3rd POV:
Ok.
Nox could create an atomic blast.
That didn't mean he SHOULD.
It was a massive blunt hammer devastating the surroundings, will definitely kill his allies and while it didn't kill him it harmed him too, if he didn't have the Mako armor and probably caused some radiation.
Maybe. He wasn't using Uranium fission characteristics as energy build up to use some sort of mechanism to split the atom, he was straight up cutting the atom by making the strands the right size and applying the right force. Whether that meant radiation too, he had no idea.
So, essentially while it was AN option it required very specific circumstances for him to want to use it.
And he always liked precision tools anyway, so it was no real loss to him anyways.
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They made their way easily enough through the mines, stumbling upon black robbed people at the end of it.
''Uh, who are these guys?,'' Barret asked.
''Why don't we ask?,'' Zack replied and quickly walked over to them. They were all lined up, looking over the cliff towards Junon in the distance.
''Heya, who are you guys?,'' Zack asked in a friendly manner.
They just groaned and continued to stand still, still watching Junon in the distance.
''They give the impression of a cult or something,'' Nox commented.
''You think so?,'' Nanaki asked him.
''I mean... they all dress the part and if the shoe fits...,'' Nox shrugged.
''They aren't. They are victims of Hojo's project Reunion. Their mental faculties aren't really there anymore,'' Aerith replied.
''What are they doing?,'' Barret asked her, since he just remembered that she could see the future, in an manner of speaking. Or the past. Or the present....
She could talk to the planet. Frankly that whole future memories past present otherworldly stuff flew right over his head.
''Following Sephiroth's call,'' she replied.
''Well, in that case,'' Nox brought out his sword and began approaching them.
''Whoaa!!,'' Zack replied hastily and jumped in front of him. TIfa hastily too.
''Nox, what are you doing ?!,'' Aerith asked him with disbelief.
''Removing his agents,'' Nox explained calmly.
''Wouldn't it be better to leave them alive and follow them? It doesn't even look like they are doing anything harmful,'' Cloud reasoned.
''They don't look like they intend to do harm NOW. Could always change,'' Nox told him.
''Does their number mean anything?,'' Barret asked, not finding it in himself to completely disagree with Nox.
''Hojo did his experiments and if he was done with them or they showed promise or they peaked his interest he numbered them,'' Red explained.
''And if they were a failure?,'' Barret asked him.
''Then he discarded them. I understand Nox' pragmatism, but I doubt they will pose any harm to others,'' Red explained.
Nox sighed and sheathed his sword.
Suddenly the Condor swept from under they cliff into the sky and grabbed one of the black robbed men as it flew by. The other black robbed men barely reacted, instead they began making their way toward Junon.
'Good Condor,' Nox thought in his head.
''Again. Should we follow them?,'' Cloud reiterated his earlier questions, since it wasn't answered.
''What for? To lead us to Sephiroth? We are not his dogs and we already have our course of action. So far, there is no reason to diverge from it,'' Nox shrugged and began making his way to Junon as well.
''Fair enough,'' Cloud nodded and followed after him. The others too.
While Nox was walking on ahead, he contemplated.
He was already suspicious of Cloud. A little. Thanks to Zack he knew Cloud awoke Hojo's interest in him, because he killed Sephiroth and he tried to use him as a candidate to bring him back. Which probably meant Jenova cells.
Was Cloud numbered like they were?
As a matter of fact, if Cloud was an unwitting agent/ spy in their midst WHY allow them to encounter the black robes? Was Sephiroth or Jenova trying to drive a wedge between them all? Mind games?
But Cloud wasn't dribbling spit and acting out of it, like the Black Robes were.
Should he...? But Aerith would have said something, if that was the case.
No. For now, he will observe and continue to act as if he suspected nothing. But at the earliest opportunity he will look at Cloud for any tattooed number. The robbed men, all had their number tattooed near their shoulder, but Cloud who had his arms exposed couldn't boast of such a mark.
Huh. His natural disposition to not share everything with everyone served him well, in that case. Good thing or else one of his traps wouldn't have worked otherwise. Or work, since Sephiroth still had to trigger it.
In any case, he will not act. Yet.
''Junon, used to be the capital for the Old Junon Republic. Then they fought a war with Shinra, lost and now it is only a small fishing village. Shinra built that massive metal contraption into the side of the mountain to block out sunlight to them as punishment,'' Barret told them.
He sneered.
''They just can't stop helping themselves. Building vanity projects to stroke their ego,'' Barret commented.
''Be that as it may, we should look for bounties, an inn and when the ferry arrives to carry us across the Meridean Sea to Costa Del Sol,'' Nox replied.
''I'm not saying no to a comfortable bed, right now,'' Zack stretched his arms.
---
They found the inn easy enough and booked pretty much all the rooms. One remained unbooked, because Nox and Aerith shared one.
It did cost a pretty Gil, but they had the money, Cloud guessed.
He walked past the rooms of the others only to suddenly be jumped by Tifa as she opened her door and stepped in front of him.
Did she...keept her ears sharp out for him?
''Do you want to...?,'' Tifa looked down a little self-conscious.
''Sure,'' Cloud replied calmly to hide his discomfort and stepped in her room.
He stood awkwardly in the middle of her room while she sat down on the bed.
They both were silent for a while, looking down or away from each other.
''Look about Kalm...,'' began Cloud, deciding to be a man and face his mistakes.
''Hmm?,'' Tifa looked at him both curious and eager.
''I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you,'' he told her clearly looking briefly into her eyes before looking away. They were... pretty big and beautiful.
Tifa widened her eyes a little in pleasant surprise and then hastily shook her head.
''No. I'M sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you either,'' Tifa told him.
Cloud gave a brief smile and then a small nod. As far as he was concerned they had nothing more to talk about, but... he didn't mind spending more time with her in silence.
''Why don't you take a seat?,'' Tifa patted the bed near her.
Cloud swallowed a little and removed his Iron Blade from his back, setting it against the wall, before sitting down on the bed a little far from her.
''Do you remember Emilio?,'' Tifa asked him suddenly.
He was silent for a while.
''The general store kid. Right?,'' Cloud asked a little unsure. To be fair, he never paid that much attention to the others when they were all kids, aside from Tifa.
Seeing her tense shoulders relax a little he felt he answered correctly.
''Yes. He left the village right before you did. I thought I'd never see him again, then one day last year, he showed up at Seventh Heaven. I couldn't believe my eyes. He was... all grown up. Didn't even recognize him at first,'' Tifa began recouting and put her hands under her thighs.
''Really?,'' Cloud feigned some interest, suppressing a sigh of frustration.
''Yeah, and what's more, the woman who walked in with him was stunning- like she could have been a model and...,'' she finally looked at him while she was sharing the story.
''And you don't care,'' Tifa looked a little down after saying noticing that.
''Sorry. But I'm happy to listen anyways. Go ahead,'' Cloud offered.
''It's okay. Forget it.,'' Tifa shook her head with a small smile. She wasn't THAT disappointed, since she already had what she wanted.
''Was this... another test?,'' Cloud asked her, a little hurt.
''No,'' she shook her head. It was just s small reassurance that he was still the Cloud she knew. Thanks to Zack she knew Cloud WAS there five years ago. But a small part of her still whispered in her her ear. And the fact that things didn't add up all that much, also worried her.
He wanted to avoid her, but he came to her room and even looked through her stuff?
And what was up with that anyway? Was he ashamed he didn't make it into SOLDIER? She didn't care about that and just wanted him back.
''No test,'' she repeated firmly and looked him in the eyes,'' I just wanted to catch up with you... But...I think the subject should interest us both. No?''
''You know I was never... good with this,'' Cloud grimaced a little.
''Yeah... We used to be close, but then... we kind of drifted apart. Now that I'm older, I can see that I was partly to blame. I should have insisted more or not let myself be dragged along by the others,'' Tifa said and looked reminiscent at the ceiling.
''Even then,'' Cloud shrugged. He was just not that kind of guy who liked much social interaction. It got a little better with all of his friends now, but they still sapped at his energy or nerves even if they didn't bother him all that much.
Even so... he wouldn't trade it for the world.
''I don't get it. What happened?,'' Tifa asked him suddenly very intense leaning a little in his face.
Her mother died. She thought the Nibelheim legend was real and wanted to look for her mother past the mountains. Her friends egged her on and she tried to cross the rope bridge, but they abandoned her while he still tried to get her to stop. The rope bridge broke and they both fell down, her on top of him. But she still got into a coma and forgot the incident. Her father blamed her, because the other kids blamed him and he didn't defend himself cause it was his fault she got hurt.
And then they REALLY started to drift apart.
