Days of Exile
Chapter 5 – Story of their Survival
10 December 0007
She could feel a headache forming.
Meia rubbed her temples and groaned. "Can someone tell me what is happening? I thought I lost my mind when I saw Veld and Elfe." She squinted at them, as if she could spot wispy outlines instead of flesh and bone. "Am I looking at ghosts?"
"Hardly, Meia." Veld replied, not amused.
"Papa and I escaped to Kalm and we've been in hiding ever since." Elfe spoke. The former leader of the anti-Shinra terrorist group called AVALANCHE, Elfe, now looked nothing like the fearsome woman who once struck worry in the hearts of the Turks. She wore a plain blue shirt and black jeans, though she still kept her hairstyle in the same short chocolate brown hair. Her eyes were truly the look-alike of her father, both burned with determination to lead their subordinates once upon a time.
Meia stared at the two of them. "So… you- survived Tseng's shots?" She stammered. "KK and Haato reported that the both of you fell dead onto the floor."
What Meia heard next was unbelievable. Back when Tseng was ordered to execute Veld and Elfe to spare the remaining Turks, Tseng purposefully missed his shots, hitting Veld and Elfe's chests but not their hearts. Thereafter, as he rode back to Midgar, he requested to sit at the back of the truck and he used a Full-Cure spell on them. Veld and Elfe immediately recovered from their pain and injuries but Tseng instructed them to continue pretending they are dead. The Shinra soldiers tossed the 'dead bodies' by the outskirts of Midgar and together with Tseng in the truck, they abandoned the 'dead Veld and Elfe.
"… Tseng didn't… Tseng didn't kill you, but saved you." Meia repeated, as if it could help her understand better.
"I find it hard to believe too," said Alana as she observed her disciple. "But the fact that Veld and Elfe are here testifying for it…"
"It means that Tseng is not with Shinra." Cassie said.
"We can't be too sure about that." Alana cut in. "Tseng could be only saving their lives just because he owes it to them. He could still be loyal to Shinra."
Meia shook her head. "I don't really care what are Tseng's implications. I'm just relieved that Veld and Elfe are alright!" She smiled broadly at Elfe.
"E… Even I?" Elfe asked shyly. "After everything that I did to you?"
Wide-eyed, Meia tried to recall what Elfe did to her. Apart from giving the orders to turn her into a toad thanks to the monster 'Touch Me', she couldn't remember another time where she had a direct encounter with the former leader. And that was what she translated to Elfe. The brunette smiled warmly, relieved that the younger girl bore no grudges against what she did as an AVALANCHE leader.
"I suppose, this would be a start to a proper relationship." Veld said kindly to his daughter. "Treasure it well. Gone are the days where you need to worry about your subordinates and your enemies." Turning to the others, he said, "Our only concern is to remain alive and not be caught by Shinra."
Meia asked Rod and Cassie how they found their missing leader and his daughter. Rod explained that while traveling in Kalm for a new Materia, an old lady named Sarah beckoned them to follow her. They soon found out that Sarah was an old friend of Veld who had escaped the burning of the town years back because she was visiting a relative outside Kalm. When she returned, she found a few more survivors and they lived 'peacefully', not ever questioning the information that was given to them. Unknown to her, the rest of the townspeople, Elfe included, were transported to the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim where Hojo worked his experiments. That was years ago.
Months ago, when Sarah saw Veld and Elfe, she thought that she was dreaming. She called them into her house, she asked about the happenings of the town they once lived in. Seeing the dire situation they were in, Sarah immediately offered her basement for them to hide in. Veld had shown her pictures of Rod and Alana, knowing that they will most likely stay in Midgar, and had requested that if she were to see them in Kalm, she would bring them to him.
"So that's how… you knew of this place." Meia mused. "And so what are we going to do? We can't simply bring every Turk here to show Veld. Neither can we send mass information to everyone across the Planet. Shinra might still be tracking our PHSes."
"That was what I was worried about." Alana chipped in.
"Our only hope is that we get untrackable PHSes." Cassie suggested. "And deliver them to the others. Meanwhile, we will inform them about Veld."
"Seems risky," said Meia.
