counter attack. A smug grin spread across my lips when Hope's silver hair broke the surface, the shocked look on his face making me laugh out loud.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, coughing. "That wasn't fair!"
"Oh, yes, it was," I replied, climbing out of the pool and sitting on the edge once more. "You deserved that and you know it."
Snow paddled up to me, still laughing, and gave me a high five. "Lightning, that was epic! You just blew my mind!"
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help the grin that curled one half of my mouth up. "I have my moments of brilliance."
"So," Snow began, gesturing back at the smooth stone slide behind him. "Anyone else want to try that slide out with me? It's pretty awesome."
I glanced up at it with trepidation before looking back down at him. "I think I'll just watch. You go ahead."
Snow shook out his drenched hair as he lifted himself out of the pool. "Hey, it's your loss."
"Be caweful, Daddy!" Aven called as she continued to paddle back and forth in front of me.
Snow grinned back at her. "Don't you worry about me, pumpkin. Just don't swim in front of the slide," he instructed. "Come on, Hope! Get your skinny ass over here!"
Hope rolled his eyes as he exited the pool as well, reluctantly following the taller man to the top of the slide. "Okay, okay."
Aven swam toward me and grabbed one of my legs to help keep her from floating away. "Yoo gonna go too, Auntie Cwaire?" she asked, looking up at me with a smile.
I smiled back and shook my head. "No, I'll stay here with you."
I brought my attention back to the two men standing on the slide platform, who were deciding which one of them was going to go first. Hope was apparently trying to be a gentleman and let Snow go first, but Snow continued insisting that he wanted Hope to go first.
I wagged my head. Boys…
"Before we fall asleep, please!" I yelled, crossing my arms over my chest.
After going back and forth for a little while longer, Hope decided to go first, but instead of going down on his back, he chose to slide down on his stomach. A broad grin stretched his mouth as he went and he cried out in excitement before hitting the water head first. As he was swimming back toward us I found myself staring at him again, mesmerized by the way he moved through the water. I huffed and shook my head to clear it.
"You guys have to try that thing out," Hope said as he came to a stop in front of me. "Way more fun than it looks."
"I wanna twy, Momma!" Aven announced, climbing out of the water and dashing over to her mother.
"Okay, wait till Daddy comes down," she answered, directing her gaze back to the top of the slide where Snow was waving his arms, trying to get our attention.
"Oh, by the way, he wants us all to see this one," Hope said, hefting himself up on the edge beside me. "He said something about having a really great idea."
I chuckled under my breath, immediately looking toward Snow as I crossed my arms over my chest again, a grin crawling across my lips. Something in the back of my mind was telling me that whatever he was about to do was going to be good, not because he would succeed in showing off, but because he was going to fail miserably.
After ensuring he had our undivided attention, Snow approached the slide and paused for a few moments, preparing himself for whatever he was about to do. Just when I started to get impatient, he stepped forward and began sliding down standing up, looking like he was trying to surf. I heard Serah gasp behind me and Hope started cheering, but I remained silent, confident that something was going to go wrong.
When it finally did, I couldn't help the smug expression that slithered onto my face.
Half-way down, Snow lost his balance, and as he attempted to regain it, his feet slipped out from underneath him. The resounding crack that echoed around us as his head made contact with the stone slide was deafening. He sank into the water, and I was briefly concerned that he might not come back up.
After a long stretch of silence as we watched the bubbles rise to the surface, he finally bobbed to the surface, and I heard my sister gasp again from behind me. Snow looked around in a daze for a couple of seconds before breaking out in a cacophony of hysterical laughter, completely confounding the three of us.
Aven suddenly began laughing as well and jumped into the water, paddling over to her father. I risked a glance back at Serah, not surprised to see her absolutely seething, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. She stomped over to where Snow was floating, her eyes wide with anger. Hope and I exchanged glances and decided to follow her, not wanting to miss out on anything.
"Snow, what in the name of Pulse possessed you to do something like that?" she yelled, her entire upper body practically shaking with fury.
Hope crossed his arms and shook his head, chuckling slightly. "Yeah, that was a bad idea gone worse in my opinion."
