Author's Note: I wasn't joking about the hiatus ^^; Took my sweet time, didn't I? I just want to thank you all for sticking around, this took far longer than I expected, but I hope you understand that life tends to take over, as well as other hobbies... Here's the next chapter.
Please keep in mind: I probably will be taking longer with updates in the future, I hope you understand.
017: Home
As Cloud resided back at the bridge, he mulled over the issues that presented themselves these past few months, they buzzed in his brain, triggering a similar reaction to his gut. There was Sephiroth, his main goal, the primary target, and his enemy for years now. He never stopped being his problem, he never stopped being his goal. But on top of that, he couldn't forget about the rebels of ex-Shinra employees that have come together, created by a man way in over his head.
This shouldn't be a problem, Cloud had to face Sephiroth and the once corrupt company of Shinra before, he could handle it all again.
But like parasites, they never ceased to fully disappear.
"I've spoken to the president, he mentioned he'll deal with Kinzo," Reeve said. The rest of the team grouped together, awaiting their next plan, everyone was there—Tifa, Barret, Cid, Yuffie... even Red XIII and Vincent. Having them by his side always made him feel powerful.
"You really think he's going to keep his word?" Cloud asked.
"I understand your hesitance... but he has been doing better. He has his reasons for helping us, and this affects him too, Kinzo's doing this in his name, Kinzo is doing this for him, it's clear the only way to appease him is to reach out to him."
"I guess this means we'll be seeing the Turks again."
The Remnants of Sephiroth slipped back into his mind, memories of their battle, and amongst them had been Rufus and the Turks. Yes, they had their own reasons to be there, but it would've been so easy to let Cloud and his team down. Instead, they fought back. Together. Maybe he could trust them after all.
He hoped.
"But what about Sephiroth?" Barret's voice cut in; Cloud turned to him. "You ask her yet?"
"Yuna said her dreams were confusing—vague, and apparently he can read her mind... see things he shouldn't see." And in the back of his head, a question begged: why hasn't Sephiroth tried to reach out to him yet? He could control him better, he had, Cloud still had the cells of Jenova swimming in his veins. He found himself both thankful yet unnerved by this.
"So no lead?"
"... No." Cloud felt the frustration pile.
"Wait a minute, Cloud—what does Yuna think?" Tifa piped up. "You don't think she might have any leads?"
"She says Sephiroth doesn't say anything, he just taunts her, taunts her when she's awake too." He was everywhere and nowhere—there was no escaping him, but still no clues on his whereabouts. "There's definitely something he wants from her."
Their silence hung heavy on their shoulders, and it felt like they were wasting time, but it was a familiar feeling, back when Sephiroth's sword impaled the late President Shinra onto his desk, when he stole Jenova's body from its tank, traveled to beyond the snowy mountains, and into the North Crader where his real body laid to rest. It was always there, as long as Sephiroth still roamed the planet, it would always be there.
They could wait for another dream—Yuna hadn't any lately, most certainly not from the prior night, and waiting for him to make another 'appearance' was rather too risky. And too unpredictable. The first thing that morning, Yuna sought Cloud out, told him about the flowery fields in her dreams, how it resembled a place close to home, and where Sephiroth first showed himself to her.
Close to home...
"I'll be right back." He turned back and returned to the passenger's bay.
"Yuna, what is the Farplane?"
Having fetched Yuna, they all stood on the main deck as a team, Shera parked in place, overlooking the stretching green fields below; everyone stood in front of her, the spotlight was now hers.
"I've dreamt I was in the Farplane, at least I think it's the Farplane, the fields there were different, full of lilies of white and yellow... but I swear it looked exactly the same. Sephiroth must know what about the Farplane—he created an almost perfect imitation of it, he knew I was connected to it, he knew what to use to lure me in." And it made her heart sink—that whistle. How she refused to let him taint it.
