Chapter: Thirteen: "My…Birthday?"

 The moment Tifa awoke inside the Costa del Sol inn she knew she wasn’t alone in the room. She stared up at the ceiling a moment, her body still, hoping that somehow his identity would suddenly become known to her so that she wouldn’t have to look. Finally she turned her head. Cloud was sitting in a chair beside her bed, his head bowed so that strands of spiky hair fell over his closed eyes. He looked asleep. She didn’t know what to do, so she did nothing, only watching him. I do understand you, Cloud, she wanted to say, but the words never came. I know how you feel now, and I feel the same way. It’s just that I…I can’t…

His eyes opened slowly, and even as she expected to see coldness in them, all she saw was a kind of acceptance, as if he knew everything she was feeling even though she knew he didn’t. "Good morning," he said quietly.

She blinked slowly. "Good morning."

"Tifa," he continued in that same tone. "I’m sorry about yesterday. Really. I said a lot of things that were mean. I guess I’m just really confused."

"It’s okay." But even though he was apologizing, somehow the sincerity didn’t reach hear. He was still afraid and angry, and though he seemed to have accepted her excuses he wasn’t happy about them. Every word he spoke to her was a question, both desperate and withdrawn. He didn’t want to understand but he did, and she couldn’t explain the things that frightened them both.

"They didn’t find Lucca." She lost her chance to speak, and could bring herself to form the words as Cloud went on. "Some people said they saw a girl like that around, but she left just before we arrived. We’ve decided to go on anyway—there’s a path through the mountains that not many travelers know about, and it’ll take us where we need to go."

"All right." Tifa sat up but then stopped, remembering that she’d taken off her skirt before going to bed the night before. "You can wait outside," she told him. "I’ll be there in a minute."

He nodded, and without a word left. She began to grow angry with herself for having not said anything. I hate them she thought bitterly of Shin-ra as she gathered her things. I finally meet Cloud again and we can’t even talk about old times—what if I say something wrong? It’s not fair. And when he’s in trouble Aeris is always there to get the credit for taking care of him. She met everyone in the lobby, and they moved outdoors before starting their discussion. She guessed that some argument had taken place before her awakening, as they were all still edgy and Sabin didn’t look happy. "Cloud wants us to go to Nibelheim," Aeris explained for her. "He thinks that’s where Sephiroth is going."

"There’s a path through the mountains that will take us past North Corel and the desert," Cloud said, casting a glance at Sabin to make sure he wasn’t about to be interrupted. "It’ll be hard, but a lot faster than trying to go around the desert. I just wish I still had my sword."

"At least Nadia got some shopping done," Aeris spoke up, cheerful as always. She had bought herself and staff and Nadia a crossbow, and both were very excited by the prospect of doing some good. After proudly displaying the weapons Aeris pulled several materia out of her pouch. "Got these, too. Two healing, one ice for Nadia, and a fire materia for Tifa." She held her hand out, and Tifa accepted the gift hesitantly. "I can teach you how to use it, if you want. It’s really easy. We would have bought some for the boys, too, but we ran out of money. Oh, but this is for Cloud." She handed him a red sphere. "From Pricilla. I forgot to give it to you before."

"Yeah. Sure."

Tifa stuffed the materia into a slot in her Mithril Gloves. "Thanks. I’ll pay you back later."

"No need." Aeris grinned brightly and looked them all over critically. "Well, everyone looks fine. Let’s not fight anymore, okay? We’ll eat breakfast and keep going. It’ll be our last real meal for a while, so I’m paying. Come on—it’ll be nice."

"You heard the lady," Nadia added, genuinely enjoying herself; Aeris’ mood was contagious, and the crossbow hanging down her back seemed to give her a new kind of self confidence. The two led the way to a restaurant they’d picked out, but just before they entered Tifa pulled Aeris aside.

"You said we’re going to Nibelheim, right?" Tifa asked quietly as the others went inside. "Are you sure that’s a good idea? With Cloud…"

"Cloud will be all right," Aeris assured. "I know you’re concerned—Sabin asked the same thing. But if we don’t find out what’s wrong with him for sure, he’ll never get better, right?" Tifa nodded grimly, and Aeris smiled. "Right. We decided last night that we should try and help him, and if this works…well, I’m all for it."

