'Inertia'

[The green materia lies deceptively inert amidst that huge piles of ice. Salamander's form had finally vanished after two full days of imprisonment within Shiva's and Leviathan's frozen gaol. Its own materia is safely out of immediate reach beneath the remaining three feet of ice that covers the lava pool like a transparent lid. It will be a long time before anyone will be able to pry that stone away, even after the ice melts. The materia is, after all, still housed in its little peak of crystallised Mako that is in turn surrounded by a moat of molten rock.
[Booted feet pick their way cautiously over the gradually melting floor, their footsteps breaking the eerie silence of the cavern. They stop just before they step on the green orb. Tifa gazes down on the materia, unmoving. It glints from some unseen source of light as if it were greeting her. Several minutes pass before she finally kneels to pick it up. It is surprisingly warm, despite having lain in ice for four days. She holds it tighly for a moment longer, then carefully stores it in her belt pouch. Keeping the materia with her is not a comfort, but then the alternative is to leave it in Utai and allow it to be taken by Godo and his people.
[Tifa sighs. As she had expected, her glove is nowhere to be seen.]

=========================

'Future heirs'

[Back at the Kisaragi house...]

Yuffie : (wearily) Look, dad, just let it be, willya?

[Godo looks up from his earnest efforts to detach Yuffie's materia from her shuriken, his face a mask of frustration.]

Godo : This doesn't look promising.

Yuffie : What do you mean?

Godo : What if all the new materia are like this? Once attached, able to be used by only one person.

Yuffie : (mutters) If they even work at all.

Tifa : (enters the room) Oh, I think they'll work all right, but only when they want to.

Yuffie : (looks up at her) What does that mean? You sound like you've been hanging around my old man for too long.

Godo : (snaps) And what's wrong with that?

Yuffie : You ain't exactly a fountain of wisdom to be emulated, you know.

Tifa : (smoothly) What happened to your oracle? I can't seem to find her anywhere.

[Godo and Yuffie look at her in puzzlement.]

Godo : Really? That's strange. She usually doesn't like to venture out from her place in Da Chao. She wouldn't even budge when we tried to get her to evacuate with the rest of the people.

Yuffie : What the heck do you want with the oracle, anyway? She's just a crazy old bint who loves making up stories.

[Godo scowls and tries to whack her on the head, but she easily ducks it.]

Godo : Girl, how many times must I tell you to show respect for your elders?

Yuffie : Geez, what're you complaining about? Even you think she's a mental case.

Godo : Maybe, but even crazy elders deserve some respect. (to Tifa) Yuffie does have a point, though; what do you want with the oracle?

Tifa : Cloud and I were thinking of asking her a few questions about the new materia. We've been looking for her for the past couple of days, but...

Godo : (scratches his head) Well, afraid I can't be of help there. If she's not in her cave, I don't know where else she might be at. (shrugs) We don't usually go up to see her all the time, you see, so we're not really sure what she does to pass her days.

Tifa : I see.

Godo : Why don't you wait and go back up there in another day or two?

Tifa : (shakes her head) Cid's got the Highwind as fixed up as it can get here and he's already made up his mind to leave early tomorrow.

Godo : If that's the case, then I'll go up to the caves in a few days to check up on the oracle. If she is there, I'll ask her about the materia for you.

Tifa : (smiles) Thanks, Godo. I'd appreciate that.

Godo : Is that all you want me to ask her, though?

Tifa : Make sure you ask her for everything she knows about them. Also, if she can shed some light about why they behave so erratically, it'd be great.

[Godo nods, and Tifa gets up to leave the Kisaragis to themselves. After the door slides to a close, Godo sighs.]

Godo : I suppose you're going along with them.

Yuffie : Of course I am.

Godo : You're not even going to stay to help us?

Yuffie : Help you on what? You and Gray have everything under control here. I'd just be a third heel if I hang around.

Godo : You don't seem to be taking your responsibilities to heart, Yuffie. How are you going to take over from me if you keep running off like this?

[Yuffie looks at him silently.]

Godo : I'm not going to be here forever, you know. I'd like to be able to hand things over to you with the confidence in knowing that you'll be able to handle yourself well.

Yuffie : Dad, you're fretting over nothing. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna be gone forever. I'll be back.