Snow continued to laugh as he swam to the edge of the pool with Aven perched on one of his arms. He swung her up onto the deck before hoisting himself out of the water. "I wouldn't call that a bad idea gone worse," he began, gently probing the back of his head. "I'd call that a great idea gone decent."
I groaned and hid my face in my hands, suddenly feeling the impulse to get the hell out of the caves. Barely half an hour in and Snow had nearly given himself a concussion, not to mention my sister looked like she wanted to wrap her skinny hands around his muscled neck and shake him till his teeth rattled. Needless to say, I didn't need any more reasons to call him an idiot.
The remainder of our time in the springs and eventual ascent back to the surface went surprisingly smooth after Snow's stunt, which I was exceedingly thankful for. As we were boarding the airship, I couldn't help but wonder if this incident was going to set the tone for the rest of my week off.
"I can't believe you actually talked me into this, Serah," I said as I was dressing in the guest room on the last day of my vacation. "You know I hate stuff like this."
"Hey, you should be excited!" my sister called from her bedroom. "It's the seventh anniversary of Cocoon's Fall, and the first time you'll be going to the celebration! Trust me, you're going to love it!"
I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop from smirking. This entire week had been packed full of 'firsts', and I'm sure she would have dragged me to a dozen other places if I wasn't returning to work tomorrow to begin my officer training.
Thank the Goddess for small miracles.
"Plus," Serah began, prancing into my room and over to where I was standing in front of the mirror. "Hope is going to meet up with us." She rested her hands on my shoulders and peered at me, a mischievous glint lighting her eyes.
I nodded, the fact that both my sister and Snow started using Hope's presence as a bargaining chip to ensure I participated in all their planned activities not going unnoticed by me. More irked at myself for caving to them so easily, I tugged on the edges of the green tank top that Serah had helped me pick out. She tried to convince me to buy a brighter color like yellow or orange, but I thankfully won that battle. I didn't need any more excuses for everyone to gawk at me. I'd already heard that a lot people were excited about possibly seeing me at the celebration, and my hopes that my awakening had become old news were obliterated.
Serah backed away from me and looked down at the shoes I had chosen. "I wish you would just wear those cute sandals of mine that I showed you," she said, screwing her nose up at the new pair of athletic shoes I bought at the beginning of the week.
I scoffed and looked over at her. "I would prefer to not have blisters at the end of the day," I retorted. "Be grateful that I agreed to wear these shorts, and that's only because of how warm it's going to be."
The corners of my mouth pulled down as I stared at my denim shorts in the mirror. She was lucky I had woken up during the summer, or else I wouldn't have been caught dead in such an outfit. My sister, on the other hand, was dressed in a pink and cream pleated skirt with a matching blouse and a pair of brown leather sandals. Just because we were sisters didn't mean we had even remotely similar fashion sense.
"Have you thought of staying in Paddra tonight, since you have to report in the morning?" she asked, examining her face and hair in the mirror one last time before we left.
I crossed my arms loosely over my stomach and stared at my reflection as I thought. "I'm considering it," I answered after a moment of silence. "I need to speak with Amodar first before making a decision, but I already packed a bag just in case."
"Sounds good to me," she replied, turning and nudging me with her shoulder. "Let's get going. Snow and Avy are waiting for us."
Two hours later, we were in the same park I had found Dajh in a week before, now setting up a picnic spot under a large shade tree for our group. In total, there were twelve of us: Serah, Snow, Aven, Hope, Bartholomew, Sazh, Dajh, Gadot, Yuj, Maqui, Lebreau and myself. Spending time with just Snow was hard enough, but now I had to suffer his gang of do-gooders as well. Yes, technically, they had real jobs through the GC now, but I would forever think of them as the band of miscreants that believed they were above the law, and because of that, I could never take them seriously.
"Hey, Lightning!" Lebreau called. "Wanna come help me spread out the blankets?"
Alright, I lied. Lebreau was the only one I semi-tolerated, and that was only because she understood weapons almost as well as I did.
I nodded, moving away from the tree I had been leaning against, and walked toward her. She handed me a thick quilt that I instantly recognized, and a feeling of nostalgia passed over me. The ghost of a smile turned my lips up as I ran my fingers over the aged stitching, faded memories and feelings coming to the forefront of my mind. My Grandma Farron had made this for me when I was born. She had passed away when I was five, so I didn't quite remember what she looked like, but I had always been able to feel the love she put into that quilt.