"Yeah. Me too." They joined their friend and sat down to a hearty meal.

"Hey Chere, how do I look?" Celes was dreaming again, and the boy’s voice echoed strangely in her mind. A figure stepped into her room, dressed in a black outfit that looked a bit too big for him. He struck a heroic pose and waited for a response.

Celes’ child image, seated on the edge of the small bed in a small room, giggled at his appearance. "You look like someone in a biking gang," she laughed.

He made a face back at her. "You’ve never seen a biking gang before," he retorted, adjusting his belt. The SOLDIER ensignia was molded on its surface. "Besides, all new members of SOLDIER dress like this." He glanced at her, and paused. "Hey, you’re not ready to go. What’s taking so long? Girls are so slow."

She was still wearing her sleeveless silver dress, her favorite outfit when she was growing up in Shin-ra. The SOLDIER garb that had been picked out for her lay untouched on the side of the bed. "I don’t want to go," she said quietly, turned away from him.

"What?" He glared at her. "Wha’d’ya mean you don’t want to go? We’ve been waiting for this for weeks."

"I know, it’s just…" Celes ducked her head, embarrassed and ashamed of her own feelings. "I’m scared," she said at last. "I mean, they’re all older than us. What if we’re no good, and they hate us?"

"Algus is just joining, too, and he’s not much older than us."

She shook her head. "Four years older is a lot. The next closest is Edge, but he’s twenty. I know—I asked Professor Hojo."

He sat down on the bed next to her, causing the mattress to bounce. "You don’t have to be scared," he told her firmly. "We’ve worked really hard. Remember what Professor Marquez said? He said we’d be better than Kefka some day. Won’t that be cool?"

"But…" Celes was still unsure, her hands clinging to each other nervously. "But still…"

"Cut it out," he snapped, suddenly angry, and it startled her. "You’re acting like a wimp—you hate being a priss, remember? Whining and excuses are for weak girls. You’re not weak, are you?"

Celes stared at him, and all at once her temper clicked into place. "Of course I’m not!" she shouted at him, jumping to her feet. "I’m better than you, Sephiroth!"

***************

Celes opened her eyes to unfamiliar surroundings, and the boy’s voice melted into the bustling and jolting of some vehicle. The interior was so hot that she’d been sweating in her sleep, and her hair was matted uncomfortably to her face and neck. She thrust it aside. Nearby in the buggy Nanaki was curled up beside the hulking figure of Cait Sith’s moogle, and Glenn was asleep leaning against the wall. He’d shed most of his clothes, so that the thick green hair fell messily over his bare chest. The marks she’d made in his face had long since been sealed with magic spells, and she was disappointed in herself for having been so foolish. But she couldn’t help it. She’d seen too many dismembered carcasses, those of her comrades and friends, to let him go unpunished. And for him to have taken Cain from her… it was all she could do to keep herself from attacking him again.

"Hello, General." Cait Sith crawled over to her, watching as she sat up. "Are you feeling better?"

"Not really." She paused, staring at him. "But what are you doing here? Who are you, and where are we?"

"In Setzer’s buggy," he replied. "Locke invited me to come along. I’m Cait Sith, from Gold Saucer. You don’t mind, do you General?"

Celes stared at him a moment more, then shook her head. "No, I don’t mind. I think I know who you are. But I wish I could have thanked Mr. Gabbiani one last time before we left."

"Hey, you awake back there?" The vehicle’s compartment space was connected to the driver’s cockpit by a long rectangular window, and she could see Lucca at the wheel. "I was worried."

Celes crawled to the front, resting an arm on the window opening so they could talk. "Where’s Locke?"

Lucca indicated to the slumped figure beside her in the front passenger seat. "Asleep. He almost looks cute, doesn’t he? He ended up driving most of the way through the night and all morning, so he could use the rest."

"Where are we going?"

"Gongaga. It’s the nearest town."

Celes nodded vaguely, still haunted by the images in her fading dream. "That was a long time ago," she murmured, unaware that she was speaking aloud. "We can’t go back to that anymore."