Godo : Yeah, but for how long? Utai doesn't have need for a leader who sees nothing wrong with leaving everything at the drop of a hat whenever she gets the crazy notion about adventuring out into the world.

Yuffie : Then, give the job to Gray. Leadership of Utai isn't hereditary, after all.

Godo : (wistfully) It would be nice to be able to see two generations of the Kisaragi family lead our clan to glory.

Yuffie : (uncomfortable) Dad, you're getting too trippy, even for me. Leave it alone, huh?

[The elder Kisaragi reluctantly complies. For several moments, the two are bathed in unusally contemplative silence...]

Ioz : (from outside; bellows) Yuffie Kisaragi!

[... which never lasts. Yuffie rolls her eyes heavenward.]

Yuffie : (mutters) Him again.

Godo : (bemused) Looks like you have another admirer on your heels.

Yuffie : (glares at him) You tryin' to make me sick, old man? (rises and goes over to the verandah) Look, Ioz, I'm not in the mood to play with you right now.

Ioz : (mad) How dare you?! This is a formal challenge! Come out now!

[Yuffie slumps wearily.]

Yuffie : Fine, fine. (to Godo) Hey, dad, pass me my shuriken, will you?

[Godo tosses the weapon to her and she catches it from the air with deceptive ease. He watches as she casually twirls the multi-bladed star this way and that, as if testing its weight. She's obviously deliberately taking her time in answering Ioz's challenge.]

Godo : (shakes his head) Try not to make too much of a mess, all right?

Yuffie : (smirks) I'll be sure to leave some of his pride intact.

Godo : That's not what I meant...

[But Yuffie is already skipping out to meet the other ninja. Ioz glowers menacingly at her as she smiles sweetly at him. Sekar stands watching some distance behind him. He gives her an embarrassed wave.]

Yuffie : So what is it gonna be, Ioz?

Ioz : (snarls) Don't insult me with that flippant attidtude. This is a fight for revenge for what you did to my dagger.

Yuffie : (gently) Ioz, I already apologised for that. I didn't mean to lose it...

Ioz : Enough! Prepare to fight!

[Yuffie nods, and they get to it, barely taking notice of the gathering crowd of spectators. The battle between dagger and shuriken is always an interesting watch, to say the least. Both combatants have about equal bare-handed abilities. Yuffie's shuriken gives her an undeniable advantage, but what Ioz lacks in range, he more than makes up in relative strength and zeal.
[Had Ioz been calm enough to notice, he would be surprised by the oddly contented gleam in Yuffie's large eyes and, in that context, the smile on her face would not have been interpreted as an indication of contempt for his skills. He bares his teeth angrily and increases the ferocity of his attacks, but Yuffie continues in her casual style. She sighs inwardly with satisfaction.]

Yuffie : (thinks) There really is no place like home.

=========================

'Lumiere et ombre'

Cid : (happily) There's no sight more beautiful than the Highwind in the sky.

Barret : 'cept for a Highwind that's actually workin' right.

Cid : Shut up, you.

[They stand gathered just outside of Utai's main entrance. The twilight skies of pre-dawn form an impressive backdrop for the sky-grey dirigible. Tifa can't help but agree with Cid's sentiment, feeling content enough to simply gaze at the incredible view and not care too much about the airship's state of slight disrepair.
[Yuffie yawns hugely, her jaws cracking loudly in their otherwise quiet surround.]

Yuffie : (mumbles) Why'd we gotta leave so early, anyway?

Cait : Cid says we have to make the most of the winds. Since he can't get the Highwind repaired fully, we're more than a little dependant on natural forces to get us to our destination.

Yuffie : (snorts; to Cid) You can't even fix up your own ship?

Cid : (growls) Watch your tongue, girl, or you'll find yourself walkin' to Rocket Town.

Yuffie : (looks up at the airship; sighs) I'm sure I'll be wishing that I could walk to Rocket Town soon enough.

Tifa : We can always put you to sleep for the whole trip if you want.

Yuffie : (scowls) Not funny. The only thing engine malfunctions mean to me is that I'm gonna be cooped up in that stupid ship feeling sick for a longer time than usual.

Cloud : (amused) Better late than never.