"Do we have a choice?" Rod sighed. "I have some contacts, reliable ones, that can secure us the untrackable PHSes… how many do we need?"
Alana started counting off her fingers. "There's myself, Rod, Cassie, Meia, Mason, Cissnei, Kido, Jasper, KK, Haato, Leia, Legend and Veld."
Meia felt a pang in her heart at the missing names. "So… no Tseng, Reno and Rude?" She suggested.
Cassie sighed. "Oh Meia…"
Alana was harsher. "No." She said firmly, with a shake of her head. "I don't feel any better, leaving them out of this. But they are under Shinra after all… It would be better if we don't get them involved." In a few short words, she told everyone of her short encounter with Tseng in the café, before Rod and Cassie appeared. "Regardless the sincerity of his concern, I think it would be safer for us to not include them yet."
"I'm with Alana on this." Rod said. "Let them believe that we are not poking our noses into anything, at least for now." Veld nodded his agreement as well and Meia eventually nodded. She understood their concern for leaving the three of them out, since it will affect Veld's survival. She definitely wasn't going to let Shinra take custody of her former leader.
During their conversation, Elfe slipped out of the living room quietly to bring them a mug of water each. Meia looked at Elfe. "Aren't you going to be a part of this?" Elfe shook her head. Despite being an accomplished swordswoman, Elfe declared that she was done fighting. "I've got a question to ask, Elfe." Meia asked shyly.
"Please ask, do not be shy." Elfe encouraged.
"I'm actually curious. What… What happened to you? You were caught in the burning of Kalm years ago, and then suddenly you became the leader of AVALANCHE?" Meia peered at the woman over her mug. "What happened? But… if you don't want to share…"
Elfe assured Meia that she didn't mind. Sitting down on the couch next to Veld, she began her long overdue story. While trapped in Nibelheim, Hojo experimented with embedding Materia into people. Rod confirmed her recount by admitting that he had read Hojo's notes in the Shinra Mansion. The former Turks were no longer bound by Shinra to keep their secrets to themselves, but the price to pay for possessing information as a non-Shinra staff was still high. Veld immediately warned Rod against revealing too much of such information.
Clearing her throat slightly to resume the control of the conversation, Elfe continued to explain that Zirconiade was embedded into her body in the experiments. However, Hojo deemed Elfe a failed experiment and abandoned her outside of Nibelheim to die. It was then that Fuhito found her and brought her to Cosmo Canyon and eventually, to AVALANCHE. The rest was history.
Fuhito… Meia still felt a buzzing dislike towards the bespectacled tactician of AVALANCHE. The man who infiltrated her home in Sector 4 and murdered her father when she was three. Fuhito destroyed Meia's childhood before it barely started. Thanks to Fuhito, Meia lived the next nine years in the slums of Sector 4 homeless. To top it off, Fuhito had tried to make use of his background to win Meia over to AVALANCHE by giving her the half-lie that he was her father's friend.
Nevertheless, there was no point bearing any grudges, Meia knew that. Fuhito had died because Shears prevented him from regenerating. Shears, former field leader of AVALANCHE, worked with the Turks just so that he could save Elfe from Fuhito. Fuhito died thanks to Shears.
Then again, in some twisted way, Meia probably would thank Fuhito for how things turned out. If not for the death of her father, Meia wouldn't have made friends with her childhood buddies. Sunny, Carmelle and Tihan were three people who stuck with her through thick and thin and were the only reasons why she didn't mind being a homeless child. Then, when they were killed in an open fire between Shinra and Wutai soldiers, Meia wouldn't have stumbled upon Reno, Rude and Leia (more like, the other way around) and become a Turk.
There's a reason for everything that happens in life. She realized. It won't be clear all the time, but eventually it will be.
"Meia?" Cassie's face popped in front of hers, laughing when Meia flinched. "We were talking to you!" As Meia apologized, Cassie shook her head. "What was going on in your head?" Meia gave a half-hearted reply and Cassie accepted it without question. "We were wondering what brought you back to Midgar. You were quite happy in Icicle Inn, weren't you?"
