Ghosts The ghosts of the tribe Crouch in the nights beside the ghost of a fire, they try to Remember the sunlight, Light has died out of their skies. -Robinson Jeffers ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "No good, it's not going to work," Barrett scowled, slamming the hood down on the buggy. "Nothing? Nothing at all?" Yuffie half wailed, "I'm baking out here!" "Try standing in the shade then!" "Oh..." the ninja girl moved almost immediately to stand in the shade instead of the direct sunlight, her cheeks peeling already with sunburn but her mood no less buoyant for their unfortunate turn of events. The others were grouped into the shade, packed tightly together and watching the sun with a degree of miserable feelings shared out between them. Autumn in the desert seemed to be a hot time for the area, autumn here clearly meant 'way to bake your insides'. The only one who appreciated the dry, acrid heat was the red furred creature who wandered back and forth restlessly. She watched him as Tifa was trying to find some way to fan them both, she herself was too distracted with fascination, just watching that fiery tail waft back and forth, so it was when he finally spoke she almost leapt out of her skin at the suddenness of it. "I know." "Great." Cloud said, and when there was a pause, he was forced to tack on with a grumbling sigh, "You know...what?" "My home is near here." Yuffie, who was sat on a rock formation in the shade, leaned close to Barrett and Tifa, eyebrows raised curiously, "...he...has a home." If Aerith didn't know better, she could almost imagine the picture Yuffie was no doubt concocting- of Red, in a home, with no opposable thumbs, despite the talent to walk fairly passably on his hind legs. "Try not to think about it too much, maybe he lives with people," Aerith added softly. "That's right," Barrett also added, in a rumble that made her chest vibrate gently, "Around here, Cosmo Canyon." "Canyon?" "Well, the desert is actually the canyon," Red explained, looking at her, "But Cosmo is the settlement, for people who ... study." "I always wanted to visit," Barrett said then clapped his heavy gun arm into a hand decisively, "Is it far? There's bound to be some parts there we can fix the buggy with." Red nosed over his shoulder and Aerith tried to peer at the distant horizon, where he had indicated, but only a shimmer from the hot ground betrayed her eyesight with wisps of nothing, "Back there, half a day if we're good to walk." "My legs haven't failed me yet," Tifa said cheerfully. "I'll do my best," Aerith said softly, realising belatedly that this particular question was aimed at her. She wanted to invest in a wheelchair or something nippy, so she didn't feel like such a lumbering burden. Honestly though, they babied her to such extremes sometimes it was ridiculous... of course she could walk. "Don't worry about me," she smiled. "Good, then, let us be off," and he was away, bounding with energy towards the point far off. Tifa hung back with Cloud; both of them walking at her side so she wouldn't feel hard pressed to keep up with everyone, the sand backing hot beneath her booted feet. Barrett and Cait lolled together ahead of them at an easy gait, each one carrying heavy packs without so much as a glimmer of discomfort. Beyond that, Yuffie seemed to have the same reserves of energy as Red and despite those socks, which still tried to fall down and conspire to trip her up, she was catching up with him. She smiled and took both Cloud and Tifa's hand, so they both looked at her with puzzled expressions. Unable to explain, she just smiled with a short wisp of a laugh, so warmly and heartfelt her eyes closed with the strength of it and without looking, she knew both were smiling back as they walked onward. ------------------------------------------- Cosmo Canyon was well named, for by the time they reached the sprawling settlement, dusk was already falling down around them and the stars in the sky were bright pinpricks in the rich velvet feel the night seemed to have when out in the countryside. It was nestled into the canyon gorge and onto a sort of plateau that stuck out and raised it from the now darker depths where they'd been forced to leave their buggy. The soft glow of a massive bonfire kept drawing her weary eyes and she looked now and then at Aerith who fought to keep her feet underneath her, the soft hand in her firm grip weak with exertion. But despite the lack of colour in what was otherwise a luminously beautiful face, Aerith kept moving without a single word of complaint and Tifa was unsure if she should have spoken up for a rest on the flower girls behalf. Certainly, it would have won her no favours with the object of her confused affections, but... she looked so sick... Red, who had finally stopped at the top of the stone steps, turned on his haunches and looked each one over with his single golden eye, glinting with the starlight of the strange night, "This is my home, welcome to Cosmo Canyon." "It's kind of... bigger than I imagined," Barrett said, scratching at his head. "Cosmo Canyon has stood for years, countless centuries..." Red glanced to the guard at the entrance, who was nervously shifting a halberd around, then his tongue lolled out in a curious wolf-like grin and with a burst of speed from his hind legs, he was bounding inside, crying out, "Please let them in, they helped