Yuffie : Yeah, right. (pauses) That reminds me...

[She walks up to Tifa, balls her hand up into a fist and bops the martial artist on the back of the head.]

Tifa : Oww! What th--?

Yuffie : That's for taking so damned long to get to me! I'd just about lost hope of seeing you come to my rescue!

Tifa : We couldn't help it!

Yuffie : You probably weren't even worried about me at all.

Tifa : That's not true --

Cloud : What was there to worry about? You were taken by your father's people. They're not about to harm the daughter of their leader, after all.

Tifa : Cloud, that's not helping --

Yuffie : That's not the bloody point! I was kidnapped! You're supposed to rush to help me! It's the principle of the thing!

Cloud : Look, you can obviously take care of yourself. Why bother dredging up more useless arguments? I thought you'd already settled things with everyone involved, right?

Yuffie : Hmph. Nice to know that I matter that much to ya.

Cid : (from halfway up the rope ladder) Yo! Move it, slowpokes!

[They ascend the heavy rope ladder carefully. (In Cait Sith's case, extremely carefully.) Yuffie goes up last, taking one more look at Utai. Though she can't see her father amongst the few villagers gathered around them, she feels sure that he is watching. With a careless shrug, she gives a wave and joins her friends on the airship.
[Within minutes, they are on their way. The winds prove quite cooperative for the time being, assisting the ailing Highwind on to its destination. One by one, the comrades disappear down below, each to their own intent. Only Tifa remains on the deck, watching for the coming dawn.]

Tifa : (thinks) A quiet time for the end of every adventure. To rest, contemplate, and reflect. I love this feeling.

Cloud : Gil for your thoughts.

Tifa : (turns and smiles) Come to watch the sunrise?

Cloud : Among other things.

Tifa : Is Yuffie down below?

Cloud : (nods) Near the engine room, puking her guts out, as usual.

Tifa : Poor girl. She never seems to change, does she?

Cloud : No. In fact, she's already started talking about putting together another expedition.

Tifa : ... to the southern ice regions. I know.

[Cloud looks at her with a raised eyebrow. Tifa grins.]

Tifa : She asked me last night if I was interested in becoming her partner again.

Cloud : (shakes his head) That girl's a got a one-track mind, all right. So, are you going along with her?

Tifa : Probably not. I have some travel plans of my own.

[Silence.]

Tifa : I won't be staying in Rocket Town for too long.

Cloud : I didn't think you would. Cosmo Canyon?

Tifa : (nods) Someone there might be able to tell us something about the new materia. If not, there's always the hope that Bugenhagen might have left behind something that could point us in the right direction.

Cloud : And it'll be good to see Red again.

Tifa : Yeah. (pauses) After that, I'm going to Nibelheim -- whether we find anything in Cosmo Canyon or not.

Cloud : (muses) So you think that your own materia might have come from around there.

Tifa : Where else, if not from the reactor? Besides, it'd be good to be back home for a while. (thinks) Even if it's not really home anymore.

[Cloud nods. The wind picks up, rocking the airship a little and interrupting Cloud's words. For a heart-stopping minute, Tifa fears that her materia might have started acting up again, but the feeling soon subsides. The wind gradually eases up, and she relaxes once more, making a conscious effort to pry her fingers from their deathgrip on the rails of the deck.]

Cloud : (gently) I'm coming with you.

Tifa : I was hoping you would. (smiles) We'll finish everything in time.

Cloud : (whispers) Everything to its end.

[Tifa looks out over the edge of the Highwind's deck. The Utai continent had just recently been left behind, and the airship now makes its course over the oceans. The contours of the waves can be more easily discerned with the contrast of shadow and light that hails the morning's arrival. She turns back to see the world behind her still cloaked in the darkness of night. The entire expanse of sky above her is somehow suspended somewhere in between, within the momentary transition between yesterday and today. It feels oddly appropriate.
[As the light of the newly dawning sun bathes the two figures with warmth, Tifa draws in a deep breath, suddenly feeling more content than she'd ever been in a long time.]

Tifa : It will be a beautiful day.

[And the Highwind glides serenely with the winds, determinedly bearing its people into the days to come.]

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Starting point | Part 10 | Acknowledgements