"Oh but... I'm rambling, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't give myself a chance to explain it—the Farplane is the gathering place for the dead. A lot like your Lifestream but more physical. The living often travel there to meet with their loved ones—well, no, not exactly, when you think about your late loved one, the pyreflies form their image, though it isn't really them. It's called a beckoning. They're comfortable in a way... allowing you to have something to speak to, confess to, to mourn, it feels like they're listening, and who knows? Maybe they actually might be..." She caught herself rambling again, she shook her head rapidly as a way to scold herself and to swat away distractions. "I'm so sorry! This isn't helping."
"No," replied Cloud. "It's fine, you're helping plenty. What are pyreflies?"
"Oh, they serve many purposes, I guess you can say they're life itself, they're the spirits that leave your body, they carry on the memory of the deceased and return to the Farplane, but some don't want to accept death, some hang behind, sometimes because they can't rest properly without reaching a certain goal, or simply because they don't want to leave. They are called the unsent. And Cloud... you remember what I told you earlier."
The frown on his face claimed he did, but there was something else there, his gaze hardened with that look of deep thought, something commonly associated with him now, something that contained a special beauty she was blessed to witness. Could she even deny her true feelings anymore?
"So they're mako—the life and blood of the planet," he said. "And unsent are ... fiends."
"Yes—and somewhat. You see, I think Sephiroth is an unsent, still bound by this planet by his corruption, and he seeks to drink up the Lifestream as a means to become invincible, right?"
Yuna closed her eyes, a chime went off her head, it reached her heart, and her fingers clenched together into fists; her heart sank at this realization.
"I saw him in the Farplane..."
The Lifestream.
Who was this man really? Was he human before his mind went mad? This was not her enemy, this was not her childhood hero, nor her friend, he was just evil in physical form. Even Seymour was once a person with emotions... Even Sin was. And yet she felt the heavy weight of Spira's fate on her shoulders once more, it was the very thing that held her down by a chain, and suddenly it was like suffocation; it made her dizzy.
She felt the leather of his gloves on her skin, his fingers wrapping around her shoulder, slowly lifting her from the hollow pit that pulled her down. Yuna didn't even realize she was looking down till she turned her chin up to face him—glowing blue eyes. She felt like she could breathe again.
"I'm sorry." Those words slipped from Cloud's lips.
"S-sorry?" She blinked; most certainly didn't expect that. "N-no, I know what you're going to say—this isn't your fault, this isn't anyone's fault. Remember? We said were going to do this together." Yuna pressed her hand over his. "I want to be there with you."
Time slowed its pace, that second stretched before the reality called back to her when Cloud broke the eye contact and turned to face his team, she did the same, watching as the shine to the sun spilled in through the main deck's large windows, illuminating them, making them almost heavenly.
What a team.
They almost reminded her of her former guardians.
"Everyone..." Cloud's tone hardened, it was firm, clear, and coaxed in the sense of determination. "You know what we have to do."
The special connection between Cloud and his group was apparent, they shared a bond, a hidden language exchanged merely in strong gestures and faces beaming with courage; it was an incredible feeling she had the honor of being a part of.
They weren't just his friends, they were hers too...
Even Tifa, though her smile threatened to falter, she refused to let her firm shoulders and straightened posture drop, and it was then Yuna remembered Cloud's grip to her shoulders, which soon slipped away from her.
Oh. Right.
No, now's not the time to be thinking about that, now is not the time to dwell on this. They had a mission, and whatever came beyond it... they would have to wait and see. It affected Tifa, and it affected Yuna too, but she knew her own heart now. Delicate fingers grasped the collar of her blouse, nervously tugging at it; she chose to ignore those feelings for now and shook them away, focusing her attention to Tifa, and smiling. She smiled for her. She smiled because she wanted her to know: it's okay.
Yuna still valued her, Yuna still cared for her, and no matter what happens that won't ever change. Even if the result might end up breaking her heart at the end.
The red-brown hues of Tifa met with hers, reading every bit of her thoughts, and Tifa smiled back. It felt somber, yet the sincerity began breaking through. She understood, as did Yuna, and they both shared that silent confirmation with one another.