Realising that she had not explained the purpose of her return, Meia immediately recounted what had happened on that fateful Icicle Inn night when she saw long-missing Sephiroth walking down the mountain. When she was complete with her story, the former Turks were grave and solemn. No one had a reason, an explanation, or a solution to her situation.
"My plans are to sneak back into Shinra and read up on any notes relating to Sephiroth." Meia concluded her explanation.
"That's downright crazy!" Cassie frowned.
"You'll be caught." Alana agreed.
Veld shook his head. "It's a pointless idea. I don't want you to go." He said.
Meia stared at them incredulously. "Then what are we going to do?" She asked. "Sit and twiddle our thumbs till Sephiroth and Shinra launch into a global war or something?"
"What makes you think he'll do that?" Rod asked.
"I don't know…" Meia shuddered. "There must be a reason why he went mad back in Nibelheim. Maybe he discovered some Shinra secret that he couldn't take… Maybe there was some sort of conspiracy and he wants to take revenge or something."
Veld shifted in his seat slightly, but Meia didn't notice. On the other hand, Cassie snorted. "Imaginative!" She grinned but soon fell serious again. "But not impossible."
Elfe finally spoke up. "I think we should trust Meia that she can infiltrate the Shinra Building and look for information." When all eyes were upon her, she continued. "Meia couldn't possibly lie about seeing Sephiroth, right? Although it is weird that he should appear after five years… It IS better than twiddling our thumbs." She said quietly.
"If this is the only solution to find information…" Rodzen frowned. "Guess it's worth a shot."
"It is definitely risky, but it might work." Alana nodded slowly. Meia's face slowly brightened as she saw her comrades giving in.
Only Veld shook his head firmly. "I will not have you rush into the lions' den without thinking."
Meia pouted – an action that only her friends catch her doing whenever she doesn't get things her way. Due to her outstanding memory and cognitive development, Shinra scientists years ago discovered that her emotional quotient might be leveled at a six year-old when Meia should be a normal twelve year-old. True to the report, the Turks found Meia a hyperactive child and her brain never stopped buzzing, though no one found her out of place in the equally crazy environment. The scientist in charge of her development concluded that her maturity will catch up when she is older. It did happen. Meia's stunted maturity was no longer a problem. Still, in the last few years before they were chased out of Shinra, Meia's child-like (or childish) behaviour surfaced once in a while but the Turks ignored it. They knew that being older and wiser, Meia was aware of her behaviour and they trusted her to respond in self-discipline.
"I appreciate your concern, Veld." Meia said calmly. "But I can't sit around here, knowing that a solution might work but not doing it just because it is risky." Meia looked at Veld squarely. When she was a young Turk, she had often heard stories of how scary and no-nonsense Veld was as the leader of the Turks. However, she never felt that from him. It seemed as if Veld knew that she was the daughter of his deceased comrade and was helping to fill in the role of the father Joseph Etsky couldn't give Meia.
"Meia..." Rod tried to control the tense atmosphere that contained Veld's annoyance.
"Veld... Would you have allowed Alana or Rod or Cassie to do it then?" Meia challenged.
Veld slammed his hand against the table and everyone flinched. "Do you think that I am stopping you from going because you're Joseph Etsky's daughter?!" He glowered.
Meia answered with equal intensity. "Yes."
"Meia!" Exclaimed Alana disapprovingly, for she could not tolerate her disciple being so rude to someone older than her.
"Stop your foolish thinking at once." The burst of anger earlier on was now subdued to a low, controlled voice. "Who do you think you are?" Veld asked of Meia, who looked down in embarrassment. "… I do care for you because you are Joseph Etsky's daughter. He made me promise that if you ever became a Turk, I'll take care of you." Veld narrowed his eyes at Meia. "But that did not mean that you are any better than the others."
Meia flushed painfully at the harsh remark. "I know, sir." Meia peeked at him. "When... When did my father say all these?" She asked meekly.
"When you were born." He answered. "I told him then that he would be alive to see you as a Turk... but we both know what happened." The room was silent as Veld spoke. "I do not favour you over the other Turks. I wouldn't have allowed Rodzen or anyone else to go back to the Shinra Building." He looked at the few Turks sitting in his living room. "All of you are..." Whatever he wanted to say, he didn't. "Since you insist in returning to the Shinra Building like sneaky rats..." He said harshly. "I won't stop you."