My breath catching in my throat, I pulled myself out of my reverie and spread the quilt on the ground next to the one Lebreau was currently smoothing out. Once I was finished, I straightened and turned toward my sister, watching as she rubbed sun block over Aven's face and arms.
"Well, now what?" I asked, crossing my arms as I looked around, noticing that the amount of people gathering in the park had nearly doubled.
Wonderful, I thought, a grimace crawling onto my face.
Serah glanced up at me and giggled when she saw my expression, tucking a few errant strands of hair behind her ear that the breeze had pulled free. "Don't look so excited, Claire," she laughed. "I was gonna take Aven to go look around. You're welcome to join me."
"Oh, come on, Claire!" Maqui sang as he skipped past me. "You know you wanna stay here with us! We'll have so much fun!"
Yuj started to laugh, but as soon as he caught sight of the steely-eyed glare I was directing at both him and Maqui, his chuckles died in his throat and he clamped his mouth shut. I knew if I didn't take my sister up on her offer, I would end up strangling both of them.
"Yeah, let's go," I unintentionally snapped as I began to walk away, keeping an eye on the two NORA members a few seconds longer before turning my head away from them.
Serah and Aven's footsteps quickly followed behind me and I slowed down my stride, propping my hands on my hips as I waited for them.
"Sorry, that was my fault. I shouldn't have used your real name in front of those guys," Serah said when she stopped beside me.
"Don't apologize for their childishness," I retorted, my voice still sharp. "They just need to mind their own business." I paused to take a deep, calming breath, a number of colorful adjectives on the tip of my tongue, but censored myself for Aven's sake, then looked over at my sister. "Anyways, where to first?"
She grinned and linked one of her arms with mine, tightly hanging onto Aven's hand with the other. "We're just walking, remember?" she said, slowly leading me through the park.
As we traced a serpentine path through the crowds, I quickly began to notice that more and more of them were staring at me as I walked past. I bunched my shoulders up next to my ears and ducked my head, suddenly wishing I had a Deceptisol. Of course, I would have needed about twenty of them to sneak through a congregation of this magnitude, but that was beside the point. As long as they kept their thoughts to themselves I'd be in the clear.
"Hey, everyone, it's Lightning!" a member of the crowd shouted.
Ah, hell.
After that first vocalization, dozens of the people surrounding us began whispering and smiling, all of their eyes trained on me. I groaned under my breath, knowing it had been wishful thinking on my part to hope that my awakening had been forgotten about so soon. When the crowd suddenly erupted in a cacophony of clapping and cheering, I would have hidden behind my sister if we weren't surrounded on all sides.
So, instead, I just stood there with my hands on my hips and a sour look on my face, Serah's calming touch on my wrist the only thing keeping me from shrieking at them to stop.
I'm not a hero, for Maker's sake! my mind screamed. Why are you people acting like I'm some kind of saint?
The clamor suddenly began dying down, and I felt a relieved sigh coming on when I noticed that everyone their attention to a pair of approaching figures. When I spied the familiar head of silver hair bobbing up and down amidst the crowd I allowed a sigh to escape my lips. It was a safe bet that Hope's father's standing as Mayor was the only thing that could briefly overshadow me, and I was grateful for that. I neither needed nor wanted the attention.
I spun around as soon as Hope walked past me, flashing me a half-smile, and fell in step beside him. "Impeccable timing, Estheim," I said, happily speeding up my stride just to get away from the crowd.
"No thanks needed, Light," he replied, smiling over at me. "When we heard everyone start cheering, we had a pretty good idea who was in the middle of it all."
I rolled my eyes. "That's what I get for agreeing to take a walk with Serah," I said, glancing over my shoulder at where she and Aven had hung back with Bartholomew. "Speaking of which, is your dad gonna be okay with them tagging along?"
"Yeah, they'll be fine," he answered, following my line of sight.
When we got back to our picnic site, Maqui waved at Hope and dashed toward us. Yuj followed him over a minute later. I growled under my breath, but otherwise kept my outward reaction to a minimum.