But he didn't say any of that. He didn't want to reopen old wounds and hurt her. He still misses his mother from time to time even after all these years.
''That's fine. We can grow close to each other again. Right?,'' she asked him, her voice revealing a little vulnerability in her tone.
''Yes,'' he eagerly replied.
''Then what do you want to talk about?,'' Tifa asked him.
He looked stumped.
''Like I said, I was never that good with this kind of stuff to begin with. I really don't mind hearing you talk,'' he restated.
''It really doesn't bother you?,'' Tifa asked him, to be extremely sure.
''I can always tell you, if that is such an issue for you,'' Cloud assured her and she nodded several times eagerly, practically telling him that he should do that.
''Where was I?,'' she asked then.
''About the woman with Emilio being a model,'' Cloud reminded her immediately.
''Right. So...,'' he tuned her a little out. Oh, he was still listening and memorizing whatever she said and making small humms here and there, but he didn't care that much about Emilio. And she didn't seem to be that bothered by his 'disinterest' all that much either anymore.
Still, he paid attention to how her lips moved as she talked.
They talked for a while, till it got pretty late and he left for his own room.
He felt he did something right, when she gave him a genuine smile.
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They took on the bounty of escorting a dog named Salmon from A to B in order to deliver some money from a mother to her son.
''Soooo, why not just deliver the money itself instead of escorting the dog?,'' Nox asked from the back of the group..
''What the client wants and pays for, the client gets. The why is irrelevant,'' Cloud shot back. Nanaki and Barret walking beside him.
''Spoken like a true merc,'' Zack murmured.
''Anyway. I wanted to ask something. How old were you and Zack when you left your hometown? You too Nox,'' Barret asked them all.
''14,'' Zack replied.
''I just turned eleven when I left,'' Nox said and earned some strange looks.
''14 too. No, wait! It was spring so...13,'' Cloud replied.
''I suppose that is not unusual... except that weirdo over there,'' Barret pointed at Nox,''What did your parents have to say about it?''
''Nothing,'' Nox told them and shrugged.
''Mine didn't encourage or discourage me, but they told me to take care and write them back often. They also gave me some money to travel,'' Zack said.
''My mother didn't have to say much about it. Like you said nothing unusual about it. But...,'' Cloud replied.
''But?,'' Barret egged him on to continue.
''2000 Gil. She offered me the money to make a fresh start,'' Cloud told him.
''Guess parents are the same all over, huh?,'' Barret commented.
''I didn't take is, since I planned to enlist straight away. Didn't nee it,'' Cloud shared with them.
''Heh. And you can't help yourself but ask for 2000 Gil every time. Sentimental ain'tcha?,'' Barret called him out on it.
Cloud widened his eyes a little and turned his head to no longer look at him, but forward.
They walked in silence for a while, following after Salmon.
''Hear me out. You know how some parents don't want their children to leave the nest? Make any excuse to keep them children with them longer?,'' Barret began.
''Yeah?,'' Nanaki asked.
''I told myself I would be different. Told myself I wouldn't clip Marlenes wings, that I would let her soar wherever she wanted,'' Barret revealed.
''Heh,'' Cloud huffed in amusement.
''What's that? You think I can't do it? That I would try and keep Marlene all for myself for as long as I can?,'' Barret confronted him immediately.
''Yup. That's right,'' Cloud said.
''And that's what scares me. I want to do right my little baby girl. As much as I tell myself that I don't want to get in her way, I'm afraid I don't got the strength to follow through when the time comes. I'm afraid I'll get in her way or clip her wings or do any number of things to keep her with me for a little bit longer and to protect him her from any danger. Oh, Marlene! I wish you could be my baby girl forever!,'' Barret wailed.
''For fucks sake, Barret, get your shit together,'' Cloud was taken back by his reaction and tried to calm him down,''Marlene is barely out of diapers. You've still got time.''
''Does he though? You blink and suddenly you're eighty. Time flies pretty fast. That's because the older you get the more similar your days become and your perception gets altered because your brain filters out most stuff as irrelevant. When you are younger and have the whole world to explore, that isn't really the case and time feels like it flies faster. Either way, time does fly by and you should make the most of it every moment,'' Nox commented from the back.
Unless you move near the speed of light or get sucked in a black hole, THEN time becomes slower but until then time flew by pretty fast...Nox added the Time Materia to the list, since it was a fantasy world, but it was very brief and very temporary compared to the first two examples.
Cloud shot him a loathsome look, when Barret began wailing even harder.
''AND YOU!,'' Barret suddenly pointed at Nox,''You're making things worse. From everything Zack shared with us and you yourself admitted, your parents did everything right and you are still an ungrateful little shit. And I hate you for it, because you are right. What if she didn't need a parent that leaves her able to fly, but one that needs someone to be there for her. Or solmething else. Now I don't know what to do!''
Nox sighed.
''The gods gave us a tongue to speak and ears to listen. Fucking use them and communicate. You think I wasn't grateful for my parents? I was, but no matter what I told them they wouldn't listen. If they did I would have left the village the same age as any other at 14.
I'm not a parent, so I can't speak for how you feel. But I heard that the fears you are going through. They are normal for any parent. The truth is, that it is a touch an go process. Children are high maintenance and unfortunately there is no wonder book that will give you all the answers you will need to raise her right. YOU need to observe, communicate and determine for yourself what Marlene needs the most,'' Nox crossed his arms and then gave him a soft smile,''But so far, you seem to be on the right track. I had the pleasure of watching over her and spend some time with her.
She is an adorable child and you did right by her. She looks up to you. 'My daddy told me this, my daddy told me that'.''
Barret looked to calm down more and more from what Nox was saying. It wasn't EXACTLY what he wanted to hear, but... it tracked with Nox being realistic so he supposed it was the best he would get. Probably better then being to optimistic.
''Look at it this way. Tons of parents think they know best and while there is an element of truth to that. They DO NOT always know best. The fact that you are questioning yourself or asking for a second opinion? I would say that is the mark of a good parent. Whether you were a great parent can unfortunately only be determined once Marlene is an adult. But so far, you seem to be on the right track,'' Nox told him a little more kindly.
Of course, there was also the question of nature vs nurture, but that complication wasn't needed right now.
''He is right. And if you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask us. I still remember how some of the other villagers took care of me when my parents couldn't. Tifa offered making him nod.
Ehhh, Nox wasn't sure about that. They weren't a small village for that to be guaranteed. Smaller communities absolutely had that benefit and advantage that Tifa addressed. But...they were all young, minus Barret who was middle aged. Younger people always preferred cities, for the opportunities. And city life was hectic, so it wasn't a guarantee that what Tifa offered would happen... and friends could drift apart.
He chose not to bring the mood down for the others.
Barret smiled after nodding to Tifa, now feeling much better.
''Be on guard, I hear the flapping of wings,'' Nanaki readied himself and they all stepped in front of Salmon.
-
''Thank you for escorting Salmon to my son...but what the hell where you thinking not escorting him back,'' Rhonda chastised them after scratching Salmon's head.
''Lady, are you sure we needed to escort him at all? Salmon seemed to have handled himself just fine without us,'' Zack commented and scratched his head.
''Forget that. Are you sure this was the last money you owed your child? Or did it have something to do with him now having a wife and a child on his way?,'' Barret confronted her.
''What are you talking about? He has a wife and a child on his way?,'' Rhonda asked in a genuine tone, but Barret wasn't fooled.
''Heh, same stubbornness as his mother. He didn't want to accept the money. You know? At first, but then his wife convinced him otherwise. You two should just resolve your differences, because before you know it, you are old and nothing is the same anymore. You only have so little time together, why spend it being at each others throats when you clearly still love each other?,'' Barret advised her.
Rhonda was silent for a moment.
''I kicked him out for his own good, you know. I knew he had it in him to be a man, but I always needed to pester him to do something, otherwise he would just always laze around. And he wasn't even lazy! But me being in his vicinity, caused him to be unassertive and he always waited for me to give him orders.
I see that him being away from me did him some good. I'm glad,'' Rhonda gave a relieved sigh and picked Salmon up to pet him.
Barret and the others widened their eyes at the revelation.
''Why do you think that is?,'' Barret asked as he pulled out his sun glasses and put them on to hide his eyes.
''Who the hell knows. Probably because of respect. Maybe,'' Rhonda huffed,''I had to raise him alone since his father died in the war...''
Rhonda shook her head suddenly and chuckled. She put Salmon back down and rubbed her face. Then she brought out the money for the task they have done her.
''Why am I even telling you this? This is none of your business. Here, take it. There are also more bounties on the bounty board, if that interests you,'' Rhonda held out the bag of money and Cloud took it.
