Completion Chapter 14
Movement Seven: Loose Ends
By Drakonlily
The tall flowing grass of the Wutain plain was shimmering with dew. However, from the Highwind towards the Temple of Leviathan there was a dark path in the silver-toned grass. Reeve leaned over the railing, looking at the path. Scarlet noted her husband’s longing sigh, the look of worry. She put her hand on his shoulder, “They’ll come back.”
Reeve forced a smile and looked back over the ship. Barret and Elmyra were talking with Shera. Marlene was pouting because she hadn’t been allowed to go with Suzanna and the others to the temple. “I know, but I still-“
“Your too nice for your own good Reeve.” The worry was not very well hidden in her own voice.
***
Rude looked down at his now wet jeans. The grass came up to almost his knees, meaning that almost everyone else was wet from the waist down. Yuffie pushed on in front of him urgently, her conformer glistened with the dampness and the falling moon. She wanted off Wutai as soon as possible. Nanaki and Rovina were on either side of the Ninja, not seeming to care that they were soaked. Steam hissed up from the damp plant life unlucky enough to come in contact with their flame tipped tails. Directly behind him Reno had Suzanna on his shoulders, she was asking questions of Tifa and her father. On the other side of Reno he knew was Vincent, ominous and brooding. Cid, Cloud, and Elena made up the end of the odd procession.
“Hey guys?” at Reno’s question Rude turned around and looked eye to eye with the child on his shoulders. He arched his eyebrow, Reno’s look was classic. The older red head adjusted one of the guns in his holster and looked up at his bald friend “How many blondes does it take-?”
“SHUT UP RENO!” Came a chorus from Cid, Cloud, and Elena. Reno and Suzanna snickered.
***
Some time later, the very wet heroes sat on the temple steps awaiting the priest. As the sun at last came into view, the whole group turned to look at the temple. It was almost magically alight, with the rising sun making the ruddy bricks glow and the shadows of the statues reach down into the holy place. It was perfection of ancient design. A loud clearing of a throat broke the spell. “What may I ask are you people after?”
Cloud- who was busy checking the material in his ultima weapon- spoke first, “We need in the Temple of Leviathan.”
The priest looked at Cloud, fear writ on his round face. The old man looked from him to Vincent. His dark eyes glanced further about the others, noting that they all were carrying weapons of various types. It took a moment for the older man to find his voice, “I cannot-“
“We aren’t asking, Tueso.” Yuffie had a gentile tone in her voice for him. The priest was her friend and she didn’t want to cause him to much trauma. “Please, don’t fight with us, I don’t want you hurt.”
“So you would force your way in a holy place, M’lady?” The priest, Tueso swallowed again as he took in the large man at her side.
“We don’t want to force.” Yuffie made her way down the slick stone steps to face the priest. She motioned to Reno, “he needs in the inner chambers.”
Tueso shifted from foot to foot. He was an old and out of shape holy man, his knees worn from kneeling and prayer. Before him stood a seasoned group of fighters he looked up to the red heads and the two beasts beside them. “I will allow it then, there is no way I could stop you. Just know that Leviathan punishes those who defile his holy place.” He walked past the heroes as he spoke and tossed open the gates with practiced ease. He bowed and entered the temple, motioning for the others to follow him.
Vincent hung back, inspecting the elaborate doorway. Do you hear that?
All I hear is your annoying voice. Vincent let go of the doorway as he hissed back to the stinging in his brain.
THE SONG! You ignorant fool. Chaos sounded almost sad, there was a longing note to his voice that Vincent didn’t think the monster capable of.
Homesick?
Mind your own business Valentine. And that was that, for once he was silent. Vincent closed his eyes and tried to hear something, but there was nothing to hear save his comrades foot steps on the solid stone walkways.
As soon as Reno entered the inner chamber he heard a song. A brilliant hymnal, “Where’s the music coming from?” He turned to the priest.
The old man looked at him with a perplexed eye. “There is no music.”
“I hear it too.” Suzanna moved to the enormous Leviathan statue. Her red hair moved slightly, as though the statue was breathing.
