Even Demons Can Be Saved

Old Enemies or New Allies?

It had been three days since the Shinra group had arrived in Cosmo Canyon, and Veld was starting to get irritated. The only reason he hadn't said anything yet, was because it was not wasted time. They had all gone up the visit the old man and were blown away at his observatory. His visual explanation of the death of the planet was a stark reminder of what Eve had already told them. It was hard to swallow, but it made sense given how life around the city of Midgar was all but barren. Still, he hated not knowing if they were waiting in vain.

Their group had been asked to change out of their uniforms in the hope to avoid unnecessary conflict, so they were all dressed in similar clothes as the rest of the town. Or as close as possible. The Soldiers had been a little harder to find alternatives for, but they didn't stand out as bad as they would typically have. Well, two of them anyway. There was no hiding Sephiroth's hair or mistaking him for anyone other than who he was.

Currently, all of their group except for Tseng was gathered around the giant flame in the city center with several of the elders, and Eve was showing them the little firebird she could call at will. One of the red beasts that lived in the village was also watching with interest. Veld watched the bird fly in and out of the fire as Eve was talking.

"I first called it out of need, but with practice, I was able to learn how to call him at will."

Nanaki had been watching with his head on his paws. It was much easier for him to accept her explanation than it had been his human counterparts. His sensitive nose could pick up the subtle differences in her scent. The fact that she could use magic without materia was still fascinating. Not even his race could do such a thing, and they were considered the guardians of the planet. He turned when one of the elders spoke up.

"Him? How can you tell it even has a gender?"

Eve smiled at the man. "I just know. Like how the Wutainese know their goddess, Leviathan is female." She paused and smiled as the firebird trilled as it dove back into the flames. "I've named him Haku."

Genesis scoffed at the name. "I'm disappointed. I thought you could at least be a bit more creative." When she frowned at him, he gestured to the bird. "He's not even a hawk."

When Eve realized what he meant, she laughed and shook her head. "Haku, not hawk. It's actually short for Kohaku. I named him for a character from a story I loved as a girl."

Genesis raised a brow. "That sounds like a Wutainese name. I knew you were working as a translator, but did you grow up knowing the language?"

She shook her head, and her smile turned sad. She still tried to explain. "No, I didn't really learn until I was older, but there were things about the culture that fascinated my father, and I. One of them was that story. It was about a little girl that gets trapped in the spirit world. She has to overcome astronomical odds to rescue her parents. She is aided by the river god Kohaku. A spirit that was also trapped because man had destroyed his river. It's a wonderful story about perseverance and familial bonds."

Sephiroth, who was sitting next to her, reached out and squeezed her hand. She smiled back to him before she got into a discussion about the details of the story with one of the other elders. Nanaki watched the whole thing with interest. The relationship between those two was even more unexpected than seeing a live Cetra. The stories of the cold-blooded Shinra General had traveled across the globe. To see him now, so protective and subtly, but openly, caring for the tiny woman, made him wonder how much was exaggerated.

Their conversation was interrupted when one of the men that had been watching the village entrance came running up. A small group of people was approaching. The elders excused themselves and asked their guests to remain by the candle for the moment. It was one of the hardest things Veld had ever agreed to do, but he knew it would be best if the people approaching were Avalanche.