No matter what happened, no matter how much it hurt, they would always be by each other's sides.
The sea salt traveled from the air from the water, the fresh oxygen of Besaid was something everyone recognized during their visit. The strong, vibrant blue of the skies often competed with the blue to the waters. Besaid may have been a small island but overall, there was nothing else like in the world like it; it was beautiful.
That air blew a breeze through her blonde hair and Rikku exhaled a long breath before sucking in that sea salt taste again.
When was the last time she had gotten Yuna's letter?
It's been a while, it seemed unfair how often Wakka and Lulu's letters arrived—had she even bothered to write Rikku anymore?!
Ten. The Gullwings found ten new spheres since Yuna's departure, ten new discoveries, ten new possible treasures, and she had to share it. She pondered her decisions as she stood by the dock, hands to her hips, irked at her own thoughts. How long has it been? A week? Two? Rikku turned to her heel, the wood creaking under her boots, her golden ponytail flopping behind her; her walk had a bounce to it.
Solution? Write another letter anyway. Yuna will receive it anyway, and maybe by the time she received Rikku's letter, Rikku would have the original response she waited for. There, now Yuna can have an extra letter, the news was too good to pass up!
Rikku traveled through the beaches, the large palm trees casting shade below, beyond the rushing, brisk waterfalls just to her right on the wooden bridges she crossed, past the large ruins of the ancient Machina city, long forgotten and buried in the ground, and eventually, after a ten minute hike, reaching the peak of the village, with Besaid Temple in her sight, and all the small huts formed in a circle around it.
"You haven't heard from her yet?!" Rikku called, her legs pumping as she jogged right into the village square, where Lulu, Wakka, and their son stood. "They don't usually take this long to get here, do they?"
"When have you gotten so impatient?" Lulu mused with amusement to her voice, her arms crossing her chest. "Letters have to go through from courier to courier, it's impossible for one person to travel here alone."
Yuna's letter went through one courier who traveled till they reached the limit of just how far they could, then that letter would be passed down to another, where they would do the same, eventually finding a courier that could directly deliver it to Besaid. It was a chain, but these couriers were people too; it took a while.
"Yeah, but it hasn't ever taken it this long, right?" Rikku chewed on her lip, maybe she was growing impatient, but it was normal for that to wear away when she had great details about her adventures resting at her fingertips. If only they had an easier way to communicate than settling for handwriting on paper. (Haven't left so suddenly, Yuna didn't take an ear piece or any other communication device with her.)
"No, we haven't gotten her letter either," Wakka confirmed, after a long pause that stretched between the three, not including Vidina. And to that, Rikku sighed.
It wasn't just the 'juicy details' of her treasure hunts, but overall a craving to hear her actual voice, to hear the words of Yuna's own adventure, and though it seemed strange and she was left vague on the details, she desired to hear every bit of Yuna's journey, to hear of her discoveries, to listen to what path she is now taking to her future.
Rikku often thought about her own paths and choices in life, but she waved all of that away in favor of her cousin's happiness—for now.
"I hope she's okay, she traveled so far away... What do you think she could be looking for?"
"She mentioned looking for a woman—a friend of her father's," said Lulu, then she paused again, to collect her words. "She mentioned someone else, though—a man she met."
Rikku giggled. "Oh, I see..." Her tone dripped in mischief, though deep in her mind, she expressed mild shock. No, Rikku was simply teasing Yuna in her mind, in her native language ("another man already, Yunie?") but she knew that could mean anything. Still, the thought of Yuna moving on set her at ease. Isn't this what they should all be doing all along? Chasing their dreams, finding new ones...
She was happy for her.
"Maybe Yunie's too busy with her new friend she doesn't have time to write letters anymore," Rikku popped her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout, matching it with a 'hmph!' She hoped for her joke to catch a breeze in the air that could travel around, brushing against person to person, and overall lifting the mood, for herself as well, but instead she and her friends were cloaked in a large shadow from above that hid them from their lively sun. Rikku's immediate thought went to storm clouds, but far darker than that, and she heard no thunder, no sign of rain thus far.