Reno immediately scooped up the girl and gaped at the statue. He should have been concerned for his child, but that song was calming and familiar. “You heard it?” in all honesty Reno had almost expected her to.
“Yup.” Suzanna twisted to put her arms around her father’s neck. “It’s called the Hymn of Faith. Or something like that.”
“ Hymn of the Faith…” Reno corrected the meaning before it registered that he knew the words.
“How do you know that?” Tueso was getting agitated, he knew the hymn yes, but he had never heard it as these two were. He was not an overtly trusting man, but he could tell, the way they almost closed their eyes, the way the statue breathed, the two red heads were connected to this place in a way Tueso had only dreamed of. He didn’t understand, he had lived his whole life for the temple and prayed to the gods. How could these two be closer to them then he?
“I just do.” The statue seemed to draw Reno to it. He looked up into the sapphire eyes of the stone dragon and felt its cool salty breath on his face. “Trigg stay back with Tifa,” he muttered absentmindedly as he sat the girl down. He took one step slowly, eyes never leaving the glittering jewels.
Nanaki and Rovina also neared the statue it was carved from a lapis lazul, polished and brilliant. The song also rang in their ears, not coming from any one place but being of everything in the inner sanctum. “What are they singing?” Nanaki asked to Reno.
Reno moved forward again, torn between rushing back outside to the life that he knew was his and letting that dormant part of him awake and touch the statue. “Like all things, it lost meaning with time.” He lifted his hand to the statue. “My mom sang it to me…”
The great beasts noted Reno’s near trace state, they both stood in between him and the statue, touching it as well. “It’s warm!” Rovina exclaimed.
“It’s breathing….” Light flooded the room like a brilliant high tide. It soundlessly cut Nanaki’s voice off. The others were frozen in a state of complete shock. The wave of light washed about the sanctum hiding everything from view for just a second at a time.
Vincent looked at Cloud the blond was reacting differently to the light then most of the people in the chamber. He felt the same way Vincent himself did, even if the dark man refused to totally acknowledge the pain. The light was painful it stung almost as completely as Choas’ voice. It was a pure burning glare of acid, not a brilliant light.
Tifa let out a wordless sound of shock and the dark man stared at the statue. Reno, Nanaki and Rovina were gone.
Vincent moved to the statue in alarm, people didn’t just disappear. DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. Chaos thundered, the pain from the light was nothing compared to the smog the demon let out. Valentine you sit your ass down! You touch that thing and you will regret it. No one will leave this chamber alive but you and me. And I’ll start with that red headed brat. Understand?
Son of a whore! All right you don’t need to say it again. Chaos was the most bi-polar creature in existence Vincent hit his knees and took a deep breath, calming himself and pushing back at Chaos who still threatened to escape.
“Vinnie?” Yuffie was kneeling beside him, “you Ok Vinnie?”
He glared at her, not as angry as he pretended to be, “Chaos is very agitated…” He backed up to the doorway and leaned next to Cloud again. The blonde man looked confused, “you okay Strife?”
“My head’s killing me. I – I think that I am going to sit outside for a few.” Vincent nodded and turned to go with cloud, he too needed air.
“Wait,” Elena said startling even herself. “You guys don’t look so hot. I- I’ll go with you.” She cursed at herself for sounding like that, but she WAS worried. More so about Cloud, for some reason she just wanted to have him in eyesight.
Cloud smiled at her, both he and Vincent waited for her before they walked out of the inner sanctum.
Suzanna bit her lip as she clung to Tifa. The little girls green eyes were threatening tears. “Where’s Daddy?”
“He’ll come back Trigg,” Tifa brushed some red hair from the child’s face, “Ok?”
Cid ran his hand along the statue, “It feels like its alive or some shit like that.”
Everyone stood silently, trying to think of an explanation. The priest shook his head in disbelief. “Those two beasts were Ronsi? That could explain this, but he?”
“Ronsi?” Yuffie laughed halfheartedly. “That’s just a fairy tale… right?”
“I don’t know now M’lady.” He quickly took off to the relic chambers. Not even worrying now that the vagabond warriors would harm anything.