me some on the road!" "Oh, is that so..." The guard turned back to them and looked them all over too. Tifa almost pushed at her hair, so intense was the scrutiny and so sharp her awareness that she indeed, looked a dire mess from days spent on the plains in all the sandy dust and little to no access to anything resembling hot water. "You helped our Nanaki? Then come in..." "Nanaki?" Yuffie looked confused, "Who's that?" "Nanaki is... well...” He gestured after the furry creature. "...Nanaki." Cloud muttered from the other side of Aerith where he was holding her elbow to help keep the girl on her feet, "That cleared a lot of things up right there, I can see that this place is a lesson in frustration and cryptic answers." "Cloud," she admonished, "Don't be such a grump. Besides, it means a warm bed and a hot meal." "And a bath," Aerith added softly. "Exactly, hot water." Tifa scowled at their leader, "It's been almost a week since I've managed to sink into a hot bath and with this heat and sweating, I must smell awful. So if you don't mind, I'm going to find a nice, hot spring." They were walking inside, trudging wearily would be closer, with the exception of Cait, who never seemed to tire, and Yuffie, who whooped and bounded off into the settlement before anyone could think to stop her, and tell her to keep sticky fingers to herself. She attempted this, of course, whilst hopping and pulling up a sock. Cait, who seemed to have grasped the sudden air of dismal despair that sank across their entire faces bar Aerith's, nodded and followed Yuffie, as if to try and act as some kind of watchman. Tifa sighed wearily and clasped at Aerith's hand, smiling warmly, "Aer-" "Tifa, lets follow Red." She stared at Cloud across the top of Aerith's head; glared would be closer. He looked right back, cool and calm. For a brief moment she felt her heart spasm and she tightened her handhold on Aerith - was he intentionally trying to keep her and the Ancient from spending any time together at all? "I was just..." "Its okay, Teef, I need a good hot soak anyway. You can come and find me when it's over, right?" Aerith sighed softly, struggling to stand on her own. But the smile she gave her was warm. The green eyes seemed to glow in the night; no eyes were more beautiful than those eyes to Tifa. Reluctantly she let go, aware her expression was sullen and nodded, "Alright, don't soak up -all- the heat though, alright?" "Would I do that?" "Maybe," Tifa half smiled and looked to the guard, "Can you help her to the hot springs? I'd rather not leave her alone... but..." The guard nodded and Tifa pretended she didn't see the flash of exasperation that fled across the flower girls face. Instead she purposefully turned away and strode after Red with Cloud, hoping that she wasn't going to come back to having her ears roasted off with some of Aerith's well hidden sharp tongue - she really always knew the best way to wound someone with words. The place where Red had fled to was a tall building with a winding staircase that weaved inside and out of the sturdy, cool stone structures with the elongated, open windows to allow air to flow in and out with ease. She passed a weapon's shop and a few homes where she was almost certain she could hear the familiar, adolescent tones of Yuffie squeaking about her number one obsession: Materia. The came finally to a ladder, which they both climbed up with some trepidation and it came to the biggest plateau of all, atop all the other buildings. Cloud made to go into the building, but she ignored him and went to the edge of the flat ledge and stared out across the way, into the unblinking night and felt the coll air of evening on her exposed skin, pebbling it. Her eyes were heavy as she cut across the mountain range of the canyon to the west where several tall spires of darkness rose indiscriminately, massive and touching the night where they seemed to fold into it, setting the stars to jangling in crystalline tones. Those mountains were the Nibelheim ones. She hadn't realised how close she was getting to that place. Soon, perhaps a matter of days after their business here was concluded, they'd be hiking over the vast grassy plains and then, further into the heart of where all her madness had started. She clutched at her chest with a stab of agony, feeling like she should bend over from a blow to her stomach. Sephiroth. He would be there. It was as if he were leading them there, to cruelly play with their minds and memories, to break their spirits. Is that so? Is that what you are doing? Well, bring it on, Sephiroth, bring it on! I'm not scared of you... I'm not. I don't know what you are, but you're nothing like Aerith, and if you want to destroy everything because of that one person in your life, then I want to save it all. For her. ...and this stupid scar you gave me? That's nothing. You hear me? You're nothing to me... and you never will be. "Tifa?" She gave a jump and hurriedly tugged her hand down, turning to smile as brightly and falsely as she could at the slightly perplexed expression of Cloud. "Y-yes?" "Why are you crying?" I'm crying? She opened her dark eyes, surprised to find the salty sting in her eyes. It was burning down her cheeks and to her collarbones, "It was the wind, it was in my eyes." "Bugehagen," -who?