Days of Exile
Chapter 12 – Putting the Past Behind
12 December 0007
Elena walked behind Tseng and Rude, feeling excited, bored, annoyed and alone all at the same time. She pushed her short hair behind her ear, feeling a little uncomfortable with her new hairstyle. She had cut her hair just a few days ago, making it timely for her first day as a Turk. She was proud to claim that her short bob was much nicer than her elder sister's hairstyle. Even though Tseng had immediately set her to begin mere hours after informing her that she was shortlisted, Elena was more excited than inconvenienced.
In front of her, Rude began to talk. "… That employee that Reno found in Floor 67 last night…"
Tseng turned his head slightly to his subordinate. "Yes, I've heard." He answered coolly. "She will not be of any threat to us. I believe Reno's warnings have shakened her up." Elena found herself daydreaming as Tseng and Rude carried on in their discussion…
Elena was present when Reno recounted his tale to Rude just this morning. Reno was leaning against the pantry counter, speaking. "And then I was like, 'No way, Matilda, I can't have you running everywhere.'" Here Reno grinned mischievously. "And she was all stuck up and cute and saying that if I don't go and free AVALANCHE, she would. And then…" He shrugged. "I almost called her 'Meia'."
Elena remembered Rude pushing his sunglasses against his nose. "Does sound like Meia." Rude had said.
She rolled her eyes at the thought. She didn't have to be colleagues with Reno for long to know his type. Indeed Reno was a fun person to be with, if you count annoying as part of the definition for 'fun'. But there was just nothing that she could talk to Reno about. He complains about work, bugs Rude and Tseng about getting an early break and goes on and on about girls. More on one particular girl named Meia, but girls in general.
I'm sure that there's more things in his head than girls. Elena thought crossly, but never protested when Reno was talking about them.
Rude, on the other hand, was hard to talk to because he didn't talk. Perhaps that's why Reno and Rude made such great partners. Reno can't stop talking and Rude makes no effort to control his blabbering. However, when Rude was willing to talk, he made a better conversation partner than Reno.
Only Tseng is how a proper man should be. Elena thought with a smile. She had always harboured a crush on Tseng. Ever since she was nine years old. Elena was a much younger girl then, when her older sister Alana was viewed as not a 'pain in the ass' but more 'the coolest sister ever'. She remembered running to the Shinra Building to sit on the steps, waiting for her sister to knock off at 6 in the evening. When Alana walked out of the building, they would go home together, talking about their day's events.
One time, Elena left for the Shinra Building too late. By the time Alana came out of the headquarters, Elena was seen running from across the square and up the steps. Elena panted heavily; her long blonde hair was in disarray and her face was red from the exhaustion.
Alana was with a tall man with exotic features. His dark hair was tied in a short ponytail and his eyes were deep and contemplative. "Hello, Elena." Alana had said with a small smile. "Mr. Tseng, this is my little sister, Elena."
Tseng looked at Elena. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Tseng." He said firmly. And then all of a sudden, Tseng reached out to smoothen Elena's messy hair. "Much better now."
That was the first time Elena met Tseng. Thereafter, they met another time briefly but Elena was long smitten with the Turk. Elena was fascinated at his properness and his gentlemanliness. The simple act of pulling out a looped strand of hair was enough to make Elena blush, so much so that till this day, after a number of boyfriends and flings, none of them gave Elena the same butterfly feelings like Tseng. It seemed ridiculous to others, but to Elena, nothing was closer to the truth. Her feelings for Tseng had grown from a silly crush to… at least, a full-grown infatuation.
Those were the days when her older sister, Alana, first entered Shinra as a Turk. Eventually, Elena found herself waiting for her older sister later and later, past eight and nine at night. Then one day, Alana was furious to find that Elena was still waiting for her outside the Shinra Building, close to 11. Alana was angry beyond reason that night and Elena resented her for it ever since.
As Elena grew up and became more aware of the Turk's job scope, she knew deep inside that Alana was angry because Elena was susceptible to other dangers due to her relation to Alana. Elena knew that her older sister never held any grudges against her, but Elena was too proud, too embarrassed to reconcile with her. So the animosity remained till now.
But this morning, when Alana spoke to her and gave her most prized Materia… It was just like the old times… Sis… Elena thought, patting her glove firmly. I will surpass you… and make you proud. She smiled to herself. But first, maybe I gotta survive Reno's crazy antics.