The little Ninja stood next to Rude looking at the various weapons displayed on the chamber walls, her head on his chest. “Ronsi were supposed to be the guides in and out of the Aeon plane. They could take Centra or Aeon’s back and forth. But- that means…”
Yuffie’s explanation was cut short as Cloud, Elena and Vincent ran back into the sanctum. Right on their heels was Apollyon. The statue of Leviathan seemed displeased with the Aeon’s intrusion. The Temple itself began to shake and a purple smoke flared from its nostrils. Tifa fell to her knees, arms around Suzanna in case anything was to fall from the old ceiling. The priest’s voice could be heard from the relic room. Things even in there were crashing to the stone floor. As the ground shook Elena fell. She kicked out as she hit the ground, skinning her elbows and hitting Apollyon in calf. She would have hit the knee and broken it, but the Aeon lifted his leg. He drew his blade, icy blue eyes burning with anger at her daring to strike him.
Elena’s elbows stung, she felt her skin scrape on the pale sandstone colored floor. She knew that Apollyon was about to kill her. She closed her brown eyes and cringed. The next thing that she heard was the clash of steel on steel. The ex-Turk rolled to her back and gasped.
Cloud had lunged at Apollyon, meeting the masume with the ultima weapon. He forced the Aeon’s blade over and faced off with him. Jenova blue eyes burned into ice blue ones. For the second time Cloud surprised Apollyon by being capable of fighting back. The blonde hero attacked, sparks flew from their blades. Both fighters never broke eye contact as they clashed again and again, Cloud driving back and Apollyon defending. The Aeon snarled, yet again insulted to be attacked by this creature. He wanted to draw Cloud out to where the SOLDJETSI and Yrene were waiting, but the blond had other plans.
Cloud leapt back after he had driven Apollyon out the doors. It took everyone to close them again. Vincent, Rude, and Cid lifted a huge blocker and placed it in the slots that hadn’t been used for years. Even Wutai’s temple had been built for war; to be defended. Yuffie was frantically talking into her PHS for Barret to get the Highwind off the ground. Cid was spewing curses and lit a cigarette. Tifa sat in the center of the room holding Suzanna close. The others stared wide eyed at the doors as Tuseo came up from the relic room.
The door shook violently; more then just Apollyon was banging on it, he had an army with him. Tueso looked to his stone deity and did the only thing he could think of, he fell to his knees with a grunt of pain. Then in old Wutain, Tuseo began begging Leviathan for help.
“What do we do?” Tifa stroked Suzanna’s hair as she spoke; the little girl was hiding her face in Tifa’s shoulder.
Cloud helped Elena off the ground then he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He left his arm around the ex-Turk. Elena pretended not to notice, but she leaned into him, putting her hand over the one of his that held the ultima weapon which was pointed to the floor. “I think that Tueso has the best idea.”
***
Nanaki opened his eye to see a young man looking at him with a very perplexed face. The powerful young warrior had almond red skin. Scars ran along his bare and defined chest. Two tattoos were on his left bicep, a tribal band and the Roman numeral for 13. His dark, near black hair fell like a mane over his strong shoulders. The low-cut buckskin pants barely concealed his powerful legs. Without a doubt this young man was truly a warrior. Nanaki tried to jump up, this young man did also. The great beast had no balance, he felt helpless. The young warrior only moved when Nanaki did and looked back at him with one green eye. Slowly the realization that this was a reflection dawned on the beast. He looked down to himself and saw that in fat HE was that warrior in the buckskinned pants. He tired to stand, but lacked the center of balance to use two legs and fell back onto something soft.
“OWW!” Came Reno's voice from behind him. Nanaki turned his head to see what was the matter with Reno but he fell to the side as his cushion was yanked out from under him. Nanaki then rolled to his stomach and looked at where Reno’s voice had came from. Once again his eye went wide with shock. The ex Turk had gone through drastic changes as well it seemed. Reno’s voice came out of a little, furry, aqua blue animal. It sat back on its haunches and hugged a tail longer then it was. It then glared at Nanaki with bright red eyes, under those eyes were twin white scars. If he needed any more proof that this creature was Reno it spoke, "DAMNIT Nanaki!" He indignantly let go of the tail, "That hurt!" Reno seemed more at ease with the situation then Nanaki had thought he would. Reno’s long rabbit-like ears swiveled to the side.
