Chapter Twenty-Five

In Costa Del Sol, it was generally easy to find a boat going to Gongaga, Junon, Wutai, or Bone Village. This was still true, with an exception for the last location, Tifa and Barret had found. Cloud had departed days before them to Junon, and they were still struggling to find a boat willing to risk the trip to Bone Village. Apparently, the harbor was rife with monsters that seemed rather adept at sinking boats. While some boats were able to get through, shipping to and from Bone Village was not something the average merchant ship was willing to risk.

“Look,” Tifa said, feeling exasperated as they talked with what seemed like the hundredth captain who had turned them down for passage to Bone Village. “You know who were are? I’m Tifa Strife – Cloud Strife’s wife. Cloud Strife runs the Academy, ever heard of that?”

“Yeah, I have,” the captain replied.

“Well, we can deal with any sea monsters that show up, trust me, it won’t be an issue.” Tifa flashed her bracers which glittered with powerful materia. Barret tinkered with his gun, an impressive weapon that also had its own striking collection of materia.

“That would only help me getting into Bone Village,” the captain pointed out. “I can’t afford to sit and wait until you are have done all you need to before I leave. I know you types, you have a tendency to go gallivanting off at the mere scent of adventure.”

“We do not-“ Barret’s hand on her shoulder interrupted her indignant protest.

“Com’on Tifa. He’s not our man. Let’s see if we can find a man some balls in ‘is sack.” The captain scowled at Barret for the insult, but Barret scowled right back at him. The captain turned away hurriedly and got back to his business in his boat. Barret escorted Tifa off the pier, where the both looked at the other boats, wondering if it was even worth the effort to ask another captain.

“Pardon me,” grated a voice from behind them. They both jumped and turned to face the source of the voice. A man stood there, clearly dressed for sea, but not looking like he had changed clothes in the last decade, at least. The smell coming off the man seemed to follow that evaluation as well. Tifa wrinkled her nose and took a small step back.

“Pardon me,” the man repeated, his voice harsh from years of overuse, “but I heard yerselves have been asking for a boat to the northern continent.”

“Yeah,” Barret answered, “that’s right, we are.”

“Well, ah, I might be able to be of some assistance to yerselves,” the man said. “If you protect my boat, I’ll take you up there… however…” He eyed them, choosing his next words carefully. “We won’t be landing at Bone Village. I know of a safe harbor to the west. It’s a couple of days walking to Bone Village.”

“You are a smuggler,” Tifa said, sniffing disdainfully. “We don’t deal with criminals.” She turned to leave, but Barret caught her arm gently.

“Now, Tifa,” he said, “it ain’t polite just to go judging people so fast like that. You gotta give ‘im a chance. You know dat there are some new villages springin’ up all over – might be this here fellow is just ‘elping out one of ‘em.”

“That is precisely the truth,” the man answered. “I, ah, service one of the new communities with goods, and trade for what they are mining out of the northern mountains.

“Mining,” Tifa said flatly.

“Ah, yes, mining,” the man answered, starting to fidget under her stern gaze.

“What are they minin’?” Barret asked. Tifa recalled that Barret had been a formidable miner before the days of Avalanche, and he still oversaw some mining operations in North Corel. If there truly was mining being down in the north continent, he would want to know about his potential competition.

“Nothing in specific,” the man replied evasively, “just ores. In any case,” he continued, seemingly eager to change the subject, “I am offering yerselves a good deal. Not another captain here likely to make the same offer. I would expect yerselves to be with me on the return trip. I can give you two weeks on land while I change over my cargo. Is that enough?”

“It will have to be,” Tifa answered. They couldn’t have any more delays, as they were already days behind schedule. If this was the only man going to the Northern Continent, then he would have to do. She signed heavily. It seemed like they were back in the days of before, when they were running from Shin-Ra and hiding in whatever dark, dank places they could find. She hated that existence. She hated being away from her children.

“My name is Mark,” the man said, holding out a grimy hand for her to shake. “Glad to have you aboard.” Tifa looked at his hand, not feeling inclined to shake it. Barret stepped forward and shook the man’s hard heartily, no doubt squeezing it uncomfortably tight, but the man didn’t protest. “Please follow me,” he said when Barret released his hand. They nodded and followed the man to the far end of the harbor, where his boat, a small vessel, though it did appear to be in good repair, waited. Tifa had expected a dirty bucket of a boat, but this vessel was hardly that.