...
Barret sighed once they were far enough from her.
''I hate that you are right,'' he told Nox.
Sending/ kicking the kid out, because you raised them to well and they willingly want to stay near you was certainly not a possibility he considered. Would he... He dreaded being on bad terms with his beautiful daughter. He couldn't stomach it, if she ever came to hate him..., but if it meant her being able to grow... would he be able to do it as Rhonda did?
Nox put on a hand on his shoulders in comfort and he looked at him.
''Don't worry,'' Nox told him kindly making Barret smile weakly.
''Unlike Rhondas boy, Marlene will eventually be a woman. Someone will wife her up and then she will move in with him. That is how these things usually go with women. I wouldn't worry about you being forced to kick her out, so that she could be her own person.''
Barret immediately punched him and stampeded away.
Nox barely reacted to the punch.
''What?,'' he asked them when he saw the others look at him.
He crossed his arms and huffed.
''His whining was getting tedious and anger clearly motivates him more then most other things, bar a few. It was clear he was becoming slowly paralyzed from all his, admittedly valid, fears,'' he shrugged,''So I made him angry.''
The others sighed.
''Oh, Nox,'' Aerith said with exasperated fondness and held her forehead.
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''Hey! What gives? Can't you read the signs? It says for children only!,'' one of the kids stepped out of the cloud and transformed from a frog into a boy. Two others followed his lead.
''How do you do, fellow kids? And we are actually illiterate,'' Nox saluted them.
''Oh,'' the leader looked stumped. That is not what he expected or something he prepared for. Meanwhile the other children looked at the clearly adult person strangely. What did he mean 'fellow kids'?
''Well, what are you doing here then?,'' the leader asked him then.
''The bounty board had a notice from an adult about there being danger?,'' Nox asked him.
''What? There is no danger here. If anything this is more like an amusement park. I don't know why, but it probably has something to do with the Mako Reactor. This cloud allows us to turn into frogs and we play all kinds of games,'' the leader told them.
Zack turned sideways, red in the face from the efforts of suppressing his laughter as Nox' two statements flew right over the kids head.
It seems Nox hadn't lost his 'trolling' streak, as he once told him when they were younger.
''You moron,'' one of the kids slapped their leader over the head,''They CAN read, or else the bounty board wouldn't have sent them here.''
The leader gasped in betrayal and pointed at him.
''You tricked me!!!,'' he accused.
''Trick or treat?,'' Nox held an empty bag in front of the kid.
''What?''
''What?,'' repeated Nox the leaders question innocently.
''What?,'' the leader of the kids repeated his question more firmly.
''Trick or treat. You know? Halloween?,'' Nox asked him.
''What's a Halloween?,'' the boy to the leaders left asked. The one who didn't hit him over the head.
Nox gasped.
''I retract my earlier statement. You are not fellow kids, if you didn't celebrate Halloween,'' Nox turned his head with a humph away from them.
''Of course we are kids! What is a Halloween? Maybe we do celebrate it, but we just know it under a different name,'' the leader hastily scrambled.
''Halloween is a day of celebration. On the night of the 31st every tenth month, kids dress up as monsters or legends, a costume or even a mask will do. Then they go from house to house and ask the residents 'trick or treat' and receive some candy. If you didn't celebrate that, then you are not a real kid,'' Nox shook his head and held his hands up in a 'what can you do?' gesture.
''Whoa!,'' the childrens eyes widened in wonder.
Free candy?
''Of course we celebrate it,'' the leader quickly reassured him.
''Oh, yeah. What do you celebrate then?,'' Nox challenged him.
''...''
Nox chuckled a little.
''You celebrate the dead,'' Nox told them.
''The dead?,'' Aerith couldn't help herself but ask. Her interest now perked.
''Yup. Some cultures have forgotten that. Some cultures have done away with that practice entirely. But there are still places that celebrate the dead in some manner or form. For some death is not something bad. But as they say, burials are for the living not the dead. And that celebration was supposed to invite the dead on the material plane so that the living can be closer to their dead ones, even if only for one day of the year. Of course whether they came or not was up to them. But the good spirits was supposed to invite them,'' Nox shared with them all.
Technically that WAS true, even if he specifically talked about customs from his old world. The Cetra's talked to the dead after all and he also encountered a few relics of other civilization that did so too during his early travels.
Of course, the ACTUAL cultural celebration was named 'Dia de Muertos' and was celebrated... Nox believed in November if he remembered correctly. Halloween was just a cultural appropriation of that...then again, since the spirit of the celebration was no longer maintained and it was turned into a means to dress up and earn some candy for children he hesitated to call it 'cultural appropriation' but whatever.
He was manipulating the kids to cooperate with them.
''Ok, maybe you are a fellow kid,'' the leader reluctantly told him.
Nox knelt down at his level.
''So, would you mind telling me about the monsters?,'' Nox asked him kindly.
''It really is not that bad as the adults say. It's just a few Capparwire and a few Mandragora in the morning, but we know to stay away then. By the time we get here they alreay left,'' the leader said.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. It was in the exact moment that the same said enemies appeared and made all the other children run out of the cloud.
Cloud and Zack jumped in swords out, ready to engage... and turned both into frogs.
''I told you the mist turns everyone into a frog,'' the leader replied.
''Ribbit!,'' Cloud called to them and dodged an attack before spitting out a few bubbles.
''What are we standing around for? Let's help them!,'' Aerith jumped in.
''You're not slick. We can just cast some spells from afar, but I'm not gonna be the party pooper,'' Nox jumped in followed by the rest of the party. Since this was unusual they decided to do away with the concept of a main party and back row party.
''You know this reminds me of the story about the Princess and the Frog,'' Nox told them in frog speak. The kids only heard Ribbit, ribbit... and more ribbits.
''Oh, please! You haven't told any stories in a while,'' Aerith encouraged him.
''Is NOW really the time?!,'' Barret asked them and delivered a downward kick.
''It is always the time,'' Nox shot back and used his tongue to drag a Mandragora to him, before kicking him away,''The story goes that a prince rejected a witch and she cursed him to be a frog. The only way to lift the curse was for a woman to kiss him, but who would kiss a frog. Until one day a princess played with her golden ball and it fell down the well. The frog brought it back and she kissed him at his request causing him to turn back. Then they married. The End:''
''...That is the dumbest shit I ever heard!,'' Barret wheezed.
''Your daughter loved it,'' Nox immediately countered.
''!!!'','' Barret grunted.
''I don't know. It is kind of romantic,'' Tifa said.
''Of course you would think that,'' Nanaki muttered.
''What was that?,'' Aerith and Tifa asked him.
''Nothing,'' he hastily replied.
''That is what I thought,'' Aerith nodded.
...
''That was pretty cool. They way you kicked their butt... You know what. You are now honorary kids. Do you want to play with us a little bit. It is a platforming game. The one who dodged the most obstacles and stays the longest on the platform wins,'' the leader came over to them an asked them when then were done beating the enemies.
''...Sure,'' Cloud agreed when no one seemed to reply.
''Then come and I will tell you the rules,'' the leader jumped in. They all followed after him.
...
Aerith was the first to step out and then quickly turned back around to pick up Nox at the edge of mist.
She gave him a kiss on the top of his head and then pulled him out of the mist.
''You are so cheesy,'' Nox huffed, while the children gagged in the back.
''Would you have me any other way?,'' Aerith teased him.
''No,'' he frimly replied and kissed her on the lips this time.
The children gagged harder.
''Oh, please. In a few years you will do that as well. I want to see you gag then,'' Nox put his hadn around Aeriths waist to hug her and turned around to adress the children.
''Well, at least one of us will probably change his mind,'' one of the kids teased.
''What is that supposed to mean?! The only reason why I play with Priscilla is because there aren't that many children down here anyway. We kind of have to make peace with each other,'' the leader huffed and crossed his arms.
''Look, Nox. Could this be one of your people?,'' Aerith pointed at the kid.
He gave her a flat look and walked away.
''Wait! Come on, I didn't mean anything mean by it,'' Aerith hurried after him.
''No one brought Priscilla up, dude,'' one of the kids pointed out.
''You...!,'' the leader looked ready to throttle him.
''You can invite her to go trick or treating with you. When was that again? On the night of the 31st of the tenth month,'' another kid teased him.
''You can protect her from any danger too. How romantic,'' a girl added.
''YOU!,'' he lunged at them all and they ran away laughting.
...
''It seems you had fun,'' Tifa commented.
''Ribbit,'' Cloud seriously replied.
She giggled and shoved him back into the mist playfully, before hurrying up after the others.