“Reno?” Came Rovina’s voice, Reno then found himself lifted up in the air. He came face to face with an ebony beauty. Her strong face shone in the sunlight, a river of blue-black hair cascaded down her proud back in flowing wonder. Despite all her beauty she was obviously a warrior herself, she was full of power and grace. And when she spoke, she was Rovina. “You are adorable!" Reno’s tail curled just above her knees, she lifted him effortlessly. "Look at you!" She teased, as though she was talking to a small pet, “you’re like a little rabbit.” She was elated, this was just as the tales of her people said it would be. Everything was making sense to her now. Even the change had happened.
Reno himself was just over three feet long, and most of that was tail. He let out a little growl at her cooing. "If you do not put me down I am going to give in to this lingering urge to bite you."
“Aww, your no fun.” Rovina bent down and replaced Reno on the polished floor. She then extended her hand to Nanaki. “Welcome home Nanaki.”
Reno looked at himself and shook his head, “I’ve only had dreams like this…” He curled the tail about him, finding it not to difficult to maneuver. However, he lacked the taller radial view of his 6’3” human form. “This makes a really creepy and twisted sense…”
“Nothing creepy about it. You remember Nanaki? How some Centra came here and some remained on the planet? You remember the tales right? We were supposed to be the guides to this world. It isn’t a fairy tale!” She jumped, up like a child. Somehow she even managed to be immature with a deep grace. “Don’t you see? We could NOT be the last! There could be others!”
Nanaki stood slowly, a smile widened on his handsome face. “Yes, holy!” He looked at her in awe, she was really a vision. Nanaki took her in his arms in an excited hug. “This is real! We could come back to the planet!” He swung her around.
All his life he had been told of how after the great war his people went with the Aeon race to their new world. But this new world, a part of the lifestream was too permanent for them. They wanted to live and love and die. Not to have everlasting life, they didn’t want eternity. They wanted to feel to love and to know that every moment was precious. So they were allowed to go between the worlds. However, they had to lose their human form on the planet, it was the only way to keep humans from knowing what they were and trying to once again enter the race and the Aeon world. And now he knew for a fact that it was the truth, that it wasn’t a legend, that maybe somehow he could bring his people back to the planet they loved so much.
“The temples were the gateways…” Reno looked down the brilliantly smooth path. He flipped a perfectly oval stone from it. Everything here was shining, polished and smooth, there were no harsh edges to anything. If his face would have been capable of it, Reno would have frowned. This was so permanent, so unchanging, like death itself. Only this was beautiful. But then great art could last forever as well.
“Reno? What’s wrong?” Rovina crouched to look him in the eye.
“This is so, unreal. It will be just this way in a thousand years. I just think that is sad for some reason.” His long ears drooped along his back as he spoke. He looked down at the tip of his long tail as he drooped closer to the ground. He looked over his shoulder at a Leviathan statue, a sapphire copy of the one they touched to get here. Reno wanted to go home where he was tall, where his daughter was, where Tifa was. But first they needed help. It was just a matter of finding it.
Reno picked his ears up and they swiveled to the side. He sat up on his haunches and looked over, “Some ones coming.”
Over the motionless hills a tall ruddy skinned man appeared. His hair had been black at one time, but now it had gone to a wizened gray. He bowed to the three newcomers and smiled. “My son, I am so proud of you.” His cultured voice slid like the perfect stream down the hill. He turned to Rovina, “My dear, it pleases me to no end that you two have found each other.” Both Nanaki and Rovina were gaping at the older man. He then turned to Reno, “come along then, sir.”
“Reno.” The ex-Turk corrected, “you are Seto?”
“I am,” The old warrior responded with a smile.
“Father?” Nanaki took a deep breath to quell his excitement, “where are we going?”
“To see Reno’s aunt. She is expecting us.”