Well, I’ll be glad for small boons, she thought, since that is all we seem to be getting these days.

Blood. The scarlet fluid coated the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the bodies…. The bodies… there was many… many bodies. All dead. Very dead. Completely … dead. Long dead. How long had they been dead? His vision was… confused. Overlapping images of carnage danced across his view. Dry, flaking blood overlaid with bright, dripping blood. Dead hours, or dead weeks? What this the smell of the freshly slaughtered or the rotting dead?

Cloud turned away, away from the bodies, the blood, the death, exiting the building without a backward glance. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. Not the blood, not the bodies, not the time of their deaths. They were all dead. Time did not matter to the dead. The only thing that mattered was the Sephiroth…. Sephiroth had killed them. That was an irrefutable fact. And that was the only thing that mattered.

“Why didn’t you tell us this last night?” Cid demanded as they sat around a table, having just broke their fast in the dim light of the pre-dawn hours. Vincent had appeared after the remnants of their breakfast had been cleared away and told them of the information he had learned the night before concerning Sephiroth’s location and apparent mission.

“If the information is correct, then we are better leaving now, with a full day of light to guide us, to catch them on their return trip.” Vincent’s reply was cool, his expression hidden by the shadows of his veils.

“Do you really think he’s going to traipse back through the first to bring back honey for a sick kid?” Cid’s voice clearly indicated he didn’t believe that such a thing would happen.

“Honeycomb,” Yuffie correct.

“It could be shit, for all the likelihood of that bastard actually going out and bringing it for a kid,” Cid emphasized the last word heavily.

“I have reason to believe the information is correct,” Vincent said.

“What reason would that be,” Cid said, scowling heavily at Vincent. The pilot was very fidgety in the morning, having not yet had a smoke and he had been asked, politely, by the tavern keeper’s wife to refrain from smoking while in the building. A glance at Nanaki seemed to confirm the red cat had known of such a policy when choosing the location.

“Sephiroth is searching for the artifacts taken from the Ancient’s City. I believe he was offered a trade for artifacts in exchange for the item for the child.”

“It is interesting,” Nanaki interjected, “that he did not simply kill the man for the artifacts. To negotiate a trade as such is very…” he trailed off, searching for the right world. “Very unusual,” he said, after a moment. Vincent’s eyes shifted to meet Nanaki’s, becoming visible as he turned his head. Neither spoke, but a message was sent, and acknowledged.

“Maybe the woman with him, this Jyleth,” Yuffie added, “maybe she’s responsible for this, ah, odd behavior of his.”

“Heh,” Cid snorted, “just like a woman. Always dicking around with a man, trying to get him to change.”

“There is nothing wrong with changing,” she pointed out.

“There is when it’s bad for your health,” answered Cid.

“Yuffie,” Vincent said, quickly deciding to stop the two from arguing any further. “You should go. It is important for you to reach Cosmo Canyon as quickly as possible.”

“Going, going,” Yuffie replied, picking up her pack and weapons.

“Where is she going?” Cid watched her depart quickly, disappearing quickly into the murky morning light.

“To alert Cosmo Canyon of both Sephiroth’s presence and to have them seal the canyons to prevent that avenue of escape,” Vincent answered.

“Why not send Red?” asked the pilot.

“Because I would have refused to go,” said Nanaki. “I am needed for this battle.”

“Well,” Cid said, considering. “I guess you have a point.” As they prepared to leave, the tavern keeper came up to them, an expression of concern on his face.

“Bad storm coming in,” Geoff said, gesturing to the windows and the darkness that was steadily growing to the west. “It be a good idea to sit this one out here in town. The storms have been real bad here lately, and the monsters… they seem to have really fearsome monsters in them. We’ve found people that were left out in them… well, we found parts of them. Not pretty.”

“We cannon wait,” said Cid bluntly. Nanaki flicked his tail, clearly considering the information.

“There are storms this time of year,” the red cat said. “Nothing particularly unusual.”

