Chapter 2

Cloud

Auron

Amaterasu

Issun

Zell

Brother

Yuna

Rikku

Rin

Paine

Squall

Selphie

Tifa

“You shouldn’t leave.”

“I have to. I need to find her.”

“What you need to do is be here for your daughter.”

“…I can’t.”

“WHY NOT?! SHE’S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TOO!”

“I can’t be a good father…until I fill the empty hole within my soul.”

“…You want to see her, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“…What about me? Don’t you love me?”

“…It’s hard to explain what I feel right now, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t love you.”

SLAP “YOU’RE A HEARTLESS BASTARD!”

“…I’m sorry…I’ll be back…tell Evangeline, Daddy will be home soon…”

“Why would you even come back after finding what you want.”

“Grab your sword. We’re leaving.” Auron was already leaving the campsite when Cloud awoke. “You have something to do before you can venture further.”

Cloud shuffled to catch up with him. “Where are we going?”

“First to Kilika,” Auron began, “then to the Underwater Ruins. I need to pay a visit first to Nooj before we venture.”

“Great,” said Cloud, yawning. “Just what I needed. Another field trip.”

“You’ll thank me later for this. Trust me.”

“Premium seats?!” asked Zell, bewildered.

“Uv luinca! (Of course!) Lady Yuna can get almost anything for us,” said Brother, following the others entering the arena.

Zell dropped to his knees before Yuna almost in tears. “Thank you so much, Yuna,” he said. “How could I ever repay you?”

“No worries,” said Yuna, smiling don at him. “My treat.”

“Get up you big baby!” shouted Rikku, landing a direct kick to his ribs.

Zell writhed in pain, but when Rikku grabbed his hand he immediately leaped up fully recovered. “How much time do we have left before the game?”

“Ummm…about an hour?” replied Rikku.

“Let’s go then!”

And with that they skipped off to who knows where.

“Aaah…” Rin sighed. “Young love.”

“Yeah…”said Yuna, a sullen expression signaling a sudden wave of depression in her. “Young love…”

“Hey,” said Paine walking next to Squall, both wandering outside of the arena. “You up for a drink?”

“Shouldn’t we be heading to where the others are?” asked Squall.

“We still have time. Some red wine would be nice right about now.”

“Are you hinting that I’m buying?”

Paine entered the bar first. “I never said that.”

“Squall!” came Selphie’s voice as he was entering the bar. “Look what I bought!”

Squall eyed the model Selphie was holding in her hand. “Why did you buy a model train?”

“Because,” she began, “it’s the exact same train when we went on our first mission with-“

Before she even finished, Squall marched off into the bar, tears nearly in his eyes. I miss her. I’d really do anything just to hold her once more in my arms. He sat next to Paine and hid his face in his arms, not allowing anyone to see the few tears sliding slowly down his cheeks. There has to be a way to bring her back.

Aeris. I miss you.

“Oi! How much longer til Kilika?” Issun broke Cloud’s train of thought.

“Umm…” Cloud rose from his bed on the ship’s balcony. “Not too sure, actually. Ask –“

“Two hours. We’ll be there by daybreak.”

“See, Issun. Auron answered your question.”

Amaterasu stared up at Auron asking for food.

“Here you go.” He threw her a piece of Fenrir jerky. “This stuff preserves good. That’s why I have so much.”

“Well don’t hog all of it!” Issun jumped on Auron’s shoulder. “We’re hungry too!”

Cloud adjusted himself. “He has you there, Auron.”

Auron pulled a large bag full of Fenrir jerky from his coat. “I’m not as greedy as you think I am.”

“Holy Shit! That’s a crazy amount of jerky to be carrying around all the time!”

“Calm down, Issun. This is what I do when you’re all asleep.” Auron gazed to the open sea. “We’ll be arriving soon. Get more rest. You’ll need it.”