Lucca glanced back at her. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Celes…" She pursed her lips, as if something were on her mind. "We have to talk. About everything."

The general frowned, noticing that Nanaki and Cait Sith had crowded about as well. She felt suddenly apprehensive. "Yes?"

"I’ve been doing a lot of thinking," the younger started hesitantly. "You know, about Sephiroth and all, and I think…" Finally she blurted out, "I think Sephiroth is controlling the SOLDIER members we’ve seen."

Celes glared at her but was determined not to throw out any suggestions. "Because of what Glenn said?" Her voice took on a dangerous edge.

"Because of everything," she corrected quickly, catching the tone. She looked nervous, trying to be sensitive to her friend’s feelings while logical at the same time. "Every member we’ve met has been acting weird—you said yourself that they’re looking for the Black Materia, like Sephiroth. Well, at Gold Saucer Cain was studying a thing called the Keystone. Locke told me about it: it’s a stone that allows entrance to a secret Temple of the Ancients, somewhere in the far south. It’s possible that the Black Materia is there, which can, according to Locke call on the most destructive magic known to man. Oh, and by the way, that compass materia we found stopped working. The spell wore off after…" She trailed off.

"That’s according to Locke," she retorted, returning to the subject and holding in any emotional response. "He’s a self-appointed expert."

Lucca was quick to defend him. "He may be immature," she said, "but he knows more about materia than me—or anyone I know. He’s serious about it, too."

"So what’s your point?" the general asked, though she had already guessed what was being implied.

"The point is that Gilbert and Cain acted like they were doing Sephiroth’s dirty work. What if Sephiroth wasn’t killed in Nibelheim? They never found his body. What if he laid low until now? I mean…" She paused to adjust her glasses and collect her thoughts. "Sephiroth has a lot of power. And now, five years after his incident with Cloud, he somehow learns of Cloud’s release. It’s perfect—Cloud’s spent five years as a vegetable, and even after being released his mind is very susceptible to suggestion. So Sephiroth imposes his will on him while we’re in Shin-ra, forcing Cloud to release Jenova and kill President Shin-ra."

"That’s…"

"But he also has control of two other SOLDIER members, who take Jenova and the sword in different directions so that neither can be tracked, and Cloud is let go without blame. The perfect crime, right?"

Celes listened painfully, not wanting to believe what she’d heard. "That can’t be right," she whispered, looking away. "Sephiroth…he would have come back if he was still alive, and if he wanted to control SOLDIERs, why not me? Why aren’t I following him and under his control?"

Cait Sith spoke up, which surprised her. "I beg your pardon, General Celes," he interrupted, "but you are following him, aren’t you? We all are."

"And in Midgar you blacked out," Nanaki added. "And with Gilbert—you were drawn to him, you said, by the singing. Singing that no one else heard."

"This is ridiculous," she spat, alarmed by all their sudden accusations. "You have no right to talk to me like this. Besides, Sephiroth never had any psychic abilities. No one in SOLDIER did. It’s not possible."

"But we can’t discount the possibility," Lucca insisted firmly. "Especially if something like this happened before." The general’s face began to grow pale, and she continued. "This has happened before, hasn’t it? SOLDIERs disappearing, turning on each other—Glenn was right. Something weird is definitely going on, and it’s affecting everyone who’s gone through the process to be in SOLDIER."

"You can’t just…"

"We don’t mean to offend you," the cat doll said quietly, "but please understand the situation: we have to accept the possibility that Sephiroth is using some kind of telepathy to have an affect on you, no matter how or for what purpose. Ignoring the facts will only put yourself in a vulnerable position, and could prove dangerous for us all. Do you understand that all, Miss Celes?"

Celes stared at him a moment, then nodded, her eyes cold. "I understand." She pushed past him and into the back of the compartment. She didn’t want to believe it—any of it. Why would Sephiroth take control of the men he’d grown up with and respected, only to let them die? And why have Cloud kill President Shin-ra? None of it made sense, and she didn’t want to think that her childhood friend was behind it all.

"This is the beginning of February," Lucca said, interrupted her thoughts. "Your birthday is in March, isn’t it?"