Elena was inwardly glad that Reno did not join them on their trip to Mythril Cave. It was supposed to be a team of Reno, Rude and herself going after Sephiroth, who was reported to be spotted in Junon Harbour. However, just this morning Reno complained that he wasn't ready to leave Midgar yet – he had not fully recovered from his battle with AVALANCHE. Tseng had thus given Reno one more day of rest, meanwhile he would substitute Reno to accompany Rude and Elena ahead.
"December 13 noon, you leave Midgar. No questions." Tseng deadpanned.
"What?" Reno exclaimed. "Damn… I was hoping I could celebrate Meia's birthday…" When Tseng narrowed his eyes and gave Reno an icy stare, Reno raised his hands in surrender. "Alrighty, boss! I'm not complaining, yo? I'm SUPER excited to begin my journey to search for Sephy! Wooo!" He raised both arms and immediately regretted it. "Ow! My ribs!"
There's that name again, Meia. Elena often amused herself with the idea that Meia was probably Reno's girlfriend or something. But…
Looking at his abysmal dressing and less than desirable personality, Elena doubted anyone would find anything worthwhile in Reno. Perhaps Meia was a little sister or something… That seemed more likely.
Tseng's voice jolted her out of her long reverie. "Elena."
Elena choked in response. In a fraction of a second, Elena gathered her senses. She was in Mythril Cave, going after Sephiroth. Not living in her thoughts. Elena gave a sharp salute. "Sir!"
"Go up this path and you will be at a cliff overlooking the entire Mythril Cave. Keep a lookout. AVALANCHE will be going past this area. Rude, you will try to warn them against chasing Sephiroth."
"… Yes sir."
"Let's make this quick." Tseng said. "We need to reach Junon by nightfall. Reno had better rush his way here as soon as possible."
As Elena walked away from the team, she pouted slightly at the lack of manpower. When she entered Shinra, she was surprised to find the Turk strength had diminished to only Tseng, Rude and Reno. Tseng had explained to her that the other Turks had left the company due to fraud. Elena was appalled to hear that. Was that what her sister did that caused her to lose her freedom in Midgar? However, Elena refused to imagine that that Turk who saved her was also charged with the same crime. However, Elena was smart enough not to question further.
Elena knew most of the Turks, but she never bothered to know them well. Even meeting Reno and Rude felt as if she was meeting strangers. She knew a lot about Reno and Rude, but yet she felt like she didn't know them at all. The Turks were all very good at hiding their personality, her sister especially.
Working with the remaining three Turks was not a bad thing, actually. And Tseng was nice to her, despite his strict tone and no-nonsense attitude. Nothing had changed much the last ten years, though strictly speaking, Elena had not met Tseng much after Alana stopped Elena from loitering around the Shinra Building.
In the distance, she heard the clanging of metal and gunshots. Figuring that it must be the people they were looking for, Elena whistled her signal to Rude.
Soon after, she heard Rude call out somewhere below. "Just a second." Peering over the cliff, she spotted a group of three people, whom by pictures she recognized as AVALANCHE, stopping to regard Rude.
"Wh, Who are you?" A tanned and broad-shouldered man asked warily.
Rude stared at them through his dark glasses. "Do you know who I am?" Even from here, Elena could tell that Rude was uncomfortable. Rude never liked to speak too much, perhaps he could use some help.
Alright, Elena. She pep-talked herself. Time to make yourself useful! And for goodness' sakes, don't mess up.
13 December 0007
He hated being in Gongaga.
After years of living in Midgar and travelling to other places, Haato realised that his hometown was not as appealing as it used to be when he was a child. Maybe it was because the village was extremely warm, without any hint of wind. Haato took a deep breath, not feeling anymore refreshed as the warm, stale air entered his nose. How could Gongaga be warm for most of the year? It's December! Haato was sure that Gongaga was the only town that was still as warm as it was in the summer. It wasn't even close to the desert, for goodness' sakes!
He walked up the slight gradient of a cliff until he could see the entire Gongaga village from where he was. Haato had never been back in Gongaga since he was brought to Midgar to be a Turk. In the decade that he had been away, Gongaga had changed drastically. The Reactor exploded, killing half the villagers and his parents along as well. But it was alright – Haato's parents knew from that day Haato left prison to have dinner with them that it would be the last time they will ever see their son.
The sound of laughter came from a distance. Haato's sharp ears picked them out and spotted two boys, no older than six or seven, skipping up the hill where Haato stood. Haato heeded no attention to them, for he had no dealings with children. It was the children who noticed a single man in the distance. As they drew closer, their faces showed terror.