- "Has a machine inside. I wondered if you'd like to see it? I was going to ask Aerith, but I think she already knows how it works." "I...I don't feel up to it, I'm sorry." Cloud tilted his head, looking confused. She wanted to hug him suddenly and cry her heart out, tell him that she didn't want to go back to Nibelheim and the only way he'd do it was by tying her arms and legs together and carrying her like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. She wanted to tell him that it was all a lie... So it was she knew the gulf between them, as friends, as her only childhood link, was widening and she had no idea of how to reach across that gap and drag herself back. Because on this side, she knew she loved Aerith, she knew she had many great things left to do, and she knew that somehow, with Aerith's help, she would be able to heal that wound on his psyche. Somehow. But not right now. "Cloud, after this, we'll be going home." "I know. Are you okay with that?" "...I don't think so. But we have to go there anyway, to follow Sephiroth." Tifa turned her head to the side, "And he's similar to Aerith, both of them... they're like us but at the same time, nothing like us. I feel like she's fading away the closer we get to him. I want to stay away from all of it, so she won't fade but... but she wouldn't, because of you." "Me!" "She seems to feel like she has to follow you too." Tifa laughed shortly, then shook her head and started past him to the ladder, "It really gets to me, you know? It's always about you." "Tifa," he hesitated, "What are you trying to say?" "..." she shut her eyes with the familiar wring of pain then opened them to clamber down the ladder with only her cryptic silence left behind her. Cloud was watching her go, but she didn't say anything, leaving him there as she touched the solid ground of the indoor houses. She supposed it was the perfect time for a bath, or to even see what life was like in this settlement. If anything, Cloud would find someone else to take with him and see that machine. It's not that it didn't interest her... it's just that Aerith interested her far more. The people of the canyon seemed to be, on the whole, happy people who spoke with a sing-song accent that reminded her of the doctors she had seen in her youth, when her mother was very sick. She examined the weapons shop merchandise, finding enough cash for a new pair of gloves for herself (her old ones were looking a touch tatty around the knuckle area) and a shining staff that she knew Aerith would just love. So with the present under her arm, she went looking for the Ancient. Tifa found her in the most unlikely of places, the tavern. When she slid in, she realised that Aerith was so deep in conversation with the Canyon elder that she hadn't even noticed her friend; the look of intensity on the pale face was firm. So Tifa slide to the bar, where she pretended to try and cajole the recipe for 'Cosmo Candle' out of the barkeep without any success, all the while sipping the aforementioned drink and eavesdropping on the conversation between Aerith and the Elder. Aerith was saying; "...so other Ancients, they came through here, before?" "Ifalna did, you really are the image of your mother." "Thank you. I thought she was beautiful... can you tell me, about... Jenova?" "Jenova, eh? The calamity from the skies. Legend has it, that it fell at the Knowlespole and destroyed a good chunk of Land. Jenova, wearing the guise of a human, came amongst the people, befriending them. But something changed, along the way, either she must have become sick with a space virus or been evil at heart, for she turned the people against the Cetra. In the end, Jenova was so lethal to the planet that the Cetra were forced to seal her away in the rock, over two thousand years ago. But the disease of Jenova had already worked it's magic... it ran into the veins of the Cetra and turned a majority mad, then into the monsters that roam the land. The remaining Cetra scattered as far from the Knowlespole as possible." "...monsters are... cetra?" Her voice was horrified. "Maybe once. But they bred and mutated. Anything that was Cetra inside them is now long dead in their ancestors." The elder puffed on his pipe, "But then, you must realise if you think along those terms, then realise that humans and Cetra are too, related." "...we are?" "When the Cetra settled here after a migration to raise the spirit energy of the Planet there appeared those among them who were opposed to moving on and elected to settle on the Planet. Over time, the two tribes became humans and cetra. The humans lost their link to the Planet and all their magical powers. The Cetra and humans maintained good relations though, until recent events with your mother and the ShinRa. Now..." "..." Aerith bent her head and if Tifa was a canny judge of any situation, she would swear she was crying. But she didn't do anything, apart from sip at her drink and try to ignore the sick feeling roiling around in her stomach. Poor Aerith. ------------------------------------------- How pretty the fire is. How they all sit there and stare so sadly into it. ...what do I do now? I didn't know the history of my people, my mother never really communicated too much about it to me. It's a sad and tragic story, that we fought so hard for the future of this world and it turned against us. Even the unfortunate story of Jenova. She seems so angry at everything; at everyone... is Sephiroth even aware in his madness