Celes froze, and suddenly she was trembling. "My…birthday?" She swallowed hard and ground her knuckles into the floor. "Only a month? And Sephiroth’s…" She shook her head violently. "No, it can’t be the same. We have to find him. We have to, before it’s too late."

Nanaki flicked his ears. "Too late for what?"

"Too late for us." She fought to keep herself in control of her emotions, to be strong as she had always been. "I’m sorry. I’ll think about what you’ve said, but I can’t be sure."

"I’m sorry, too," Lucca added. "I didn’t want to make you upset."

"It’s all right. Let’s just get to Gongaga."

At about noon Sabin suggested that the group break for lunch, and was greatly encouraged by his comrades to do so. They found a stand of trees and waited for him to prepare the food they’d brought. In the meanwhile Aeris entertained them with some amusing stories about her previous encounters with the Turks. They were almost ready to eat when she suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, I totally forgot!"

They stared at her. "Forgot what?"

"My birthday was a few days ago." She laughed. "So much was going on, I just forgot. Isn’t that funny? I’m twenty-two now."

"Twenty-two?" Cloud repeated. "You’re not that old."

She made a face. "And why not?"

"Because you act like you’re six."

Aeris stuck her tongue out at him, enhancing the image, but just then Tifa interrupted. "Don’t mind Cloud," she said pleasantly. "He’s just upset because you’re older than him."

This fact appeared to delight her. "Oh, really? How old is he?"

"Twenty-one."

"It’s only a year," he grunted. "Makes no difference."

"Well," Nadia spoke up, "if it’s your birthday, we’ll have to celebrate. Food ready yet, Sabin?"

"Yup," he reported.

"Good. We’ll have a party." She eyed them mischievously. "All work and no play makes everyone cranky. Why don’t we play a game?"

They all looked at each other, shrugging. "I guess none of us know any games," Tifa said.

Sabin began handing out crude dishes. "Sorry, this is the best we have."

"You know," Aeris said between bites of the dried meat and vegetables that Sabin had prepared, "I’d rather hear about Nadia’s exciting relationship with the King of Midgar."

Nadia nearly choked on her food in embarrassment. "Edgar doesn’t have relationships," she corrected stiffly. "He has affairs, and lots of them." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "He’s a fairly predictable man at best when it comes to women."

"I wouldn’t be too sure about that," Sabin interjected. "He was very serious about protecting you back at Shin-ra. He seemed like he really cares for you."

"Yeah, uh-huh. Heard that before." She wagged her finger at him. "He’s your brother—you should know what he’s like."

He smiled ruefully. "Actually, I hadn’t seen him for years until that night." He unconsciously fingered the charm that hung around his neck. "We were…out of touch."

Aeris pointed to the necklace. "What is that, a coin?"

"Just a keepsake."

"But enough of Edgar," Nadia broke in. "I want to hear about Aeris." She turned to her and winked. "Are you hooked up with anyone right now?"

Aeris glared at her accusingly—she was being set up. However, there was no way around it now. A quick glance at Cloud showed that he was indifferent to the conversation—or at least, trying to look that way. "Well," she started carefully, "not right now, but I did sort of have a boyfriend a couple years ago. He…gave me my first kiss."

"Tell us, tell us," the younger woman prompted. "It is your birthday."

Sabin and Cloud exchanged annoyed looks and shrugged. Tifa tried to look interested. "It wasn’t much of a relationship," Aeris continued, embarrassed. "I guess I was just infatuated with him, and he thought I was his loyal fan." She chuckled at herself. "He was in SOLDIER, First Class. In the end I guess he just moved on—he really was a ladies man, if you know what I mean." She paused, raising her eyes. "Hey Cloud, you ever meet a SOLDIER named Zack?"

"Zack?" He frowned, considering, then shook his head. "Sorry. I don’t remember anyone by that name."

"Oh." She looked disappointed, but shook it off quickly. "Oh well. That’s okay. I just… I wondered what might have happened to him, that’s all."

Tifa bit her lip, suppressing the urge to add her own thoughts. She knew Zack. He was dead by now, killed in Nibelheim…but she couldn’t say that. She hid her expression in a mouthful of lunch.