“It’s been a lot worse this year,” Geoff insisted, “trust me, I know about the usual stuff. This is different. They come every couple days. And they are fierce nasty with anyone caught out in them. So far, we’ve been okay here in town, but we’ve heard things. You know, sounds, of things, big things, moving out there, in the forest, during these storms.” He looked back out the window, clearly shaken by recalling the memories and the prospect of having to live through it again.

“Nothing we can’t handle,” Cid insistsed, hefting his staff meaningfully. “We are not your average travelers.”

“Thank you for the advice,” Nanaki said. “We will be watching.”

They left the tavern and strode out into the town in the early morning gloom. No people from the town were out, unless they were busy nailing a board over a window or two. Most of them glanced apprehensively around them, although the storm was still many miles distant.

“It will slow them more than us,” Vincent stated as they reached the edge of town and stood at the foot of the trail heading to Ancient’s Forest. “They are no doubt already in it – and will possibly attempt to flee it. We can catch them unawares.” He started quickly down the path, followed by Nanaki and Cid.

Jyleth felt a movement at her side, instantly coming to full awareness from the unfamiliar feeling. She opened her eyes to find a pair of startling green eyes gazing into her. Sephiroth jerked back when he realized he had woken her. She barely detected a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye that she guessed to be his hand, which must have been hovering over her face. Once he had moved out of her view, she was able to see the sky. It was overcast, pre-dawn light eerily illuminating the clouds, casting a surreal glow over the landscape. A light touch on her stomach drew her attention back to Sephiroth. He sat by her side, resting his hand lightly on her waist.

“I can’t sense it,” he said softly, his attention riveted on what lay beneath his hand, as if his concentration would allow him to see what lay below within her flesh. “Before, I could tell that a life – a separate entity – was growing in you. I could see it. It was … a spark. Now I see nothing. Sense nothing.”

“Sephiroth,” Jyleth couldn’t keep the sympathy out of her voice. He glanced sharply at her, as if suddenly surprised to hear her voice. “I believe it’s there,” she continued. “It would explain a few things. Such as,” she added with a grimace, “my apparent sea-sickness. I told you I don’t get seasick.”

“Enough with the excuses for the seasickness,” Sephiroth said, smiling at her. “I believe you, it was because you were…then…” He stumbled a little over the words, considering the implication. “When do you think you were first…”

“Pregnant?” She supplied the world with a smile, slowly sitting up and resting her hand over his. “I believe she interfered where nature would have naturally taken its course.” She counted the weeks mentally, surprised to find the final total to be nearly three months. Sephiroth’s hand trembling slightly under hers brought her back to the present. She carefully wrapped her fingers around his. He started to pull his hand back, but she tightened her grip until he stilled.

“Jyleth,” he started, the catch in his voice, indicating his uncertainty. She pulled his hand toward her, slowly falling back against the cloak beneath her. He started to resist, but gradually let her pull him down. He rested a hand on either side of her, stopping himself from putting his weight on her. Smiling, Jyleth brought her hands to his hair, pulling him down to her so that she could kiss him.

“Stop it,” she told him irritably, breaking off the kiss and thumping him on the shoulder. “We already discussed this isn’t a problem.”

“Jyleth, maybe we shouldn’t risk-“

“You are not listening to me!” She balled her hand in a fist and hit him soundly on the arm, right between the two major muscles of the upper arm.

“Ow,” he said, rolling off her and rubbing his arm. He sat by her side again, glaring at her accusingly.

“You deserved that,” she said leaning forward and kissing him fiercely as she wrapped her arms around his waist. His body was at first tense, but he slowly relaxed, his hands moving to her body and carefully touching her. He slowly ended the kiss, trailing his mouth down her chin to her neck, which he nibbled lightly. Then he rather firmly put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back.

“I just want,” he sighed softly, caressing the side of her face with his hand. He pulled her toward him, gathering her carefully in his arms. "I just should hold you, for now, I think." Briefly, his arms tightened around her, as close to a hug as he had even given. "Yes," his whispered softly in her ear. "Just this for now."

As the pre-dawn glow changed from pink to sultry grey of heavy clouds, they lay in each other's arms, not quite asleep but not quite away either. Soft mutterings of the wind began to increase in strength, alerting them that a morning deluge was eminent. Jyleth extracted herself from Sephiroth's embrace, examining the sky and the relative lack of cover their campsite lay in.