that his mother reviles everything that the settlers of this world have become, not him? His anger at ShinRa I understand, but to go to this length... ...Planet... please, try and help me. I want to find a way to help everything, everyone. Mother. You used to say that one day, I'd find my way out of Midgar and seek out my own promised land... well.. ...sitting here and looking at their faces, at the distant face of Cloud or the laughing face of Yuffie as she sulks over the lack of materia; at Tifa's face which is stained with wordless tears or the strong, comforting face of Barrett who makes me feel like he'll shoulder all the problems I have, even Red who stares at the fire sadly... all of them. Right here. This is my Promised Land. Having friends, feeling like I belong, and love. All of that, mother, I have it all. What would I give up for the solution to this problem, you ask? ...I'd give up myself. I'd give up everything, so they can have it all. That's enough, right? Mother... when you met father, how did you know it was love? Butterflies? Strong sense of security? The ability to be yourself? All of those... I see... But how pretty the fire is... perhaps... I'll just consider it for a while, alright? ...alright... ------------------------------------------- The old man who came to the fire was old in the way of the world his face marked with happiness but many, many creases and his beard long, to his knees as he rode in a kind of hovercraft. His eyes though, a warm and twinkling hazel seemed to want to laugh at every little thing. "Hohoho," he boomed in a strong voice that belied his fragile frame, "You really can't forgive your father?" Red looked up from where he had been talking to Cloud, Aerith noticed the fur of his muzzle was slick with tears. He shook his head, "Of course... ...he left mother for dead. When the Gi tribe attacked he ran off by himself, leaving mother and the people of the canyon!" Bugenhagen shook his head gently, the firelight making that white beard of his glow gently and suddenly, Aerith knew this was the kind of man that her father would have become... if he'd lived even long enough to be given a face from her memories. "Come, Nanaki, there is something that you should see." Red stood up and loped over to him, eye puzzled. "...?" "The place will be dangerous," the old man smiled at Cloud, "Will you and one other person please come along with us?" "Alright..." Cloud stood up and she fixed her eyes on the ground, knowing the words he was going to say before he did, "Aerith, come on then." "Wait," Tifa flared, standing up with sudden fire in her words, "You can't take her there and expose her to that kind of danger. Not without m- ...measures taken at least!" You almost said 'me', Teef... "Are you saying I won't protect her, well enough?" Cloud challenged back. Yuffie leaned towards Barrett with her brows lifted in some confusion, her hair shining in the dark and fire glow, "Uh, what's going on?" Barrett, in turn, just looked at Tifa and Cloud, then down to herself. She tried fixing her eyes anywhere but his soft brown gaze, which seemed more amused than admonishing, as he rumbled, "Seems t'me like they're arguing a little more than over safety." She blushed and could hear Barrett laughing, a sound she tried to shut out as much as she was aware of Tifa lifting her hands in a vaguely threatening gesture. So she gripped her hands around the staff and stood up quickly with a short laugh, holding the new weapon close to her, drawing every eye. "It... it's alright, Teef, just an opportunity to try out the gift you got me." Cloud's eyes went to narrowed slits as he stared at the weapon. Tifa's smile was faintly smug, as she glanced at Cloud briefly from Aerith. "...If you think you can handle it." "I can, trust me." "Always. But," Tifa rounded again on Cloud, who hadn't appeared to have expected it and thusly, jumped from his own skin, a good foot into the air, "If she comes back with a single scratch from her, I am kicking your ass all over this canyon!" "Idiot," Cloud snorted and folded his arms, "I won't let her come to any harm." Aerith laughed and shook her head, "You two. Friends shouldn't argue, right? Let's be going then..." "Yeah," Cloud muttered and came to stand behind her, and they walked off into the night. It wasn't far before she could hear the cursing of Tifa as she kicked dirt at the fire, and she smiled to herself. Sorry Teef, I'll make it up to you, somehow. --------------------------------------- The blood dripping from her cheek didn't bother her much. In fact, as she crouched close to Bugenhagen as Red and Cloud finished the violent and vicious ghost off, she was glad she could still feel some pain. The caves were an intricate honeycomb of confusing rooms and pathways, it had disorientated her and left her feeling hollow, numb almost inside. That feeling had eaten away at her, bit by bit, until they came to this final room and some kind of primal instinct had come over her, surging up the powers handed to her from her forefathers. They had been... incredible... She still could feel her fingers tingling from the magic that ran, roughshod, in her veins. There was no other word for it than short of miraculous. The Planet had calmly informed her in that strange jumble of words and music, that this was the inherited trait of her particular bloodline, the ability to heal and support