Her thoughts broke off as she looked at Cloud. He was watching Aeris as he ate, trying to hold a straight face of boredom, but she knew better. She was losing him—she could tell. His eyes were focused clearly on the pink-clad woman as she went off on a trail of her usual banter, the way a father might look at their daughter: amused but appreciative, and wondering at so strange an innocence. His face gave her the impression that he was seeing something deep inside her, alluring and fascinating, that he couldn’t let go of for fear of losing it. He didn’t notice that Tifa was watching him.

But Sabin did, as she was sitting next to him. He didn’t feel he had the right to speak, however, and kept silent. Beside him Nadia could view the entire scene—she would have laughed aloud had she been able to supply a feasible excuse for such an outburst. Cloud’s watching Aeris, Tifa’s watching Cloud, and Sabin’s watching Tifa, she thought, smiling at the irony. This is gonna be a long trip.

Tseng, leader of the Turks, crouched down and pushed the ferns aside. His face was grim. Behind him his partner Elena wore a look of horrified disgust, and she was forced to turn away before she become sick. She tried looking at the lush foliage and colorful plants, but they were no comfort. After a moment of creeping nausea she called, "Are you done, sir?"

The man stood, turning away from the gruesome scene. "It was another SOLDIER," he said, carefully surveying the trees for any extraneous movement. "Number 22, Delita, who just escaped from Midgar Security. Remember our report?"

"Yes, of course." It took her a moment to realize that he was waiting for something, and she quickly recalled the transmission they’d received that afternoon. "Member of SOLDIER reported by Hojo as being number 22, age 28, paired with agents Jema and Magus, right?" He nodded with approval, and she continued with a note of confidence. "He was being questioned for abnormal behavior, but he broke out yesterday."

"And now his body is found ripped apart outside a small town," her superior finished. "Although I find it hard to imagine Sephiroth would butcher his own comrades in such a way, anything is possible." He noticed then that she looked pale. "Are you all right, Elena?"

"Yes, fine, it’s just…" She glanced again at the body’s final resting place and shuddered. "It’s just I’ve never seen something this…"

Tseng nodded. "It’s all right. I’ve never seen anything like this either." It was a little strange for him having to take care of and train the newest Turk’s member—he hadn’t had the chance of such a role since Reno joined five years earlier. He didn’t mind, but he often found her lack of experience frustrating, especially on a case as important as this.

"Anyway," he continued, "we’re going in the right direction. The President will be coming soon with Professor Hojo and Scarlet, so for now our job is to follow Sephiroth, or whoever it really is."

"Yes, sir."

Tseng paused then, detecting a noise above the normal forest din; conversation and footsteps. They were coming closer. "Follow me," he instructed quickly, moving out of the path. Elena did as she was told, and together they waited until the group became visible.

"I’m not sure this is such a good place to stop," Locke was saying, following Celes down the dirt path. "The people are nice and all, but not Shin-ra fans. They won’t like it if they recognize you." The rest of the group was trailing behind, watching the forest.

"I’ll take that chance," Celes replied, focused ahead. She was still recovering from the events of the past day, and as night approached she was anxious to spend it in a decent bed. They’d been forced to leave the buggy behind, as it’s width would not permit passage through the forest. "Besides, we’re fighting against Shin-ra now. Surely they’ll understand that." She stopped, staring at something in the road.

"Well, they won’t like seeing me," he muttered, and he kept going as he didn’t notice her halt. "I’ve got some bad history in this town, and…" Finally he realized that the others were not with him, and he went back. "What, you see something?"

"Blood." She pointed to the red stains on the dust, and the trail they made off the side of the road. Already she could hear the buzzing of flies over a carcass, and with a sickening feeling she investigated. The others crept up silently and left quickly. They waited for the general’s reaction to the sight, but she said nothing and turned away. Finally she looked at Glenn. "You recognize him, don’t you?"

Glenn nodded just barely, and she was satisfied. "He was a member of SOLDIER," she said for the benefit of the others. "He joined two years after me. He witnessed the deaths of two other SOLDIER members." Her voice was crisp and emotionless, her eyes sharp as diamonds, as if she no longer had the strength to shed tears or despair over another man lost. "We’ll have to leave him here."