He sighed and followed after them once he stepped out of the mist.
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''Say cheese,'' the photographer lowly said and then snapped a few pictures as they all posed with the Condor in the back, eating the cow they snatched up for him.
''Here, keep is as a memento you all,'' the woman handed them all one photograph each.
''Nothing beats watching such a majestic beast. But you are right, I'm getting too old. But so long as I can still do SOMETHING I still want to ensure it is safe, like it did for me all those years ago. But when that time ever comes when I can no longer make the way up here, even in a wheelchair I will at least have this as a rememberance.
Thank you. To you all,'' the old man nodded at them all and was then guided away, since he had a report to write.
''It really is a majestic beast,'' Nanaki commented.
''Yup. You're right, Red,'' Zack nodded and joined him in watching it for a little while longer.
''That flower over there is called Edelweiss. It symbolizes bravery, resilience and rugged beauty,'' Aerith explained as she pointed at the flower near them. They were sitting down while also observing the creature.
''Hmm. Pretty fitting then, that it is so close to the Condor,'' Nox replied.
''You know...I'm starting to notice and understand why flower language is the way it is. Because of their environment,'' Aerith said.
''Not because the flowers talk to you?,'' Nox asked her.
''That too, but there are also flowers that DON'T talk. You know?,'' Aerith revealed to him.
''Hmm. How come?,'' Nox asked her.
She shrugged.
''People don't fit in them... or someone simply doesn't want to spend their time as a flower,'' Aerith told him.
Nox made a sound of understanding.
''Like a circle that won't fit in the square hole,'' Nox made a comparison.
Aerith thought it over for a bit.
''Yes. Pretty much like that,'' she nodded.
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The girls were having a girl talk and Zack and Cloud were sparring again. Cooking fell to Nox, but at least he wasn't alone and Nanaki and Barret were near him.
Aerith for some reason REALLY wanted to spend this night out in the open. Probably something to do with the future and who knows what.
He looked to the sky after turning the steak over to the other side to be cooked over the campfire.
In doing so he caught a firefly flying around and then getting caught in a spider web. The vibration alerted the hiding spider who quickly crawled over and began cocooning the firefly to preserve it...
!!!
Vibrations to alert one.
Could he do the same thing he was already doing with the Mako threads, but instead of making them dense, he could make them thin and use them as 'eyes in the back of his head'.
Nox swore for a moment he saw the spider turn to him and salute him as if to say 'I gotcha fam'. He was probably imagining it.
''I have been thinking over your answer to my question,'' Red began.
''Yes?,'' Nox gave him his attention.
''Why 42? Why not 41 or 43?,'' Nanaki relented and asked him. No matter how much he churned over what he meant, he simply could not arrive at the meaning of his answer.
A part of him felt ashamed since he wanted to start the conversation by challenging him and not by trying to get understand over what he meant.
But... then again, his grandfather wasn't shy to ask when he didn't know something.
''Counter question. Why NOT 42?,'' Nox asked him making Barret huff.
''Now, quit being a damn smartass and just share with us what you mean,'' Barret demanded.
''You know what coding is? Coding for computers I mean,'' Nox asked him and Nanaki seemed to think a bit over it.
''Yes. Something to do with software. It's what allows PHS and other stuff to do their thing,'' Nanaki said.
''Well.. It is a combination of hardware and software, but yes. *42 in coding language is a placeholder or something where you can input any code you want without it causing issue. At least that is how I understood it, since I'm not software developer myself.
But bottom line is that it is a funny way of saying that the meaning of life is anything you want it to be. So ergo the meaning of life is 42,'' Nox explained and checked if the steak was done.
''But... the meaning of life can not be what YOU want it to be. Surely?,'' Nanaki countered immediately.
''No? Why not?,'' Nox asked him.
''Well, the Planet gave us life. So what meaning she wants to give us is her prerogative,'' Nanaki reasoned.
''That is true. But I'm distinguishing between personal and objective meaning. Take Barret for example. He made it his mission, his meaning of life, to destroy Shinra and save the planet and it's future so that Marlene can grow up. Maybe there is more, maybe not.
Now, can personal reasons of existence and thus meaning align with objective meaning? Yes. We can reasonable assume that all the planet cares about is ensuring it's survival thanks to what we know about the Arbiters. Barret in a way, as do we all, want to ensure that happens with our acts. Both by stopping Sephiroth and then Shinra.
Now does that mean it is always the case? Absolutely not. One merely needs to look at Shinra to see that they do not align with the planets wish not to plunder and live on it in unsustainable ways,'' Nox told him.
''Why would one have personal reasons for doing something or needing to derive a meaning for their existence instead of allowing the planet to do it?,'' Nanaki asked him then.
''Because that is what it means to have an 'ego'. A sense of self. To be conscious and have a free will. Everyone is free to do what they want and question every single thing.
And I agree with you a little bit here. There are people that go against what is objectively the best interest or the wish of the planet.
Of course, while they are free to do and say and believe whatever they want, the gods have yet to fashion someone that is free of consequences. No one is free of consequences,'' Nox said at the end a little sadly.
Even he wasn't and he could turn back time to a degree.
''What is your meaning then? What have you chosen?,'' Barret asked him and held out his plate when Nox began to remove the steak.
He wanted sweet oblivion after he was done with the shitshow in his first life. Content at having achieved his revenge sufficiently enough.
Instead he was sent here to defeat the Big Bad. It could be Sephiroth. Jenova. Anyone. He would never rest easy, because he will never be COMPLETELY sure if THIS or THAT was the Big Bad.
And now he wants to live a long life with Aerith. Whether it was as royalty or in a small cottage they haven't decided. Hells, he didn't even broach the subject and probably won't for a while longer, but he could see himself growing old with her.
''I haven't decided yet,'' he told them instead.
''Fine. Don't tell us then,'' Barret let him know he saw through his shit, but decided not to call him out on it.
''Didn't Aerith say that you once said humanity should reach for the stars?,'' Nanaki asked him and Nox put a steak in front of him on his plate as well. Red nodded at Nox in thanks and then began chewing while waiting for an answer.
''Yes, but that is something I believe in. It is personal. Objectively we do not need to explore the vast cosmos, understand how magic and science work under a microscope or hold ourselves to a higher standard. Just living sustainable would be enough then,'' Nox said and called the others over since more and more steaks were getting done.
Stick and stones, essentially. But if they wanted the benefits that technology brought them, like medicine that did need to put in effort to find alternatives or solutions to problems and/or accept that they would have to live without some things.
''You know, you are good with kids,'' Barret said after chewing and the others began to make their way over,''Surprisingly.''
Nox smiled sardonically.
''Yeah,'' he sighed.
''I'm sensing there is a story there,'' Barret pestered him.
''No. It's just some silliness... Guess you aren't the only with fears about raising children well,'' Nox tried to find common ground.
Barret stared at him for a few moments.
''Whatever you say, man,'' Barret huffed.
''What do I smell so good here?,'' Aerith asked them.
''Food,'' Nox replied dryly.
''Harhar, you're a funny guy, Nox,'' Aerith shot back just as dryly and took the offered plate.
''Do we have some flavors?,'' Zack asked him.
''Yup. Take your pick,'' Nox threw him one of the Store Materia and he caught it with a 'thanks'.
The conversation devolved into chatter after that.
---
A figure waited in the trees till they went to sleep. It waited till the fire went out and then waited a little more, feeling bored to tears. But it remembered the training so it waited patiently all this time, till it felt it waited enough to satisfy requirements.
Then it began slowly sneaking towards their camp, careful not to step on any twigs or make any noise.
It yelped as it got close enough and then was suddenly upside down, her legs seemingly trapped and tied by an invisible rope. She used her massive shuriken to try and cut the rope, only to begin swinging around from the force with her leg still tied and a small chip in the blade of her 4-point shuriken.
''So? Who are we dealing with?,'' Zack asked and stood up.
''Who are you? What do you want?,'' Cloud asked her and brought out his blade.
She gulped and put on a brave front.
''I will never tell you who I am!,'' she said.
''Ok,'' Nox shrugged,''Then don't. She is probably from Wutai judging by her weapon. Should we kill her?''
''Wait!,'' Zack said suddenly and tried to turn his head around upside down as much as he could.
''Huh?,'' the woman looked at him too.
They both widened their eyes simultaneously and pointed at each other.
''You!''
''You!''
''You know her?,'' Nanaki asked him.
''Yes, that is Yuffie Kisaragi. A few years back she gave me a headache and then some getting me to hunt after Materia,'' Zack explained.
''Wait. THE Yuffie Kisaragi. Princess set to inherit lordship over Wutai once her father passes? The one and the same?,'' Barret asked him.