"It's... it's a mean-looking man!" The younger of the two exclaimed fearfully, pointing directly at Haato's scar.
As if on reflex, the other boy stepped in front of the younger boy protectively. "Don't worry, Andy!" He said confidently.
"Liam! Be careful!"
The older boy turned to Haato. "What do you want from us?"
Haato raised an eyebrow at the two boys. They were the ones harassing him – He did not even look at them. What do the boys think they are doing, disturbing him? Haato was in a good mood though. He beamed artificially at the boy (again, Haato never could handle children well). "Do not worry," he assured the boy. "I am a good man."
"Liar!" The younger boy, Andy, shouted innocently. "If you are a good man, you wouldn't get that ugly scar! Mommy says that only bad guys look ugly!
Liam nodded vigorously. "I don't know who you are but you better not mess with us and our village!" He warned. He turned and smiled at Andy. "Don't worry! I'll protect you from this bad guy, no matter what!"
Haato refrained the urge to roll his eyes. He looked at them briefly and suddenly, he lifted his arms and yelled, "BOO!"
The boys shrieked and tore off in the opposite direction, crying something about telling their mothers. Seeing them flee, Haato bent on his sides and laughed. If Leia was around, she would give him a lecture (and more) for scaring little boys. Haato couldn't be bothered too much about that. Boys will be boys. When this Andy and Liam grow up, they will reminisce this event with fond memories...
Haato stared at the small patch of stone by his feet. "Remember that time when we were caught for chasing chickens, Xavier?" He grinned, but then mumbled to himself. "Yeah, Haato. Keep talking to yourself..."
Because no amount of reminiscence will bring Xavier back.
There was a snap of a twig which made Haato jerk back into attention. He whipped his head behind him… to find a familiar, grinning face.
"Howdy," greeted Rod, waving a bag of black devices at his face. "The PHSes have arrived."
Turned out that Reno did not leave Midgar.
"Why?" Meia asked over the phone yesterday.
"Because I miss you." He had said with an air of mock lovesickness. But Meia knew better. When they met that night, her suspicions were confirmed. Reno was wincing almost with every step he took, clutching his torso and groaning.
"I don't remember that you were that injured when we met this morning." She observed.
"Yeah, the injuries worsened. Those AVALANCHE guys totally kicked my ass, yo?" Reno said in a tone that Meia could not tell if he was lying or not. They spent the evening catching up and talking, just like what they used to do when they were both Turks. Only too soon did Reno announce that he had to leave the following day and they both departed.
Things have been busy for Meia the next day. In the afternoon, Meia was sent to Junon to help out with Rufus Shinra's Presidential Ceremony. It struck Meia odd to see that Rufus could hold such an event mere days after his father's death. Wasn't he the least bit sad at the news? Rufus had gotten over his mourning soon enough. In fact, Rufus Shinra looked almost desperate to become President as soon as possible…
The company threw her a lot of work to do – work that wasn't in the job scope of a lab assistant. Meia did them without complaint. She wasn't very busy with her given work; Hojo barely talked to her, much less give her work. Besides, she always needed some reason to be able to walk freely around the building.
She had met Reno once in the morning, as Matilda Ederfeld. Reno seemed not to be bothered by the fact that the new employee was suspicious of the night in Floor 67, but talked casually with her as if they were close friends. Meia played along, being the innocent lab assistant who knew nothing better. However, there were many times Reno flirted with her, and Meia felt a sense of hurt each time. Knowing that Reno didn't mind leaving his phone number with random girls and talking about meeting up for dinner didn't sit well with Meia.
Relax, he's just being nice. Meia told herself, but that weird, twisted feeling in her heart refused to stop. All this time, she had foolishly thought that Reno was hers alone, the big saviour who fought for little Meia to stay as a Turk, the caring brother who went the extra mile to ensure that she was well-taken care of, the wonderful man who never cease to make Meia warm inside. She had never seen Reno flirting with other girls. He did flirt with female Turks like Cissnei and Leia, but Meia knew Reno treated them more like buddies than girls.
I hate this feeling. Meia thought. It's just like that time when I see Reno with Cissnei… Oh. Jealousy. Meia stared at her hands. Yes, it's that same feeling. What an ugly feeling, but it has been a part of me when the issue concerns Reno. I can't deny it, I won't deny it. But self-discovery was one thing. How do I tell Reno about this without exposing my identity as Matilda Ederfeld?