Crouched among the ferns, Elena and Tseng watched in hiding. "That’s the general," the younger whispered. "The traitor."

Tseng nodded, ever so slowly raising his hand gun. He had orders to shoot General Celes Chere on sight if she was ever found, and now was the chance to fulfill them. But he hesitated. He knew this woman, and had for countless years. They never associated much, but he’d always respected her and her position, and her trials. Somehow it didn’t feel a just death for her to be murdered in such a way by her own peer.

Nanaki’s ears twitched, and he sniffed the air. He touched his paw to Locke’s foot and whispered, "We’re not alone."

Locke instantly snapped into alertness, though he made a good show of hiding it. Casually he scanned the line of trees, trying to seem indifferent and bored. He caught sight of a bit of dark fabric, and lifted his gaze to the face of a man sitting at the base of a tree. Their eyes met.

All it took was one step as the gun went off, and Locke felt a searing pain as the projectile passed through his flesh. He collided with the figure behind him and they both fell onto their backs among the lush plants. He could feel hands grabbing at his coat and dragging him away from the dusty path. Lucca opened fire in the direction of the shot, then quickly retreated to a safer position. "Who am I shooting at?" she demanded as she returned another round of ammunition.

"They’re Turks," Nanaki replied, crouched at her feet. "The girl from before and another."

"Locke and Celes have both been shot," Glenn reported over his shoulder, digging in his friend’s pouches for a healing materia.

She glanced back. "Will they be all right?"

"They will be if I can find the damn thing."

Celes grabbed his arm and pulled herself first into a sitting position, then to her feet. Blood spilled from the wound her in shoulder but she didn’t care, and the pain never reached her. "I can handle this," she said hoarsely, stepping out of the cover of trees. "Let me handle it."

"But General Celes," Cat Sith called after her, "you’re injured!"

"I’m fine." The bullets from Tseng’s gun reflected off her magic barriers, and she walked smoothly and unharmed to where the Turks were crouched. Tseng climbed to his feet and was instantly caught by the throat. "Go away," the general commanded in a fierce whisper. "Leave us alone and I won’t kill you."

Tseng tried unsuccessfully to pry her hands from his neck. "I’m just doing my job," he gasped back. Behind him, Elena readied her gun, but decided against using it.

"Do it somewhere else." Celes let him go, and under her stare he found no arguments. Signaling to Elena the two of them retreated into the forest.

"Celes!" Lucca ran up behind her with Cait Sith following and she quickly supported the General as she began to fall. "Celes, hold on. Sit down so I can look at you."

Celes did as she was told, leaning against the soft bulk of the giant moogle doll. She’d been able to hide the pain of her injury until now. It didn’t take long to discover that the bullet had been lodged just above her collar bone, caught within the flesh. It wasn’t very deep but it bled greatly. Lucca was able to dislodge the bullet. "You’re lucky," she told her friend, tossing it aside. "He almost had a clear shot."

"Locke took the bullet," Celes replied weakly. She gritted her teeth and cast a quick spell that would stop the bleeding while her wound healed. She was used to having such injuries, and so the pain was not quite what it could have been. "Where is he? Is he all right?"

Glenn came out of the forest then, and he laid the treasure hunter down beside her. He’d also cast a spell on the man, though his was somewhat less effective as he had little experience in healing. "It went right through him," he said, and to their amazement his voice was filled with concern—the deepest sign of emotion they’d gotten from him thus far. "I think it may have hit his lung."

Locke was still barely conscious. He tried to laugh, but only succeeded in coughing up blood. "Damn…"

"Hold still," Lucca instructed, probing the wound carefully. She pressed it gently and he yelped hoarsely in surprise. "Sorry, but if Glenn’s right you’re gonna need more than a simple spell."

"In…pocket…" He was slipping quickly from coherent thought, but stubbornness forced him to stay awake. His hand swiped ineffectively at his coat pocket. "Special materia…"

Celes moved her friend aside and retrieved the materia herself, concentrating on the spell before anyone could object. Her strength was ebbing, though, and the magic took up more energy than she’d thought. Both of them feel silently into unconsciousness.