''The one and only,'' Yuffie loudly declared and tried to kick him, only to fail. What was he implying that there was another Yuffie going around?
''And you! What the hell kind of Materia did you get me anyway? You only got me one Materia! And that is not enough to restore the glory of my land,'' Yuffie kicked the air more.
Zack sighed miserably and slumped.
''Right,'' Nox frowned,'' I guess since we know the answer to one of our question then we can move to the other. What do you want?''
''Nothing,'' Yuffie crossed her arms and stubbornly told him.
''Ok. Good night. Use the time until tomorrow to think about what you want to do, because if you don't cooperate I'll leave you there after we leave,'' Nox shrugged and went back to camp.
''That gun arm...,'' Yuffie finally noticed something and commented, then she widened her eyes.
''You're AVALANCHE! Fuhito told us about you. You were the cell operating in Midgar. Can I say, I'm a HUGE fan.
Do you have contact to the Black Knights or are they part of AVALANCHE and you used them as a diversion,'' Yuffie asked them quickly.
''She knows who we are,'' Nanaki commented.
''And you just confirmed it. We could have played dumb,'' Nox scowled.
''Unlikely. How high are the chances that there is another person like Barret running around with a gun arm for his hand?,'' Nanaki defended himself.
Yuffie's stomach growled.
''Well, that explains why she wanted to sneak up on us,'' Tifa suppressed a giggle.
''It's not my fault,'' Yuffie kicked the air in frustration,''I was called here on a mission to assassinate Rufus. But that Zero guy threw all our plans in disarray. By now Rufus should have held his inauguration celebration in Junon, but there is still wide and far no news about that, because they are still recuperating from the damages.
And as much as I admire the guy for doing what he did, a girl needs money! So I have been scavenging and living off the forest till he comes here,'' Yuffie shared with them.
''What? The princess to high and mighty to accept some bounties and dirty her hands?,'' Barret mocked.
Nox looked at him perplexed. That...didn't really make sense, considering she was the one trying to kill Rufus and thus putting her life in danger.
''If I still know her she spent all her money on Materia,'' Zack rubbed his face.
''You're damn right I did! Shinra took most of Wutai's Materia away as punishment. Without Materia how can we stick it to Shinra and regain Wutai's glory!?,'' Yuffie kicked the air again.
''So she wanted to steal our food AND Materia,'' Cloud crossed his arms unimpressed.
''Tehee,'' Yuffie innocently rubbed the back of her head.
''Don't 'tehee' us!,'' Barret yelled at her making some birds flutter away.
''Be that as it may, Rufus can't die for the moment,'' Nox shook his head.
''What!? Why not?!,'' Yuffie asked him hotly.
''We are hunting Sephiroth down and until HE is taken care off we need someone to keep things relatively stable,'' Nox told her.
''Sephiroth? Didn't he die 5 years ago?,'' Yuffie asked him a little confused at the sudden revelation.
''Records of his death were...greatly exaggerated,'' Zack shrugged.
''Be that as it may. I was hired to kill Rufus,'' Yuffie shook her head, her head starting to get red with all the blood flowing to her head.
''Rufus won't die for the time being,'' Nox repeated calmly.
''Uhhh, yeah he will. I will kill him,'' Yuffie reminded him.
Nox' mouth twitched into a smile.
''I wasn't requesting. I was stating,'' he told her softly making even the others experience a small shudder despite not being his target.
Yuffie narrowed her eyes at him and for a moment they were in a standstill.
Then she suddenly threw her shuriken at him and he simply dodged it while shoving the others near him away.
He dodged as it came back, as if it were a boomerang, without looking. He didn't waste any time in trying to get his new technique to work.
That Shuriken did not obey the laws of physics, for flying back like that to her owner. Immediately he was grateful he merely thought it, instead of saying it out loud.
Fantasy world and Mako.
He wasn't about to kill her, but he was trying to work out something in his brain on how to utilize such a valuable hostage to his advantage.
''Stop!,'' Aerith told them both and pulled out her mask.
''What-?,'' Nox began.
''Trust me, please,'' Aerith requested from him and he nodded after a while.
She put on her mask.
''I'm Azura and this is Zero,'' Aerith told her and Nox shrugged putting on his own mask as well. He could see what she was trying to do and if it failed just turn back time.
''And we are no longer AVALANCHE. We are part of the Black Knights,'' Tifa added after Aerith was done.
''Minus me. I'm just a tag along,'' Nanaki muttered. Though he knew how to keep his mouth shut.
''No way!,'' Yuffies eyes suddenly sparkled in awe.
Then she looked at them sternly.
''Why didn't you kill Rufus and finish off Shinra for good?,'' Yuffie demanded to know.
''I told you. Sephiroth takes priority, until then Rufus can enjoy being on top of the world for a little while longer so long as he keeps things stable,'' Nox explained to her.
''Let me go, if you are a coward I will finish what you started,'' Yuffie kicked the air again.
Nox threw his hands in the air. He can see now why Zack acted the way he did, the moment he recognized her. They were talking in circles.
''How about you come with us? To defeat Sephiroth I mean,'' Aerith removed her masnk and offered her.
''No,'' Yuffie flatly told her.
''Sorry, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone more stubborn then my boyfriend. You can either comply or will be made to comply,'' Aerith told Yuffie with an angelic smile.
Yuffie gulped.
''Look at it this way, if you come with us, you will get tons of experience because we will fight many monsters. And on our adventure we have already found many Materia and will find many more. You can use both facts to help your country in a better way then if you assassinate Rufus right now. Because I assure you it's not going to end well for you if you pit your own stubbornness against Nox here,'' she continued.
''...Will I get all the Materia?,'' she asked them.
''No,'' they all flatly told her.
''We will have to share, because we do need Materia to stop Sephiroth. But afterwards? I'm sure you will keep most of it, especially those you find first. We both can keep a list if you want,'' Aerith offered her diplomatically.
''...And I get to eat food?,'' she asked them a little more quietly as her stomach growled again.
''Yes. We have money from all the monster slaying. Oh and obviously you won't go around and tell anyone that we are the Black Knights. That is something only for me and Aerith to share,'' Nox told her.
''...''
Her stomach growled again.
''Ugh! Fine! But you better keep your word, considering what I'm passing up on,'' Yuffie kicked the air again and crossed her arms with a huff.
She only agreed, because she was hungry and not because she remembered what she saw Nox/Zero doing on the TV.
Nope.
She wasn't scared to take him on!
She could totally kick his butt!
''Why do we need to stop Sephiroth anyway?,'' Yuffie asked after being let down.
...
''Then what are we waiting for. Let's go kick his butt, before he destroys the planet!,'' Yuffie stood up and began walking in a direction.
''We are preparing for that. Keep in mind that Sephiroth can also see the future and has strong and weird magical abilities so we are trying to be mindful and not rush into a trap. Just in case,'' Nanaki told her.
''Huh?,'' she came back,''What do you mean?''
...
''...Fucking Shinra and doing whatever they want,'' Yuffie sprawled her body out on the ground and huffed with exasperation.
''That is one way of saying it,'' Zack commented.
''Oh, by the way. Nox, can you give me your Fira and Blizzara Materia?,'' Aerith asked him suddenly.
''Sure,'' he handed them over to her and she began praying.
''As for you, let me fix you something up since I doubt we will go back to sleep with the sun almost up,'' Nox began cooking after pulling out a few things for her.
-
''Tadaa!,'' Aerith presented Nox with one Materia instead of two.
''You...combined them?,'' he noticed after touching it.
''I fused them,'' she corrected him,''It's a different process compared to making new Materia and much quicker then praying for hours or days for the more powerful Materia.''
''How far can you take it?,'' he asked her making her shake her head.
''For now only two. Maybe as I get better I will make three or four Materia into one, but the more Materia you fuse the harder it will get. You can only find so many coldhearted ruthless warriors that are willing to work with hotheaded passionate ones. Now add energetic people and all the other stuff to the mix... Still even one Materia slot being freed up is huge,'' Aerith told him.
''That is true. Will you do it for the others too?,'' he asked her.
''I could use the practice,'' Aerith confirmed.
-
''How did you do that?,'' Yuffie immediately asked when she saw Aerith fusing two Materia together.
''I'm a Cetra,'' Aerith told her and began explaining.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
''Help! Someone help Priscilla!,'' one of the villagers yelled out and gathered their attention from the bounty board.
They all immediately rushed over.
''The Terror of the Deep has returned and Priscilla was playing with Mr.Dolphin. Go quickly down to the beach,'' the man pointed at the small part of beach amidst all the metal and other stuff.