others. Once, long ago, other families had retained traits much like these. Elemental specialist families, non elemental, summoners, healers... the list went on... But as time faded and the bloodlines thinned, somehow the healer lines remained more dominant. There was no one on the planet with this amount of magical influence in their blood, apart from Sephiroth. She was shaking from the intensity of it, even as she and Bugen' came from hiding when it was all safe. Cloud was slightly scorched and scowled, seeing the cut running across her cheek, but the elderly man seemed pleased, perhaps more than pleased. "Thank you, because of you two, we all survived the dangers of this cave. You too, Nanaki, you have grown strong too." "Oh yeah?" Red said, curiosity burning in his voice. "I now know that bringing you here was no mistake... Come, the place we seek is just up ahead..." and so saying, he floated in that direction on the hover-chair. Aerith came to Cloud's side and smiled wearily, trying to indicate that all her healing magic was spent. He shrugged and moved his hand so his thumb ran over the cut on her cheek, wiping away the blood that was dripping. "I'm going to get yelled at," he sighed. "I don't think she'd yell too much. She's just very protective, that's all." "You're worth protecting." Aerith blushed as he waited for her to enter first, then he followed after her into the next cave which turned out to be an open gorge crack. She stopped and tilted her head back, looking up at the vibrant sky and then... at... she narrowed her eyes, trying to see the figure that crouched on the flat of a gorge side. It was similar to Red, just a touch more grizzled and bear arrows that stuck from its strong body at painful angles, the figure seemingly made from stone. "This is..." Red said softly. "...The warrior who fought against the Gi," Bugenhagen said quietly, just as softly, so not to disturb the strange peace. "He kept them from taking even one step into Cosmo Canyon. But he was never able to return to town. Look, Nanaki," He waved a hand, "Look at your father, at the warrior, Seto!" Aerith clapped her hands to her mouth, eyes filling with compassionate tears as Red looked as shocked as she'd ever seen him to be. The air was pregnant with tension, as Red lowered his gaze from the stone figure, to Bugen in horror and wonder, all mixed together. "That... that's Seto?" "Seto continued to fight the Gi tribe here. ...to protect this Canyon, even after the Gi's poisonous arrows turned his body to stone, even after they all ran away, he continued to protect us, and he continues now." "Even now..." "You thought that he was a coward and he ran away. But he alone risked his life to protect Cosmo Canyon... that is your father, Seto." "Did..." Red's normally collected voice was shaking, "Did mother know?" "Ho ho hooo! She knew. The two of them made me promise to seal this cave shut," Bugen's eyes glinted with memories and he came to touch Red gently on his head, a comforting gesture, "They asked me to do it myself and never tell anyone about it. They said we should forget about this place." At the cat's sudden silence, he turned to them and said, "...would you mind leaving us alone for a bit?" Wordless, both she and Cloud nodded, filing from the cave where she was sure she could sense Red's tears with the after-burn of her magic. In the cool of the cave, she stood not too far from Cloud and smiled gently. All their panic in trying to escape the strange monsters and ghosts of these honeycomb caves, so that Red would finally have some peace, it was worth it. "Now you're crying too." Cloud sounded amused and she looked up, "Why is everyone crying today?" "It's just a day for tears," she laughed, despite those selfsame tears cutting down her tanned cheeks, "Don't you ever feel like crying sometimes?" "Well sure, but I try and wait it out, so I don't lose my masculine edge." He winked. She laughed harder, hand to her cheek, "Your masculine edge?" "Are you trying to say you haven't noticed? Pfft," he looked vaguely deflated. "Now I just feel a bit short changed!" "Cloud," she smiled, "You try your best to cheer me up, and you don't have to." "I want to. You're... special to me." "C-Cloud..." her cheeks were on fire and hands almost strangled the necklace. But just as she was sure she knew what she wanted to say to him, a howl cut sharply through their moment and she turned suddenly. "...Red..." But the moment was lost... and like many other moments, she'd not get it back again... ----------------------------------------- "Cloud!" She stared, watching as Tifa chased the blond mercenary around the front plateau. He seemed to be vaguely slower than her (possibly having a sword that could double as a tree trunk didn't help) and she was gaining quickly. The others stood with her, watching as they dashed here and there in a comical game of cat and mouse. "I told you," Tifa raged, so hotly that it was a wonder steam didn't spout from her ears, "One scratch! One scratch!" "Ahhhh!" Cloud yelled as he fled past them, only to be tripped up and immediately, the scuffle between two Nibelheim residents started with Cosmo residents egging them on. She laughed and cupped a hand to her cheek, where the thin strip of white bandage had been applied. Yes, this is my Promised Land. "Tifa, that hurts! OW!"
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