Meia beamed. "Thank you, sir!" She exclaimed. "I won't let you down!"
"Well, now that our spoiled brat has gotten what she wants..." said Cassie, ruffling Meia's hair. "Shall we get dinner?" Everyone agreed and was excited when Veld and Elfe offered to let them stay with them for the night. They had a good time of catching up and reminiscing, then everyone returned to their respective sleeping places to retire for the night.
Her nightmares came.
Meia was sitting in Banora with Reno. Over the cliff, a fiery sunset painted the sky pink and orange. She couldn't remember what they talked about, but they must've talked for hours, holding hands at times and allowing silence to fill their conversation instead.
Suddenly nightfall came quickly, as if the sunset was absorbed into a massive black hole. Frantically, Meia searched for the hand of her lover but instead found the hand of Zack Fair, bloody and full of bullet holes. She shrieked, yanking her hand away from his but she was too weak against him. His cyan blue eyes, once admired and loved by many, were dull and empty as they gazed upon Meia. With a final tug, Meia pulled away from the deceased SOLDIER and scrambled away. She turned and came face to face with Fuhito, leering at her and her incapability to even protect her own friends and family. Faces of Sunny, Carmelle, Tihan, her father and mother surrounded her like a chilling carousel. The faces cried out to her for life and resurrection.
Meia shook her head, wishing that everything will stop but they wouldn't. She opened her eyes and saw Shelke, orange short hair framing a faceless face. Shelke moaned incomprehensible words of agony and confusion, reflecting her mysterious whereabouts. Tears blinded Meia and provided her temporary relief but her ears still picked up sounds of pain and regret. Reno… She needed to find Reno… Reno…
"Reno? … Reno? … RENO!" Meia shrieked her way out of her nightmare. "RENO!" She screamed again, squeezing her eyes shut because she could not tell if she was out of her dream yet. "RENO!" She cried and finally she heard the door open and willed herself to peek from her covered eyes, at the one standing by the doorway. In the faint light, Meia saw a redhead running over to her bedside and stroking her hair comfortingly. "Reno…" She murmured. Finally, Meia relaxed when the redhead held her hand and did not let go till she fell asleep, exhausted from her nightmare.
The man stood up and left the room, to face Cassie. She was in her nightgown, her sandy brown hair was down and in her hands she held a mug. "Having nightmares?" The shotgun user asked, referring to Meia. "I leave her for ten minutes and this happens." Glancing at Rod's messy hair, she said, "She must've thought you were Reno."
Rod flushed as he recalled how Meia pressed her lips against his hand as if comforting herself that she was safe. "I'm only trying to soothe her to sleep." He tried to explain, for Cassie was the one he cared for.
"Relax!" Cassie grinned. "Am I such a petty person such that I can't lend my boyfriend to my friend because they look so familiar?"
Rod knew who Cassie was referring to. "I don't look like that idiot." Rod grumbled, shooting a glare at Cassie.
"That's no way to talk about your senior." She smirked.
Alana and Elfe walked out of the other room. With the extra visitors, Veld and Rod offered to sleep in the living area while the girls took the rooms. "Is everything alright?" Elfe asked.
"Meia was having nightmares, wasn't she?" Alana asked.
Rod almost groaned. Even at three thirty in the morning, Alana had to talk formally? "Yes, she was." He replied. Talking to Alana always made him feel like he's obliged to reply in the same way too. He saw Elfe's worried look and assured her, "We always have them, it's no biggie."
Elfe bit her lower lip. Despite being the feared leader of the anti-Shinra organization, Elfe was still a young woman who has a gentle heart. "I know about them, papa has them sometimes." She glanced at Veld, who was sleeping on the couch. Trusting that the others will protect him, Elfe persuaded her father to take sleeping pills for the night. "Thankfully you guys are here, if not papa would never take the sleeping pills for a good night's rest."