-
''Tifa!,'' Cloud said when they finally arrive and spotted the girl. Mr.Dolphin was doing a formidable act by keeping them away from the monster with Priscilla hanging on to his fin.
She nodded and ran towards Cloud, while Aerith prepared her Aero magic and cast it under the water. Zack and Nox were running to the side, ready to flank it in preparation.
Again, with special circumstances at hand no one really paid attention to main party or back row party.
The moment The Terror of the Deep was ejected out of the water Tifa jumped on top of Clouds Iron Blade and he propelled her towards it. The extra momentum and kinetic force plus her own sommersault kick propelled it further into the air.
Meanwhile Zack jumped and slashed at it to push it onto the massive wooden platform near them. While Nox jumped even higher ready to pierce the monster from above into the head.
By now Nanaki, Barret and Yuffie helped Priscially out of the water and escorted her while ensuring anyone else nearby left the premises and also ready to defend in case the monster directs it's attacks at the people.
While he did slam down where the head was the monster evaded him by flying away just in time.
''Of course it can fly,'' Nox sighed to himself.
''Now is really not the time to complain,'' Zack told him hotly.
''Yeah, yeah. Let's make short work of it,'' Nox said as Cloud, Tifa and Aerith joined them on the platform.
And short work they did of it as it tried to flee pretty quickly once it realized things were going poorly for it.
Cloud however was the first to run after it and jumped in the water. He was pleasantly surprised when Mr.Dolphin provided him support by using his body as a platform to let him jump further allowing him to also jump over one of it's tail swipes and cleave his head in two.
The Terror of the Deep burst into Mako Particles as he landed in the water. Mr.Dolphin was kind enough to help him back to shore.
He saw Zack and Nox hold up a paper with the number 10/10 and he couldn't help but smile a little to himself. He lowered his mouth into the water to hide it from the others. Tifa and Aerith clapped their hands since they didn't have paper.
...
Come to think of it, where did they get paper from and when did they have the time to write something on it?
''Damn you already killed it,'' Barret said the other rejoining them distracting him. The beach was pretty empty with everyone having been escorted now.
''Should have been quicker,'' Cloud joked and took Zack's hand to be pulled out of the water since he offered. He gave him an appreciative nod.
-
''Wuhuu!,'' the villagers applauded them once they climbed up the staris and found themselves in the center of the village.
''Here,'' Rhonda stepped forward and handed them a bag of Gil,''For finally ridding us of that thing. It plagued us for quite a while.''
''We couldn't possibly accept. There was no bounty for it,'' Cloud slipped out before being able to catch himself.
The others looked at him with surprise and he crossed his arms.
''What?,'' Cloud turned his head and explained,''I have a code of conduct.''
''Thank you, but he is right. We won't be needing money for a while, so why don't you use it for the village?,'' Tifa came to his rescue by changing the subject. She slapped Yuffie's hand when it tried to reach for the bag of Gil.
''...Alright. If you insist,'' Rhonda said slowly waiting to see if Yuffie would reach again for the money. She wouldn't mind giving them the money, but so far it seemed they were pretty united on that front, unless...
Nope. Yuffie just pouted and didn't reach for the money again.
''Is Mr.Dolphin alright?,'' Priscilla rushed over to ask them.
''Yes. Even lent us a hand in slaying the beast,'' Cloud told her.
''Yes, he is amazing. Isn't he? I'm Priscilla by the way,'' she introduced herself cheerfully. Now that she no longer had to worry about Mr.Dolphin.
''Nice to meet you,'' Nox smiled at her briefly. That is a name he hadn't heard in a while.
''Nox...?,'' suddenly came a voice from the crowd.
The whole village gathered to see their heroes and the rest were attracted by the commotion.
Nox looked at the person who called for him and immediately turned around.
''Nox! Wait!,'' the man rushed after him.
''Thanks, but ...we need to take care of some things,'' Barret told Rhonda who nodded understanding what was actually requested.
''Sure. Go do your thing,'' she turned around and turned to address the villagers,''And what you are all gawking at. Go back to work you numbnuts!''
-
''Wait, Nox,'' the man rushed after him the others hot on their tail. But the man was limping and trying to catch up with Nox on a cane. The others rushed past him and Aerith grabbed Nox' hand.
''Who are you?,'' Barret asked the man.
He took a brief pause to gather his air.
''I'm Sojiro. I was the one who taught Nox the blade,'' Sojiro introduced himself to the others.
''You two know each other? Then why did you try to run from him?,'' Barret confronted Nox who just smacked his lips and said nothing.
''Yeah, I probably deserve that treatment. But, if yo would, I have something for you as thanks to give. Please follow me to my home?,'' Sojiro politely requested.
''We will follow you. Please?,'' Aerith squeezed his hand.
Nox sighed and removed his hand out of her to cross his arms, but he followed after them others even as he remained stubbornly silent.
-
''Dears, I'm home and I brought guest,'' Sojiro yelled the moment he stepped in.
''Guests, Sojiro? Is it the Flantels again?,'' a woman chuckled and stepped out of the kitchen after a while with a tray of several cups.
''Oh! New guest,'' she commented upon looking at them.
''Daddy!,'' a small girl ran from upstairs down and hugged him joyfully.
''Futaba, now don't be rude and ignore our guest. Remember what I taught you about manners,'' Sojiro hugged her back, but also chastised her.
Futaba gasped and quickly turned to them.
''Please, be welcomed and make yourself at home,'' she gave them a polite bow.
''Did you do your homework?,'' Sojiro asked her sternly. She kicked the ground a little and swayed innocently back and forth.
''No yet. I was drawing,'' she confessed.
''Then go do your homework and then you can go play with the other children. Alright?,'' Sojiro instructed her and kissed her head.
Futaba nodded enthusiastically and run upstairs... without saying her goodbyes to their guest.
Sojiro sighed and rubbed his head, while his wife chukled.
''You're a bad influence on her,'' Sojiro chuckled and sat down after inviting them to sit too.
Barret cursed under his own breath as Nox remained leaning near the entrance and didn't approach to touch his cup. The others gave hims varying looks of disapproval as well.
''Yes, I deserve that, I guess,'' Sojiro sighed.
''Sojiro! Don't say that,'' his wife turned to Nox,''And you, young man, are you a child or an adult. Sit down and stop acting so petulant.''
Nox didn't react at all.
''Leave the man alone, dear and please sit down. Nox has his pride, but his most terrifying quality was his ability to discard it at a moments notice if it suited his whims. Many a times he managed to land a hit early in our training, because of unconventional means even if his swordsmanship wasn't yet at that level to hit me.
Though I can imagine that him growing older, more powerful and more experienced limited how many times he was or is willing to discard his pride.
Ironic, considering I'm from Wutai and trickery is supposed to be our expertise. I learned many new tricks during our travels,'' Sojiro rubbed his chin and chuckled.
''You're from Wutai too!?,'' Yuffie eagerly leaned forward and asked him. She was always happy to meet her people, both inside or outside of Wutai.
''Too?,'' Sojiro looked at her more properly and then widened his eyes,''Kisaragi-sama, it is an honor.''
He tried to rise up quickly and bow, but winced at the quick movement.
''Whoa, calm down. Don't harm yourself to follow protocol. And please keep it quiet. I'm on a hush hush secret mission, you see.''
''Kisaragi-sama... I understand. Thank you,'' Sojiro was helped by his wife back down to his seat.
''Right. Enough of these formalities. Can you tell us what this is about and why Nox is acting like that?,'' Barret tried to get to the point.
''I..Was not in the right head space after Wutai lost the war. I was a Ronin since I could not accept Lord Kisaragis surrender to Shinra, but I was still to loyal to disobey him,'' Sojiro began.
''Many like you existed after the war,'' Yuffie nodded in understanding and some approval.
''Yes. But I was a follower of the more traditional customs. I wanted to commit seppuku and I wanted it to be someone whose sword skill of mine I passed on. Of course... I didn't tell him that.
One day, he simply left. He somehow found out about my intentions and simply left while I slept. He always was good at sneaking away too,'' Sojiro proudly recounted the tale.
''Still...,'' his wife began.
''No. I betrayed him. I deserve the silent treatment for what I tried to force upon him. But I know him. Even if he is ignoring me, he is always listening.
So... from the bottom of my heart,'' Sojior put his hand over his heart,''Thank you. Truly.
If you hadn't spared me that day, I would have never found my loving wife after stumbling around. Nor would I have my beautiful Futaba. You sparring me allowed me to get my head back into the game eventually.''
Nox didn't react. Waiting for the others to be done with him.