14 December 0007
"Well, here we are." Aerith smiled at Barret, the leader of AVALANCHE. Despite the fierce countenance on his face, nothing can stop Aerith from smiling. The town was simply too lively and bright for her to worry.
Barret squinted against the sunlight and grunted, "Ain't seeing Cloud and others yet."
"Well," Aerith gave a good stretch. "While waiting for them, why don't we go and have some fun?"
Barret wrinkled his nose. "Are you out of yer mind? We're looking for Seph- … him. We gotta be focused on our task. It's not some travellin' trip!"
"Gee, you're no fun." Aerith pouted. "I've never been to Costa del Sol, of course I'm excited to explore! Don't you want to soak in some good sun and beach feel?" She grinned. "We both know that us slum people could use some of that." She gestured towards the pier where the cargo ship that they sneaked onto was moored. "Besides, when Cloud, Tifa and Red XIII arrive, they can always give us a call."
She hid a playful smile when she saw that Barret was swayed by her words. "Well…" He mumbled. "I suppose it'll be alright to walk around."
"That's settled, then!" Aerith gave the burly man a playful tap on his shoulder. "Have fun!" Before he could respond, Aerith skipped down the sandy pavements and right down onto the beach. At first, Aerith took extra care not to let sand get into her boots but her caution wasn't for long. Eventually, like all other beachgoers, she couldn't care less and ran down the staircase, where it led to the open shores and the vast sea beyond.
Aerith's eyes could've sparkled with delight. My first time, seeing the sea like this! She beamed. Meia was right, the sea is lovely! Nothing can compare to this wonder! How is it possible that the water is blue, when the water we drink has no colour? Aerith ran stood by the shore, watching the waves seep back into the sea. Aerith cupped a handful of water and took a sip. She immediately regretted soon after.
"Eew, that's disgusting!" She spat it out.
Someone laughed behind her. "Of course!" Turning around, Aerith saw a tall man grinning at her. He was dressed in a light pink shirt and bermuda pants. His most prominent feature was his orange hair, complete with sideburns, and the large pair of sunglasses. "Seawater is salty!" The man peered at her closely. "Hey there, good looking. Haven't seen such a pretty face in Costa del Sol before. I guess this is your first time in a beach, no?"
Aerith gave an embarrassed reply. The good-natured man gave a friendly wave and walked on. She stared at the man curiously, glad that he didn't embarrass or harass her further. She looked at the sea with newfound interest. Perhaps the water is blue because of the salt. She thought. Marlene would be so happy to see this someday!
Even though she and Marlene only met for a short while, Aerith liked Marlene a lot. It was hard not to like the little girl; she was lively and full of joy. Marlene always talked at length about how strong her 'papa', Barret, was, how lovely Tifa was and how cool Cloud looked. Aerith marvelled at the maturity Marlene possessed. Many children in her age and in her predicament would have cried and given up in the face of deadly pursuers. In many ways, Marlene reminded Aerith of some of the slum children that would often visit her. Namely Sunny, Tihan, Carmelle and…
Meia…
Aerith sobered a little. They have not met each other for years. Aerith felt guilty for threatening Meia never to find her again – Aerith could not afford to keep her nearby when she knew not where Meia's loyalty laid. However, true to her word, Meia never bothered Aerith after their meeting in Sector 5 slums… till that day when Aerith was trying to get Marlene to safety.
Tseng had escorted both of them to the Shinra Building, where she was taken away and Meia was left with Tseng. She did not worry for Meia then; Tseng was a good man.
But so many things happened after that. She thought, remembering the trail of blood leading up to the President's Office. The image of the large katana being left on the dead body of former President Shinra was not an easy sight to forget. Was Meia protected from those? Is she safe now? She said that she was no longer working for Shinra… Nobody runs away from Shinra unscathed. What would Shinra do to her?
So many questions left unanswered… that seemed to be the case for many things nowadays. The only thing everyone could do was to move on, put their backgrounds and pasts behind, if not, no future laid ahead of them.
Sephiroth… Aerith's brows were set with determination. I have left everything in Midgar to follow everyone else… I can't back down now. Not when I've finally gotten my chance to leave Midgar and seek the adventure far and beyond.
Finally, Aerith decided that she was not doing anything productive by daydreaming. She walked back to the staircase when someone in the distance caught her eye. A man, dressed in a labcoat, was lying on a deck chair. Aerith wondered why he was suntanning with a coat on, and more bewildered at the girls in bikinis surrounding him. Aerith subconsciously covered herself. Don't they feel exposed, wearing so little?! She stared at them. Obviously the beach girls didn't seem to feel embarrassed by the lack of clothing. Her attention soon shifted back to the man, because she recognised him. This was a man who had been around since her childhood days; one whom Aerith was running away from.