Lucca quickly checked the general before turning back to Locke. "Whatever that was, it’s helping, but it won’t be enough." Lucca wiped the blood from her hands, glancing about the area to make sure no more spies were lurking. "We’ll have to find a safe place where we can all get some rest—it’s getting late. We don’t want this blood to attract animals." She turned to Nanaki. "Gongaga’s around here, isn’t it?"

He nodded. "Just up ahead. But Locke was right—they don’t care much for Shin-ra. It would be best if we, as you say, ‘keep a low profile’ while we are there."

"Always good advice." She considered a moment. "Glenn, if you can carry Locke, I’ll get Cait Sith’s moogle to take Celes. The sooner we get to an inn, the better."

When they finally reached Gongaga half an hour later, they were surprised by the terrible condition it was it: everyone lived in small thatch huts, and scrap metal and debris littered the quiet town. It reminded Lucca greatly of North Corel; the people were despondent specters drifting through life as though not truly part of it, alone and afraid of their own existence. As soon as they set foot within the seemingly self-proclaimed graveyard they attracted glares of alarm, hatred, and pity. It didn’t take long for them to realize that most of these were focused on the figure draped over Glenn’s back.

One of the larger huts of the village had an inn sign nailed to the door, and the group entered almost hesitantly. Lucca ran up to the man at the small desk and was about to ask for a room when he stood, a look of dull anger seeping into his face. "What is that man doing in my house?" he demanded, pointing an accusing finger.

She adjusted her glasses, pretending to ignore the gesture. "Excuse me, sir," she said briskly, "but my friends and I would like a room for the night."

"Not in my inn." He straightened and glared at them with disgust. "Take that man out of my sight immediately or I’ll have you all run out of town."

"But sir, he’s injured," Lucca protested, trying hard not to lose her temper. "And my friend. None of us mean you any harm—"

"Dear?" A woman came out of the next room, and upon seeing Locke she gasped. "It…it’s Mr. Cole." She turned to her husband. "Dear, what’s going on?"

The innkeeper pushed her gently aside, then marched up to Lucca and stared her directly in the face. "I won’t have it," he hissed. "I won’t have that vermin sleeping under my roof—never again. Now get out."

"Locke saved my life." They all turned, startled to see Celes on her feet and leaning against the doll for support. "Sir, I understand that the two of you are on ill terms, but this is a totally different situation. All we’re asking for is a place to rest."

"He can rest in peace for all I care," the innkeeper retorted, shoving them outside. None of them resisted much, as they could see the shotgun that sat on the desk. "Good luck finding any sympathy for that miserable thief." He slammed the door in their faces.

"Jeez," Cait Sith muttered, scratching his ear. "What a welcome. You’d think he burnt the place down."

"It was a Mako Reactor," Celes explained, her eyes wandering about the scenery. The remnants of the structure were still barely visible over the forest canopy. "It self destructed here three years ago."

"Do all Mako Reactors have these problems?" Nanaki asked quietly. "This is the second town we’ve been to that was destroyed this way."

"Not all of them. Just the unlucky ones."

"Anyway," Lucca interrupted, "we’d better find a place to say. Like I said before, we shouldn’t stay in the woods with two wounded people."

"Uh, excuse me?" The general turned, and was met by an aging couple. They were both watching her, and the man spoke tentatively. "Forgive me, miss, but are you a member of SOLDIER?"

She considered which answer would help them more, and finally settled with the truth. "Yes, actually." She extended her hand. "General Celes Chere."

"General?" The man’s face brightened somewhat, and he shook her hand. "Then you must know my son, Zack."

"Zack?" Celes inhaled sharply. "You’re Zack’s parents?"

The man nodded, and his wife came forward. "We overheard your predicament," she said softly, "and would like to help, even if it is Locke. Do you think you could tell us about Zack? We won’t ask for anything else if you stay with us."

"Thank you very much. We appreciate it."

Later that night the group was set up in the main room of the hut while Celes spoke to the couple in the back bedroom. She wished she could have avoided telling them the unpleasant news, but they took her tidings well, it seemed. "It’s been so long," the mother explained, "that we imagined he might be dead… But he died well, didn’t he?"