Cassie smiled. Elfe was a highly skilled swordswoman who, even without the power of Zirconiade, was capable of fending for Veld and herself. Still, a father is never at ease. "No worries, Elfe. He's gonna have one good night."
"… The nightmares never disappear, do they?"
Alana gave the slightest shrug. "It depends on how affected you are with them. All of us get the nightmares at least once, some more frequently than others."
"But Meia… she's more sentimental than most of us. She gets it the most." Rod said, taking the mug from Cassie and sipping the warm contents inside.
"She was fine, actually." Cassie frowned. "I mean, for years she barely had these nightmares. But after Zack Fair died, they seem to come back tenfold." Cassie sighed at the thought of the SOLDIER First Class who died for freedom. "I think Zack's death really broke Meia, because she idolizes him… after Vincent Valentine, that is. To see his death being caused by Shinra… must've been betrayal to her."
Elfe stole a glance at the room where Meia was sleeping. "… Nobody's ever talked her about her nightmares?"
"I think she knows," said Alana. "But nightmares… what can we do to stop them?"
The next morning, the younger Turk with glossy black hair peeked her head out of her room and stared at the dining table. Alana spotted her and after greeting her, asked her to take her breakfast. Meia walked out gingerly, trying to flatten her bedhead. Though the nightmare did not return, Meia felt embarrassed nevertheless that her nightmare probably disturbed the entire household, not that she dared to ask anyone.
"Morning, Meia!" Cassie greeted beside her in a sing-song voice. As Meia turned to greet, she saw Rod. Flushing, she apologized for her behavior last night. Apparently, she figured that it was not Reno who comforted her after her nightmare.
"Don't worry about it," said Rod with a wave of his hand. "Not like we're strangers. Not like I don't know I look like that idiot." Meia giggled.
As they had breakfast, they shared their plans. Rodzen and Cassie will return to their Midgar hideout and secure the untrackable PHSes. Knowing that Meia had nowhere to stay, they asked her to join them in the hideout. Not that it's really a hideout, it was a biker garage that Rod's gang used to own. With Rod leaving the gang to join the Turks, the other men went on their separate ways, leaving the garage untouched for years.
Alana intends to stay with Veld a little longer to help out. Meia obviously intends to enter the Shinra Building to scour for any truth.
"Well, till we get our new PHSes, information is off the lines." Warned Rod.
They talked more and finally, they were ready to leave. Meia checked her equipment again. Beneath her tunic, she strapped two guns to her thighs. One was a chrome gun, no longer as shiny as when Alana first bought for her. The other was a Shinra standard gun. Meia took that with her when she fled and she had yet to buy a new one. She didn't have to use her guns when she was in Icicle Inn. She made a mental note to herself to buy ammunition and then checked her Materia. Her trusty 'Aero', 'Restore' and many more Materia were equipped in her double guns.
Unlike her Turk counterparts, Meia is capable of handling many Materia without any side effects on her physical being. A normal human would begin feeling side effects when more than one Materia is equipped. Only SOLDIERs are able to hold many Materia without side effects. Meia's ability gave her an advantage in using magic, a strategy that she often used in hand with melee and gun skills.
Bidding farewell to Veld, Elfe and Alana, the remaining three left the old lady, Sarah's, basement and began their journey back to Midgar once again.
It's lovely to see that everyone is supporting by following or reviewing. Thank you very much! I've become very lazy with replying reviews, even though I try my best to. So here are some review replies to my anonymous reviewers, thank you for giving your time to feedback and support!
Kadajclone100 – A foreshadow cleverly pointed out! Reno was aware of the dropping of the Plate when he spoke of trust to Meia.
SansaStark – Tseng, Rude and Reno never left Shinra. It was only the Before Crisis Turks that left. Yes, I'm keeping to the canon storyline but the reason why Tseng they all stayed in Shinra, even after President Shinra died and Meteorfall, always eluded me. I'll be working on this as part of the story in Days of Exile!
Rachel – Reference accurately pointed out! As for Auron's line… pray hard, maybe it might appear somewhere down the story again :P I'm glad you find Meia cute!
Jefri – Thanks for helping me with the errors! Hope I didn't mess up with this chapter today!