''So, if you knew that you would get the silent treatment why ask him to come anyway?,'' Zack asked him.
''Because I owe him a debt. I promised him a sword as his graduation ceremony. He didn't take it with him. And after I stumbled around lost and confused, now not knowing who to help me with my seppuku I found myself in Junon. And I stumbled upon my dear Blue here.
Over time I fell in love with her while I slayed monsters around Junon and then I no longer wanted to commit suicide.
I realized that there is so much more life can offer and if I focused on only it's faults I will never stop weeping or being depressed. And all thanks to him sparring me.
So I left Junon briefly and hired the same blacksmith that hammered his first sword to froge the same sword again, only with MUCH better materials this time,'' Sojiro recounted.
''You nearly lost your life,'' Blue frowned in disapproval.
''That is true. But in my defense, I wouldn't have done this if Futaba was already born at that time. But until then he was the closest thing to a son I had, with all the years we spent on traveling around. And I wanted to honor him and his gift to me.
So I gathered the most expensive materials I could for his sword, including a scale from a legendary ancient and powerful beast... and a few others for the blacksmiths personal reasons to pay for the process of him combining all those powerful ingredients into his sword and finally I had a much better sword for him then the previous one.
Afterwards I kept my ears sharp for rumors about a guy with white hair and red eyes... but I never heard anything.
Then a few months ago I was injured in a battle against The Terror of the Deep. At least no one died. I did however give up on finding him with my injury,'' Sojiro recounted happily with relief.
''If Shinra could be bothered to ever send SOLDIER's down here then he would have never been injured like this,'' Blue scowled and calmed herself down when Sojiro gently patter her hand in comfort. She gave him a weak smile.
''Be that as it may, my dear. Could you bring the sword, Blue? Please? You know where I keep it,'' Sojiro requested.
Zack listened to the tale with rapt attention. A part of him jealous that Nox wasn't forced to kill his mentor like he had to.
They waited a bit till Blue came back and handed Sojiro the scabbard. He pulled it out and put it down on the table.
They all stared at it in awe, but also some disappointment.
For a sword who Sojiro said he gathered many legendary resources for it looked so... plain. They could tell from one glance that it was of sheer master quality, the quality spoke for itself and yet...
It looked like a normal longsword, if not not just a tiny smidge longer then average to give the wielder some extra range. The guard was slightly coiled, but otherwise straight. The grip was wrapped in high quality leather and the pommel was rounded. The blade itself was plain, except with a few runic inscriptions on the fuller that glowed in faint orange and gold.
''Just like he likes it,'' Sojiro commented with a small smile.
Aerith widened her eyes suddenly and then played it off, carefully checking if no one noticed what she did.
How did he get a scale from the Ultimate WEAPON as one of the ingredients?!
'Normally that wouldn't happen. But the planet provided it to him,' 'Aerith' explained.
''Well? What are you waiting for? Take it, you ungrateful brat,'' Blue demanded from Nox getting agitated.
Sojiro sighed. He was a little disappointed in her, normally a much more collected woman and polite in front of their guest, but she knew how much this meant to him and Nox clearly set her off.
He sighed again when Nox just left the house without saying anything OR taking the sword.
''Which one of you is the closest to him?,'' Sojiro asked them and they all pointed at Aerith.
Sojiro put the blade back into it's scabbard and then carefully handed it to her.
''Keep it with you. When he is ready to forgive me he will take my gift and use it... Or maybe that will never happen.
A word of warning. Nox is quite fragile even if he pretends otherwise, but he has no concept of giving up. I do not know what happened, but he does not take betrayal kindly... and he never talks about his own personal issues. I do NOT doubt that you are friends, but ask yourselves this.
Does he EVER talk about himself? And I mean TRULY talk about himself?
I can tell you are good people. Please do right by him. And.. tell him I'm sorry that I planned to add to his problems in my selfishness. I was a stupid man then.
If he ever finds it in himself to forgive me, then please tell him that he and even all of you are welcome to visit me anytime,'' Sojiro told them with a small polite smile.
''Don't worry, I will speak some sense into him. Of that you can be sure,'' Aerith promised him with determination and nodded firmly, taking the blade and putting it into her Store Materia.
She stood up and after saying her hasty goodbyes she rushed after Nox. The others followed her example and then left as well.
Sojiro sighed and stared at the cups. All of them were empty except Nox' cup.
''Good riddance, I say. What a rude boy,'' Blue scoffed and began cleaning the table.
''Blue,'' Sojiro frowned.
''Sojiro, I know how much it meant to you to give him the sword. But please move on from that man. He cause you enough pain already. I mean,'' Blue put her hand on her face in disbelief,''He heard you talk about hunting for powerful yet dangerous ingredients and he barely reacted.''
''Yeah,'' Sojiro agreed for her peace of mind, but not at all surprised. For Nox he was already dead to him.
''Good,'' Blue nodded satisfied,''Don't forget you promised to go fishing with Futaba tomorrow.''
''I haven't. I haven't,'' Sojiro chuckled and waved her off.
He sighed again once Blue entered the kitchen and was out of his range.
He looked at the door.
Still. Look at him. He made a friend. Several in fact...
Sojiro wished that their story would end better then his and Nox' did.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
''I bought tickets for us,'' Nox said when they finally found him after hours.
''You mind explaining what the hell that was?,'' Barret asked him hotly.
''Not particularly. No,'' Nox said simply and with finality.
Zack quickly got between them when Barret tried to grab Nox by the collar, to try and calm them down before things escalated.
''We should hurry. The ship is about to depart in a few hours, but it is always good to arrive early with such public modes of transportation,'' Nox added nonplussed about what Barret tried to do.
''Look, I get you have personal beef with what he tried to do, but you should at least use the sword. It is a good one, I can tell,'' Cloud recommeded.
''What sword?,'' Nox played dumb and tilted his head.
''So childish,'' Cloud shook his head and passed him by, making his way towards the pier.
Barret scoffed and slammed his shoulder into Nox' as he walked past him too. It was him that stumbled and made Barret's scowl deepen at the added frustration.
Aerith avoided his eyes and walked past him too. So did Tifa and Zack gave him a helpless look. Clearly wanting to do... something to help, but feeling stumped.
Yuffie and Red just walked past him, not having too much to say.
Nox stood there alone for a bit.
''Whatever. They would never understand,'' Nox muttered under his own breath and turned to followed after them.
---
''What do you mean an animal is not allowed to join the event?,'' Nanaki hotly asked making the man get a little anxious. Better then gawking at a talking dog Nanaki thought.
''I'm s-sorry, uh... Sir, but it is simply company policy. I'm not the one who made rules! Please don't eat me!,'' he suddenly wailed at the end.
Nanaki scowled more and walked away from the registration counter.
''Someone looks like he is having a bad time,'' Nox walked over to him upon seeing him.
''Yes, I do. It simply perplexes me why I can not join this tournament. Why did no one tell me that it was forbidden for animals to take part?'' he complained starting to think and come up with a solution.
''You wanna join? I don't care for the tournament or Queens Blood. You can say what I should play and I will put down the cards,'' Nox offered.
Nanaki hummed and thought it over for a few moments.
''You would?,'' he asked a little more lightly.
''Sure. It would be pretty funny, if you won the tournament too,'' Nox said.
Nanaki hummed in agreement.
''And it really is no trouble for you?,'' he asked him again.
''No,'' Nox shook his head.
''Then I accept your offer,'' Nanaki agreed.
-
''Ah! Finally. A worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary!,'' the guy pumped his fist up.
''This is the first round,'' Nox informed him flatly and pulled the chair back.
To the opponents surprise it was not Nox who sat down, but ...a dog?
''Shall we commence battle then?,'' Nanaki asked him and startled him.
''A... talking dog? Uh, isn't this against the rules or something,'' the guy said.
''What are you talking about? You are playing against me,'' Nox said shamelessly.
''Indeed. No rules are being broken here. Besides... are you afraid?,'' Nanaki challenged him.
''Of course he is afraid. Imagine the humiliation if he lost to a talking dog of all things,'' Nox held up his hands and shook his head lightly.
''He must not be a good player then, if he lost to me,'' Nanaki added.
''That...,'' the man hesitated.
''Wait! You said I'm playing against you!,'' the guy reminded him.
''You are,'' Nox nodded shamelessly.
''Indeed, so get ready to lose to me,'' Nanaki shamelessly said next.
''You... you... Fine. Like I'd ever lose to a stupid dog,'' the man scowled and brought out his deck.
...
''I ... lost,'' the muttered in disbelief.
Nanaki and Nox fist bumped each other as they chcukled.