Celes nodded, sipping the tea they’d offered. "He died in Midgar, after having defended the people of Nibelheim. I was there when he died" Her eyes lowered. "His last words were: ‘It was fun while it lasted.’"

The mother smiled through her tears. "That’s just like him. He was always very adventurous, and a bit too arrogant, but he was a good boy."

"Yes, he was."

"I heard you say that Locke saved your life," the father said abruptly. "I wonder… Are you two…lovers?"

Celes nearly bit through her cup. "No," she replied hastily. "We’ve been traveling together since Midgar, that’s all. He’s helped me on several occasions." She paused a moment before asking her next question. "Could you tell me about him? It’s none of my business, but I can’t help but be curious as to why you all seem to hate him so much."

The couple exchanged glances, and it was the father who volunteered to answer. "He grew up here," he said in a way that made her feel as if the people of the village preferred not to hear of him. "His mother died early on and his father was a thrill-seeker who, as you can imagine, raised him to be the same. He was constantly stealing things and generally being a nuisance, as well as a bad influence on the other children."

"Not that he did anything cruel," his wife added. "They were just tricks—boys are like that."

"But most boys grow out of that," the father continued. "Locke didn’t. And then the accident…"

Celes gazed at him curiously. "Accident?"

He was about to elaborate, but his wife stopped him. "It’s not really our place to say," she said in her quiet voice. "It’s a personal matter for him, and you’ll have to ask him yourself. My husband and I never cared much for Stephan, so we don’t spread the stories he’s told."

She nodded in understanding and finished her drink. "That’s all right. Perhaps I will ask him." She stood. "Thank you both very much, for everything. We’ll leave in the morning, and we won’t cause trouble."

"That’s fine, dear. Thank you for telling us about Zack."

When Celes returned to the main room Locke was awake—Lucca explained that she and Glenn had been able to cast several more spells on him during her short absence, and that he would be all right. He watched her as she sat down beside him. "I guess you figured out why I didn’t want to come back," he joked, but there was real pain in his eyes. "You talked to Zack’s old man?"

"I talked to him, but he didn’t tell my everything," she replied. "Just that you were a trouble-maker."

He chuckled. "Well, that’s certainly true. My dad used to say that I had the devil’s tail tucked in my pants."

Lucca made a disgusted face. "I certainly hope you don’t mean that the way it sounds."

"Maybe." He winked, and she scowled. "But sure, I gave ’em all hell." He started to sit up but the general insisted that he lay still, arranging the blankets he’d been given so that he was comfortable. He laughed, but was forced to stop for a fit of coughing. "You really do act like a mother," he told her pointedly once it had passed.

Celes smiled grimly, and simply replied, "It’s my nature. But what about you, Locke?" She situated herself comfortably beside him, being careful not to aggravate her own wound. "If you hadn’t moved in the way today Tseng could have killed me; that’s the second time you’ve saved my life. And back at Midgar you stood up for Edgar when he wanted us to take the President’s daughter, didn’t you? You remind me of Mr. Gabbiani—you have the same eyes." Instinct told her to reach out, to touch or comfort him in some way as she always had with her SOLDIERs, but she repressed that urge now. "Who are you trying to repay, Locke? Who are you begging forgiveness from?"

He licked his lips, and she could tell by his expression that the answers were already present there, unspoken. He chuckled ruefully. "It’s a long story."

"It’s a long night."

Everyone else moved to the other side of the room, giving the appearance of non-attentiveness. They could tell that this was not a moment for them. Celes noted this and was a bit displeased—why would anything he had to say be more appropriate for her alone?—but she could not protest now. For a moment her mind leapt back to the question Zack’s father had asked her, and she quickly banned it from receiving an answer. She started talking to keep her thoughts straight. "We’ve been traveling together for days and I still know nothing about you."

Locke gazed up at her with a hint of mischief. "If I’m going to tell you a story," he said, "you’ll have to listen to the whole thing. The entire story."

She nodded, wondering what exactly she was committing herself to. But she resolved to listen no matter how long it took, as it was the least she could do. Not only that, but she was genuinely curious. She reasoned, it had to be more interesting than the stories she was used to hearing.

"All right, Locke." She took a deep breath. "Let’s hear it. The whole thing."