Sin...?
No, of course not.
Rikku, Wakka, Lulu, and Vidina, along with the other surrounding bystanders had turned to look up at the sky, to spot an unfamiliar airship floating across the sky. It passed them, taking its shadow with like a train trailing behind. Slowly, it had been inching itself closer to a halt.
Intruders? Visitors?
A strange feeling bubbled in Rikku's gut, she chewed on her lip again as she turned to Wakka and Lulu, both their faces etched with a concerned look of their own. There was only one way to find out, and Lulu instantly hurried Vidina off to a neighbor. Rikku was prepared, she had her daggers, and though her friends have retired from fighting a long time ago, she was positive they were still capable. If they needed to, they were ready for a battle.
The airship had traveled to the beach, making its stop there, it was easy to spot it hovering over the waters, and the trio was quick to alert anyone who may have been around to take cover.
"And if there's a group?" Rikku asked.
"Then we'll be ready," Lulu replied, her tone cool as usual, though her gaze was like steel, the fire matching the red to her eyes. The everlasting, optimistic blues of the sky and the life that rained down on Besaid Island was enough to disguise the tension and caution that the trio held, even if it was simply those three, their emotions burned enough for anyone to spot it a mile away.
And they hoped it was noticed.
But instead of plowing right through them full force, or unleashing any weapons they might have, it carefully lowered closer to the waters, the hatch to the airship's loading bay parted down, dipping to the waters; it felt like they were watching in slow motion, and the trio's breath dropped at the small figure that stood behind that door.
Using the hatch as a bridge to descend herself down, her skin was paler compared to when they last saw her, her hair a few inches longer—barely reaching past her shoulders, but she still wore her purple skirt, a homage to her original summoner outfit, a white buttoned-up sleeveless blouse, and black boots to top it all off. She was still Yuna.
She hadn't shown a care to her skirt getting wet as she plopped herself down, the water splashing against her boots as she did so, and immediately she made a beeline right toward her friends, arms stretched out to welcome a hug, which Rikku happily obliged to. Her arms draped around her cousin and pressed against her tightly, and they both cheered in glee.
Their guard was down, Lulu's posture relaxed, and she sighed a breath of relief not only for the safety of their home but the return of her dear friend, the shock and joy mixed within it.
"Yunie?! I... can't believe it, you're back!" Their hands clasped together, Rikku jumped in place, Yuna jumping right along. "How long has it been already? It feels like months—years! You look so different..."
Yuna was Yuna, there was no mistake about it, she was spottable a mile away, her heterochromia eyes still spoke with the same emotion, but there was no doubt that she was encased with a different aura, like an unfamiliar scent that rubbed off on her––an absolutely foreign scent.
"I... do? I guess I haven't really noticed," Yuna giggled, her voice was still the same, still so soft and lighthearted. "But I will admit, it does feel a little strange to be back... it has been so long. I hope I didn't miss too much."
"We were just thinking about you," Lulu stepped in, arms wrapping around her friend, and another pair—Wakka's—joined in.
"Speak of the devil, ya?" He chuckled.
They embraced in the warmth formed by their tiny group, and they shared in their much-needed bliss; it felt so good to be back.
Their moment was interrupted, right as another figure caught Lulu's eye, her vision still to the airship up front—a skinny, pale blonde man donned in dark clothing, certainly not dressed appropriately for the island's type of weather and environment.
Almost like looking in a mirror, Lulu thought.
"Yuna... and this is?" She asked, her arms dropping, Wakka and Rikku following right behind as they too turned their attention to the stranger.
"Oh, right! You know about him, Lulu," Yuna stepped back, facing the blonde man with her hand out, and he very reluctantly reached out to take it; Yuna turned back. "This is Cloud."
Author's Note: Thanks again for sticking around, I apologize for the short chapter, but again, I hope you all understand! ^^ I hope to get back into this fic again, even if it takes me forever to update. Hope you all have a wonderful day.