"This won't do," she said, rising quickly. Sephiroth followed her example, picking up both their cloaks and shaking them out.

"Should we try to get back to the town?" He asked as he handed her cloak. Gathering her belongings and bundling herself in her cloak, Jyleth cast another look at the sky. The wind was almost constant now, bearing with it cold drafts and the smell of impending rainfall.

"I don't think we'd made it back in time," she said. Her statement was punctuated by a flash of lighting, followed a few seconds later by booming thunder.

"Perhaps that cabin we passed then," Sephiroth said, though he really didn't like the idea.

"Wasn't much more than a shack was it?" She smiled at him lightly. "Ah well, it'll be better than nothing! Let's go."

"Maybe we should have stayed in town and waited the storm out . After all, these people know the area and when they say a bad storm is coming…" Cid trailed off, taking in a long drag from his nearly spent cigarette before grinding the remaining butt between his heel and the moldering leaves on the forest path they walked.

"If we had stayed there, we would have lost too much light," Vincent said without turning to look at Cid, "This is a chance we can’t let go.”

Nanaki looked evenly at both of them, but said nothing. He chose to continue down the path instead. Lightning flickered brilliantly across the sky, temporarily blinding them. Cid shivered, shrugging deeper into his coat. He started to pull out another cigarette, but changed his mind and tucked his chilled hands into his coat. Vincent was already disappearing down the trail.

The sky darkened considerably over the next few minutes. As the first drops of cold rain began to fall, Cid called out to Vincent, having to shout above the rising wind. "We need to find shelter!" Vincent turned around, meeting Cid's eyes. His face was masked by the collar, inscrutable as always. The first few drops quickly escalated into a downpour, drenching the three travelers in moments. Vincent cast his eyes off to the side of the trail, as if he were looking for some sort of shelter to magically appear there. Nanaki slid back from his place at point, sliding around Vincent to peer at Cid.

"He is right Vincent," Nanaki said. "This storm is not going to blow over quickly." He paused, cocking his head slightly to the side, as if he had heard something interesting from the same side of the trail that Vincent's gaze now rested. How he could hear anything beyond the roar of the wind, rain, and thunder was beyond Cid.

"There is something..." Nanaki started, turning his body to now fully face the side of the trail. "Something not right." A sudden crash that could be heard above the storm from that direction seemed to support what he said. Vincent's gun materialized in his hand, the movement too fast for Cid to see. Vincent held the gun steadily in the direction of the noise, his posture ready for battle.

"This would be a very bad area for a fight," Cid said, moving closer to Vincent and Nanaki, yet readying his spear at the same time.

"Follow me," Nanaki said, suddenly turning from the source of the noise and springing off the trail in the opposite direction. Cid and Vincent didn't hesitate a moment, turning and fleeing after the red cat. Their pace increased when a thundering roar that was definitely not a product of the storm came from behind them.

Nanaki lead them though the increasingly tangling brush at a blistering pace. Vincent struggled until he was forced to put his gun away in order to use both his hands to clear a way though the tightly woven branches. Cid had equal difficulties with his staff. Both of them received tiny little cuts from the branches and they shoved their way through. Nanaki seemed to just slide through the brush, as if the plants parted to let him through.

Finally, they burst out in a clearing, all three of them stumbling on suddenly unencumbered feet. They gathered together in unspoken agreement that they would make their stand in that clearing. Vincent drew his gun once more, carefully checking it over.

"Does that work when it's wet?" Cid asked, motioning to the gun. Vincent gave Cid a very scornful look, choosing not to answer what he obviously felt was a ridiculous question.

A flash from the forest itself, in the direction that had just fled from, hurtled toward them, effectively ending all thought of conversation. The group scattered from the lightning spell as it burst into the clearing, running parallel to the ground. Massive chunks of trees flew into the clearing, carried by the spell as it ripped through the forest. Cid ducked and jumped two of the larger pieces that came at him, but he never saw the third, a massive limb, that hit him in the back. A searing pain radiated from his lower back, followed by a darkness that swallowed his consciousness.