She heard the crunch of sand behind her. As she turned around, she saw Cloud, Tifa and Red XIII, finally arriving in Costa del Sol.
"Oh, Cloud!" She beamed.
Tifa turned to Cloud in surprise. "Look, look at that!" She exclaimed, cocking her head in the direction of the man whom Aerith noticed earlier.
Cloud regarded the suntanning man with mild interest. "Hm…? Is that man over there, Hojo?"
"Go over and talk to him." Tifa urged.
Together with Red XIII, they walked towards the direction of Professor Hojo, but Aerith stayed put. She tried to swallow her fear, but it was too strong. He always carried the scent of disinfectant, a strong and vivid reminder of her days locked in a laboratory. Just days ago, she was captured and placed in Hojo's glass cylinder together with Red XIII. The sinister look on his face and the way he looked at her as if she was no more than an experimental animal... Aerith felt her lips tremble at the memory of it all.
No, not now. She thought, shaking her head when Tifa turned to look at her inquiringly. Now is not the time, I'm not ready. Perhaps someday I can face him and my fears. I will be a stronger girl then.
Legend knocked smartly on the door of a small house. The door promptly opened, revealing his former colleague and old-time friend, Mason.
"Howdy."
"Good, you're on time." Mason grinned, opening the door wider so that the bomb-specialist could enter. "Where are your things?" Legend pointed at a medium-sized duffel in his hand. "Traveling light as usual, huh?"
"You've always got to travel light if you want to carry huge explosives. The habit stuck." Legend sat down on a wicker chair with a groan. "The weather sure is hot," he complained, fanning his pink shirt and pulling off his sunglasses. "Do you have something to drink?"
"Yes, yes. Coming." Mason drawled. He quickly whipped up a cool drink for Legend. "Just gimme a moment while I make my last preparations." Legend shrugged and took a sip from his glass. "It's been a while since you came to Costa del Sol, huh? How do you find it? Anything changed?"
Legend shrugged. "Same old, same gold. The beauty of the girls in Costa del Sol and the amount of clothing they wear is inversely proportional, if you know what I mean."
Both chuckled at the remark. "Who was the pretty one?" Mason asked.
"Brunette, green eyes, cute pink dress… She didn't know seawater was salty." Legend laughed. "Must be some country bumpkin or something."
"Never seen her." Mason commented. "Oh well, that's Costa del Sol for you. Variety is key."
"Not that I miss it much," Legend shrugged. "It was fun while it lasted. Now that my house is sold and gone…" He sighed. "It's this dingy house I've got now."
"I resent that." Mason huffed. "Since when is this house even yours?"
While under house arrest in Costa del Sol years ago, Legend met Mason, a private investigator then. Not even knowing that they will become colleagues in the future, they became friends, close enough to go out for a drink, not close enough to share their secrets openly. It was only when Legend walked into the Shinra headquarters that Mason recognized him again. With this knowledge, they became better friends than before.
"Weren't you in Wutai the last few months?" Mason asked. "So how's it? And I'm not asking about the girls."
"Meh. I've been so busy with the weaponry making that I'm not enjoying the town enough."
"Shame."
"But about a week ago, their princess disappeared."
Mason looked at Legend. "Kidnapped?"
"More like ran away from home." Legend sighed. "She's just a bratty kid who thinks she knows everything anyway. She'll come back crawling for security and protection, I'm sure. Made her father, Lord Godo, flip if anything. The whole town's in chaos, trying to find her. Everywhere I go, it's 'Yuffie Kisaragi'."
Mason dropped his shoe. "Yuffie?" He asked seriously.
"You know her?"
"If there's only one Yuffie." Mason proceeded to recount his adventure with her while he was still a Turk.
Legend listened to his story intently and finally responded with a sigh. "It feels like I've been chased out of Shinra for years. Kinda disconcerting, in a way. I didn't exactly like being a Turk, but you gotta admit, they were quite a cool bunch."
"Well, you won't have to complain for long." Mason said, finally zipping up his bag and beckoning Legend to leave. "We will be in Kalm by evening."
Thank you for reading. I'm glad many of you enjoyed the previous chapter. Yeah, it IS about time I start some mutual romance in this fic… before you guys come after me with clubs.
That's all, folks! If you're free, remember to check out my blog for more thoughts and sidenotes!