''Please, tell me you are confident to win the tournament. That would be HILARIOUS,'' Nox pleaded with him.
''I must admit I didn't know much about the game, but through sufficiently enough gathered observation from other competitors and now having played my own game I can say we will at least get to the finale. And even there there is a high chance of me winning,'' Nanaki assured him proudly and watched as Nox grinned with approval making his tail wag a little and his chest feel warm.
''Then let's go and make you win this tournament,'' Nox said and they hurried over to the nex tcontestant.
...
''Nox, you are playing too?,'' Aerith asked him a little more on speaking terms with him, now that some time has passed.
''No, but he is,'' Nox pulled the chair and Nanaki climbed on it.
''Get ready to lose,'' Nanaki told her.
''Not in my lifetime,'' Aerith trash talked back and they began playing.
...
It was now the finale.
Cloud vs Nanaki.
''Ladies and gentlemen it seems that we now have the two contestants, Cloud and RedXIII now playing in the finale against each other and ready to ruuuuumble,'' the announcer said and the public clapped enthusiastically only for some to get a little confused as it wasn't Nox that sait down, but Nanaki.
''I'm surprise they are still shocked, considering how many times we did this,'' Nanaki told him.
''Not everyone watched every match. Let your performance speak for itself,'' Nox calmed him down, seeing that he had the jitters a little.
''Red,'' Cloud nodded and sat down.
''Cloud,'' Nanaki nodded back, already sitting in his chair.
''Uh... it seems that both contestants are ready to engage each others so may the best Queens Blood player win this tournament,'' the announcer said.
...
It was close. REALLY close. But RedXIII won in the end.
''Congratulations to the...dog,'' the announcer said and handed the prize to Nanaki slowly and a little unsure. He was looking for the white haired man, but found him nowhere.
A part wanted to deny the animal the prize, because of company policy, but the public look ready to burst and celebrate him for winning the tournament, so he handed the trophy to the dog in the end.
The kids swarmed him immediately and the announcer couldn't help, but smile a little.
To hell with company policy.
---
''That was kind of you. What you did for Red,'' Aerith told him from behind and made him turn around to look at her.
''He needed that, I could tell. He seemed to have enjoyed himself,'' Nox said and shrugged, not seeing why he should make a big deal out of it.
She stepped near him and they both watched the starry night sky, the wind blowing in their face and the smell of fresh salt entering their nose.
''Is that how you deal with people that betray you? By pretending they and everything that comes from them no longer exists?,'' Aerith opened the subject.
He sighed and crossed his arms.
''I'm just asking,'' she held up her hands as a sign of peace. Still a part of her was hurt. She knew that he had secrets and she told him that she didn't mind and she meant it, but still... she never realized how little she personally knew him, until Sojiro opened his mouth. The trust was still there, but now there was an insatiable wish to find out more. Even if only a little bit.
''...It's...easier to pretend they don't exist. When someone betrays me. Makes the anger more manageable,'' he told her lowly.
''Getting betrayed...hurts,'' Nox lowered his head and sighed. He uncrossed his arms and leaned on the railing of the ship.
''You feel strongly. I understand,'' Aerith listened to him and assured him. She leaned on the railing too and put a reassuring hand on his forarm.
''Are you cold?,'' he asked her suddenly.
''Not really,'' she shook her head and was pulled close to him in a hug. He also increased the temperature around them a little with a Materia.
She stroked her thumb over his forearm for a while.
''Is Sojiro the only one that betrayed you?,'' Aerith asked him a little hesitantly.
He looked down for a long while.
''...,'' he opened his mouth, but quickly interrupted himself from lying and sighed,''I don't want to talk about it.''
''When you are ready I'm here,'' she told him patiently.
''I understand that pretending the ones who betrayed you don't exist is easier, but could you please make an exception? Normally one wouldn't just find a scale of the Ultimate WEAPON lying around. It is clear the planet was trying to gift it to you,'' Aerith tried to make him see reason.
''Once one exception is made, you will always rationalize every other exceptions. Convictions need to be firm or you may as well be a fraud and a sellout with less worth then the dirt under your shoes. Standards need to be uphold,'' Nox told her.
'That is right. And you know all about making exception. No?,' the voice finally returned and mocked him,'Stop being retarded and playing at something you are not and take the blade. Or will you let the world tear what you love from you? Then why grow close to these weaklings in the first place?'
Nox opened his mouth and closed it and he watched as Aerith looked at him curiously with a head tilt. So innocent. So full of life.
He swallowed as a memory flashed before his eyes. Cloudless, lifeless eyes as tears feel on someones cheek. A corpse swaying from the ceiling. Rage.
''But... I suppose the Planets will should be counted as a special occasion rather then an exception. Wouldn't you say?,'' Nox weakly chuckled.
Aerith frowned at the sudden turnaround.
Still, she slowly nodded.
''I guess that is true,'' she said slowly watching him a little more closely and brought out the sword.
''Here,'' she handed him the blade carefully with it's scabbard and all.
''How does it feel?,'' she asked him when he pulled it out.
He frowned and opened his mouth about to answer only for the alarm to suddenly ring out.
-
''Shit. What is happening?,'' Zack asked when most of them met up.
''Clearly someone is attacking the ship, but from where? The Meridean Sea?,'' Cloud asked confused.
''Forget that. We should split up and kill the monsters or enemies to protect the civilians. We should split in groups of three,'' Aerith quickly commented.
''I'll go alone. You take care of each other,'' Nox left them after instructing them.
-
Nox handed a boy over to his mother after catching him before he fell over the railing and into the water.
He dodged an attack from the back and cut through it with his new longsword.
He had to admit, it was no spear sword, but it was GOOD. It cut through monsters like they were butter and he could tell it would function as a powerful magical conduit for elemental spells if he ever wanted. And should he ever need it or decide to, he can just use his Mako strands to make that spear shaft.
So far most enemies were pretty powerful, but not warranting concern over the others from the party. They should be able to handle themselves.
Still, he supposed he could save a few civilians here and there.
Or that is what he thought as he was suddenly enveloped by Whispers that emerged from the water, he tried to slash them, but as quickly as they appeared they left going back into the sea.
''Ok?,' Nox acted confused.
Nothing was wrong, so he wouldn't have to tell the others anything about what happened.
-
Cloud, Tifa and Barret finished off the Jenova Emergent.
''Don't let her fool you,'' Cloud heard Sephiroths voice in his ear.
''I will never be a fool,'' Cloud told the corpse and walked away, earning some concerned looks from Tifa and Barret.
---
''Come on, guys. We are at Costa. Del. Sol,'' Aerith leaned more and more in Nox' face and winked at the end, since he was the leader and she technically the co-leader. If not by strength then by wisdom thanks to the Planet.
''We can take at least a one day vacation, before moving on. Please, please, please, please,'' Aerith put her hands together in a prayer and leaned even more in Nox' face.
He sighed fondly.
''I remember telling you that you need better ways of persuading me,'' Nox chuckled.
''But why would I do that when asking nicely always works,'' Aerith innocently tilted her head and acted confused.
''What do you say guys? At least one day, since we are already here?,'' Nox asked them.
Pretty much everyone except Barret and Cloud who was neutral were for it.
''One day. Let's go,'' Nox decided and watched as Aerith pumped her arms up.
He wanted to spend some times with her anyways and was looking forward to it. Say what one wants, but Costa Del Sol really was beautiful.
''Say, what made you decide differently after all the drama you stirred up?,'' Barret asked him and nodded at the sword at his hip.
''Someone spoke some sense into me,'' Nox shrugged. Gotta love technical truths. He wasn't strictly speaking about Aerith.
''Heh. Whipped,'' Barret commented and walked past him.
If that's what helps him sleep at night, then Barret can live in his delusions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sephiroth smiled victoriously as the Whisper handed him the yellow Materia.
A Store Materia.
He quickly removed everything from the inventory hoping to see the Black Materia ... only to see a paper with some scribbles on it.
'I thought a god was supposed to be omniscient?' and under it a stick figure showing him the middle finger.
(The old switcheroo. Gotta love the classics. There is a reason they are the oldest tricks in the book. Nox bought a few yellow Materias back in Kalm.)
Sephiroths mouth twitched as he incinerated the paper... calmly... and elegantly. Even alone he needed to maintain his excellency after all.
No matter. He already had a small hope of his attack succeeding. A shame since he also never found a hint with how far Nox can time travel. As well as several other things.
Then he should try something else.
...
Sephiroth smiled remembering what Sojiro told to them all with Cloud present.
A plan slowly forming in his mind.
(A.N.: 14167 words. Hope you enjoyed reading that. Cheers and stay safe out there.)