Aggravatingly enough, Maqui decided to immediately point out the obvious. "So, what happened to Serah?"
Hope glanced over at me and I flourished my hand, letting him know to go ahead and do the talking. "She's back with my dad. She and Light got ambushed by a group of adoring fans."
Maqui's eyes suddenly widened, a devilish grin curling the edges of his mouth up like a handlebar mustache. "Aw, Hope to the rescue, huh?" he asked, grinning over at me and bouncing his eyebrows suggestively. "Bless your little cotton socks! You're such a gentleman!"
I glared at him, one of my hands tightening into a fist, and became even more affronted when Hope started laughing along with him and Yuj. I knew the little blond shithead was only trying to get a rise out of me, and he was succeeding.
"No offense, Maqui, but you should start taking notes," Hope replied, still laughing under his breath. "I think I know why you've never kept a girlfriend longer than a month or two. You're kind of a dick."
The laughter in the air around us abruptly disappeared and I looked over at Hope, my mouth hanging open in shock. Had that just happened? No sooner had I glanced back in Maqui's direction to gauge his reaction did Yuj begin cackling loudly at the stunned expression on the blond's face, gripping his stomach with both arms as his belly laughs made his entire frame shake.
Maqui looked over at his blue-haired friend, scowling at him. "Hey, come on! It wasn't that funny!" he exclaimed, punching Yuj in the shoulder.
Yuj straightened, calming down just long enough to speak. "No, you're right," he replied, bracing his hands on his hips to catch his breath. "It was hilarious! Nice one, Hope!" He doubled over once more, laughter pouring out of his mouth like a waterfall.
I tried hiding my own snickers, but once Maqui turned his attention back to Hope and me, his scowl deepened. "Yeah, laugh it up, Chuckles," he muttered, stalking off toward Snow, Gadot and Lebreau.
Something suddenly collided into my left leg and I looked down with a frown, seeing Aven grinning up at me with her arms locked around my thigh. "Hi, Auntie Cwaire!" she exclaimed, giggling.
I smiled and ruffled her hair. "Hey, you. Where's your mom?"
She turned, pointing behind her, and I spotted both Serah and Bartholomew making their way over. I smiled at my sister as they arrived, and Serah playfully grinned back at me as she nudged me with her shoulder. "Why didn't you stay with us, Sis?" she asked, winking up at me. "There were some people back there dying to talk with you."
"That's exactly why I chose not to stay," I responded, gently flicking the tip of her nose and looking in Bartholomew's direction, extending my hand toward him. "Mr. Mayor."
Bartholomew chuckled and shook my hand. "Please, Lightning – there's no need for formalities. If you call me Mayor, I'll start calling you Lieutenant," he said, adjusting his glasses slightly. "Speaking of which, I've heard you're starting your officer training tomorrow."
"Touche," I replied, smirking, then nodded at his last statement. "You've heard correctly. I'm looking forward to it."
"That's wonderful to hear," he replied, smiling broadly. "Are you in need of accommodations? Hope and I would be more than happy to host you for the night."
I couldn't stop my eyes from widening at his offer. I had brought a bag with me in preparation for having to spend the night, but I had yet to speak with Colonel Amodar. "I'm grateful for the offer, but I couldn't possibly impose like that."
Bartholomew frowned, his dark brows scrunching together. "Nonsense," he responded. "I've already spoken with your superior, Colonel Amodar, and he informed me that you spending the night here in Paddra would be best. We've already prepared a room for you and aren't taking no for an answer."
I whipped my head around to look at Hope, completely confounded, and my thoughts scrambled even more when I saw him smiling warmly at me, his green eyes practically glowing. I had certainly not expected this. I had planned to stay in the barracks on base or in a hotel, but staying with Hope and his father had never entered my mind.
After feeling my sister prod me in the side with her elbow, I realized I had yet to answer. "Um, thank you," I stammered, once again meeting Bartholomew's gaze. "I'd be happy to stay with you."
Bartholomew smiled triumphantly. "Spectacular. Once the celebration is over, we can all leave together."
I nodded, still having a difficult time forming coherent sentences, and opted to remain silent. Bartholomew left, saying he had to make his rounds to other areas of the park, and told us he would be back later. I looked at my sister, wondering what she thought about all of this, and found almost the same smile on Serah's face as I had seen on Hope's. The corner of my left eye twitched slightly, getting the feeling I was being kept out of the loop, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why.
Hope tapping me on the shoulder succeeded in bringing me out of my stupor.
"Hey. I'm gonna go check on Dajh's cast," he explained simply.
His green eyes locked onto mine, one of his eyebrows arched expectantly, and I could tell he wanted me to come with him. I bobbed my head like a hypnotized python and cleared my throat.
"Right behind you."
He grinned and I followed him over to where Sazh and Dajh were throwing a ball back and forth.
"Hey, Sazh!" Hope called.
The aging pilot paused before throwing the ball back to his son and turned, his face crinkling with a smile as he saw us approaching. "Hey, you two!" he called back, waving at us. "What's goin' on?"
Sazh's gaze briefly flicked down to the shorts I was wearing when we stopped in front of him, and I caught the puzzled expression that drifted across his face. Of all people, he certainly knew I wouldn't be seen in public in such an ensemble of my own will. He lifted his eyes back up to me, one of his eyebrows quirked, and I shook my head, shooting him a look that told him not to ask.
"I just wanted to check on Dajh's cast," Hope answered, not noticing our exchange.
"Oh, sure." He glanced over his shoulder and got his son's attention. "Dajh, come over here!"
The teen jogged toward us with a broad smile. "Hey Hope. Hey Lightning. What's up?" he asked, looking toward his father briefly.
"Hope wants to check your cast," Sazh repeated.
"Okay," Dajh replied, holding out his left arm for Hope to investigate. "How much longer 'til I can get rid of it? I kind of miss catching with a glove and taking a shower without a bag on my arm."
Hope smiled as he gently turned the teen's arm over, inspecting the fiberglass cast. "Not for a while, bud," he said, letting go of Dajh's arm and looking up at Sazh. "In a couple of weeks take him to the doctor he normally sees for another check up."
Sazh nodded, smiling. "Sounds good to me. Thanks."
As the morning slowly turned into the afternoon, the gathering of people in the park multiplied, and it became increasingly difficult to continue flying under the radar. As word spread like wildfire through the crowd that I was present, more and more people began congregating near our group, trying to catch a glimpse of me, and I was practically forced to hide behind whatever I could find to avoid being gawked at.
I was sitting behind a large oak about twenty feet into the tree line, chewing on a sandwich and wishing I would have stayed in Oerba, when I heard someone approaching. My head fell back against the rough bark of the tree, a heavy sigh erupting from my lungs at the thought of having to fend off another curious looky-loo. So, with a sharp retort ready, I whipped my head around the tree, but the words that I had prepared to spit out died in my throat when I saw Hope coming toward me. I huffed in relief, honestly glad to see him.
"So this is your hideout," he said, smiling down at me. "Serah told me I might find you back here."
I grunted as I stood, still holding my half eaten sandwich with one hand while I looked around him to make sure he hadn't been followed by anyone. "I knew this was a bad idea from the start," I replied, a deep frown marring my brow.
Hope nodded, a look of contemplation sliding onto his face. He was silent for a few moments as I took another bite of my sandwich and chewed it before he asked tentatively, "Can I suggest something?"
I looked up at him with one eyebrow quirked and he chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"How about we go to my house early? You know, to get away from all the excitement," he offered, his expression hopeful.
Both my eyebrows jumped up in response and I had to bite back a hasty reply. "That sounds perfect, actually," I answered after some thought. "Would your father mind?"
He shook his head. "No, I already asked. He's okay with it." He paused to scratch his jaw line, and for some strange reason, my gaze locked onto his hand, breaking off only after he continued speaking. "He could tell you haven't been enjoying yourself. It's…kind of hard to miss."
I snorted. "Yeah, I'm not exactly being subtle about it," I said, pushing the last bit of sandwich into my mouth and meeting his eyes as I chewed and swallowed. "Let's go, then."
His face lit up and he turned around, glancing over his shoulder with a smile as he began to stroll away. "Alright, follow me."
I rubbed my hands on my denim shorts and fell in step behind him, elated to be getting out of there. As much as I enjoyed making my sister happy, there were a few things I just couldn't put up with.